Potential Of Electric Power Generation Research Articles

Energetic Use of Landfill Biogas as a Power Energy Source: An Economic Feasibility Study

This paper presents an economic feasibility analysis for power generation from the energetic use of biogas produced in a landfill. Quantifications were made for the methane generated in the landfill, the electric power generation potential, and carbon credits. A cost analysis study and an economic feasibility analysis were conducted for the proposed system, taking two possible scenarios into consideration: with and without selling carbon credits. This paper shows the importance of including carbon credits in economic feasibility studies conducted in landfill projects, as such credits constitute an important source of income for such projects to become more feasible.

Power generation potential of plant microbial fuel cells as a renewable energy source

The global energy demand has increased interest in the development of new technologies that offer alternative, cost-effective energy solutions with minimal environmental impact. Among these technologies, is microbial fuel cell (MFC), which takes advantage of the electrical energy produced through the metabolic reactions of microorganisms when they encounter a substrate. This study assesses the electric power generation potential of MFC configured using as a substrate and source comprising a mixture of soil, sand, organic fertilizer, and ash in a proportion of 3:2:1:1/2. Native plants (Torenia fournieri, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, Pentas lanceolata, Nephrolepis exaltata, Begonia semperflorens, or Asplenium nidus) were planted to promote the exchange of organic chemical species and nutrients for renewable electrical energy generation. The configuration, constituting a system of fuel cells with microorganisms and plants (Plant Microbial Fuel Cell, PMFC), demonstrated varying whose efficiency levels, determined by measuring the potential between the cell electrodes. The highest voltage obtained in the PMFCs was 0.609 V for the Begonia semperflorens plan, while the lowest was 0.069 V for Asplenium nidus. Torenia fournieri and Asplenium nidus presented the highest voltage peaks at 1.782 and 1.587 V, respectively. Of the plants studied, Nephrolepis exaltata and Asplenium nidus were the only surviving plants after the measurements. When all were connected in series, excluding Asplenium nidus due to its instability, it resulted in an average voltage of 1.856 V. The minimum recorded voltage was 1.540 V, and the maximum electrical potential reached 2.050 V. Analysis of the soil samples, along with the substrate before and after the experiment, identified six electrogenic bacteria: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas sp., Erwinia sp., Lactobacillus sp., Enterococcus sp., and Clostridium sp. The Escherichia coli was only present in the soil and substrate sample before the experiment, while the concentration of Pseudomonas sp. and Erwinia sp., increased. This study confirmed that PMFCs with low-cost substrates and native Caribbean plants, represent a promising technology that could drive energy development in developing countries, especially in remote areas lacking access to electricity. This implementation of PMFCs aligns with sustainable energy practices, offering a cost-effective strategy, that can be replicated globally, contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.

Techno-economic and environmental assessment of the landfill gas to energy potential of major Colombian cities

Landfills account for significant methane emissions worldwide. However, municipal solid wastes can be energetically revalorized using landfill gas-to-energy (LFGtE) systems. This study assesses from a technical, economic, and environmental point of view the potential to implement LFGtE in major Colombian cities, including Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena, and Bucaramanga, and the smaller capital city of Sincelejo. Municipal solid waste disposal rates in these cities are forecasted using the exponential smoothing (ETS) method. Additionally, methane emissions are forecasted using the first-order decay model, in line with the U.S. EPA methodology. Moreover, the methane generation capacity of the decomposable organic fractions of MSW is calculated following guidelines from IPCC. The assessment includes four scenarios with electricity and heat generation for each city. These scenarios consider using gas turbines, reciprocating internal combustion engines, and cogenerating electricity and heat. The economic performance is assessed with the net present value (NPV), the internal rate of return (IRR), the profitability index, the benefits-costs ratio, and the economic sensitivity analysis. Finally, the environmental performance is assessed by calculating the GHG emissions reduction potential and avoidance potential. The results show an electric power generation potential of 1.6 MWe to 47.5 MWe, a heat potential of 9.6 MW to 54.8 MW to produce steam, and 1.7 MW to 49.2 MW to produce hot water. The scenarios show economic profitability with NPV values of 5.3 million USD to 201.9 million USD.11M$: Millions of USD. At the same time, IRR varies from 14.9 % to 31.1%, a profitability index of 2.4 to 7.0 million USD, and a benefits-costs ratio of 1.3 to 1.6 million USD. Overall, scenarios consider using combustion engines to show the best economic performance. The potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was quantified in 1.2 MtCO2e to 40.0 MtCO2e, while the avoidance potential of greenhouse gas emissions varies between 0.1 and 4.3 MtCO2e depending on the scenario and the city.

