Exergetic Modeling of an IGCC Plant

Abstract

Thermal power plants covert fuel into electricity, heat and even cooling of buildings and devices. These fuels are numerous: coal, natural gas, petroleum products, domestic and industrial wastes, landfill gas, biogas, biomass, agricultural waste. Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) is considered as a viable option for low emission power generation and carbon-dioxide sequestration. The integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) is an electrical power generation system which offers efficient generation from coal with lower effect on the environment than conventional coal power plants. An Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) is a promising green technology applied for thermal power plants. It offers an efficient way to generate electricity from coal, biomass or any other suitable solid or liquid fuels with lower impact to the environment. The biggest challenge of making IGCC to become a viable technology is its high energy production cost. An IGCC plant is a complex process system which involves processing units operated in very extreme conditions. Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) is one of the most promising technologies for power generation; the environmental benefits and the higher energy conversion efficiency distinguish it from traditional coal generation technologies. IGCC performance is affected by different technological and operational aspects, e.g. gasification technologies, gasifier agent, coal rank, environmental conditions, and power demand. However, further improvement of its efficiency and thereby lowering emissions are important tasks to achieve a more sustainable energy production. This work was carried out to identify and quantify the sources of inefficiencies in an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plant. Results show that the highest exergy destruction took place in the combustion chamber and the HRSG. .