Flexible Operation of Coal Fired Power Plants with Postcombustion Capture of Carbon Dioxide
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 135, Issue 6
Abstract
Carbon capture and storage is one family of technologies that could be used to significantly reduce global carbon dioxide emissions. This paper reviews the likely flexibility of power plants with postcombustion capture, with a focus on an improved characterization of the dynamic performance of power plants with capture. The literature has focused on design and optimization for steady state operation of power plants with capture, often at a single design point. When dynamic behavior is considered, it is possible that designs should be altered for best overall plant performance. Economic trade-offs between improving transport and storage scheme flexibility and constraining power plant operations should also be carefully analyzed, particularly if the captured is to be used in another process such as enhanced oil recovery. Another important aspect of real plant operation will be adhering to legislative requirements. Further work is required to identify mechanisms that allow flexible operation without undermining any targets set for storing and/or restricting global emissions.
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Acknowledgments
The first writer is currently supported by a UK Energy Research Centre multidisciplinary studentship and the writers’ gratefully acknowledge financial support from the British Coal Utilisation Research Association, UK Government Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (and industry cosponsors), IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme, and the UK Research Councils’ TSEC programme for funding for a number of research projects in which the concepts described have been developed. Helpful discussion on these topics with many colleagues (both in those projects and elsewhere) and comments from two anonymous peer reviewers have contributed to the material discussed in this paper.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 135 • Issue 6 • June 2009
Pages: 449 - 458
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Apr 30, 2008
Accepted: Jan 20, 2009
Published online: Mar 23, 2009
Published in print: Jun 2009
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