Download or read book Reducing Water Freshwater Consumption at Coal fired Power Plants written by and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coal-fired power plants consume huge quantities of water, and in some water-stressed areas, power plants compete with other users for limited supplies. Extensive use of coal to generate electricity is projected to continue for many years. Faced with increasing power demands and questionable future supplies, industries and governments are seeking ways to reduce freshwater consumption at coal-fired power plants. As the United States investigates various freshwater savings approaches (e.g., the use of alternative water sources), other countries are also researching and implementing approaches to address similar - and in many cases, more challenging - water supply and demand issues. Information about these non-U.S. approaches can be used to help direct near- and mid-term water-consumption research and development (R & D) activities in the United States. This report summarizes the research, development, and deployment (RD & D) status of several approaches used for reducing freshwater consumption by coal-fired power plants in other countries, many of which could be applied, or applied more aggressively, at coal-fired power plants in the United States. Information contained in this report is derived from literature and Internet searches, in some cases supplemented by communication with the researchers, authors, or equipment providers. Because there are few technical, peer-reviewed articles on this topic, much of the information in this report comes from the trade press and other non-peer-reviewed references. Reducing freshwater consumption at coal-fired power plants can occur directly or indirectly. Direct approaches are aimed specifically at reducing water consumption, and they include dry cooling, dry bottom ash handling, low-water-consuming emissions-control technologies, water metering and monitoring, reclaiming water from in-plant operations (e.g., recovery of cooling tower water for boiler makeup water, reclaiming water from flue gas desulfurization [FGD] systems), and desalination. Some of the direct approaches, such as dry air cooling, desalination, and recovery of cooling tower water for boiler makeup water, are costly and are deployed primarily in countries with severe water shortages, such as China, Australia, and South Africa. Table 1 shows drivers and approaches for reducing freshwater consumption in several countries outside the United States. Indirect approaches reduce water consumption while meeting other objectives, such as improving plant efficiency. Plants with higher efficiencies use less energy to produce electricity, and because the greater the energy production, the greater the cooling water needs, increased efficiency will help reduce water consumption. Approaches for improving efficiency (and for indirectly reducing water consumption) include increasing the operating steam parameters (temperature and pressure); using more efficient coal-fired technologies such as cogeneration, IGCC, and direct firing of gas turbines with coal; replacing or retrofitting existing inefficient plants to make them more efficient; installing high-performance monitoring and process controls; and coal drying. The motivations for increasing power plant efficiency outside the United States (and indirectly reducing water consumption) include the following: (1) countries that agreed to reduce carbon emissions (by ratifying the Kyoto protocol) find that one of the most effective ways to do so is to improve plant efficiency; (2) countries that import fuel (e.g., Japan) need highly efficient plants to compensate for higher coal costs; (3) countries with particularly large and growing energy demands, such as China and India, need large, efficient plants; (4) countries with large supplies of low-rank coals, such as Germany, need efficient processes to use such low-energy coals. Some countries have policies that encourage or mandate reduced water consumption - either directly or indirectly. For example, the European Union encourages increased efficiency through its cogeneration directive, which requires member states to assess their national potential for cogeneration, analyze barriers to achieving the potential, and then establish support schemes to achieve the potential. China's Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2006-2010) has an energy strategy that specifies, among other things, that production should be optimized by promoting the development of large-scale, high-efficiency units, and that air-cooled technologies should be used in areas with water shortages. The United States lacks many of these drivers. There are no government requirements that mandate more efficient plants. The United States has ample supplies of relatively cheap coal, and U.S. water-short areas are not as extensive as in countries such as China, South Africa, and Australia. Often, other countries have deployed water-savings technologies to a greater degree than the United States.
