Development of an Integrated Structure for the Tri-Generation of Power, Liquid Carbon Dioxide, and Medium Pressure Steam Using a Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell, a Dual Pressure Linde-Hampson Liquefaction Plant, and a Heat Recovery Steam Generator

Abstract

Due to the increase in energy consumption and energy prices, the reduction in fossil fuel resources, and increasing concerns about global warming and environmental issues, it is necessary to develop more efficient energy conversion systems with low environmental impacts. Utilizing fuel cells in the combined process is a method of refrigeration and electricity simultaneous production with a high efficiency and low pollution. In this study, a combined process for the tri-generation of electricity, medium pressure steam, and liquid carbon dioxide by utilizing a molten carbonate fuel cell, a dual pressure Linde-Hampson liquefaction plant and a heat recovery steam generator is developed. This combined process produces 65.53 MW of electricity, 27.8 kg/s of medium pressure steam, and 142.9 kg/s of liquid carbon dioxide. One of the methods of long-term energy storage involves the use of a carbon dioxide liquefaction system. Some of the generated electricity is used in industrial and residential areas and the rest is used for storage as liquid carbon dioxide. Liquid carbon dioxide can be used for peak shavings in buildings. The waste heat from the Linde-Hampson liquefaction plant is used to produce the fuel cell inlet steam. Moreover, the exhaust heat of the fuel cell and gas turbine would be used to produce the medium pressure steam. The total efficiency of this combined process and the coefficient of performance of the refrigeration plant are 82.21% and 1.866, respectively. The exergy analysis of this combined process reveals that the exergy efficiency and the total exergy destruction are 73.18% and 102.7 MW, respectively. The highest rate of exergy destruction in the hybrid process equipment belongs to the fuel cell (37.72%), the HX6 heat exchanger (8.036%), and the HX7 heat exchanger (6.578%). The results of the sensitivity analysis show that an increase in the exit pressure of the V1 valve by 13.33% would result in an increase in the refrigeration energy by 2.151% and a reduction in the refrigeration cycle performance by 9.654%. Moreover, by increasing the inlet fuel to the fuel cell, the thermal efficiency of the whole combined process rises by 18.09%, and the whole exergy efficiency declines by 12.95%.