Abstract
Integrated solar-assisted gasification cycles (ISGC) have emerged as a more flexible and environmentally friendly solution for producing power, steam, and other high-valued by-products from low-cost opportunity fuels. In this light, this paper investigates a new ISGC system for converting heavy refineries fuels into power and steam utilities while enhancing energy efficiency and economic and environmental performance indicators. In this approach, a solar energy field and a two-pressure heat recovery steam generator were integrated into the ISGC system to improve overall economic and environmental plant viability. The ISGC system was modelled in MATLAB software, and the results were validated using Thermoflex software. Conventional and advanced energy, exergy, exergoeconomic, and exergoenvironmental (4E) analyses were implemented to assess the main performance parameters and identify potential system improvements. The ISGC system produced 319.92 MW of power by feeding on 15.5 kg/s of heavy refinery fuel, with a thermal efficiency of 50% and exergy efficiency of 54%. The results also revealed an investment cost of $466 million, evaluated at a system cost rate of 446 $/min and an environmental impact rate of 72,796 pts/min. The conventional and advanced 4E analyses unveiled the process economic and environmental feasibilities, particularly for oil-rich countries with high availability of solar resources.
Highlights
Integrated gasification combined cycles (IGCC) have received increased interest over the past few years as a more sustainable solution for the co-generation of power, steam, and other valuable by-products from heavy refinery residues
IGCC systems offer the possibility of reducing CO2 emissions via pre-combustion gas purification, carbon capture and storage (CCS) [4], and gas switching combustion (GSC) technology [5]
The integrated solar-gasification cycle (ISGC) system was modelled in MATLAB
Summary
Integrated gasification combined cycles (IGCC) have received increased interest over the past few years as a more sustainable solution for the co-generation of power, steam, and other valuable by-products from heavy refinery residues. The high flexibility of IGCC systems on the input feed makes them very attractive for employment in various applications subjected to fuel availability and costs. Even though recent advances in gasification, syngas cleanup, air separation, and gas turbine technologies have driven process costs down and increased system performance, challenges remain in further enhancing energy and environmental performance requirements. In this context, the integration of renewable energy ( solar energy) into IGCC systems emerges as an attractive alternative
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