- Author : U. S. Department U.S. Department of Energy
- Publisher : CreateSpace
- Release : 2014-10-31
- ISBN : 9781503039469
- Pages : 40 pages
Potential Nanotechnology Applications for Reducing Freshwater Consumption at Coal Fired Power Plants
Download or read book Potential Nanotechnology Applications for Reducing Freshwater Consumption at Coal Fired Power Plants written by U. S. Department U.S. Department of Energy and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-10-31 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Existing Plants Research Program, which has an energy-water research effort that focuses on water use at power plants. This study complements the overall research effort of the Existing Plants Research Program by evaluating water issues that could impact power plants. A growing challenge to the economic production of electricity from coal-fired power plants is the demand for freshwater, particularly in light of the projected trends for increasing demands and decreasing supplies of freshwater. Nanotechnology uses the unique chemical, physical, and biological properties that are associated with materials at the nanoscale to create and use materials, devices, and systems with new functions and properties. It is possible that nanotechnology may open the door to a variety of potentially interesting ways to reduce freshwater consumption at power plants. This book provides an overview of how applications of nanotechnology could potentially help reduce freshwater use at coal-fired power plants. It was developed by (1) identifying areas within a coal-fired power plant's operations where freshwater use occurs and could possibly be reduced, (2) conducting a literature review to identify potential applications of nanotechnology for facilitating such reductions, and (3) collecting additional information on potential applications from researchers and companies to clarify or expand on information obtained from the literature. Opportunities, areas, and processes for reducing freshwater use in coal-fired power plants considered in this report include the use of nontraditional waters in process and cooling water systems, carbon capture alternatives, more efficient processes for removing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, coolants that have higher thermal conductivities than water alone, energy storage options, and a variety of plant inefficiencies, which, if improved, would reduce energy use and concomitant water consumption. These inefficiencies include air heater inefficiencies, boiler corrosion, low operating temperatures, fuel inefficiencies, and older components that are subject to strain and failure. A variety of nanotechnology applications that could potentially be used to reduce the amount of freshwater consumed - either directly or indirectly - by these areas and activities was identified. These applications include membranes that use nanotechnology or contain nanomaterials for improved water purification and carbon capture; nano-based coatings and lubricants to insulate and reduce heat loss, inhibit corrosion, and improve fuel efficiency; nano-based catalysts and enzymes that improve fuel efficiency and improve sulfur removal efficiency; nanomaterials that can withstand high temperatures; nanofluids that have better heat transfer characteristics than water; nanosensors that can help identify strain and impact damage, detect and monitor water quality parameters, and measure mercury in flue gas; and batteries and capacitors that use nanotechnology to enable utility-scale storage. Most of these potential applications are in the research stage, and few have been deployed at coal-fired power plants. Moving from research to deployment in today's economic environment will be facilitated with federal support. Additional support for research development and deployment (RD&D) for some subset of these applications could lead to reductions in water consumption and could provide lessons learned that could be applied to future efforts. To take advantage of this situation, it is recommended that NETL pursue funding for further research, development, or deployment for one or more of the potential applications identified in this book.
Download or read book Water Energy Nexus in the People s Republic of China and Emerging Issues written by Pradeep Perera and published by Asian Development Bank. This book was released on 2017-12-01 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Water and energy are both valuable resources and indispensable for human society and economic development. By nature, water and energy are interlinked. Water plays a critical role in the generation of electricity for cooling of thermal power plants and in hydropower, as well as in the production of fossil fuels such as coal; energy is required to treat, distribute, and for wastewater treatment. Choices made in either of the sectors may have unintended and often negative implications on the other sector. This report analyzes the trade-off between the two sectors in the context of the People's republic of China and proposes recommendations to ensure that the choices made are sustainable in the long run.
Download or read book Water Intake Wastewater Production and Treatment and Air Pollution Control in Coal fired Steam electric Power Generating Stations written by CH2M Hill Canada Ltd and published by [Hull, Quebec] : The Service. This book was released on 1980 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Basic air and water emission requirements, and power plant design and operating characteristics are defined. Air pollution control particulate removal devices and a variety of flue gas desulphurization (FGD) alternatives are compared in terms of economic and technical applicability, water requirements, water consumption, and liquid and solid wastes production during power station operation with different types of coal. Three possible station water management systems (once-through, recirculation with limited discharge, and zero discharge) are evaluated under selected conditions, and their impacts on water intake, consumption and wastewater treatment are compared in detail. Coal type is shown to have a strong influence on the quantities of wastes produced and type of air pollution control devices which may be used. In turn, the types of control devices selected are also shown to affect the nature of subsequent wastewater and solid wastes problems. Wastewater recirculation and re-use designs incorporated into station water use related to air pollution controls are found useful in reducing water consumption and wastewater production and treatment requirements.
