Chemical Looping for Pre-combustion and Post-combustion CO2 Capture

Abstract

In the paper, performance models are developed for two CO2 capture technologies – (a) a chemical looping combustion (CLC) process for pre-combustion CO2 capture from the syngas of a coal-based integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant; and (b) a CaL cycle for post-combustion CO2 capture from a pulverized coal (PC) power plant –and used to conduct detailed thermodynamic analyses of IGCC and PC power plants with the respective chemical looping-based CO2 capture processes. Results from the performance models are used to estimate the capital cost ($/kW) and operating cost ($/MWh) of each capture process as well as the complete power plant. Results of the case studies using the techno-economic model indicate that, in terms of performance, both of the chemical looping technologies modelled here are thermodynamically much better than conventional CO2 capture technologies, resulting in lower overall plant energy penalties. However, both the technologies are found to be more capital-intensive. As a result, the overall cost (capital and LCOE) of plants with chemical looping CO2 capture technologies is greater than or similar to the conventional technologies.