Conceptual Design of a Circulating Fluidized Bed Reactor as a Thermochemical Thermal Energy Storage System for Applications in Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Plants

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-08

Monitoring system for small sized photovoltaic power plants

This paper presents a monitoring system devoted to small sized photovoltaic (PV) power plants. The system is characterized by: a high level of integration; a low cost, when compared to the cost of the PV system to be monitored; and an easy installation in the majority of the PV plants with installed power of some kW. The system is able to collect, store, process and display electrical and meteorological parameters that are crucial when monitoring PV facilities. The identification of failures in the PV system and the elaboration of performance analysis of such facilities are other important characteristics of the developed system. The access to the information about the monitored facilities is achieved by using a web application, which was developed with a focus on the mobile devices. In addition, there is the possibility of an integration between the developed monitoring system and the central supervision system of Martifer Solar (a company focused on the development, operation and maintenance of PV systems).

Optimal Abandonment of Coal-Fired Stations in the EU

36 p.

Consensus, contradiction, and conciliation of interests: the geo-economics of the Energy Union. EPC Policy Brief, 8 July 2015

European Union energy policy calls for nothing less than a profound transformation of the EU's energy system: by 2050 decarbonised electricity generation with 80-95% fewer greenhouse gas emissions, increased use of renewables, more energy efficiency, a functioning energy market and increased security of supply are to be achieved. Different EU policies (e.g., EU climate and energy package for 2020) are intended to create the political and regulatory framework for this transformation. The sectorial dynamics resulting from these EU policies already affect the systems of electricity generation, transportation and storage in Europe, and the more effective the implementation of new measures the more the structure of Europe's power system will change in the years to come. Recent initiatives such as the 2030 climate/energy package and the Energy Union are supposed to keep this dynamic up. Setting new EU targets, however, is not necessarily the same as meeting them. The impact of EU energy policy is likely to have considerable geo-economic implications for individual member states: with increasing market integration come new competitors; coal and gas power plants face new renewable challengers domestically and abroad; and diversification towards new suppliers will result in new trade routes, entry points and infrastructure. Where these implications are at odds with powerful national interests, any member state may point to Article 194, 2 of the Lisbon Treaty and argue that the EU's energy policy agenda interferes with its given right to determine the conditions for exploiting its energy resources, the choice between different energy sources and the general structure of its energy supply. The implementation of new policy initiatives therefore involves intense negotiations to conciliate contradicting interests, something that traditionally has been far from easy to achieve. In areas where this process runs into difficulties, the transfer of sovereignty to the European level is usually to be found amongst the suggested solutions. Pooling sovereignty on a new level, however, does not automatically result in a consensus, i.e., conciliate contradicting interests. Rather than focussing on the right level of decision making, European policy makers need to face the (inconvenient truth of) geo-economical frictions within the Union that make it difficult to come to an arrangement. The reminder of this text explains these latter, more structural and sector-related challenges for European energy policy in more detail, and develops some concrete steps towards a political and regulatory framework necessary to overcome them.

Life cycle assessment of concentrated solar power (CSP) and the influence of hybridising with natural gas

Purpose Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants based on parabolic troughs utilize auxiliary fuels (usually natural gas) to facilitate start-up operations, avoid freezing of HTF and increase power output. This practice has a significant effect on the environmental performance of the technology. The aim of this paper is to quantify the sustainability of CSP and to analyse how this is affected by hybridisation with different natural gas (NG) inputs. Methods A complete Life Cycle (LC) inventory was gathered for a commercial wet-cooled 50 MWe CSP plant based on parabolic troughs. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the environmental performance of the plant operating with different NG inputs (between 0 and 35% of gross electricity generation). ReCiPe Europe (H) was used as LCA methodology. CML 2 baseline 2000 World and ReCiPe Europe E were used for comparative purposes. Cumulative Energy Demands (CED) and Energy Payback Times (EPT) were also determined for each scenario. Results and discussion Operation of CSP using solar energy only produced the following environmental profile: climate change 26.6 kg CO2 eq/KWh, human toxicity 13.1 kg 1,4-DB eq/KWh, marine ecotoxicity 276 g 1,4-DB eq/KWh, natural land transformation 0.005 m2/KWh, eutrophication 10.1 g P eq/KWh, acidification 166 g SO2 eq/KWh. Most of these impacts are associated with extraction of raw materials and manufacturing of plant components. The utilization NG transformed the environmental profile of the technology, placing increasing weight on impacts related to its operation and maintenance. Significantly higher impacts were observed on categories like climate change (311 kg CO2 eq/MWh when using 35 % NG), natural land transformation, terrestrial acidification and fossil depletion. Despite its fossil nature, the use of NG had a beneficial effect on other impact categories (human and marine toxicity, freshwater eutrophication and natural land transformation) due to the higher electricity output achieved. The overall environmental performance of CSP significantly deteriorated with the use of NG (single score 3.52 pt in solar only operation compared to 36.1 pt when using 35 % NG). Other sustainability parameters like EPT and CED also increased substantially as a result of higher NG inputs. Quasilinear second-degree polynomial relationships were calculated between various environmental performance parameters and NG contributions. Conclusions Energy input from auxiliary NG determines the environmental profile of the CSP plant. Aggregated analysis shows a deleterious effect on the overall environmental performance of the technology as a result of NG utilization. This is due primarily to higher impacts on environmental categories like climate change, natural land transformation, fossil fuel depletion and terrestrial acidification. NG may be used in a more sustainable and cost-effective manner in combined cycle power plants, which achieve higher energy conversion efficiencies.

