Exploring the Potential of Ammonia/Hydrogen Trigeneration Cycle

Abstract

Numerous low-carbon energy initiatives are adopting ammonia as an energy source, with a particular focus on combining ammonia and hydrogen in a 70%/30% volume ratio for gas turbine systems. The ammonia-hydrogen triple generation cycle, a hybrid of a humidified Brayton cycle and a reverse Brayton cycle, has demonstrated outstanding performance, achieving zero carbon and low NOx emissions, while boosting overall efficiency to around 59%, comparable to conventional fossil fuel-based power generation systems. The Aspen Plus software was used to simulate and calculate the system’s efficiency, mainly focusing on the humidification Brayton cycle, reverse Brayton cycle, and waste heat recovery phase of the ammonia-hydrogen triplex production cycle. Three scenarios were developed to evaluate the efficiency of different steam condensation recovery processes, with all three yielding efficiencies of at least 59%, confirming the cycle’s effectiveness and feasibility. Advancements in the system’s structure in the future could further enhance the system’s efficiency.