Thermodynamic Analysis and Case Study of a New Lignite-Fired Power Plant Using Solar Energy as Drying Heat Source
Publication: Journal of Energy Engineering
Volume 146, Issue 3
Abstract
Lignite usually has a high moisture content and low calorific value, and should be predried before combustion to enhance power generation efficiency. Steam extracted from steam turbine and boiler exhaust gas are often applied in lignite predrying systems. However, the bleeding gas from the steam turbine reduces its output, and the exhaust gas originating from the boiler has insufficient drying capacity. In the present work, a new lignite power plant integrated with a solar drying system is proposed. A solar energy collection and storage tank system were employed to solve the problem of low heat density and instability of solar energy. Thermodynamic analysis results show that the area of reflectors declines at a decreasing rate with an increase in the direct normal irradiation (DNI). The power generation efficiencies of a solar drying lignite power plant (SDPP) and steam extraction drying power plant (SEDPP) can be increased by 0.68% and 0.33% for every rise in the drying degree. When the drying degree is 0.3 and DNI is , the economic analysis indicates that the simple payback periods for a conventional lignite power plant, SDPP, and SEDPP are 2.38, 3.20, and 2.53 years, respectively. In addition, the solar-to-electricity efficiency declines at a decreasing rate with increasing drying degree. The power generation efficiency of SDPP with dryer exhaust recovery is increased by 0.83% for each increase in the drying degree.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China (2019JM-067) and the State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse Foundation (PCRRF18009).
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Published In
Journal of Energy Engineering
Volume 146 • Issue 3 • June 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 9, 2019
Accepted: Nov 4, 2019
Published online: Mar 17, 2020
Published in print: Jun 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Aug 17, 2020
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