Thermodynamic modeling and analysis of a Carnot battery system integrating calcium looping thermochemical energy storage with coal-fired power plant

Abstract

Long-term energy storage and carbon capture technologies are pivotal in managing renewable energy surpluses and achieving carbon neutrality. This paper proposes a Carnot battery system integrating calcium-looping thermochemical energy storage with a coal-fired power plant. The system utilizes excess electricity from the grid for energy input, facilitating long-term energy storage, achieving carbon capture, and reducing coal consumption in the power plant. An optimization framework is developed, incorporating component thermodynamic models and optimization algorithms, to maximize the coal savings in plants and energy efficiencies of the Carnot battery system. During the energy release process, the carbonator partially replaces the reheat load of the boiler, necessitating retrofitting of the boiler’s heating surface to ensure normal operation. The base system demonstrates a CO2 capture capacity of 3.23 MJ/kg and a reduction in coal consumption by 7.07 %. The round-trip efficiency and comprehensive efficiency of the base system are 36.93 % and 37.91 %, respectively. The relatively low energy efficiency is primarily due to the deactivation of circulating adsorbents and the limited efficiency of the subcritical coal-fired power plant. By incorporating an additional recarbonation step to mitigate adsorbent deactivation, the system’s comprehensive efficiency is improved to 42.20 %. Further improvements in system efficiency can be achieved by using modified adsorbents with high cycling stability instead of natural limestone and by coupling the system with more efficient ultra-supercritical units instead of the investigated subcritical units. This study offers valuable insights into the development of long-term energy storage solutions and multifunctional Carnot battery technology.