Production Possibilities of a Sustainable Coal, Wind, and Small Modular Reactor Hybrid Energy System

Abstract

The availability of inexpensive electricity is one of the most significant factors for improving quality of life. With the debate on the effects of carbon dioxide emissions continuing, several countries either have implemented or are considering the reduction of emissions through various economic means. The inclusion of a monetary penalty on carbon emissions would increase the prices of electricity produced by carbon-based sources. The push for large-scale renewable sources of energy has met problems with regards to energy storage and availability. The proposed coal, wind, and nuclear hybrid energy system would combine a renewable energy source, wind, with traditional and stable energy sources, coal and nuclear, to create an integrated and sustainable system. Instead of a light water reactor, a next generation small modular nuclear reactor was evaluated. The coal system utilizes a pressurized circulating fluidized bed system, which can take not only coal but also biomass as a carbon feedstock. This system also employs a high temperature steam co-electrolysis unit for the utilization of carbon dioxide emissions for the production of synthetic gas which can be used in the production of transportation fuels or chemicals. A rigorous dynamic process model was used to simulate the potential output of the system based on real world dynamic data. System inputs included a full year of dynamic wind speeds for variable power generation and simulated electrical grid demand. These inputs varied the amount of power available for synthetic gas production, and thus, theoretical production possibilities for the hybrid system over a year of operation were formed. This information was used to determine overall process economics by comparison to a conventional coal system by using the sale of synthetic gas and levelized cost of electricity. It was determined that a syngas sale price as low as $0.33 per 1000 SCF allowed for specific hybrid systems to be competitive with conventional technologies.

Enhancing Gas Production from Hydrate-Bearing Reservoirs through Depressurization-Based Approaches: Knowledge from Laboratory Experiments

“…36 In 2007, in the same area, Canada used the depressurization method to conduct the second phase of NGH trial production. The cumulative gas production of this trial production reached about 800 m 3 , which was also interrupted as a result of sand production problems. In 2008, Canada carried out the third phase of NGH land drilling operations.…”

“…25−35 In 2002, Canada began to implement the NGH land drilling project in Mallik, using a combination of the depressurization method and heat injection method for NGH production. The drilling project lasted for 5 days, and the cumulative gas production was about 500 m 3 . Later, the gas production was forced to stop as a result of the serious sand production problem in the reservoir.…”

“…40 From 2019 to 2020, China also conducted the second trial exploitation of NGH in the Shenhu area of the South China Sea. The trial production overcame a series of technical issues, such as wellhead stability and precise pressure reduction, and achieved a 30 day continuous gas production with a total gas production of 86.14 × 10 4 m 3 . In comparison to the first trial production, this experiment has achieved breakthroughs in both total gas production and average daily gas production.…”

“…With the continuous development of science and technology, the types of energy available for human use are not limited to traditional fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) . Wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, biomass energy, hydrogen energy, and other green, coordinated, and sustainable energy types are increasingly appearing in people’s daily lives. − In 2013, fossil fuels accounted for 81% of global primary energy consumption. , It is estimated that, by 2040, oil and natural gas will still occupy the world’s major energy markets . As an unconventional fossil energy rich in natural gas, natural gas hydrate (NGH) has attracted the attention of more and more scientists. , …”

Review and Perspectives of the In Situ Modification Strategy for Bifunctional Electrodes in a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery

“…Following the Industrial Revolution, there was a notable surge in energy demand, − accompanied by a series of environmental challenges and energy-related issues. Dissatisfied with the constraints of traditional energy sources, − alternative energy sources, such as wind, nuclear, solar, and tidal energy, have been undergoing development. − While new energy sources can reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a certain extent and have the characteristics of continuous regeneration and perpetual use, they also face challenges, such as intermittency, instability, and susceptibility to natural conditions. − To address the requirements of modern living, researchers combined energy storage systems with renewable energy sources to enhance the stability of the power grid. − Among these solutions, redox flow battery devices stand out for their ability to convert and store electrical and chemical energy interchangeably, effectively addressing the intermittency challenge associated with renewable energy. In various electrochemical redox flow battery devices, the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) has garnered significant attention as a result of its cost-effectiveness, high level of stability, environment friendliness, and long service life. − …”