Thermo-economic investigation: an insight tool to analyze NGCC with calcium-looping process and with chemical-looping combustion for CO2capture

Abstract

In this work, three kinds of natural gas-based power generation processes for CO2 capture and storage, that is, natural gas-combined cycle with pre-combustion decarburization (NGCC-PRE), NGCC-PRE with calcium-looping process, and NGCC-PRE with chemical-looping combustion (NGCC-CLC), are analyzed by Aspen Plus. The effects of two decisive variables (i.e., steam-to-natural gas (S/NG) ratio and oxygen-to-natural gas (O/NG) ratio) on the thermodynamic performances of individual process, such as energy and exergy efficiencies, are investigated systematically. Based on simulation outcomes, all the three processes are favored by operating at S/NG = 2.0 and O/NG = 0.65. Furthermore, comparisons of individual system efficiencies and exergy destruction contributor are herein involved. The results show that the highest system efficiencies and lowest exergy destruction are achieved in the NGCC-CLC process. In addition, capital investment, dynamic payback period, net present value, and internal rate of return are used for deciding the economic feasibility and surely are involved in this work for comparison purpose. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.