Cycle Configuration Research Articles

District heating utilizing waste heat of a data center: High-temperature heat pumps

Data centers are energy-intensive facilities with substantial low-grade waste heat. High-temperature heat pumps can be critical in boosting the data center’s waste heat for district heating, improving the system-level energy efficiency of data centers, and reducing CO2 emissions in district heating. This study built thermodynamic models to assess high-temperature heat pumps with six configurations using low global warming potential refrigerants to supply heat up to 120 °C. The heat pump configurations include single-stage or two-stage cycles with advanced components, such as internal heat exchanger, economizer, flash tank, or parallel compressor. The refrigerants include R1234ze(Z), R1233ed(E), R1224yd(Z), R600, and R600a, and R245fa is used as a reference. A case study was carried out to recover the waste heat from the Frontier high-performance computing data center and provide hot water for district heating at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory campus. The optimized performance of high-temperature heat pumps is characterized with various effectiveness of internal heat exchangers, and the operating parameters of economizer or flash tank, as well as their combination. The results show that the configurations of two-stage cycles with internal heat exchanger + flash tank and internal heat exchanger + economizer/parallel-compressor provide the highest coefficient of performance under scenarios of the maximum allowable value and a fixed value (0.3) of the internal heat exchangers’ effectiveness, respectively. R1234ze(Z) and R600a are the most promising refrigerants, considering trade-offs between the coefficient of performance and the volumetric heating capacity. The single-stage cycle with internal heat exchanger + economizer/parallel-compressor using R1234ze(Z) is recommended for utilizing Fronter’s waste heat in district heating. A one mega-watt high-temperature heat pump will reduce 33,100–33,200 metric tons of CO2 emission annually, corresponding to 85.4 %–85.6 % of equivalent CO2 emissions from natural gas boilers. This study provides good guidelines for designing and deploying high-temperature heat pumps to support sustainable data centers and decarbonize district heating in the US.

A comparative exergoenvironmental assessment of thermochemical copper-chlorine cycles for sustainable hydrogen production

Hydrogen is one of the highly promising clean solutions to address the concerns of energy security in the future given the rapid rate of depletion of naturally occurring hydrocarbon sources. However, it is of immense importance that hydrogen is obtained through sources that ensure sustainability. Thermochemical water-splitting processes are among such routes of hydrogen production that are both sustainable and environmentally benign. Thus, this study focuses on assessing the copper-chlorine thermochemical cycles that are among the more promising cycles of the chlorine family in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Moreover, this study considers a comparative exergoenvironmental evaluation of the four variants of the copper-chlorine cycle that vary in the number and the nature of steps. A comparison in this regard is carried out between the various steps of each cycle in terms of the component-associated environmental impact rates and environmental impact rates of energy transfer as well as the overall environmental impacts of all cycles. In addition, a comparison of the global warming potential of hydrogen synthesized through utilizing various electricity sources is also performed. Based on our evaluations, hydrolysis and electrolysis are the common steps in the five-step cycle, the four-step cycle, and the three-step cycle configuration 1 yielding the highest component-associated environmental impact rates and environmental impact rates of energy transfer, respectively. Conversely, in the three-step cycle configuration 2, the electrolysis and thermal decomposition steps yield the highest corresponding values, respectively. In addition, the three-step cycle configuration 2 (4,869 mPts/h) and the five-step cycle (3,194 mPts/h) have the highest and the lowest component-associated environmental impact rates, respectively while the five-step (530,694 mPts/h) and the four-step (248,050 mPts/h) cycles result in the highest and the lowest environmental impact rates of energy transfer, respectively.

