Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plants represent one of the most appealing options to produce electricity from coal with interesting plant efficiency and low environmental impact. Usually, these power plants are equipped with oxygen-blown gasifiers which have two main advantages with respect to air-blown reactors: high values of cold gas efficiency and an N2 deprived syngas. In this paper an innovative process is studied: magnetic air separation process. In this process a magnet activates oxygen’s paramagnetic properties to retain oxygen while releasing other gases, allowing oxygen to be captured. Magnetic field gradient interaction creates body force on oxygen and traps oxygen while allowing nitrogen to continue freely; enriched oxygen is drawn from the domain during off state. According to the technical literature, the main targets for this process are: lower cost than currently-used cryogenic separation systems; continuous high yield oxygen separation from air (99% pure O2) for feeding a coal gasification system. One of the advantages of the magnetic separation method in comparison with other separation technologies is a significant reduction of specific energy consumption for the production of oxygen. In fact, the only energy needed to power the process is the energy for the generation of the magnetic field and for the pumping of the gases. The aim of this paper is also to compare three different oxygen production technologies for oxidant supply to the gasification island. An IGCC power plant has been modelled considering: (i) a cryogenic distillation Air Separation Unit (ASU) based on a pumped liquid oxygen cycle; (ii) an innovative oxygen separation system based on open gradient magnetic field (magn-AS, magnetic air separation). An overall heat and material balance has been estimated to evaluate plant performances and compare the two options; the thermodynamic analysis shows a promising improvement of the overall plant performance for the IGCC power plants equipped with these innovative technologies nonetheless several key issues deserve a more in depth analysis to assess the real potentialities of these technologies.
Vellini, M., Gambini, M., Stilo, T., Prattella, V., Labattaglia, V. (2019). An innovative oxygen production technology for advanced IGCC power plants. In ECOS 2019 - Proceedings of the 32nd International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems (pp.377-388). Institute of Thermal Technology.
An innovative oxygen production technology for advanced IGCC power plants
Vellini M.
;Gambini M.;Stilo T.;
2019-01-01
Abstract
Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plants represent one of the most appealing options to produce electricity from coal with interesting plant efficiency and low environmental impact. Usually, these power plants are equipped with oxygen-blown gasifiers which have two main advantages with respect to air-blown reactors: high values of cold gas efficiency and an N2 deprived syngas. In this paper an innovative process is studied: magnetic air separation process. In this process a magnet activates oxygen’s paramagnetic properties to retain oxygen while releasing other gases, allowing oxygen to be captured. Magnetic field gradient interaction creates body force on oxygen and traps oxygen while allowing nitrogen to continue freely; enriched oxygen is drawn from the domain during off state. According to the technical literature, the main targets for this process are: lower cost than currently-used cryogenic separation systems; continuous high yield oxygen separation from air (99% pure O2) for feeding a coal gasification system. One of the advantages of the magnetic separation method in comparison with other separation technologies is a significant reduction of specific energy consumption for the production of oxygen. In fact, the only energy needed to power the process is the energy for the generation of the magnetic field and for the pumping of the gases. The aim of this paper is also to compare three different oxygen production technologies for oxidant supply to the gasification island. An IGCC power plant has been modelled considering: (i) a cryogenic distillation Air Separation Unit (ASU) based on a pumped liquid oxygen cycle; (ii) an innovative oxygen separation system based on open gradient magnetic field (magn-AS, magnetic air separation). An overall heat and material balance has been estimated to evaluate plant performances and compare the two options; the thermodynamic analysis shows a promising improvement of the overall plant performance for the IGCC power plants equipped with these innovative technologies nonetheless several key issues deserve a more in depth analysis to assess the real potentialities of these technologies.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
