Study Of Direct Thermal Energy Storage Technologies For Effectiveness Of Concentrating Solar Power Plants

The paper presents the numerical and technical comparisons between the direct thermal energy storage (TES) technologies with economic considerations in beneficial design and control to lead the process up to the sustainable power production for the concentrating solar power (CSP) plants. The analysis is performed based on the available data in the previous work on 5 MW Archimede plant operating in Sicily (Vitte et al., 2012). Considerations on process control, operability and design improvement in the layout of plant and flexibility related to the selected TES technologies are provided in this work due to making the decisions for optimal control. Copyright © 2013, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.3212191224Cabeza, L.F., Sloe, C., Castell, A., Oro, E., Gil, A., Review of solar thermal storage techniques and associated heat transfer technologies (2012) Proceeding of IEEE, 100, pp. 525-538Herrmann, U., Kearney, D.W., Survey of thermal energy storage for parabolic trough power plants (2002) Solar Energy Engineering, 124, pp. 145-152Wang, Q., Li, P., Lew, V., Karaki, W.C., Stephens, J., Generalized charts of energy storage effectiveness of thermocline heat storage tank design and calibration (2011) Solar Energy, 85, pp. 2130-2143Manenti, F., Ravaghi-Ardebili, Z., Dynamic simulation of concentrating solar power plant and twotank direct thermal energy storage (2013) Energy, , doi: 10.1016/j.2013.02.001Steinhagen, H., Triebh, F., (2004) Concentrating Solar Power, A Review of the Technology, , Quarterly of the Royal Academy of Engineering, GermanyNREL, , http://www.nrel.gov/csp/troughnet/pdfs/2007/ brosseau_sandia_molten_salt_tes.pdf, last Access:19.01.2013Pavlovic, T.M., Radonjic, I.S., Milosavijevic, D.D., Pantic, L.S., A review of concentrating solar power plants in the world and their potential use in Serbia (2012) Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16, pp. 3891-3902Peters, M.S., Timmerhaus, K.D., (2004) Plant Design and Economics for Chemical Engineers, , Singapore, McGraw-HillTimilsina, G.R., Kurdgelashvili, L.K., Narbel, P.A., Review of solar energy: Markets, economic and policies (2011) World Bank Policy Research, , doi: 10.1596/1813-9450-5845Vaivudh, S., Rakwichian, W., Chindrauska, S., Heat transfer of high thermal energy storage with heat exchanger for solar trough power plant (2008) Energy Conversion and Management, 49, pp. 3311-3317Vitte, P., Manenti, F., Pierucci, S., Joulia, X., Buzzi-Ferraris, G., Dynamic simulation of concentrating solar plants (2012) Chemical Engineering Transactions, 29, pp. 235-240Yang, Z., Garimella, S.V., Molten-salt thermal energy storage in thermoclines under different environmental boundary conditions (2010) Applied Energy, 87, pp. 3322-332

Study of direct thermal energy storage technologies for effectiveness of concentrating solar power plants

The paper presents the numerical and technical comparisons between the direct thermal energy storage (TES) technologies with economic considerations in beneficial design and control to lead the process up to the sustainable power production for the concentrating solar power (CSP) plants. The analysis is performed based on the available data in the previous work on 5 MW Archimede plant operating in Sicily (Vitte et al., 2012). Considerations on process control, operability and design improvement in the layout of plant and flexibility related to the selected TES technologies are provided in this work due to making the decisions for optimal control

Biomass gasification using low-temperature solar-driven steam supply

A numerical modeling study on the low-temperature steam gasification process is presented to outline the possibility to drive the process with an integrated Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant, which provides low-temperature steam, with the aim of preserving a comparable efficiency of the new plant with traditional high-temperature biomass gasification processes. To meet this, the effective parameters and operating conditions are assessed and determined for low-temperature biomass gasification by means of sensitivity analysis, in order to find out the optimal design of the new gasifier. Crucial parameters comprise the residence time of the solid fuel and of the gas phase (leading to efficient gas-solid interactions), as well as the amount of injected oxygen and steam. Moreover, several operative parameters such as content of moisture in the biomass feedstock, size of the solid particles, equivalence ratio and structural components amount in the biomass feedstock are taken into account to optimize the operation. The molar ratio of H2/CO has been selected as a benchmark of efficiency in the process because the produced syngas would be applied in the methanol synthesis process, which needs a molar ratio of H2/CO close to the value of two. The percentage of the solid residue (weight % of the solid feedstock) has been evaluated along with the molar ratio of H2/CO in the low-temperature process to guide the re-design of the solar driven gasifier, in terms of reactor volume and amount of required oxygen and steam, which are necessary to sustain the process. The modeling and simulation to design the process have been accomplished by a comprehensive modeling package (GASDS), which includes kinetics of biomass devolatilization and pyrolysis, gasification, and secondary gas phase kinetic schemes. The gasifier, owing to its intrinsic multi-scale nature, is simulated describing both the particle and the reactor scales