An innovative integration of torrefaction, gasification, and solid oxide fuel cell for carbon–neutral utilization of biomass waste: Process development, economic, exergy, advanced exergy, and exergoeconomics analysis

An integrated novel process based on torrefaction, gasification, and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has been developed for biomass waste valorization. Process sustainability analysis has been done through economic, exergy, advanced exergy, and exergoeconomics indicators. According to economic analysis, the internal rate of return (IRR) of this process dropped to 7% at 100–90% of the process efficiency and this process is not economically feasible below 90% operational efficiency. While the subsidized process IRR dropped from 20 to 13% at 100–80% of the process efficiency. Subsidized process is also not economically feasible below 80% process efficiency. The overall process electric power generation potential from SOFC and steam turbine generator is around 1331 kW. Gasifier and HeatXC have the highest exergy destructions (1110.7 and 1220.9 kW) with exergy efficiencies of around 82% and 79%, respectively. Gasifier, HeatXC, and SOFC have significant potential of exergy improvement due to higher avoidable exergy destruction. Therefore, process exergy and economic performance can be improved by targeting these components.

Determination of electric power generation potential of Abuja’s municipal solid wastes

Electric Power Generation Potential of Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW) in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria has been studied in this work. A pilot study on waste generation activities in Galadimawa District of Abuja was carried out and the results were applied to the metropolis as a whole due to the observed similarities in the demographics of Galadimawa and other Districts in the metropolis. The city of Abuja presently has an annual MSW generation rate of 973,557 tons with a per capita generation of 0.77 kg/day. Waste fractions for the metropolis were also analysed and discounting materials that have recycling value, energy bearing fractions of organic and textile wastes were found to be 59.5%. This translates to 579266.42 tons per annum and with an aggregate higher heating value (HHV) of 15.84 MJ/kg for this fraction, this approximates to about 9.2 x 109 MJ/annum of realisable energy. Using a typical waste-to-energy (WTE) plant efficiency of 44% it is seen that Abuja’s MSW can support a power generating plant with a capacity of 128 MW. This potential far exceeds the energy being presently delivered to Abuja city from the national grid which is about 80 MW.

A framework for GIS-based site selection and technical potential evaluation of PV solar farm using Fuzzy-Boolean logic and AHP multi-criteria decision-making approach

Electricity demand is increasing mainly due to population expansion and the continuous supply of electricity in the residential, industrial, and service sectors. This energy is a critical factor of economic growth, and clean energy resources must be utilized and substituted to reduce the effects of climate change and move toward sustainable development. Site selection and construction of renewable power plants help to diversify the country's energy basket. This study aims to locate and evaluate a photovoltaic solar power plant's potential in Khuzestan province, using Fuzzy-Boolean logic and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) decision analysis based on GIS. The main criteria for selecting the optimal locations include climatic (annual horizontal solar irradiance, sunshine hours, air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed), economic (the proximity to roads, transmission lines, substations, urban areas, and villages), orography (slope, orientation, and altitude) and the environment (land use). According to the results, 0.12% of the province's total area has excellent suitability, 25.66% has suitable suitability, and 59.46% lacks any suitability for installing a photovoltaic system. The annual electric power generation potential using single-crystalline silicon panels and polycrystalline silicon panels is calculated as 3189.54 and 2453.49 TWh, respectively. Izeh, Bandar-e Mahshahr, and Bagh-e Malek cities are the most suitable areas for photovoltaic solar farms in the province.

