Oxygen production technologies for IGCC power plants with CO2 capture

Abstract IGCC power plants seem to represent one of the most appealing options to produce electric energy from coal and low grade solid fuels with interesting plant efficiency and low environmental impact. As a matter of fact the majority of gasification-based power plants are equipped with oxygen-blown gasifiers which have two main advantages with respect to air-blown reactors: high values of cold gas efficiency and an N 2 deprived syngas. The aim of this paper is to compare two different oxygen production technologies for oxidant supply to the gasification island. An IGCC power plant with pre-combustion CO 2 capture has been modelled considering: (i) a cryogenic distillation ASU based on a pumped liquid oxygen cycle; (ii) an innovative OTM-based oxygen production technology integrated in the power island. An overall heat and material balance has been estimated to evaluate plant performances and compare the two options; our thermodynamic analysis shows a promising improvement of the overall plant performance for the OTM-based IGCC nonetheless several key issues deserve a more in depth analysis to asses the real potentialities of membrane-based oxygen production technology

Enhanced Oil Spill Remediation by Adsorption with Interlinked Multilayered Graphene

The performances of an innovative material based on graphene multilayers in a 3D structure similar to expanded graphite, Grafysorber\uae G+ (Directa Plus), have been tested via in field applications on a real contaminated site. Several experimental tests were performed using Grafysorber\uae inside adsorbent devices (booms and pillows) to treat waters polluted by oil. The experimental campaign was carried out with the aim of comparing the performances of Grafysorber\uae with those of polypropylene (PP), which is the material used worldwide in case of water oil spill clean-up activities. The results achieved have confirmed a considerably higher selective adsorption capacity of Grafysorber\uae compared to PP, and configure the new material as a promising alternative to standard materials in enhancing oil spill remediation by selective adsorption