Download or read book Water Vulnerabilities for Existing Coal fired Power Plants written by and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Existing Plants Research Program, which has an energy-water research effort that focuses on water use at power plants. This study complements the Existing Plants Research Program's overall research effort by evaluating water issues that could impact power plants. Water consumption by all users in the United States over the 2005-2030 time period is projected to increase by about 7% (from about 108 billion gallons per day [bgd] to about 115 bgd) (Elcock 2010). By contrast, water consumption by coal-fired power plants over this period is projected to increase by about 21% (from about 2.4 to about 2.9 bgd) (NETL 2009b). The high projected demand for water by power plants, which is expected to increase even further as carbon-capture equipment is installed, combined with decreasing freshwater supplies in many areas, suggests that certain coal-fired plants may be particularly vulnerable to potential water demand-supply conflicts. If not addressed, these conflicts could limit power generation and lead to power disruptions or increased consumer costs. The identification of existing coal-fired plants that are vulnerable to water demand and supply concerns, along with an analysis of information about their cooling systems and related characteristics, provides information to help focus future research and development (R & D) efforts to help ensure that coal-fired generation demands are met in a cost-effective manner that supports sustainable water use. This study identified coal-fired power plants that are considered vulnerable to water demand and supply issues by using a geographical information system (GIS) that facilitated the analysis of plant-specific data for more than 500 plants in the NETL's Coal Power Plant Database (CPPDB) (NETL 2007a) simultaneously with 18 indicators of water demand and supply. Two types of demand indicators were evaluated. The first type consisted of geographical areas where specific conditions can generate demand vulnerabilities. These conditions include high projected future water consumption by thermoelectric power plants, high projected future water consumption by all users, high rates of water withdrawal per square mile (mi2), high projected population increases, and areas projected to be in a water crisis or conflict by 2025. The second type of demand indicator was plant specific. These indicators were developed for each plant and include annual water consumption and withdrawal rates and intensities, net annual power generation, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The supply indictors, which are also area based, include areas with low precipitation, high temperatures, low streamflow, and drought. The indicator data, which were in various formats (e.g., maps, tables, raw numbers) were converted to a GIS format and stored, along with the individual plant data from the CPPDB, in a single GIS database. The GIS database allowed the indicator data and plant data to be analyzed and visualized in any combination. To determine the extent to which a plant would be considered 'vulnerable' to a given demand or supply concern (i.e., that the plant's operations could be affected by water shortages represented by a potential demand or supply indicator), criteria were developed to categorize vulnerability according to one of three types: major, moderate, or not vulnerable. Plants with at least two major demand indicator values and/or at least four moderate demand indicator values were considered vulnerable to demand concerns. By using this approach, 144 plants were identified as being subject to demand concerns only. Plants with at least one major supply indicator value and/or at least two moderate supply indicator values were considered vulnerable to supply concerns. By using this approach, 64 plants were identified as being subject to supply concerns only. In addition, 139 plants were identified as subject to both demand and supply concerns. Therefore, a total of 347 plants were considered subject to demand concerns, supply concerns, or both demand and supply concerns.
Download or read book Alternative Water Use for Power Plant Applications written by Eric N. Grady and published by Nova Science Publishers. This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE/NETL) study estimated that in 2005, total U.S. freshwater withdrawals for thermoelectric power generation amounted to approximately 146 billion gallons per day (BGD), while freshwater consumption was 3.7 BGD. Coal-fired power plants use water for cooling water systems, flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) makeup, boiler makeup, ash handling, wastewater treatment, and general plant wash down. As the population continues to increase, electric and water demands are expected to grow. Thermoelectric power generation requires a large quantity of freshwater to support operations. In regions of the country with limited freshwater supplies, thermoelectric power generation may be competing with other uses for dwindling freshwater supplies. This book focuses on the research that has been done to date for the non-traditional sources of process and cooling water components. Studies in this research area focus on identifying potential new water sources, including brackish and saline water supplies and various domestic and industrial wastewaters. In particular, these studies focus on understanding the location, volumes, and quality of different non-traditional waters, as well as treatment technologies to reduce the scaling, biofouling, and corrosion potential of available impaired waters that would not otherwise be useful in a cooling water system or other processes within a thermoelectric plant.
