Thermoeconomic Analysis of sCO2 Power Cycles

Speaker

Warren D. Seider 

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
University of Pennsylvania

Abstract

Second-Law analysis evaluates the irreversibilities of a process.  Systematic study of the relationship between thermodynamic efficiency and process modifications enhances process synthesis.  The Allam cycle is an oxyfuel combustion cycle with nearly complete carbon capture that offers greater efficiency than current electricity generating systems.  In this talk, lost-work analysis is applied to the original Allam cycle and three modifications to obtain the distribution of irreversibilities and the effects of different configurations among potential process improvements for more sustainable power generation.   The major inefficiencies are from the combustors and heat exchangers.  Also examined are the economic profitabilities of the alternatives.  The largest equipment costs are for the turbines, compressors, and recuperators.  It is found that improving efficiency leads to less economic return; a configuration with partial compression has the highest efficiency while the original Allam cycle has the highest profitability. This will lead to a discussion of how to resolve such apparent conflicts between sustainability and profitability.

Bio

Warren D. Seider is Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He received a B.S. degree from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. For many years,he has contributed to the fields of process analysis, simulation, design, and control. In process design, he coauthored FLOWTRAN Simulation - An Introduction (with J.D. Seader and A.C. Pauls) and Product and Process Design Principles: Synthesis, Analysis,and Evaluation (with J. D. Seader and D. R. Lewin). He has coordinated the Design Project Course for over 25 years involving projects provided by many practicing engineers in the Philadelphia area. He is recognized for research contributions in phase and chemical equilibria, azeotropic distillation, heat and power integration, Czochralski crystallization, nonlinear control, safety and risk analysis. He has authored or coauthored over 100 journal articles and authored or edited seven books.