Thermodynamic, environmental, and exergoeconomic analysis of multi-ejector expansion transcritical CO2 supermarket refrigeration cycles in different climate regions of Türkiye

Restrictions on high-GWP refrigerants have made the use of transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems widespread. Using transcritical booster refrigeration cycle in warm climates is unsatisfactory due to its high energy consumption. This paper presents theoretical analysis and performance comparison of three different transcritical CO2 supermarket refrigeration cycle configurations with ejector expansion in Türkiye, which has different climatic regions. Bin-hour data were derived using hourly dry-bulb temperature values for provinces from 7 different regions in Türkiye. The applicability of multi-ejectors to each modeled cycle was also investigated. Annual energy consumption and environmental impact reductions of up to 17% were obtained using ejector expansion cycle compared to booster cycle. Ejector expansion cycles achieved higher performance than booster cycle up to 46% in terms of exergy efficiency at investigated ambient temperatures. Unit product exergy costs of the ejector cycles were found up to 28% lower than booster cycle.

Thermodynamic performance analysis and environmental impact assessment of cascade refrigeration cycles using eco-friendly nano-refrigerants

There is a lack of research in the literature on the application of nanoparticles to different cascade cycle configurations with environmental refrigerants in ultra-low temperature refrigeration applications. This study is the first on the use of nano-refrigerants in cascade refrigeration cycles. In this study, the effect of 2 wt.% of CuO to RE170 and R170-pure refrigerant utilization in cascade vapor compression refrigeration cycle (CVCRC), cascade ejector refrigeration cycle (CERC) and cascade ejector intercooler refrigeration cycle (CEIRC) are investigated to achieve higher performance values in ultra-low temperature applications. For CVCRC, CERC and CEIRC, the increases in terms of coefficient of performance (COP) with the use of nano-refrigerant were found to be 12.77 %, 8.20 %, and 6.37 %, respectively, and 18.55 %, 14.05 %, and 6.07 %, for exergy efficiency. Upon scrutinizing the results with nano-refrigerant in relation to the COP, the analysis revealed that the CEIRC cycle exhibited an improvement ranging from 13.43 % to 20.49 % in comparison to CERC. Additionally, with nano-refrigerant, the CEIRC cycle demonstrated an increase ranging from 42.39 % to 75.41 % when compared to CVCRC in COP. It was observed that the utilization of CEIRC led to a 13.03 % decrease in kg CO2 emissions in compared to CERC and a reduction of 32.53 % compared to CVCRC with using nano-refrigerant.

Thermal analysis and dynamic attributes of a sustainable CSP-fossil hybrid power plant utilizing organic Rankine cycles for enhanced plant performance

The increasing global demand for energy, driven by population growth, highlights the need for sustainable solutions to ensure a sustainable future. This article outlines the design and optimization process of a 1 MW CSP-Fossil hybrid power plant that examines the utilization of toluene and cyclohexane as working fluids within three distinct Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) configurations (simple, recuperated, and with Open Feed Organic Heater). This study aims to propose a sustainable and effective solution for satisfying energy needs while addressing the intermittent nature of solar resources by enhancing system architecture and incorporating fossil fuel technologies. The solar field design has been based on a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) system, which generated 44% of the total energy output from renewable solar sources. The analysis takes into consideration a selection of criteria, notably thermal efficiency, overall efficiency, power generation capacity, and cost-effectiveness. The selection of relevant performance indicators, evaluation of alternative ORC configurations and working fluids, and optimization of the solar multiple and thermal storage capacity are included among the criteria for conducting the parametric investigation. Based on the investigation, it has been determined that the ORC configuration, which includes a recuperator and utilizes cyclohexane as the working fluid, demonstrates the most favorable design. This configuration offers enhanced efficiency and improved performance. Additionally, it is determined that a solar multiple value of 1.7 and the integration of a 12-hour thermal energy storage system are optimal. This led to a 4-5 hour increase in the availability of daily power generation, thereby improving the reliability and flexibility of the CSP plant. The incorporation of fossil fuels into the hybrid CSP-Fossil plant results in a notable enhancement of the Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF). This improvement guarantees uninterrupted energy generation even when solar resources are limited. The implications of the findings are significant for the future development of CSP systems. These findings provide valuable insights into enhancing energy efficiency and tackling sustainability challenges.