Potential for Generation of Electrical Energy from Biogas Produced in the Anaerobic Treatment of Sewage Through Different Methodologies

This study aimed to evaluate the potential for electricity generating of biogas from anaerobic digestion of sewage and sewage sludge in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Four different methodologies for determining the volume of biogas produced were considered. Estimates of biogas production used actual data of the volume of treated sewage and population reached by this WWTP with sewage as presented in a report by the local authority. The results indicate some discrepancies between the methodologies employed, but in general, they all suggest a potential of electric power generation at the same order of magnitude. The most divergent results were those in which the methodologies were applied to municipalities with a population of over 250,000 inhabitants.

A Framework for GIS-Based Site Selection and Technical Potential Evaluation of PV Solar Farm Using Fuzzy-Boolean Logic and AHP Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach

Electricity demand is increasing mainly due to population expansion and the continuous supply of electricity in the residential, industrial, and service sectors. This energy is a critical factor of economic growth, and clean energy resources must be utilized and substituted to reduce the effects of climate change and move toward sustainable development. Site selection and construction of renewable power plants help to diversify the country's energy basket. This study aims to locate and evaluate a photovoltaic solar power plant's potential in Khuzestan province, using Fuzzy-Boolean logic and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) decision analysis based on GIS. The main criteria for selecting the optimal locations include climatic (annual horizontal solar irradiance, sunshine hours, air temperature, relative humidity, windspeed), economic (the proximity to roads, transmission lines, substations, urban areas, and villages), orography (slope, orientation, and altitude) and the environment. According to the results, 0.12% of the province's area has excellent suitability, 25.66% has suitable suitability, and 59.46% lacks any suitability for installing a photovoltaic system. The annual electric power generation potential using single-crystalline silicon panels and polycrystalline silicon panels is calculated as 3189.54 and 2453.49TWh, respectively. Izeh, Bandar-e-Mahshahr, and Bagh-eMalek cities are the most suitable areas for photovoltaic solar farms in province.

GIS-Based Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis of Site Selection for Photovoltaic Power Plants in Çanakkale Province

Energy demand is gradually increasing due to rapid population growth. Using fossil fuels for energy production destroys the environment and fossil energy-based reserves are expected to be depleted in the future. Renewable energy sources are needed to minimize environmental impacts. Solar energy is among the most researched and invested renewable energy sources. There is diversity in renewable energy sources in Çanakkale province but it is not sufficient when the potential is considered. Other renewable power plants except the wind should also be increased among the newly planned plants. Carrying out a comprehensive solar power plant analysis is the first step to provide a cost-effective and well-performing project, and so choosing a suitable location is a critical point towards developing solar energy projects. Knowing potential sites is a fundamental point for annual power plant production forecasting and financial feasibility. With the integration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA); a more reliable analysis is carried out, the most suitable places can be determined by considering various criteria. Within this study, using spatial analysis, it is aimed to determine areas where photovoltaic (PV) solar power plant can be established in Çanakkale province by GIS-MCDA and how much of energy demand can be supplied in case of installation. Criteria and restriction factors to be used were determined by scanning the literature in detail as part of the relevant legal regulations. According to the restriction map generated, 96% of Çanakkale province is restricted site since the restriction factors was considered refinedly. Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) will be used as a method of analysis and after acquiring the optimal sites, the annual electric power generation potential in those sites will be calculated. The outputs of this study will contribute development strategy and national energy planning.

