Power Plant Synthesis provides an integrated approach to the operation, analysis, simulation, and dimensioning of power plants for electricity and thermal energy production. Fundamental concepts of energy and power, energy conversion, and power plant design are first presented, and integrated approaches for the operation and simulation of conventional electricity production systems are then examined. Hybrid power plants and cogeneration systems are covered, with operating algorithms, optimization, and dimensioning methods explained. The environmental impacts of energy sources are described and compared, with real-life case studies included to show the synthesis of the specific topics covered.
Power Plant Synthesis provides an integrated approach to the operation, analysis, simulation, and dimensioning of power plants for electricity and thermal energy production. Fundamental concepts of energy and power, energy conversion, and power plant design are first presented, and integrated approaches for the operation and simulation of conventional electricity production systems are then examined. Hybrid power plants and cogeneration systems are covered, with operating algorithms, optimization, and dimensioning methods explained. The environmental impacts of energy sources are described and compared, with real-life case studies included to show the synthesis of the specific topics covered.
Coal constitutes an important source of fuel for the production of power in the United States. For instance, in January 2009, pulverized coal (PC) power plants alone contributed to over 45 percent of the Nation's total electric power production. However, PC power plants also contribute to increased emissions of greenhouse gases principally carbon-dioxide (CO2). Recently, various carbon capture strategies have been under active investigation so as to make these plants compete with the more environmental friendly renewable energy sources. One such technology that has received considerable success is the capture of CO2 by an amine-based solvent extraction process. However, an aqueous absorption/stripping technology when used in a PC power plant can reduce the net power output of the plant by as much as 20-40%. The energy penalty comes from heating up the solvent in the regenerator, balancing the enthalpy of reaction, and water stripping. This energy penalty poses considerable limitations on commercial viability of the solvent extraction process and, as a result, various energy-saving modifications have been proposed in the literature ranging from the use of hybrid solvents to novel stripper configurations. In this paper, we show that the energy penalty can be further reduced by heat integration of various PC plant components with the carbon capture system. In addition to the release of greenhouse gases to the environment, PC plants also consume a large amount of freshwater. It is estimated that subcritical and supercritical PC plants have water losses of 714 gal/MWh and 639 gal/MWh, respectively. Water loss is based on an overall balance of the plant source and exit streams. This includes coal moisture, air humidity, process makeup, cooling tower makeup (equivalent to evaporation plus blowdown), process losses (including losses through reactions, solids entrainment, and process makeup/blowdown) and flue gas losses. The primary source of water used in PC power plants is the closed-loop steam-based (Rankine) power cycles. These plants need to condense large quantities of low-pressure steam back to water so that it can be reused to produce high pressure steam. However, this requires the removal of large quantities of heat from the low pressure steam in the condensation process. This is usually done by transferring the heat to cooling water, which in turn transfers this heat to the environment by evaporation to the atmosphere. Also, the inclusion of a carbon capture process can increase the raw water usage by as much as 95 percent. In this work, we use heat exchanger network synthesis followed by an optimization approach to process synthesis for developing strategies for reducing water use in a supercritical PC power plant with a carbon capture and compression system. Uncertainties associated with dry bulb temperature, relative humidity, and demand will also be considered in this analysis.
Coupling power generation with syngas-based chemical synthesis according to the so-called ‘Polygeneration-Annex’ concept offers economic and technical benefits. Clemens Forman assesses the integration of incoming streams by the Annex plant from a power plant point of view across its full load range. Analyses are done by load-dependent flowsheet simulation. The pulverized lignite combustion power plant process is covered by two generic technical states: an existing 650 MW(el) power plant and a near future 1,100 MW(el) power plant with duo block design and dry lignite co-firing. Modeling comprises both the flue gas path and the water-steam circuit. Appropriate stream interfaces are identified and determined depending on the load status. The technical feasibility of integration can be proven.
Examines the use of woody residues, primarily from forest harvesting or wood products manufacturing operations (and from urban wood wastes), as a feedstock for direct-combustion bioenergy systems for electrical or thermal power applications. Examines opportunities for utilizing biomass for energy at several different scales, with an emphasis on larger scale electrical power generation at stand-alone facilities, and on smaller scale facilities (thermal heating only) such as gov¿t., educ., or other institutional facilities. Identifies west-wide barriers that tend to inhibit bioenergy applications, incl. terrain, accessibility, harvesting and capital costs. Evaluates the role of gov¿t. as a catalyst in stimulating new technol. and new uses of biomass material. Illus.