Experimental study on dynamic power generation of three ORC-based cycle configurations under different heat source/sink conditions

Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is used for geothermal power generation, and other two derived cycle configurations, parallel double-stage organic Rankine cycle (PDORC) and organic Rankine flash cycle (ORFC), have been proposed to improve the geothermal power generation performance. However, no experimental comparison have been done before. An experimental device that can switch between three cycles was designed and constructed to compare the power generation performance of three cycles. The operational performance of the three cycles at different heat source and heat sink temperatures are analyzed in this paper. The results show that under the heat source temperature of 90 °C and heat sink temperature of 15 °C, the output power of ORFC is 876.59 W, which is higher than that of the PDORC and ORFC. Moreover, the exergetic efficiency is greater than other two cycles due to the smallest irreversible loss of ORFC. The exergetic efficiencies of the ORC, PDORC and ORFC are 31.87 %, 31.32 % and 34.79 %, respectively. The increase of heat sink temperature is beneficial for the isentropic efficiency of the expander, but not conducive to power generation performance and energy utilization. PDORC and ORFC promote the effective utilization of heat source, outputting more power but with a lower efficiency.

Thermodynamic performance of an innovative space nuclear Brayton cycle with S–N2O

The supercritical Brayton cycle system is renowned for its characteristics of elevated high-power density, compact structure, lightweight design, and extended operational lifespan, rendering it as a preeminent energy conversion approach for space nuclear power systems. Using nitrous oxide (N2O) as the working fluid in a supercritical Brayton cycle system enables heightened efficiencies at comparatively lower cycle temperatures. This study examined four distinct layout configurations, culminating in an in-depth analysis of their respective thermodynamic performances. Among the configurations analyzed, the newly proposed recompression Brayton cycle with partial cooling and heat recovery (RBC-PCHR) layout exhibited the best thermodynamic performance compared to other cycle configurations. This superiority can be principally attributed to augmented heat recovery procedures and reduced compression workloads. A detailed multi-objective optimization strategy is subsequently embarked upon, building upon the insights gained from the sensitivity analysis pertaining to the key operating parameters. The optimization outcomes show significant enhancements, with an increase of 1.37% in ηth and 32.18% in MBRU, along with a marginal decrease of 0.70% in ηex.

Performance and cost potential for direct-fired supercritical CO2 natural gas power plants

Direct-fired supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycles are being explored as an attractive alternative to natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS). Therefore, understanding their performance and cost potential is important for the commercialization of the technology. This study presents detailed techno-economic optimization results of natural gas-fired, utility-scale power plants based on the direct sCO2 power cycle, which is lacking in public literature. The study considered multiple plant configurations with varying levels of thermal integration with the plant air separation unit (ASU) to shows the systematic impact of thermal integration on plant performance and economics. Several design variables for each power cycle configuration were identified and optimized to minimize the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). The optimized direct sCO2 power plants achieved ∼48 % plant efficiency (HHV basis) which is similar or slightly higher plant efficiencies than state-of-the-art NGCC plants based on the F-class gas turbine with carbon capture and storage (CCS). The LCOE of the optimized direct sCO2 plants is 13–17 % higher than the reference NGCC plants with CCS due to high capital costs associated with the ASU and sCO2 power block, though there is significant room for improvement due to high uncertainty in component capital costs for these new plants. Based on the results, direct sCO2 power cycles have the potential to achieve >50 % efficiency (HHV basis) with >98 % CO2 capture rate which can lead to significant efficiency improvement and CO2 emissions reductions compared to NGCC plants with CCS.

Machine learning-based multi-objective optimization and thermal assessment of supercritical CO2 Rankine cycles for gas turbine waste heat recovery

