Hanna Katariina Knuutila
Research
My main research interest is related to acid gas removal using absorption technology. The modeling and experimental activities currently focus on developing and characterizing H2S and CO2 removal solvents. Solvent stability and solvent degradation studies have become an important research topic in recent years. Additionally, my team is working on fitting thermodynamic models, absorption kinetics modeling, and process simulations.
Project participation (ongoing projects)
- AURORA (H2020) aims in accelerating deployment of integrated CCUS chains based on CESAR1 solvent technology
- SCOPE (Act funded) aims to remove barriers to CCUS deployment and accelerate large CO2 capture projects.
- Norwegian CCS research centre supports activities on solvent degradation and modeling of reclaiming.
- The MORE project studies glycol degradation.
- HoIE-LIB is NTNU funded project looking into different aspects of repurposing and/or recycling of lithium-ion batteries.
- ECCSELERATE is related to the further development of ECCSEL-ERIC (proving transnational access to laboratory infrastructure).
- MeDORA focuses on dissolved oxygen removal from amine solutions.
- In Subpro-ZERO, I'm involved in investigations of CO2 capture on platforms.
- Gemini Centre CO2 Impact (2019-2023) formalized the collaboration between NTNU, SINTEF, and USN, focusing on chemical absorption-based CO2 capture.
Laboratory equipment:
Our laboratory infrastructure related to absorption studies is part of ECCSEL ERIC, providing access for researchers outside NTNU to the infrastructure. A short presentation of the laboratory equipment available for solvent characterization and development can be found here, while ECCSEL page gives a more detailed overview of the equipment.
Previous projects:
- EU-project REALISE focused on demonstrating a refinery-adapted cluster-integrated strategy to enable CCUS implementation.
- LAUNCH-project focused on amine degradation (ERA-ACT).
- Low Energy Penalty Solvents (LEPS, NFR) and Evolutionary de novo design of absorbents with optimal CO2 capturing properties (DeNOVO, NFR) developed new solvents for CO2 capture.
- faculty-funded research on hybrid solvents (water lean solvents) for biogas upgrading systems increased our knowledge of the interactions between different organic solvents and amine.
- 3rd Generation solvent membrane contactor (3GMC, NFR)aimed to improve the absorption process by reducing solvent losses by a membrane contactor with low mass transfer resistance for CO2 and high resistance for the solvent components.
- In the ALIGN-CCUS (ERA-ACT) and AEROSOLV (GASSNOVA) projects, we were involved in activities focusing on aerosol growth modelling in the absorber.
- SUBPRO and Gas Technology Centre NTNU-SINTEF (GTS) funded investigations of combined H2S removal and hydrate control in subsea.
- Other projects: HiPERCAP (EU), iCAP (EU), SOLVIT SP4 Educational Programme (NFR).