Abstract
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is a crucial resource to reduce the environmental impact of fossil-fueled vehicles, especially with regards to maritime transport, where LNG is increasingly used for ship bunkering. The present paper gives insights on how the installation of LNG tanks inside harbors can be capitalized to increase the energy efficiency of port cities and reduce GHG emissions. To this purpose, a novel integrated energy system is introduced. The Boil Off Gas (BOG) from LNG tanks is exploited in a combined plant, where heat and power are produced by a regenerated gas turbine cycle; at the same time, cold exergy from LNG regasification contributes to an increase in the efficiency of a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. In the paper, the integrated energy system is simulated by means of dynamic modeling under daily variable working conditions. Results confirm that the model is stable and able to determine the time behavior of the integrated plant. Energy saving is evaluated, and daily trends of key thermophysical parameters are reported and discussed. The analysis of thermal recovering from the flue gases shows that it is possible to recover a large energy share from the turbine exhausts. Hence, the system can generate electricity for port cold ironing and, through a secondary brine loop, cold exergy for a refrigeration plant. Overall, the proposed solution allows primary energy savings up to 22% when compared with equivalent standard technologies with the same final user needs. The exploitation of an LNG regasification process through smart integration of energy systems and implementation of efficient energy grids can contribute to greener energy management in harbors.
Highlights
In the framework presented in the previous paragraph, the presence of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering tanks inside ports can be considered as a valuable resource that can be capitalized to pursue several goals at once: “a cold source” for refrigeration purposes, “heat” for industrial or civil application, and “electrical power” available for cold ironing, i.e., providing electricity to docked vessels
Considering the environmental emissions, the use of LNG as an alternative fuel to diesel oil allows for a drastic reduction in particulate matter and sulfur oxide (99%) as well as a substantial reduction of nitrogen oxides (80%), contemporarily carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by 20% [3]
In the framework presented in the previous paragraph, the presence of LNG bunkering tanks inside ports can be considered as a valuable resource that can be capitalized to pursue several goals at once: “a cold source” for refrigeration purposes, “heat” for industrial or civil application, and “electrical power” available for cold ironing, i.e., providing electricity to docked vessels
Summary
In the framework presented in the previous paragraph, the presence of LNG bunkering tanks inside ports can be considered as a valuable resource that can be capitalized to pursue several goals at once: “a cold source” for refrigeration purposes, “heat” for industrial or civil application, and “electrical power” available for cold ironing, i.e., providing electricity to docked vessels. In the present paper a combined energy system able to maximize exergy recovery from in-port LNG storage facilities is introduced and analyzed. Through innovative and smart integration among LNG, power, and heating/cooling grids, it is possible to improve energy sustainability in port areas while bolstering and supporting. It is important to underline that the use of LNG is associated with a series of cryogenic and fire hazards, the proposed power plant might not be allowed by the regulator to operate in close proximity to a cooling consumer. The software is based on pre-built blocks that represent different physical (pumps, compressors, heat exchangers, chemical reactors, and more) and logical (i.e., controllers, operation managers, logic operators) devices which can be intuitively linked each other to describe a complex and detailed scheme of real plants
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