The effect of seasonality in biogas production in full-scale UASB reactors treating sewage in long-term assessment

ABSTRACT Bioenergy is generated from anaerobic reactors treating domestic sewage. Nonetheless, for process optimisation a better understanding on the reactor performance and environmental conditions is required for designing equipment and identifying the optimal downstream conversion. This work aims at identifying the influence of seasonality in the biogas production of two full-scale STPs. Data analysed showed how rainfall events were associated with an increase (5–9%) in sewage influent flow, which led to dilution in the organic loading rate and, consequently, a decrease in biogas production (10–20%). This impairs the electric power generation potential in the monitored STPs up to 20%, compromising energy recovery for electricity. On the other hand, temperature did not show a significant influence (18–25°C).

Power generation potential of liquified natural gas regasification terminals

The share of liquified natural gas (LNG) in the international trade of natural gas (NG) is continually increasing. This presents increasing opportunities to build power plants to generate electricity at LNG regasification terminals rather than wasting the power generation potential of LNG at about −162°C by regasifying it by seawater, ambient air, or by burning NG. Typically, over 5% of the NG received at LNG plants is used to liquify the remaining incoming gaseous NG at environmental conditions. Theoretically, all the energy consumed at LNG liquefaction plants can be recovered at LNG regasification terminals. In this study, the theoretical and practical power generation potential of regasified LNG is investigated by performing energy and exergy analyses. It is shown that up to 0.191 kWh of electric power can be generated during the regasification of LNG per standard m3 of NG regasified. The potential economic gains associated with power generation at LNG regasification facilities are demonstrated by analyzing the 2018 LNG imports of Turkey as a case study and the world. It is shown that the 314 million tons of LNG imported globally in 2018 has the electric power generation potential of 88 billion kWh with a market value of over 10 billion USD. It also has the potential to offset 38 million tons of CO2 emissions.

Potencial econômico da geração de energia elétrica por sistema fotovoltaico na universidade pública

This study presents the economic potential of electric power generation by photovoltaic system in a Brazilian public university with the objective of reducing the higher cost of universities after the employee payroll and contributing to a more sustainable and balanced energy matrix, by micro-generation or energy self-sufficiency. A financial plan was structured by private public partnership, which may be undertaken through a Specific Purpose Society. The proposal of this project is based on the School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (FCAV), Sao Paulo State University (UNESP). The discounted cash flow method was used to analyze the economic and financial feasibility of the project. A structure for 5 MW was projected that would require a capital expenditure of R$ 25.5 million to install solar panels in an area close to 4 ha. The model presented economic feasibility for the SPE up to the limit of 39.9% discount in the current average tariff, which would represent an estimated saving of R$ 1,230,882/year to FCAV, which may generate a financial slack in FCAV's cost budget of 40%.

Numerical simulation of electricity generation potential from fractured granite reservoir using the MINC method at the Yangbajing geothermal field

Field tests indicate that after hydrofracturing the fracture spacing in an Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) reservoir may be within 0.33–300 m. For EGS reservoirs with large fracture spacing, it is unreasonable to assume the local thermodynamic equilibrium between water and rock when simulating the heat production process, and temperature gradient between the rock and circulating water must be considered. The multiple interacting continua (MINC) model is an effective method for calculating the temperature gradient between the rock and the circulating water in the EGS reservoirs. In this work we evaluated the electricity generation potential from the 950–1350 m deep fractured granite reservoir at the Yangbajing geothermal field by the MINC method with TOUGH2 software, and analyzed the main factors influencing the system production performance. The results indicate that the system attains an electric power generation potential of 22.2–19.3MW, a reservoir impedance of 0.25–0.39 MPa/(kg/s), a pump power of 0.93–1.78 MW and an energy efficiency of 23.92–10.82 during an exploitation period of 30 years under reference conditions, showing good heat production performance. The main factors influencing the production performance are fracture spacing, fracture permeability, injection temperature and water production rate. Within a certain range, measures to improve the electricity generation performance are to reduce the average fracture spacing, to increase the fracture permeability, or to adopt more reasonable injection temperature and water production rate.