Technologies for utilizing waste heat for power generation have attracted significant attention in recent years due to their potential to enhance energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This research focuses on the comparative and optimization analysis of three supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) Rankine cycles (simple, cascade, and split) for gas turbine waste heat recuperation. The study begins with parametric analysis, investigating the significant effects of key variables, including turbine inlet temperature, condenser inlet temperature, and pinch point temperature, on the thermal performance of advanced sCO2 power cycles. To identify the most efficient cycle configuration, a multi-objective optimization approach is employed. This approach combines a Genetic Algorithm with machine learning regression models (Random Forest, XGBoost, Artificial Neural Network, Ridge Regression, and K-Nearest Neighbors) to predict cycle performance using a dataset extracted from cycle simulations. The decision-making process for determining the optimal cycle configuration is facilitated by the TOPSIS (technique for order of preference by similarity to the ideal solution) method. The study's major findings reveal that the split cycle outperforms the simple and cascade configurations in terms of power generation across various operating conditions. The optimized split cycle not only demonstrates superior power output but also exhibits enhanced net power output, heat recovery, system and exergy efficiency of 7.99 MW, 76.17 %, 26.86 % and 57.96 %, respectively, making it a promising choice for waste heat recovery applications. This research has the potential to contribute to the advancement and widespread adoption of waste heat recovery in energy technologies boosting system efficiency and economic feasibility. It provides a new perspective for future research, contributing to the improvement of energy generation infrastructure.

Research on Off-Design Characteristics and Control of an Innovative S-CO2 Power Cycle Driven by the Flue Gas Waste Heat

Recently, supercritical CO2 (S-CO2) has been extensively applied for the recovery of waste heat from flue gas. Although various cycle configurations have been proposed, existing studies predominantly focus on the steady analysis and optimization of different S-CO2 structures under design conditions, and there is a noticeable deficiency in off-design research, especially for the innovative S-CO2 cycles. Thus, in this work aimed at the proposed novel S-CO2 power cycle, off-design characteristics and corresponding control strategies are investigated for the waste heat recovery. Based on the design parameters of the S-CO2 cycle, structural dimensions of printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) and shell-and-tube heat exchangers are determined, and design values of turbines and compressors are specified. On this basis, off-design models for these key components are formulated. By manipulating variables such as cooling water inlet temperature, cooling water mass flow rate, flue gas inlet temperature and flue gas mass flow rate, cycle performances of the system are analyzed under off-design conditions. The simulation results show that when the inlet temperature and the mass flow rate of cooling water vary separately, the thermal efficiency both can reach the maximum value of 28.43% at the design point. For the changes in heat source parameters, the optimum point is slightly deviated from the design condition. Amidst the fluctuations in flue gas inlet temperature, the thermal efficiency optimizes to a peak of 28.56% at 530 °C. In the case of variation in the flue gas mass flow rate, the highest thermal efficiency 28.75% can be obtained. Furthermore, to maintain the efficient and stable operation of the S-CO2 power cycle, the corresponding control strategy of the cooling water mass flow rate is proposed for the cooling water inlet temperature variation. Generally, when the inlet temperature of cooling water increases from 23 °C to 27 °C, the cooling water mass flow should increase from 82.3% to 132.7% of the design value to keep the system running as much as possible at design conditions.

A comprehensive 6E analysis of a novel multigeneration system powered by solar-biomass energies

This study presents a novel multigeneration system comprising five different cycles driven by a combination of solar and biomass energy resources. This system includes a modified gas turbine cycle, a trans-critical CO2 cycle (TCO2), a steam Rankine cycle, a biomass-fueled boiler, and a solar collector. The gas turbines exhibit limited thermal efficiency, primarily due to substantial heat losses. Consequently, the TCO2 cycle and the steam Rankine cycle are integrated into the system to improve performance. An innovative aspect of this study is the utilization of a unique configuration of transcritical CO2 and steam Rankine cycles, combined with biomass and solar energies, aimed at maximizing energy recovery and minimizing waste. Furthermore, a proton membrane electrolyzer (PEME) is integrated into the system for hydrogen production, along with a proton membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) to increase electricity generation. In this comprehensive analysis, in addition to energy and exergy analyses, exergoeconomic, exergoenvironmental, emergoeconomic, and emergoenvironmental analyses are conducted. The results indicate that the proposed system achieves notable energy and exergy efficiencies of 20.2 % and 15.2 %, respectively. The total investment cost rate for the system equipment is 0.007554 $/s and the system's environmental impact is 0.0008611 pt/s. The results of the emergy analysis reveal that the emergoeconomic values of the streams are lower than the corresponding environmental values, primarily due to the higher environmental impact throughout the components' life cycle compared to their economic value.

