Integrated gasification combined cycle

An integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) is a technology using a high pressure gasifier to turn coal and other carbon based fuels into pressurized gas—synthesis gas (syngas). It can then remove impurities from the syngas prior to the electricity generation cycle. Some of these pollutants, such as sulfur, can be turned into re-usable byproducts through the Claus process. This results in lower emissions of sulfur dioxide, particulates, mercury, and in some cases carbon dioxide. With additional process equipment, a water-gas shift reaction can increase gasification efficiency and reduce carbon monoxide emissions by converting it to carbon dioxide. The resulting carbon dioxide from the shift reaction can be separated, compressed, and stored through sequestration. Excess heat from the primary combustion and syngas fired generation is then passed to a steam cycle, similar to a combined cycle gas turbine. This process results in improved thermodynamic efficiency, compared to conventi

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A Techno Assessment of Different Solvent- based Capture Technologies Within an IGCC-CCS Power-station

Jeremy Urech

Detailed IGCC coal power-plant thermo models, including different CO2 capture such as the chemical absorption MDEA and the hot potassium carbonate UNO Mk1, and the physical absorption Selexol are presented in this work. Based on these models, energy integrations are performed and IGCC efficiencies are compared for the cases with and without CO2 capture. For each CO2 capture system, different configurations are simulated in order to determine the best solutions in term of efficiency. The IGCC without capture yields an efficiency of 45.02%. The efficiency are closed for the IGCC with the MDEA and Selexol cases with 36.39% for the IGCC with MDEA capture and 36.42% for the IGCC with the Selexol capture system. The IGCC with the UNO process yields the highest efficiency with 37.33%. The UNO absorber can operate at higher temperature than the MDEA and Selexol cases. Therefore the water present in the syngas is not condensed before the absorber, thus the syngas mass-flow sending to the gas turbine is higher and the power produced in the gas turbine is, as well, higher. An overall Moo optimization is performed on the IGCC with the UNO CO2 capture system by varying different decision variables in the gasification, WGS, CO2 capture and gas turbine and cogeneration Rankine steam network units. The air pre-heat in the gas turbine has the most influence on the efficiency. By optimizing the different decision variables, an efficiency of 39.31% is yielded for the IGCC with the UNO CO2 capture for 90% of capture rate. In the prospect of resolving the best thermo-economic solution, an economic evaluation has to be performed in the future.

2012

An assessment of different solvent-based capture technologies within an IGCC–CCS power plant

François Maréchal, Laurence Tock, Jeremy Urech

This study evaluates three different solvent absorption processes for the pre-combustion capture of CO2 for a black coal IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) power-plant, with the aim of determining the best solvent process for pre-combustion capture. The three solvent processes are MDEA (mono diethanolamine), hot potassium carbonate and Selexol (TM). The study involves detailed thermodynamic models of the entrained flow gasifier, synthesis gas processes, CO2 capture process and the gas turbine and steam turbine combined cycle plant. IGCC without capture yielded an efficiency of 45.02%. For the CO2 capture processes at 90% CO2 capture, the power generation efficiencies are almost identical for MDEA and Selexol (TM) with 36.39% and 36.42%, respectively. The IGCC with the hot potassium carbonate process yielded the highest efficiency with 37.33%. This improvement is attributed to the higher operating temperature of the absorber which allows water vapor in the synthesis gas to be sent to the gas turbine resulting in a greater power production from the gas turbine. A multi-objective optimization is performed by varying different decision variables in the IGCC with the hot potassium carbonate capture process. By optimizing these variables, an efficiency of 39.31% is obtained - a 2% point improvement for 90% capture. Crown Copyright (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Elsevier2014

Multi-Objective Optimization of Biomass Conversion Technologies by Using Evolutionary Algorithm and Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP)

Samira Fazlollahi, François Maréchal

The design and operation of energy systems are key issues for matching the energy supply and consumption. Moreover, in the present context of finding ways to decrease CO2 emission, poly-generation technologies, together with the integration of renewable energy resources, have a high potential for CO2 emission reduction. An optimisation model and systematic procedure to select, size and operate a poly-generation plant are developed and presented in this paper. In the optimisation model the integration of biomass resources is mainly investigated. Several options for integrating biomass in the energy system, namely back pressure steam turbine, biomass ranking cycle (BRC), biomass integrated gasification gas engine (BIGGE), biomass integrated gasification gas turbine, production of synthetic natural gas (SNG) and biomass integrated gasification combined cycle (BIGCC), are investigated in this paper. The goal is to minimize costs and CO2 emission simultaneously with a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (QMOO) and a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP). Finally the proposed model demonstrated by means of a case study. The results shown the simultaneous production of electricity and heat with biomass and natural gas are reliable upon the established assumptions. Besides, higher primary energy savings and CO2 emission reduction are obtained through the gradual increase of renewable energy sources compare to the natural gas usage.

2011

ME-459: Thermal power cycles and heat pump systems

This course aims at studying thermal power cycles, heat pumping technologies, and equipment.

ME-460: Renewable energy (for ME)

The students assess and compare all renewable energy resources, their real potentials, limitations and best applications (energy services). Solar thermal, solar electric, wood, bioliquids, biogas, hydropower incl. tidal and wave power, wind, geothermal incl. heat pumps and buildings.

ME-409: Energy conversion and renewable energy

This course presents an overview of (i) the current energy system and uses (ii) the main principles of conventional and renewable energy technologies and (iii) the most important parameters that define their efficiency, costs and environmental impacts.

Carbon capture and storage

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a process in which a relatively pure stream of carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial sources is separated, treated and transported to a long-term storage location

Coal

Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen

Gasification

Gasification is a process that converts biomass- or fossil fuel-based carbonaceous materials into gases, including as the largest fractions: nitrogen (N2), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), and car