Energy, Environment, and Economical Advantages of Solar Thermal Cracking of Natural Gas

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nesrin Ozalp
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Carbon Black ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
World Market ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Solar Thermal ◽  
Gas Combustion ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Energy Environment

Among all fossil fuels, natural gas is probably the most attractive one because of its higher heating value, and approximately 97% methane content, which creates less hazardous emissions during power generation. Considering these important facts and the demand for natural gas in the world market, it would be unlikely to think of converting natural gas. However, if we want to utilize our planet’s limited natural gas resources better, then we need to explore alternative ways. A way to achieve that goal is direct cracking of natural gas via solar thermal processing. This paper describes advantages of solar cracking of natural gas from energy, environment and economic point of view. Results show that products of natural gas decomposition contain 8% more energy per mole compared to natural gas itself, while the decomposition process does not emit any hazardous emissions to the environment. As for the economics, once the decomposition products of natural gas, namely hydrogen and carbon black, are sold separately, it is possible to make up to three times more revenue than the selling of natural gas. The products of natural gas decomposition have a very wide use in chemical and petroleum industries. For example, hydrogen is a crucial commodity to refine crude oil, while carbon black is the fundamental component in car tire, battery, conveyer belt, and printer ink manufacturing industries. Currently, petroleum industry produces hydrogen via steam reforming of methane and the chemical industry produces carbon black from coal or natural gas combustion in furnace, which are both highly toxic and global warming emissive processes. With solar cracking of natural gas, these two important commodities can be produced without any emissions to the environment.

scholarly journals Comparison between Concentrated Solar Power and Gas-Based Generation in Terms of Economic and Flexibility-Related Aspects in Chile

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1063
Author(s):  
Catalina Hernández Moris ◽  
Maria Teresa Cerda Guevara ◽  
Alois Salmon ◽  
Alvaro Lorca
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Hybrid Plant ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Concentrated Solar Power ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Hybrid Plants ◽  
Cost Of Energy

The energy sector in Chile demands a significant increase in renewable energy sources in the near future, and concentrated solar power (CSP) technologies are becoming increasingly competitive as compared to natural gas plants. Motivated by this, this paper presents a comparison between solar technologies such as hybrid plants and natural gas-based thermal technologies, as both technologies share several characteristics that are comparable and beneficial for the power grid. This comparison is made from an economic point of view using the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) metric and in terms of the systemic benefits related to flexibility, which is very much required due to the current decarbonization scenario of Chile’s energy matrix. The results show that the LCOE of the four hybrid plant models studied is lower than the LCOE of the gas plant. A solar hybrid plant configuration composed of a photovoltaic and solar tower plant (STP) with 13 h of storage and without generation restrictions has an LCOE 53 USD/MWh, while the natural gas technology evaluated with an 85% plant factor and a variable fuel cost of 2.0 USD/MMBtu has an LCOE of 86 USD/MWh. Thus, solar hybrid plants under a particular set of conditions are shown to be more cost-effective than their closest competitor for the Chilean grid while still providing significant dispatchability and flexibility.

scholarly journals Production of Bio-ethanol from Solid Waste Paper Using Biological Activation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeynu Shamil Awol ◽  
Rezika Tofike Abate
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Biomass Energy ◽  
Dilute Acid ◽  
Dilute Acid Hydrolysis ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Solid Ratio ◽  
Alternative Energy Sources ◽  
Waste Office Paper

Abstract Biomass energy is renewable energy source that comes from the material of plants and animals. Forms of biomass energy are bio-ethanol, bio methanol, and biodiesel. Bio-ethanol is one of the most important alternative energy sources that substitute the fossil fuels. The focus of this research is to produce bio-ethanol from waste office paper. Five laboratory experiments were conducted to produce bio-ethanol from wastepaper. The wastepaper was dried in oven and cut in to pieces. Then it passed through dilute acid hydrolysis, fermentation and distillation process respectively. High amount of ethanol was observed at 20 ml/g (liquid to solid ratio) and at the time of 2hr. Cost and economic analysis for ethanol production from wastepaper was performed. Results from the analysis indicated a paper to ethanol plant was feasible from the economic point of view with rate of return (RR) 38.61% and the payback period of 2.2 years.

