Comprehensive Thermodynamic Evaluation of the Natural Gas-Fired Allam Cycle at Full Load

Lorenzo Colleoni, Alessio Sindoni and Silvia Ravelli ()
Additional contact information
Lorenzo Colleoni: Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Bergamo, Viale Marconi 5, 24044 Dalmine, Italy
Alessio Sindoni: Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Bergamo, Viale Marconi 5, 24044 Dalmine, Italy
Silvia Ravelli: Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Bergamo, Viale Marconi 5, 24044 Dalmine, Italy

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 6, 1-19

Abstract: In this study, thermodynamic modeling and simulations were used to optimize the design point performance of the Allam cycle. The topic fits perfectly with the strategies for power sector decarbonization toward net zero emission. In fact, it offers an environmentally friendlier alternative to natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plants. The focus is on oxyfuel combustion that, combined with supercritical CO 2 (sCO 2 ) stream as working fluid, produces high-purity CO 2 , electricity, and water by means of a highly recuperated Brayton cycle. The former is ready for sequestration, pipeline injection, or other applications, such as enhanced oil recovery or industrial processes. Being designed within the last decade, large-scale plants are poorly documented in the published literature and not yet ready for operation. Accordingly, a thermodynamic model was developed for a net power (P n ) output of 300 MW. After validation against the little data available from academic studies, simulation sets were conceived to assess the impact of main process parameters on cycle efficiency. To that end, operating conditions of the compressor, turbine, and air separation unit (ASU) were varied in a parametric analysis, preparatory to performance optimization. For the chosen layout, the maximum net electric efficiency (η el,n ) was found to be 50.4%, without thermal recovery from ASU.

Keywords: Allam cycle; decarbonization; thermodynamic modeling; net electric efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/6/2597/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/6/2597/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:6:p:2597-:d:1092651

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().