Assessment Of Direct Thermal Energy Storage Technologies For Concentrating Solar Power Plants

Dynamic simulation, design improvements and control issues in solar power plants might compete with special considerations on storing techniques along with optimal store technically and from economic point of view. In order to provide the stability in production of power in spite of inconsistency in the source of energy, i.e., sun, overall concerns in the details of solar power plant, competition and comparison of common storing technologies should be taken into account in designation of the plant and plantwide control based on the performance of the storage in charging and discharging periods for the delivery and produce the electricity steadily. This research activity is mainly focused on the simulation of solar power plant for direct thermal energy storage technologies (double-tank and single-tank storage technologies) with DYNSIM™ suite to simulate dynamics and control the entire of plant and FLUENT™ for computational fluid-dynamics studies of thermocline effects in single-tank storage. Assessment of effectiveness, controllability, and flexibility of different direct technologies are brought together with the development of ad hoc control strategies to manage optimally. Copyright © 2013, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.35547552Cabeza, L.F., Sloe, C., Castell, A., Oro, E., Gil, A., Review of solar thermal storage techniques and associated heat transfer technologies (2012) Proceeding of IEEE, 100, pp. 525-538Čuček, L., Lam, H.L., Klemeš, J.J., Varbanov, P.S., Kravanja, Z., Synthesis of regional networks for the supply of energy and bioproducts (2010) Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 12 (6), pp. 635-645Flueckiger, S., Yang, Z., Garimella, S.V., (2011) An Integrated Thermal and Mechanical Investigation of Molten-salt Thermocline Energy Storage, , CTRC Research Publications, paper 150Klemeš, J.J., Varbanov, P.S., Pierucci, S., Huisingh, D., Minimising emissions and energy wastage by improved industrial processes and integration of renewable energy (2010) Journal of Cleaner Production, 18 (9), pp. 843-847Lam, H.L., Varbanov, P., Klemeš, J., Minimising carbon footprint of regional biomass supply chains (2010) Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 54 (5), pp. 303-309Lam, H.L., Varbanov, P.S., Klemeš, J.J., Optimisation of regional energy supply chains utilising renewables: P-graph approach (2010) Computers and Chemical Engineering, 34 (5), pp. 782-792Lam, H.L., Varbanov, P.S., Klemeš, J.J., Regional renewable energy and resource planning (2011) Applied Energy, 88 (2), pp. 545-550Li, P., Van Lew, J., Chan, C., Karaki, W., Stephens, J., O'Brien, J.E., Similarity and generalized analysis of efficiencies of thermal energy storage (2012) Renewable Energy, 39, pp. 388-402Li, P., Lew, J.V., Karaki, W., Chan, C., Stephens, J., Wang, Q., Generalized chart of energy storage effectiveness for thermocline heat storage tank design and calibration (2011) Solar Energy., 85, pp. 2130-2143Manenti, F., Ravaghi-Ardebili, Z., Dynamic simulation of concentrating solar power plant and two-tank direct thermal energy storage (2013) Energy, , to appear, DOI: 10.1016/j.Energy.2013.02.001Oro, E., Gil, A., Gracia, A., Boer, D., Cabeza, L.F., Comparative life cycle assessment of thermal energy storage systems for solar power plants (2012) Renewable Energy, 44, pp. 166-173Ozalp, N., Epstein, M., Kogan, A., An overview of solar thermochemical hydrogen, carbon nano-materials and metals production technologies (2009) Chemical Engineering Transactions, 18, pp. 965-970Pacheco, J., Showalter, S., Kolb, W., Development of a molten salt thermocline thermal storage system for parabolic trough plants (2002) Solar Energy Engineering, 124, pp. 153-159Piemonte, V., De Falco, M., Giaconia, A., Tarquini, P., Iaquaniello, G., Life cycle assessment of a concentrated solar power plant for the production of enriched methane by steam reforming process (2010) Chemical Engineering Transactions, 21, pp. 25-30Sikos, L., Klemeš, J., Reliability, availability and maintenance optimisation of heat exchanger networks (2010) Applied Thermal Engineering, 30 (1), pp. 63-69Vitte, P., Manenti, F., Pierucci, S., Joulia, X., Buzzi-Ferraris, G., Dynamic simulation of concentrating solar plants (2012) Chemical Engineering Transactions, 29, pp. 235-240Yang, Z., Garimella, S.V., Thermal analysis of solar thermal energy storage in a molten-salt thermocline (2010) Solar Energy, 84, pp. 974-989Zhu, X.X., Zanfir, M., Klemeš, J., Heat transfer enhancement for heat exchanger network retrofit (2000) Heat Transfer Engineering, 21 (2), pp. 7-1