Impact assessment of an integrated approach for thermal power generation plants asset management in the current energy market

El sector energético, en España en particular, y de forma similar en los principales países de Europa, cuenta con una significativa sobrecapacidad de generación, debido al rápido y significativo crecimiento de las energías renovables en los últimos diez años y la reducción de la demanda energética, como consecuencia de la crisis económica. Esta situación ha hecho que las centrales térmicas de generación de electricidad, y en concreto los ciclos combinados de gas, operen con un factor de utilización extremadamente bajo, del orden del 10%. Además de la reducción de ingresos, esto supone para las plantas trabajar continuamente fuera del punto de diseño, provocando una significativa pérdida de rendimiento y mayores costes de explotación. En este escenario, cualquier contribución que ayude a mejorar la eficiencia y la condición de los equipos, es positivamente considerada. La gestión de activos está ganando relevancia como un proceso multidisciplinar e integrado, tal y como refleja la reciente publicación de las normas ISO 55000:2014. Como proceso global e integrado, la gestión de activos requiere el manejo de diversos procesos y grandes volúmenes de información, incluso en tiempo real. Para ello es necesario utilizar tecnologías de la información y aplicaciones de software. Esta tesis desarrolla un concepto integrado de gestión de activos (Integrated Plant Management – IPM) aplicado a centrales de ciclo combinado y una metodología para estimar el beneficio aportado por el mismo. Debido a las incertidumbres asociadas a la estimación del beneficio, se ha optado por un análisis probabilístico coste-beneficio. Así mismo, el análisis cuantitativo se ha completado con una validación cualitativa del beneficio aportado por las tecnologías incorporadas al concepto de gestión integrada de activos, mediante una entrevista realizada a expertos del sector de generación de energía. Los resultados del análisis coste-beneficio son positivos, incluso en el desfavorable escenario con un factor de utilización de sólo el 10% y muy prometedores para factores de utilización por encima del 30%. ABSTRACT The energy sector particularly in Spain, and in a similar way in Europe, has a significant overcapacity due to the big growth of the renewable energies in the last ten years, and it is seriously affected by the demand decrease due to the economic crisis. That situation has forced the thermal plants and in particular, the combined cycles to operate with extremely low annual average capacity factors, very close to 10%. Apart from the incomes reduction, working in out-of-design conditions, means getting a worse performance and higher costs than expected. In this scenario, anything that can be done to improve the efficiency and the equipment condition is positively received. Asset Management, as a multidisciplinary and integrated process, is gaining prominence, reflected in the recent publication of the ISO 55000 series in 2014. Dealing Asset Management as a global, integrated process needs to manage several processes and significant volumes of information, also in real time, that requires information technologies and software applications to support it. This thesis proposes an integrated asset management concept (Integrated Plant Management-IPM) applied to combined cycle power plants and develops a methodology to assess the benefit that it can provide. Due to the difficulties in getting deterministic benefit estimation, a statistical approach has been adopted for the cot-benefit analysis. As well, the quantitative analysis has been completed with a qualitative validation of the technologies included in the IPM and their contribution to key power plant challenges by power generation sector experts. The cost- benefit analysis provides positive results even in the negative scenario of annual average capacity factor close to 10% and is promising for capacity factors over 30%.

Operator and organizational maintenance manual : power plant, utility, gas turbine engine driven (Libby Welding Co. model LPU-71), FSN 6115-165-3842.

"June 1972."

Direct support and general support maintenance repair parts and special tools lists ... : power plant, utility (MUST) gas turbine engine (Amertech Corp model APP-1), NSN 6115-00-937-0929.

"7 September 1979."

