Quantitative modeling of a greenhouse as a bioreactor to process power station emissions

Abstract

This article presents a quantitative model that envisions a greenhouse as a bioreactor converting power station flue gas into biomass. Through the use of this model, power‐generating capacity is correlated with greenhouse growing output and the potential benefits of such a setup are examined in terms of CO2 elimination and water recovery. It is well established in existing literature that elevated CO2 increases greenhouse plant yield by as much as 20% for suitable crop species. Our quantitative model reveals further that suitable flue gas can supply as much as 45% of the water content of plants grown in a greenhouse. Quantitative modeling indicates that for a simple flue gas‐fed greenhouse without separation or storage of flue gas, attached to a gas‐fired power station with a load factor of 35%, each 1 MW of name‐plate power producing capacity corresponds to a greenhouse growing capacity of 3.39 tons per day of plant material, with 1.64 tons per day of CO2 emissions eliminated and 1.34 tons per day of water recovered from the flue gas stream. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 37: 1774–1780, 2018