Abstract

Aim of this paper is to analyze the performance of an innovative high-efficiency steam power plant by means of two life cycle approach methodologies, the life cycle assessment (LCA) and the extended exergy analysis (EEA). The plant object of the analysis is a hydrogen-fed steam power plant in which the H2 is produced by a zero CO2 emission coal gasification process (the ZECOTECH cycle). The CO2 capture system is a standard humid-CaO absorbing process and produces CaCO3 as a by-product, which is then regenerated to CaO releasing the CO2 for a downstream mineral sequestration process. The steam power plant is based on an innovative combined-cycle process: the hydrogen is used as a fuel to produce high-temperature, medium-pressure steam that powers the steam turbine in the topping section, whose exhaust is used in a heat recovery boiler to feed a traditional steam power plant. The environmental performance of the ZECOTECH cycle is assessed by comparison with four different processes: power plant fed by H2 from natural gas steam reforming, two conventional coal- and natural gas power plants and a wind power plant.

Keywords

H2; CO2 sequestration; Life cycle assessment; Extended exergy accounting

Figures and tables from this article:

Fig. 1. The ZECOTECH cycle drawn on the Mollier's diagram. Figure options

Fig. 2. The ZECOTHEC process configuration. The numbering refers to the cycle representation on the Mollier's diagrams (Fig 1). (a) Combustion chamber, (b) medium-p,

high-T steam turbine, (c) low-p steam turbine, (d) condenser, (e) heat recovery boiler, (f) high-pressure steam turbine, (g) decarbonation heat recovery unit: supplies the power plant with the heat released by the CO2 sequestration, (h) coal gasification reactor, (i) heat recovery boiler: generates the steam for the coal gasifier by partial recovery of the heat released by the CO2 separation, (j) shift/decarbonator reactor, (k) regenerative feedwater heater: the hot CO2 stream is the heat donor, (l) regenerative superheater: the hot CO2 stream is the heat donor, (m) calcinator reactor: regenerates the CaCO3 into CaO+CO2, (n) steam compressor. Figure options

Fig. 3. Material and immaterial flows included in a life cycle inventory phase. Figure options

Fig. 4. Synthetic overview of the main processes included in the system boundary for LCA. Figure options

Fig. 5. ZECOTECH electricity production: contribution analysis for the GWP indicator (functional unit: 1 MJ electric net output). Figure options

Fig. 6. Environmental profile (in terms of the GPW100 indicator) of the MJel generated by different power plants (normalized with respect to a conventional coal-fired power plant).

Figure options

Fig. 7. (a) 7 The effluent O2 is not at reference conditions. (b) Real treatment of O2. Each one of the final effluents is at its reference conditions [12]. Figure options

Fig. 8. Each one of the final effluents is at its reference conditions, and the control volume also includes labour and capital costs allocable to O1 output [10]. Notice the inclusion of bio-degradation. Figure options

Fig. 9. Comparison between the extended exergy efficiencies of the examined configurations of ZECOTECH, the two conventional power plants (with and without CO2 capture and sequestration), and a wind power plant. Figure options