Emission Distribution and Regulation of Local Heat Source

2012 ◽  
Vol 326-328 ◽  
pp. 330-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Valíček ◽  
Jana Müllerová ◽  
Vlastimil Kuběna ◽  
Pavel Koštial ◽  
Marta Harničárová ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Local Heating ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Total Production ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Automated Method ◽  
Wide Range

Pollutants can be classified according to their chemical composition, harmfulness, hazardousness, risk rate and toxicity. The most monitored pollutants are particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), organic substances which are in the form of gaseous phase in waste gases expressed as total organic carbon, dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans [1-3]. Other pollutants are divided into several groups and subgroups, such as substances with carcinogenic effects (asbestos, Co, Cd, Be, Ni, As, Cr, dioxins, etc.), solid inorganic contaminants (He, Se, animony, and others) and inorganic pollutants in the form of gases (HCl, HF, ammonia, etc.), organic gases and vapours (phenol, toluene, acetone and many others) and gases causing the greenhouse effect (CO2, methane, N2O, hydrofluorocarbons, etc.). The term particulate matter, or suspended matter refers to the emissions of a wide range of wind drift solids and liquid particles of material in size from several nanometres up to 0.5 mm, which stay in the air for some time. This is a major component of atmospheric pollution, which contributes to harmful effects not only on human health but also on intensity of materials degradation. Into the atmosphere, where we can meet them, regardless of particle size and chemical composition, in the form of a complex heterogeneous mixture, they are released from burning fossil fuels and also from burning biomass-based fuels, while domestic heating accounts for about 16% of the total production of particulate matter [4,5,6]. This percentage represents a degree of imperfect combustion of fuels used in local heating. Emissions from incomplete combustion are undesirable from the point of view of human health as well as from the economic point of view, because this leads to the degradation of materials. Nevertheless, since fuel combustion is necessary for the society, emissions are still produced. This paper presents an automated method of perfect combustion control in local heating in order to minimize emissions being produced.

scholarly journals Energy Efficiency Improvement of Debutanizer Column, for NGL Separation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 255-260
Author(s):  
Ahmed Ould Brahim ◽  
◽  
Souad Abderafi
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Co2 Emission ◽  
Reflux Ratio ◽  
Gas Combustion ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Head Pressure ◽  
Optimal Values ◽  
Natural Gas Combustion

Compared to other petroleum, the natural gas combustion remains the cleanest and the one showing less CO2 emission. These reasons make the natural gas combustion one of the important issues to study. The separation of NGL is energy intensive. This operation is performed through a series of column including the debutanizer column. The present work is devoted to optimize the energy consumption at the level of the debutanizer column. The response surface technique and deploying a central composite numerical design is followed makes use of available data from a refinery. Using a multiple linear regressions, the optimization method leads us to three reliable models. Each of the three models takes as input the reflux ratio and the head pressure in order to predict the condenser heat duty, the reboiler heat duty and the purity of the produced butane. Suggested mathematical models were validated and their reliability was assessed via a set of statistical analyses. The optimization aims to simultaneously minimize the energy consumption of the condenser and reboiler, and maximize the purity of the ejected Butane. This optimization step allowed us to define the optimal values of reflux ratio and head pressure, with desirability function equal to 99 %. Under the determined optimal values, operating energy and cost of the industrial process were reduced by 38 % and 37 %, respectively, and besides, a high purity of butane was noticed reaching 99 %. From an economic point of view, separation NGL with optimal values of pressure and reflux ratio, may contribute to a decrease of CO2 emission and increases the energy efficiency.

scholarly journals Natural Gas Hydrate Prediction and Prevention Methods of City Gate Stations

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Lili Zuo ◽  
Sirui Zhao ◽  
Yaxin Ma ◽  
Fangmei Jiang ◽  
Yue Zu
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Ethylene Glycol ◽  
Gas Phase ◽  
Hydrate Formation ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Prediction And Prevention ◽  
Prevention Methods ◽  
And Control