Preserving Safety And Improving Yield Performances In Methanol Processes

The industrial best practice for methanol synthesis is the use a fixed-bed tubular reactor. The exothermic nature of methanol synthesis, the possibility to activate the methanation reaction (intensely exothermic) and the discrete nature of temperature acquisition throughout the reactor claim for novel technological solutions for process control and optimization. Specifically, the aim of this work is to monitor the hot-spot temperature and to manipulate it to improve the yield of methanol. Copyright © 2012, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.266974Basri, S., Kamarudin, S.K., Daud, W.R.W., Design and optimization of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) (2009) Pres'09: 12th International Conference on Process Integra tion, Modelling and Optimisation for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction, Pts 1-2, pp. 111-116. , Klemes J., edBuzzi-Ferraris, G., (2011) BzzMath: Numerical library in C++, Politecnico di Milano, , www.chem.polimi.it/homes/gbuzzi, Accessed 30/04/2012Buzzi-Ferraris, G., Manenti, F., A combination of parallel computing and object-oriented programming to improve optimizer robustness and efficiency (2010) Computer Aided Chemical Engineering, 28, pp. 337-342Buzzi-Ferraris, G., Manenti, F., (2010) Fundamentals and Linear Algebra for the Chemical Engineer: Solving Numerical Problems, , Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, GermanyBuzzi-Ferraris, G., Manenti, F., (2010) Interpolation and Regression Models for the Chemical Engineer: Solving Numerical Problems, , Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, GermanyBuzzi-Ferraris, G., Manenti, F., (2012) BzzMath: Library Overview and Recent Advances in Numerical Methods, , Computer Aided Chemical Engineering, to appearGomez-Castro, F.I., Rico-Ramirez, V., Segovia-Hernandez, J.G., Hernandez-Castro, S., Reducing costs and CO2 emissions on the production of biodiesel by the supercritical me thanol method (2010) Cisap4: 4th International Conference on Safety & Environment in Process Industry, pp. 143-148. , Buratti S. S., edGraaf, G.H., Sijtsema, P.J., Stamhuis, E.J., Joosten, G.E., Chemical equilibria in methanol synthesis (1986) Chemical Engineering Science, 41, pp. 2883-2890Graaf, G.H., Stamhuis, E.J., Beenackers, A., Kinetics of low-pressure methanol synthesis (1988) Chemical Engineering Science, 43, pp. 3185-3195Lange, J.P., Methanol synthesis: A short review of technology improvements (2001) Catalysis Today, 64 (1-2), pp. 3-8Lommerts, B.J., Graaf, G.H., Beenackers, A., Mathematical modelling of internal mass transport limitations in methanol synthesis (2000) Chemical Engineering Science, 55 (23), pp. 5589-5598Manenti, F., Cieri, S., Restelli, M., Considerations on the steady-state modelling of methanol synthesis fixed-bed reactor (2011) Chemical Engineering Science, 66 (2), pp. 152-162Manenti, F., Cieri, S., Restelli, M., Lima, N.M.N., Zuniga, L.L., Dynamic simulation of lurgi-type reactor for methanol synthesis (2011) Chemical Engineering Transactions, 24, pp. 379-384Mayra, O., Leiviska, K., Modelling in methanol synthesis (2009) Icheap-9: 9th International Conference on Chemical and Process Engineering, Pts 1-3, pp. 1413-1418. , S., edOlah, G.A., Goeppert, A., Surya, P.G.K., (2009) Beyond Oil and Gas: The Methanol Economy, , Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, GermanySie, S.L., Tang, J.K., Chang, J.S., Study on aluminium plates coated with a zirconia-sol and catalyst mixture for methanol steam-reforming in a rectangular reactor (2009) Pres'09: 12th International Conference on Process Integration, Modelling and Optimisation for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction, Pts 1-2, pp. 481-486. , Klemes J., e

New “CAPE” solutions for olefins plants. Detailed dynamic simulation and dynamic real-time optimization

This paper deals with certain novel and appealing computer-aided process engineering (CAPE) solutions to improve flexibility, controllability, and operability of olefins plants. It shows the use of detailed kinetic schemes, developed and validated by Professor Sauro Pierucci and his colleagues at the Chemical Engineering group at Politecnico di Milano, to produce new effective tools for reliable and accurate dynamic simulation and dynamic real-time optimization methodologies. Preliminary results and tangible benefits are explained for a steam cracking furnace