Abstract
This paper evaluates the effect of ambient conditions on a natural gas combined cycle power plant (NGCC) with CO2 capture and proposes design options for effective integration and off-design operation. In particular, the study assesses the effect of ambient temperature in the context of the electricity system in Mexico and proposes supplementary firing in the heat recovery steam generator to mitigate reduction in power output. For ambient temperature varying from −5 °C to 45 °C, a typical temperature variation in the north of Mexico, the efficiency of the NGCC with CO2 capture reduces from 50.95% to 48.01% when the temperature increased from 15 °C (ISO design condition) to 45 °C, and reduces from 50.95% to 50.78% when the temperature decreased from 15 °C to −5 °C. The power generated decreases from 676.3 MW at 15 °C to 530 MW at 45 °C. In order to compensate for the loss of output caused by seasonal changes in ambient temperature, supplementary firing in the heat recovery steam generator can be used to generate additional power and return the power output to 640 MW at 45 °C, at the expense of an increase in fuel costs and a drop in efficiency from 50.95% to 43.46%, without and with supplementary firing respectively.
Highlights
The energy demand in Mexico is expected to grow by 56% between 2014 and 2029, driven mainly by expanding economic activity, a growing population, and rising standards of living [1, 2]
Proportion of these plants will require CO2 capture technologies to fulfill the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets set by the Climate Change Act, where the country is committed to reducing “its greenhouse emissions by 50% below 2000 levels by 2050” [1]
This article evaluates the effect of ambient conditions, such as ambient temperature, pressure and relative humidity on the performance of a natural gas combined cycle power plant (NGCC) with CO2 capture and defines an optimum design for the capture plant
Summary
The energy demand in Mexico is expected to grow by 56% between 2014 and 2029, driven mainly by expanding economic activity, a growing population, and rising standards of living [1, 2]. Off design operation of NGCC with CO2 capture such as variation of ambient conditions and part-load operation, influences the cycle performance. The part-load performance of NGCC plants with carbon capture has been evaluated by Rezazadeh et al and Karimi et al [4, 5]. One characteristic of NGCC power plants is their flexibility to rapidly change power output according to electricity demand [8]. In the north of Mexico, the variations in electricity demand caused by the extreme weather condition, is more pronounce than in the south [2]. In the south of Mexico, there is no significant variation in demand due to the variation in temperature between summer and winter. In the north the demand varies due to the extreme variation in temperature. It is necessary to ensure that the operation of options proposed to decarbonise the electricity market in Mexico operate adequately in the entire range of ambient conditions and do not impose a constraint on this flexibility
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