Carbon Capture & CO₂ Compression Equipment worked example
Absorber Pressure Drop at 58% capture train operating share: a worked example
This worked example runs the absorber pressure drop numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 58% capture train operating share instead of the typical 80%. Estimate the operating cost impact of absorber or contactor pressure drop using gas flow exposure, cost per pressure-drop basis, and any fixed inspection or cleaning cost.
The inputs for this scenario
- Gas-flow exposure at pressure drop: 100 kPa-hr (held at the documented default)
- Energy cost per pressure-drop exposure: 45 $ / kPa-hr (held at the documented default)
- Capture train operating share: 58 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 80)
- Fixed cleaning or inspection cost: 250 $ (held at the documented default)
Working through the calculation
- The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Variable pressure-drop energy cost = gas-flow exposure at pressure drop × energy cost per pressure-drop exposure × capture train operating share.
- Total absorber pressure-drop cost works out to 2,860 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
- Cost per pressure-drop exposure unit works out to 28.6 $ / piece at these inputs.
- Variable pressure-drop energy cost works out to 2,610 $ at these inputs.
- Fixed cleaning or inspection cost works out to 250 $ at these inputs.
How this compares with the baseline
- Against the tool's baseline example, where capture train operating share sits at 80% and the headline result is 3,850 $, this scenario comes in 25.71% below the baseline at 2,860 $.
- Use it when budgeting capture-train operating cost, comparing packing types, or building the business case for cleaning fouled absorber internals. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.
Results at a glance
- Total absorber pressure-drop cost: 2,860 $ (headline result)
- Cost per pressure-drop exposure unit: 28.6 $ / piece
- Variable pressure-drop energy cost: 2,610 $
- Fixed cleaning or inspection cost: 250 $
Run it with your numbers
- To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Absorber Pressure Drop calculator, set capture train operating share to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.
Last reviewed 2026-05-12.