During the process of distributing natural gas to urban users through city gate stations, hydrate is easy to form due to the existence of throttling effect which causes safety risks. To handle this problem, a program to quickly calculate hydrate prediction and prevention methods for city gate stations is developed. The hydrate formation temperature is calculated through the Chen–Guo model, and the Peng–Robinson equation of state combined with the balance criterion is used to analyze the water condensation in the throttling process. The Wilson activity coefficient model is used to calculate the mass fraction in the liquid phase of thermodynamic inhibitors for preventing hydrates. Considering the volatility of inhibitors, the principle of isothermal flash has been utilized to calculate the total injection volume of the inhibitor. Moreover, the effects of commonly used methanol and ethylene glycol inhibitors are discussed. In terms of safety and sustainability, the ethanol inhibitor, which is considered for the first time, exhibited better prevention and control effects under conditions with relatively high temperature and low pressure after throttling. Combined with the actual working conditions of a gate station, methanol has the best inhibitory effect, followed by ethylene glycol. From an economic point of view, the benefits of the gas phase of the inhibitor during the delivery of natural gas are obvious; therefore, the method of methanol injection is recommended for hydrate prevention. If the gas phase benefits of the inhibitor are not considered, the ethylene glycol injection method becomes more economical.

scholarly journals An Economic Model to Assess Profitable Scenarios of EAF-Based Steelmaking Plants under Uncertain Conditions

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (21) ◽  
pp. 7395
Author(s):  
Francesco Facchini ◽  
Giorgio Mossa ◽  
Giovanni Mummolo ◽  
Micaela Vitti
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Direct Reduction ◽  
Steel Production ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Basic Oxygen Furnace ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Steel Scrap ◽  
Environmental Costs ◽  
Market Uncertainty ◽  
Economic Point

The steelmaking processes are considered extremely energy-intensive and carbon-dependent processes. In 2018, it was estimated that the emissions from global steel production represented 7–9% of direct emissions generated by fossil fuels. It was estimated that a specific emissions value of 1.8 tCO2 per ton of steel was produced due to the carbon-dependent nature of the traditional blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) route. Therefore, it is necessary to find an alternative solution to the BF-BOF route for steel production to counteract this negative trend, resulting in being sustainable from an environmental and economic point of view. To this concern, the objective of this work consists of developing a total cost function to assess the economic convenience of steelmaking processes considering the variability of specific market conditions (i.e., iron ore price, scraps price, energy cost, etc.). To this purpose, a direct reduction (DR) process fueled with natural gas (NG) to feed an electric arc furnace (EAF) using recycled steel scrap was considered. The approach introduced is totally new; it enables practitioners, managers, and experts to conduct a preliminary economic assessment of innovative steelmaking solutions under market uncertainty. A numerical simulation has been conducted to evaluate the profitability of the investment considering the economic and environmental costs. It emerged that the investment is profitable in any case from an economic perspective. On the contrary, considering the environmental costs, the profitability of the investment is not guaranteed under certain circumstances.

scholarly journals NGL Recovery Enhancement for GUPCO Trans Gulf Gas Plant by using New Applicable Technique

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 3723-3731
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Great Decrease ◽  
Process Safety ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Simple Modification ◽  
Plant Behavior ◽  
Aspen Hysys ◽  
Plant Equipment

