10.1007/s40095-022-00555-9

Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from power generation through cofiring coal and raw glycerol: a theoretical feasibility study

  • Alex O. Dutra1,
  • Marcio L. de Souza-Santos*1,
  1. University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, BR

Published in Issue 2023-01-17

How to Cite

Dutra, A. O., & de Souza-Santos, M. L. (2023). Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from power generation through cofiring coal and raw glycerol: a theoretical feasibility study. International Journal of Energy and Environmental Engineering, 14(4 (December 2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40095-022-00555-9
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Abstract

Abstract A theoretical technical feasibility investigation aiming to decrease the rate of greenhouse emissions per unit of generated power from fossil fuel plants is presented. To that end, the FGSIG/GT (fuel glycerol integrated gasifier/gas turbine) concept is applied. High-ash coal and raw glycerol—that last deriving from renewable fuel (biodiesel) production—are mixed to form a slurry, which is pumped into the gasifier. The gas stream emerging from that reactor is cleaned by cyclones and filters to decrease the concentration of suspended solids in the stream as well as its granulometry. Before combustion, the fuel gas temperature is decreased to values below the dew points of alkaline compounds in it, thus significantly reducing their concentrations in the gas stream, therefore allowing its injection into commercial gas turbines. Energy recovering is accomplished by two Rankine cycles. The exergetic efficiency is chosen as an objective function to optimize the gasification process. The results reveal a diverging aspect of the RG/solid-fuel ratio influence on the gasification efficiency when comparing with the obtained in previous works where biomasses were fed to the FGSIG/GT process. Due to that highly pressurized process, the whole power generation is optimized resulting in first law efficiencies around 45%, which is noticeable having in mind the relatively low heating values of the presently considered fuels. Additionally, it is important to stress that the objective of this investigation is not just to decrease the overall CO 2 emitted per unit of power output from a station consuming fossil fuel and shift, at least part of that, to one derived from a renewable source.

Keywords

  • High-ash coal,
  • Raw glycerol,
  • Fluidized bed,
  • Gasification,
  • Thermoelectric generation

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