A Cost Analysis Of Carbon Dioxide Emission Reduction Strategies For New Plants In Michigan's Electric Power Sector

This thesis attempts to find the least-cost strategy to reduce CO2 emission by replacing coal by other energy sources for electricity generation in the context of the proposed EPA’s regulation on CO2 emissions from existing coal-fired power plants. An ARIMA model is built to forecast coal consumption for electricity generation and its CO2 emissions in Michigan from 2016 to 2020. CO2 emission reduction costs are calculated under three emission reduction scenarios- reduction to 17%, 30% and 50% below the 2005 emission level. The impacts of Production Tax Credit (PTC) and the intermittency of renewable energy are also discussed. The results indicate that in most cases natural gas will be the best alternative to coal for electricity generation to realize CO2 reduction goals; if the PTC for wind power will continue after 2015, a natural gas and wind combination approach could be the best strategy based on the least-cost criterion.

Valuing Flexibility: The case of an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Power Plant

In this paper we analyze the valuation of options stemming from the flexibility in an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) Power Plant. First we use as a base case the opportunity to invest in a Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) Power Plant, deriving the optimal investment rule as a function of fuel price and the remaining life of the right to invest. Additionally, the analytical solution for a perpetual option is obtained. Second, the valuation of an operating IGCC Power Plant is studied, with switching costs between states and a choice of the best operation mode. The valuation of this plant serves as a base to obtain the value of the option to delay an investment of this type. Finally, we derive the value of an opportunity to invest either in a NGCC or IGCC Power Plant, that is, to choose between an inflexible and a flexible technology, respectively. Numerical computations involve the use of one- and two-dimensional binomial lattices that support a mean-reverting process for the fuel prices. Basic parameter values refer to an actual IGCC power plant currently in operation.

Monte Carlo Valuation of natural gas investments

This paper deals with the valuation of energy assets related to natural gas. In particular, we evaluate a baseload Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) power plant and an ancillary instalation, namely a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility, in a realistic setting; specifically, these investments enjoy a long useful life but require some non-negligible time to build. Then we focus on the valuation of several investment options again in a realistic setting. These include the option to invest in the power plant when there is uncertainty concerning the initial outlay, or the option's time to maturity, or the cost of CO2 emission permits, or when there is a chance to double the plant size in the future. Our model comprises three sources of risk. We consider uncertain gas prices with regard to both the current level and the long-run equilibrium level; the current electricity price is also uncertain. They all are assumed to show mean reversion. The two-factor model for natural gas price is calibrated using data from NYMEX NG futures contracts. Also, we calibrate the one-factor model for electricity price using data from the Spanish wholesale electricity market, respectively. Then we use the estimated parameter values alongside actual physical parameters from a case study to value natural gas plants. Finally, the calibrated parameters are also used in a Monte Carlo simulation framework to evaluate several American-type options to invest in these energy assets. We accomplish this by following the least squares MC approach.

Power to Gas - sähköenergiasta luonnonkaasua, liiketoimintamahdollisuudet Suomessa

Uusiutuvan sähköntuotannon osuuden kasvaessa kasvaa tarve tasata sähköntuotannon ja kulutuksen vaihteluita varastoimalla sähköä. Power to Gas (PtG) - sähköenergiasta luonnonkaasua tarjoaa yhden mahdollisuuden varastoida sähköä. Sähköä käytetään veden elektrolyysiin, jossa syntynyt vety käytetään metanoinissa yhdessä hiilidioksidin kanssa muodostamaan korvaavaa luonnonkaasua. Näin syntynyttä korvaava luonnonkaasua sähköstä kutsutaan e-SNG-kaasuksi. Tässä työssä tutkitaan PtG-laitoksen investointi, käyttö- ja kunnossapitokuluja. Työssä luodaan laskentamalli, jolla lasketaan PtG-laitoksen neljälle käyttötapaukselle kannattavuuslaskelma. Käyttötapauksille lasketaan myös herkkyystarkasteluja. Kannattavuuslaskelmien perusteella päätellään PtG-laitoksen liiketoimintamahdollisuudet Suomessa. Työssä laskettujen kannattavuuslaskelmien perusteella PtG-laitoksen perustapausten liiketoimintamahdollisuudet ovat huonot. Laskettujen herkkyystarkastelujen perusteella havaittiin, että investointikulut, laitoksen ajoaika ja lisätulot hapesta ja lämmöstä ovat kannattavuuden kannalta kriittisimmät menestystekijät.

Economic and technical feasibility study of a combined-cycle cogeneration system associated with cellulose plants

In this paper, is presented an economical and technical feasibility study of a combined cycle cogeneration system proposed to be used in a pulp plant located in Brazil, where around 95% of country's pulp production is done by the use of Kraft Process. This process allows the use of black liquor and other by-products as fuel. This study is based upon actual data from a pulp plant with a daily production of 1000 tons., that generates part of the energy demanded by the process in a conventional cogeneration system with condensing steam turbine and two extractions. The addition of a gas turbine was studied to compare electricity production level and its related costs between original system and the new one, considering that the former can use industrial by-products and firewood as fuel, when required. Several parameters related to electric generation systems operation and production costs were studied. The use of natural gas in the combined cycle, in comparison with the use of firewood in the conventional system was studied. The advantages of natural gas fuel are highlighted. The surplus availability and the electricity generation costs are presented as a function of pulp and black liquor production.

