Optimal Pipeline Design with Increasing CO2 Flow Rates

AbstractWide deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) will require extensive transportation infrastructure, quite often in the form of pipelines. The rollout of such large-scale infrastructure would undoubtedly require very large investments. In regions with several CO2 emission sources, it is possible that not all of the major CO2 sources will implement CCS at the same time. Shared oversized pipeline designs are often proposed in order to form a “cluster” of CO2 sources and serve as the backbone for an expanding CO2 transportation infrastructure, to which emission sources will be connected. This paper analyses the economics of using oversized and parallel pipelines for different typical pipeline length and CO2 flow rate combinations. For new CCS projects, the expansion methodology presented in this paper can identify the optimal pipeline design that minimises the cost per tonne of CO2 avoided over the life of the project. For existing projects, the expansion methodology identifies the optimal pipeline design change, which may include either using an existing pipeline as CO2 supply increases or duplicating pipelines

Manufacturing flow line systems: a review of models and analytical results

The most important models and results of the manufacturing flow line literature are described. These include the major classes of models (asynchronous, synchronous, and continuous); the major features (blocking, processing times, failures and repairs); the major properties (conservation of flow, flow rate-idle time, reversibility, and others); and the relationships among different models. Exact and approximate methods for obtaining quantitative measures of performance are also reviewed. The exact methods are appropriate for small systems. The approximate methods, which are the only means available for large systems, are generally based on decomposition, and make use of the exact methods for small systems. Extensions are briefly discussed. Directions for future research are suggested.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant DDM-8914277

Emerging CO2 capture systems

In 2005, the IPCC SRCCS recognized the large potential for developing and scaling up a wide range of emerging CO2 capture technologies that promised to deliver lower energy penalties and cost. These included new energy conversion technologies such as chemical looping and novel capture systems based on the use of solid sorbents or membrane-based separation systems. In the last 10 years, a substantial body of scientific and technical literature on these topics has been produced from a large number of R&D projects worldwide, trying to demonstrate these concepts at increasing pilot scales, test and model the performance of key components at bench scale, investigate and develop improved functional materials, optimize the full process schemes with a view to a wide range of industrial applications, and to carry out more rigorous cost studies etc. This paper presents a general and critical review of the state of the art of these emerging CO2 capture technologies paying special attention to specific process routes that have undergone a substantial increase in technical readiness level toward the large scales required by any CO2 capture system

Pathways for Deploying Low-emission Technologies in an Integrated Electricity Market: An Australian Case Study

AbstractIn this paper, Australia is used as a case study to evaluate potential pathways for staged deployment of low-emission technologies in an integrated, emission intensive electricity market. We assume that carbon capture and storage is implemented at existing and new power plants. To meet projected demand increase by 2050, the total generation capac ty increases by 35%. The cost of electricity in 2050 is more than double the current value, with a moderate annual increase between now and then. An 80% emission reduction target can be achieved by 2050. The results are compared with the future generation scenarios previously analysed by CSIRO and AEMO