It is known that the price of natural gas liquids (NGL) is higher than that of natural gas from which it is derived, so more modifications needed for existing plants to derive more NGL is economically accepted point of view. The main objective of the present work is to present the method applied on Trans gulf (T/G) gas plant to overcome its performance decrease happened after the plant feed gases becoming leaner than its design margin and hence it led to a great decrease in the plant NGL recovery. This achieved by introducing a new simple modification to the existing process scheme obtained by using a condensate stream to enrich the reflux of the de-ethanizer tower so more recovery is obtained. In order to accomplish that goal, some changes in the existing process operating conditions were needed. A simulation is used in this study to examine the existing and the introduced modification utilizing ASPEN-HYSYS software version 8.4 using Peng-Robinson equation of state (EOS). The simulation of the existing plant results in a better understanding of the plant behavior in the different iterations to reach the maximum benefits. The plant after suffering from low butane recovery from its feed gas and which considered as a figure to the plant efficiency, it increased by this method from 38 % to reach 86-90 % butane recovery and its LPG production increased by 170% to be ≈ 122 tonne/day instead of ≈ 44 tonne/day while only losing ≈ 16 tonne/day of condensate production. An optimization to the new method is done in this paper so that it doesn't intercept with the existing plant equipment performance for the process safety triggers. Also, the last section of the study describes the economic point of view and the return on investment (ROI) how it was paid back only in 7 days. This modification can be taken as a guideline for both new and existing LPG plants which use only propane refrigeration systems for LPG recovery to increase their profits with the lowest cost possible.

scholarly journals Defining of criteria for flue gas decarbonization efficiency in methanation reactors with membrane technology

2021 ◽  
Vol 286 ◽  
pp. 02014
Author(s):  
Gheorghe Lăzăroiu ◽  
Lucian Mihăescu ◽  
Dana-Alexandra Ciupăgeanu ◽  
Rodica-Manuela Grigoriu ◽  
Dana-Andreya Bondrea
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Flue Gas ◽  
Internal Combustion Engines ◽  
Carbon Tax ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Flue Gases ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Practical Applications

The paper presents an investigation on the conditions for implementing a methanation membrane decarbonator coupled to an energy installation that generates flue gases. The retention of the carbon dioxide content in the flue gases and its conversion to methane is envisaged. For start, low thermal power installations, employing natural gas as main fuel supply, are considered. Internal combustion engines (also working with natural gas fuel) are taken into account for the testing of the carbon dioxide retention process. For this, a classification of the flue gas composition by fuel categories is initially carried out. The decarbonation efficiency is defined and clarifications are made withal regarding the connection between the decarbonation installation and the energy plant. The first practical achievements are also presented, resulting from a decarbonator with a volume of 940 cm3 (having the inner diameter of 12 cm and a height of 50 cm). The results prove that the proposed solution has great potential for practical applications, further research being however necessary. In terms of operating costs (including hydrogen consumption), it is remarked that they can be reduced by exploiting the methane production and eliminating the carbon tax, extending the integration perspective form economic point of view.

scholarly journals Study on Geospatial Distribution of the Efficiency and Sustainability of Different Energy-Driven Heat Pumps Included in Low Enthalpy Geothermal Systems in Europe

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1093
Author(s):  
Ignacio Martín Nieto ◽  
David Borge-Diez ◽  
Cristina Sáez Blázquez ◽  
Arturo Farfán Martín ◽  
Diego González-Aguilera
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Heat Pump ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Heat Pumps ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Geothermal Systems ◽  
Economic Point

This research work aims at a multinational study in Europe of the emissions and energy costs generated by the operation of low enthalpy geothermal systems, with heat pumps fed by different energy sources. From an economic point of view, natural gas and biogas prices are, usually, lower than electricity ones. So it may be advantageous to use these energy sources to feed the heat pumps instead of electricity. From the environmental point of view, it is intended to highlight the fact that under certain conditions of electricity production (electricity mix), more CO2 emissions are produced by electricity consumption than using other a priori less “clean” energy sources such as natural gas. To establish the countries where each of the different heat pumps may be more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly, data from multi-source geospatial databases have been collected and analyzed. The results show that in the majority of cases, the electric heat pump is the most recommendable solution. However, there are some geographic locations (such as Poland and Estonia), where the gas engine heat pump may be a better alternative.

Solar thermal catalytic reforming of natural gas: a review on chemistry, catalysis and system design

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 1991-2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. A. Simakov ◽  
Mark M. Wright ◽  
Shakeel Ahmed ◽  
Esmail M. A. Mokheimer ◽  
Yuriy Román-Leshkov
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
System Design ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Solar Thermal ◽  
Catalytic Reforming

Solar thermal catalytic reforming of natural gas is a promising route to increase the efficiency of fossil fuels utilization.

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