Assessment of Government Incentives for Energy from Waste in Colombia

This work evaluates the prefeasibility of energy from waste projects in Colombia under the guidelines of Law 1715. That piece of legislation proposes tax incentives for non-conventional energy initiatives, such as deductions of up to 50% on the investment through income tax, VAT exemption, tariff exemption, and accelerated depreciation of assets. Pasto, Colombia, was selected as the case study. Subsequently, incineration, gasification, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas technologies were evaluated. The potential of electric power generation from municipal solid waste (MSW) of each conversion technology was estimated with mathematical models. Additionally, the economic evaluation considered five cases that combine loan options, accelerated depreciation, and income deductions. Finally, the prefeasibility analysis of each case and technology was based on the internal rate of return (IRR) and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). The results reveal that only anaerobic digestion and landfill gas technologies constitute viable projects in case of traditional investment with and without loans, because they present IRRs greater than the discount rate, of 6.8%. However, by including the incentives in Law 1715 in the economic evaluation, IRRs of 11.18%, 7.96%, 14.27%, and 13.59% were obtained for incineration, gasification, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas, respectively. These results make all four technologies feasible in this context.

Flow field estimation analysis based on the Kalman filter FEM for selection of tidal stream power generator locations

In this paper, we present a shallow water flow field estimation analysis, based on the Kalman filter FEM, for locating the optimal positions for tidal stream power generation systems. In our flow field analysis, we adopt the shallow water equation as the governing equation. The Galerkin and the selective lumping methods are employed as discretization techniques in space and time, respectively. The Kalman filter theory is applied to estimate the flow field. As a numerical example, we carry out a flow estimation analysis for Tokyo Bay. The high estimation accuracy of the flow field estimation based on the Kalman filter FEM is confirmed by comparison with conventional FEM. The electric power generation potential is also computed using the estimated flow field.

東京湾における潮流発電ポテンシャル算定に対するカルマンフィルタFEMの適用

In recent years, tidal stream power generation is attracting attention as renewable energy. When a turbine submerged in the sea is rotated by a tidal current, kinetic energy is transformed to electric energy in this power generation method. In this paper, we present a flow field estimation analysis based on the Kalman filter FEM for locating the optimal positions for tidal stream power generation systems. We employed the shallow water equation as the governing equation. The Galerkin and the selective lumping methods are used as discretization techniques in space and time, respectively. The Kalman filter theory is applied to estimate the flow field. As a numerical example, we carried out a flow estimation analysis for Tokyo Bay and the electric power generation potential is calculated using the estimated flow field. It was confirmed that the estimation accuracy of the flow field estimation analysis by the Kalman filter FEM is higher than that by the conventional FEM.

An Up-to-Date Technologies Review and Evaluation of Wave Energy Converters

– The potential of electric power generation from marine renewable energy is enormous. Ocean waves are being recognized as a resource to be exploited for the sustainable generation of electrical power. The high load factors resulting from the fluid properties and the predictable resource characteristics make ocean waves particularly attractive for power generation and advantageous when compared to other renewable energies. Regarding this emerging and promising area of research, this paper presents a complete review of wave energy technologies describing, analyzing and fixing many of the concepts behind wave energy conversion. The proposed review will specifically highlights the main wave energy conversion projects around the world at different levels (demonstration stage, in production, and commercialized projects). In particular, mooring will be discussed, as it is a key feature behind massive deployment of wave energy converters. Finally, a discussion will highlight challenges that wave energy converters need to overcome to become commercially competitive in the global energy market. Nomenclature WEC = Wave Energy Converter; PTO = Power TakeOff ; P w_f = Power per meter of wave front; P w_mcl = Power per meter crest length; ρ = Water density (approximately 1000 kg/m 3); g = Gravity acceleration; A = Wave amplitude; T = Wave period.