Techno-Economic Analysis of Using Reversible Turbomachinery for Pumped Thermal Energy Storage Systems

Abstract The objective of this paper is to assess the techno-economic performance of different cycle configurations for pumped thermal energy storage (PTES), including the effects of charging electricity costs. Reversible turbomachinery was employed to reduce the capital cost of the system. Brayton cycles with different working fluids and a subcritical Rankine cycle operating with ammonia were compared. Both liquid and packed bed thermal storages were investigated. A new cost correlation for turbomachines, initially established for the turbines of organic Rankine cycles, was developed for compressors and reversible machines. This correlation is based on the number of stages and physical size of the machine, which were estimated considering thermodynamic as well as mechanical limitations. The results indicate that for a plant size of 50 MW and a discharge duration of 8 h, the Brayton system with liquid storage and helium as a working fluid has the lowest levelized cost of storage at 0.138 $/kWh, mainly due to the high thermal conductivity of the fluid. Packed bed thermal energy storage systems were found to be more expensive than liquid storage systems due to the large cost of the pressure vessels, with cost parity reached at a discharge duration of 4 h. However, at this duration, lithium-ion batteries are likely to be cheaper. The results suggest that the levelized cost of storage for the Rankine cycle-based system is slightly higher at 0.151 $/kWh.

The cyclicity of a class of quadratic reversible systems with hyperelliptic curves

This paper is devoted to the cyclicity of a class of quadratic reversible systems with hyperelliptic level curves and two period annuli. By a new Chebyshev criterion which is an extension of the method proposed by Liu and Xiao (2020) [20], we prove that the cyclicity of every period annulus is two and show at the same time the configuration of the limit cycles. This paper is, to the best of our knowledge, the first work on the cyclicity of quadratic reversible systems for the hyperelliptic case.

Comprehensive performance evaluation method of working fluids for high temperature heat pump based on multi-objective optimization

The working fluid has garnered significant attention as a critical factor influencing the efficiency of high-temperature heat pumps. A novel method based on multi-objective optimization has been introduced for assessing the performance of heat pump working fluids. The method enhances the clarity of the objective and flexibility in addressing various operating conditions, which helps to improve the efficiency of working fluid screening, especially for the complex mixture system. This study utilizes eight pure refrigerants as the initial fluid set and evaluates 560 binary mixtures with a 5% composition variation. The NSGA-II algorithm is combined with the theoretical heat pump cycle model to obtain Pareto optimal solutions regarding the mixtures, with the coefficient of performance and volumetric heating capacity as the objective functions. Then the evaluation of the optimal solutions is conducted by considering their flammability, toxicity, environmental performance, and temperature glide properties. Subsequently, a comprehensive performance index is derived. The evaluation reveals the dominant solution set for each pure refrigerant. The findings suggest that the blend R142b/R1233zd(E) with a mass fraction of R142b between 0.15 and 0.25 demonstrates a comprehensive performance index of 0.322–0.350, indicating superior performance during the basic cycle. Furthermore, various cycle configurations have been investigated. In the vapor injection configuration, R600a/R601(0.6/0.4) shows good performance in all aspects except flammability. The mixture R245fa/R601(0.2/0.8) exhibits superior overall performance in the internal heat exchanger configuration. It displays excellent temperature glide matching characteristics and good environmental performance. Nevertheless, it shows suboptimal performance in terms of toxicity and flammability. This approach replaces the previous qualitative comparison-based decision making methods, offering high efficiency and practicality.