Desarrollo de un modelo para la caracterización termoeconómica de ciclos combinados de turbinas de gas y de vapor en condiciones de carga variable

En la actualidad, el interés por las plantas de potencia de ciclo combinado de gas y vapor ha experimentado un notable aumento debido a su alto rendimiento, bajo coste de generación y rápida construcción. El objetivo fundamental de la tesis es profundizar en el conocimiento de esta tecnología, insuficientemente conocida hasta el momento debido al gran número de grados de libertad que existen en el diseño de este tipo de instalaciones. El estudio se realizó en varias fases. La primera consistió en analizar y estudiar las distintas tecnologías que se pueden emplear en este tipo de centrales, algunas muy recientes o en fase de investigación, como las turbinas de gas de geometría variable, las turbinas de gas refrigeradas con agua o vapor del ciclo de vapor o las calderas de paso único que trabajan con agua en condiciones supercríticas. Posteriormente se elaboraron los modelos matemáticos que permiten la simulación termodinámica de cada uno de los componentes que integran las plantas, tanto en el punto de diseño como a cargas parciales. Al mismo tiempo, se desarrolló una metodología novedosa que permite resolver el sistema de ecuaciones que resulta de la simulación de cualquier configuración posible de ciclo combinado. De esa forma se puede conocer el comportamiento de cualquier planta en cualquier punto de funcionamiento. Por último se desarrolló un modelo de atribución de costes para este tipo de centrales. Con dicho modelo, los estudios se pueden realizar no sólo desde un punto de vista termodinámico sino también termoeconómico, con lo que se pueden encontrar soluciones de compromiso entre rendimiento y coste, asignar costes de producción, determinar curvas de oferta, beneficios económicos de la planta y delimitar el rango de potencias donde la planta es rentable. El programa informático, desarrollado en paralelo con los modelos de simulación, se ha empleado para obtener resultados de forma intensiva. El estudio de los resultados permite profundizar ampliamente en el conocimiento de la tecnología y, así, desarrollar una metodología de diseño de este tipo de plantas bajo un criterio termoeconómico. ABSTRACT The growing energy demand and the need of shrinking costs have led to the design of high efficiency and quick installation power plants. The success of combined cycle gas turbine power plants lies on their high efficiency, low cost and short construction lead time. The main objective of the work is to study in detail this technology, which is not thoroughly known owing to the great number of degrees of freedom that exist in the design of this kind of power plants. The study is divided into three parts. Firstly, the different technologies and components that could be used in any configuration of a combined cycle gas turbine power plant are studied. Some of them could be of recent technology, such as the variable inlet guide vane compressors, the H-technology for gas turbine cooling or the once-through heat recovery steam generators, used with water at supercritical conditions. Secondly, a mathematical model has been developed to simulate at full and part load the components of the power plant. At the same time, a new methodology is proposed in order to solve the equation system resulting for any possible power plant configuration. Therefore, any combined cycle gas turbine could be simulated at any part load condition. Finally a themoeconomic model is proposed. This model allows studying the power plant not only from a thermodynamic point of view but also from a thermoeconomic one. Likewise, it allows determining the generating costs or the cash flow, thus achieving a trade off between efficiency and cost. Likewise, the model calculates the part load range where the power plant is profitable. Once the thermodynamic and thermoeconomic models are developed, they are intensively used in order to gain knowledge in the combined cycle gas turbine technology and, in this way, to propose a methodology aimed at the design of this kind of power plants from a thermoeconomic point of view.

Analysis of the Iberian Power Forward Price Formation

The price formation of the Iberian Energy Derivatives Market-the power futures market-starting in July 2006, is assessed until November 2011, through the evolution of the difference between forward and spot prices in the delivery period (“ex-post forward risk premium”) and the comparison with the forward generation costs from natural gas (“clean spark spread”). The premium tends to be positive in all existing mechanisms (futures, Over-the-Counter and auctions for catering part of the last resort supplies). Since year 2011, the values are smaller due to regulatorily recognized prices for coal power plants. The power futures are strongly correlated with European gas prices. The spreads built with prompt contracts tend also to be positive. The biggest ones are for the month contract, followed by the quarter contract and then by the year contract. Therefore, gas fired generation companies can maximize profits trading with contracts of shorter maturity.