Hofer & Pröll (2026): Revisiting TSA and TVSA for DAC: Operating Windows, Thermodynamic Bounds, and Exergy Efficiency

Gerhard Hofer and Tobias Pröll, IN: Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.6c02452

Direct air capture (DAC) using solid sorbents is increasingly implemented through continuous temperature–vacuum swing adsorption (TVSA), yet the thermodynamic performance of such systems has not been systematically characterized under realistic operating conditions. This study reproduces previously published post-combustion capture and DAC cases using an independent MATLAB implementation of an equilibrium-stage temperature swing adsorption (TSA) model, confirming consistency with the original formulation. The model is then extended to DAC-relevant conditions, including ambient-temperature adsorption and vacuum-enabled regeneration, to evaluate the interdependencies between working capacity, solids circulation, regeneration heat, and blower and vacuum work.

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