Complex Use of the Main Marine Diesel Engine High- and Low-Temperature Waste Heat in the Organic Rankine Cycle

The decarbonization problem of maritime transport and new restrictions on CO2 emissions (MARPOL Annex VI Chapter 4, COM (2021)562) have prompted the development and practical implementation of new decarbonization solutions. One of them, along with the use of renewable fuels, is the waste heat recovery of secondary heat sources from a ship’s main engine, whose energy potential reaches 45–55%. The organic Rankine cycle (ORC), which uses low-boiling organic working fluids, is considered one of the most promising and energy-efficient solutions for ship conditions. However, there remains uncertainty when choosing a rational cycle configuration, taking into account the energy consumption efficiency indicators of various low-temperature (cylinder cooling jacket and scavenging air cooling) and high-temperature (exhaust gas) secondary heat source combinations while the engine operates within the operational load range. It is also rational, especially at the initial stage, to evaluate possible constraints of ship technological systems for ORC implementation on the ship. The numerical investigation of these practical aspects of ORC applicability was conducted with widely used marine medium-speed diesel engines, such as the Wartsila 12V46F. Comprehensive waste heat recovery of all secondary heat sources in ORC provides a potential increase in the energy efficiency of the main engine by 13.5% to 21% in the engine load range of 100% to 25% of nominal power, while individual heat sources only achieve 3% to 8%. The average increase in energy efficiency over the operating cycle according to test cycles for the type approval engines ranges from 8% to 15% compared to 3% to 6.5%. From a practical implementation perspective, the most attractive potential for energy recovery is from the scavenging air cooling system, which, both separately (5% compared to 6.5% during the engine’s operating cycle) and in conjunction with other WHR sources, approaches the highest level of exhaust gas potential. The choice of a rational ORC structure for WHR composition allowed for achieving a waste heat recovery system energy efficiency coefficient of 15%. Based on the studied experimental and analytical relationships between the ORC (generated mechanical energy) energy performance (Pturb) and the technological constraints of shipboard systems (Gw), ranges for the use of secondary heat sources in diesel operational characteristic modes have been identified according to technological limits.

Techno-economic assessment of the modified Allam cycle configurations with multi-stage pump/compressor for efficient operation in hot regions

The Allam cycle is renowned for its zero-carbon power generation and high efficiency. However, it faces challenges in hot regions where there is no available cold source for carbon dioxide liquefaction, leading to deterioration in its performance. In this study, a multi-stage pump/compressor is introduced, aiming to enhance the net electric efficiency of the conventional Allam cycle. Various potential enhancement methods are explored and analyzed through comprehensive thermodynamic and economic analyses. Among the configurations under consideration, the Allam cycle combined with two-stage pump/compressor and bypass compressor exhibits the best performance, achieving a 6.71 % increase in the efficiency of the conventional cycle. For the conventional Allam cycle, the efficiency decreases by 0.42 % for every 1 ℃ increase in ambient temperature, however, it is 0.17 % for the Allam-MPC cycle, which indicates it is less responsive to changes in ambient temperature. Moreover, the economic performance of the proposed cycle is better than that of the conventional cycle, which has higher revenue and lower levelized cost of electricity. The capital costs of the modified equipment represent around 1.43 % of the total capital costs of the conventional Allam cycle, and the investment-increment payback period is less than 0.5 years when the ambient temperature exceeds 30 ℃. Sensitivity analyses suggest that the proposed cycle will be more economically viable in hot regions with lower natural gas prices and higher electricity prices. Overall, this study provides a promising approach to improving the performance of Allam cycle in hot regions and offering valuable references for its practical implementation.

Review of Organic Rankine Cycles for Internal Combustion Engine Waste Heat Recovery: Latest Decade in Review