A proposal for a site location planning model of environmentally friendly urban energy supply plants using an environment and energy geographical information system (E-GIS) database (DB) and an artificial neural network (ANN)

This study proposes a site location potential model for urban energy supply plants and renewable energy availability using an environment and energy geographical information system (E-GIS) database (DB) and an artificial neural network (ANN). This model addresses the technical methodology of examining the potential for the suitability of urban energy supply plants and renewable energy latency in a region for support material for urban energy supply planning in the draft plan development stage. The applicability of this model is examined by applying it for a planned city in the Republic of Korea, where urban planning is in process. The results from this study are as follows:(1)The E-GIS DB was integrated with geography, climate, and energy-related information to construct an ANN model that can manage, in an integrated manner, the factors that affect the site location of the energy supply plants.(2)The input dataset included the topography, land cover classification, accessibility, water usability, and energy demand, and the target dataset included the system capacity of domestically installed energy supply plants.(3)The site location potential model of the ANN for the urban energy supply plants and renewable energy availability was deduced, and the Levenberg–Marquardt (trainlm) and scaled conjugate gradient (trainscg) algorithms were used. The potentiality class map was constructed for 10 types of energy supply systems and renewable energy resources.(4)The applicability of this energy model was tested in the Gwang-myung/Si-heung public housing district area, a domestic ‘planned city’ of the Republic of Korea. The most appropriate urban energy supply systems for the research area were considered to be the general hydraulic power and solar power based on the topographic conditions and profitable locations for solar resources in Korea. Wind power generation was found to be the least suitable.(5)In terms of the wind energy potential, the technical wind power generation by horizontal – axis wind turbines is unattainable even in the area that has the maximum wind speed, and at least a 10-kW rated power wind turbine should be installed for vertical – axis wind turbines in the research area of interest. In terms of the solar energy potential, the maximum electric power generation potential is 413, 186MJ/month·mesh, which is applied by mono-crystalline bulk PV.

Electric Power Generation from Solar Pond Using Combination of Thermosyphon and Thermoelectric Modules

Salinity-gradient solar pond is one type of solar collector with the ability to store thermal energy for long period of time and lower cost of construction compared with the other type of solar collector. It can collect and store solar heat at temperatures up to 80°C. A system in which heat from the lower zone is transferred to the hot surface of the thermoelectric modules using gravity- assisted heat pipes as thermosyphons has been investigated experimentally.The temperature difference between the lower convective zone and the upper convective zone is applied across the hot and cold surfaces of the thermoelectric modules. In the salinity gradient solar pond, a insulated solar pond with a surface area of 7 m2 and a depth of 1.3 m was built at Rajamangala University of Technology Isan Khon Kaen Campus,Thailand to conduct performance experiments. From the results of experiment by using water as working fluid, the temperature of the solar pond in lower convective zone is at 50°C.It can be seen that the thermoelectric is able to generate electricity at 36.25mV. Using R134a as a working fluid, the temperature of heat pond in lower convective zone is at 41°C.Due to this, thermoelectric generates electricity at 234.25mV.. Research results in the present work indicate that there is a significant potential for electric power generation from small solar ponds through a simple and passive device incorporating thermosyphons and thermoelectric cells.

Fundamentals applicable to the utilisation of marine current turbines for energy production

The potential of electric power generation from marine tidal currents is enormous. Tidal currents are being recognised as a resource to be exploited for the sustainable generation of electrical power. The high load factors resulting from the fluid properties and the predictable resource characteristics make marine currents particularly attractive for power generation and advantageous when compared to other renewables. There is a paucity of information regarding various key aspects of system design encountered in this new area of research. Virtually no work has been done to determine the characteristics of turbines running in water for kinetic energy conversion even though relevant work has been carried out on ship’s propellers, wind turbines and on hydro turbines. None of these three well established areas of technology completely overlap with this new field so that gaps remain in the state of knowledge. This paper reviews the fundamental issues that are likely to play a major role in implementation of MCT systems. It also highlights research areas to be encountered in this new area. The paper reports issues such as the harsh marine environment, the phenomenon of cavitation, and the high stresses encountered by such structures are likely to play a major role on the work currently being undertaken in this field.