Diego Cabello
MIT Department: Chemical Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Prof. William Green
Research Surpervisor: Julian Ufert
Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas at San Antonio
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Website: LinkedIn
Biography
Diego Cabello is a rising senior majoring in chemical engineering and minoring in chemistry at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Passionate about advancing the global clean energy initiative, Diego dedicates his research to sustainable chemical engineering practices. As an undergraduate researcher, he collaborated with Dr. Gongchen Sun at UTSA, where he designed and fabricated flow field fractionation devices for molecule and particle separation within microfluidic systems, aiming at applications in water desalination and deionization. Also working under Dr. William Green at MIT, he investigates methods to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the ethane steam cracking process used to produce ethylene, a prominent intermediate product in the petrochemical industry. Diego aspires to pursue a PhD in chemical engineering, leveraging his experience to develop innovative solutions for decarbonizing industrial processes and promote a future run on sustainable energy.
Abstract
Techno-economic analysis on the decarbonization of ethylene from ethane
steam cracking
Diego Cabello1, Julian Ufert2, Emad al Ibrahim2 and William H. Green2
1Department of Biomedical & Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio
2Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The demand for ethylene in the United States is projected to grow by >4% annually through 2035. Ethylene is a critical component in producing essential plastics and chemicals within the petrochemical industry, yet the steam cracking process (SCP) used for its production is responsible for approximately 236 MMT CO2e/yr. Given the significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the SCP, this study aims to evaluate the integration of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies—specifically pre-combustion, post-combustion, and oxy-combustion—into the SCP. A techno-economic analysis of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies will be done to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from ethylene production via ethane-based steam cracking. Using ASPEN Plus for process simulations, and extensive literature review for aiding process design, the analysis compares each CCS approach’s exergy efficiencies, cost, and practicality, considering upstream and midstream emissions. This research seeks to identify the most economically viable method to capture 90% of onsite GHG emissions, contributing to sustainable practices in the petrochemical industry. Results will include an extensive cost/energy comparison for retrofitting each CCS technology onto the SCP, and recommendations for ethylene producers providing readily adoptable methods for reducing total GHG emissions amid rising ethylene demands.