The last decade (2013–2023) was the most prolific period of organic Rankine cycle (ORC) research in history in terms of both publications and citations. This article provides a detailed review of the broad and voluminous collection of recent internal combustion engine (ICE) waste heat recovery (WHR) studies, serving as a necessary follow-on to the author’s 2013 review. Research efforts have targeted diverse applications (e.g., vehicular, stationary, and building-based), and it spans the full gamut of engine sizes and fuels. Furthermore, cycle configurations extend far beyond basic ORC and regenerative ORC, particularly with supercritical, trilateral, and multi-loop ORCs. Significant attention has been garnered by fourth-generation refrigerants like HFOs (hydrofluoroolefins), HFEs (hydrofluoroethers), natural refrigerants, and zeotropic mixtures, as research has migrated away from the popular HFC-245fa (hydrofluorocarbon). Performance-wise, the period was marked by a growing recognition of the diminished performance of physical systems under dynamic source conditions, especially compared to steady-state simulations. Through advancements in system control, especially using improved model predictive controllers, dynamics-based losses have been significantly reduced. Regarding practically minded investigations, research efforts have ameliorated working fluid flammability risks, limited thermal degradation, and pursued cost savings. State-of-the-art system designs and operational targets have emerged through increasingly sophisticated optimization efforts, with some studies leveraging “big data” and artificial intelligence. Major programs like SuperTruck II have further established the ongoing challenges of simultaneously meeting cost, size, and performance goals; however, off-the-shelf organic Rankine cycle systems are available today for engine waste heat recovery, signaling initial market penetration. Continuing forward, next-generation engines can be designed specifically as topping cycles for an organic Rankine (bottoming) cycle, with both power sources integrated into advanced hybrid drivetrains.

Gas Turbine's Role in Energy Transition

Abstract cycle configuration, with rated efficiencies (at ISO base load) above 60% net LHV, are expected to play a significant role in reducing the carbon footprint of utility scale electricity generation. Even without post-combustion capture, simply switching from coal-fired generation to natural gas-fired generation reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 60% (on a kg per MWh of generation basis). In simple cycle mode, with efficiencies above 40% net LHV and startup times around 20 minutes, 300 to 400+ MW gas turbines can easily serve as peakers to support variable renewable resources, i.e., wind and solar. In this paper, a close quantitative look is taken at the capabilities of gas turbines firing natural gas, hydrogen, or a blend thereof, both in simple and combined cycle configurations. Furthermore, using published data, first-principles calculations, and software simulations, it will be shown that the gas turbine constitutes an efficient and cost-effective technology, with and without carbon capture, as a key player in decarbonization of the electric power sector.

Environmental assessment and CO2emissions of Brayton cycle configurations based on exergo-sustainability, economic and ecological efficiency using multi-criteria optimization technique

The performance indicators of Brayton cycle configurations (BCY) for the topping cycle application are presented. The indicators include exergy efficiency, ecological efficiency, sustainability index, environmental impact, and economic parameters. The study's objective is to access the key indicators of sustainability and investment cost to provide valid information for the choice of GT configuration as topping cycles. Five BCY configurations (Model 1 to Model 5) were studied. The maximum exergy efficiency of 28 % was obtained across the studied models. In addition, the waste exergy ratios, environmental effect factors, and CO2 emissions were determined for each model. The CO2 emissions were found to vary from 102.8 to 168 kg/MWh. Model 1 and Model 5 had the highest payback periods of 2.3 and 3.6 years, respectively, with the least unit cost of energy. Similarly, the highest cost of investment was obtained with Model 5. Results from the TOPPIS analysis show that the closeness to the final positive ideal solution varied from 0.218 to 0. 56 across the BCYs. The best model close to ideality was model 5 and thus ranked first and based principally on economic, technical, and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the optimization results show that there are prospects for system retrofitting.

Waste Heat Conversion to Power via Organic Rankine Cycle

several studies have been carried out on how to recover waste heat using Organic Rankine cycle. Each study applied different working conditions, power scale and cycle configuration, hence an assessment of working fluids is given for specific case. As a result, no single working fluid have been identified that would meet an entire heat source temperature levels. This motivated us to examine various substances for use as working fluids for subcritical ORC systems operating in the temperature range (543 - 633K). In this study, with a given finite thermal source, performance of working fluid candidates are evaluated and assessed using four criteria: thermal efficiency, exergy efficiency, total exergy destruction and net power output. Results of the study indicate that from a performance point of view, the linear alkanes such as nonane seem to be a suitable fluid in the temperature range (543-573K). Beyond aforementioned temperature range it appears that aromatic hydrocarbons such as toluene, ethylbenzene, P-xylene, O-xylene, propylbenzene preformed better. Under this condition, they represent comparably similar proposed screening criteria parameters and comparably high evaporating pressure, with only occasional slight differences between them.