- Author :
- Publisher :
- Release : 2010
- ISBN :
- Pages : pages
Potential Nanotechnology Applications for Reducing Freshwater Consumption at Coal Fired Power Plants
Download or read book Potential Nanotechnology Applications for Reducing Freshwater Consumption at Coal Fired Power Plants written by and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Existing Plants Research Program, which has an energy-water research effort that focuses on water use at power plants. This study complements the overall research effort of the Existing Plants Research Program by evaluating water issues that could impact power plants. A growing challenge to the economic production of electricity from coal-fired power plants is the demand for freshwater, particularly in light of the projected trends for increasing demands and decreasing supplies of freshwater. Nanotechnology uses the unique chemical, physical, and biological properties that are associated with materials at the nanoscale to create and use materials, devices, and systems with new functions and properties. It is possible that nanotechnology may open the door to a variety of potentially interesting ways to reduce freshwater consumption at power plants. This report provides an overview of how applications of nanotechnology could potentially help reduce freshwater use at coal-fired power plants. It was developed by (1) identifying areas within a coal-fired power plant's operations where freshwater use occurs and could possibly be reduced, (2) conducting a literature review to identify potential applications of nanotechnology for facilitating such reductions, and (3) collecting additional information on potential applications from researchers and companies to clarify or expand on information obtained from the literature. Opportunities, areas, and processes for reducing freshwater use in coal-fired power plants considered in this report include the use of nontraditional waters in process and cooling water systems, carbon capture alternatives, more efficient processes for removing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, coolants that have higher thermal conductivities than water alone, energy storage options, and a variety of plant inefficiencies, which, if improved, would reduce energy use and concomitant water consumption. These inefficiencies include air heater inefficiencies, boiler corrosion, low operating temperatures, fuel inefficiencies, and older components that are subject to strain and failure. A variety of nanotechnology applications that could potentially be used to reduce the amount of freshwater consumed - either directly or indirectly - by these areas and activities was identified. These applications include membranes that use nanotechnology or contain nanomaterials for improved water purification and carbon capture; nano-based coatings and lubricants to insulate and reduce heat loss, inhibit corrosion, and improve fuel efficiency; nano-based catalysts and enzymes that improve fuel efficiency and improve sulfur removal efficiency; nanomaterials that can withstand high temperatures; nanofluids that have better heat transfer characteristics than water; nanosensors that can help identify strain and impact damage, detect and monitor water quality parameters, and measure mercury in flue gas; and batteries and capacitors that use nanotechnology to enable utility-scale storage. Most of these potential applications are in the research stage, and few have been deployed at coal-fired power plants. Moving from research to deployment in today's economic environment will be facilitated with federal support. Additional support for research development and deployment (RD & D) for some subset of these applications could lead to reductions in water consumption and could provide lessons learned that could be applied to future efforts. To take advantage of this situation, it is recommended that NETL pursue funding for further research, development, or deployment for one or more of the potential applications identified in this report.
Download or read book Alternative Water Use for Power Plant Applications written by Eric N. Grady and published by Nova Publishers. This book was released on 2014-05-14 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE/NETL) study estimated that in 2005, total U.S. freshwater withdrawals for thermoelectric power generation amounted to approximately 146 billion gallons per day (BGD), while freshwater consumption was 3.7 BGD. Coal-fired power plants use water for cooling water systems, flue gas desulfurization (FGD) makeup, boiler makeup, ash handling, wastewater treatment, and general plant wash down. As the population continues to increase, electric and water demands are expected to grow. Thermoelectric power generation requires a large q.
Download or read book The Water Footprint Assessment Manual written by Maite M. Aldaya and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-08-21 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People use lots of water for drinking, cooking and washing, but significantly more for producing things such as food, paper and cotton clothes. The water footprint is an indicator of water use that looks at both direct and indirect water use of a consumer or producer. Indirect use refers to the 'virtual water' embedded in tradable goods and commodities, such as cereals, sugar or cotton. The water footprint of an individual, community or business is defined as the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business. This book offers a complete and up-to-date overview of the global standard on water footprint assessment as developed by the Water Footprint Network. More specifically it: o Provides a comprehensive set of methods for water footprint assessment o Shows how water footprints can be calculated for individual processes and products, as well as for consumers, nations and businesses o Contains detailed worked examples of how to calculate green, blue and grey water footprints o Describes how to assess the sustainability of the aggregated water footprint within a river basin or the water footprint of a specific product o Includes an extensive library of possible measures that can contribute to water footprint reduction
Download or read book USE OF COAL DRYING TO REDUCE WATER CONSUMED IN PULVERIZED COAL POWER PLANTS written by Hugo Caram and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: U.S. low rank coals contain relatively large amounts of moisture, with the moisture content of subbituminous coals typically ranging from 15 to 30 percent and that for lignites from 25 and 40 percent. High fuel moisture has several adverse impacts on the operation of a pulverized coal generating unit, for it can result in fuel handling problems and it affects heat rate, stack emissions and maintenance costs. Theoretical analyses and coal test burns performed at a lignite fired power plant show that by reducing the fuel moisture, it is possible to improve boiler performance and unit heat rate, reduce emissions and reduce water consumption by the evaporative cooling tower. The economic viability of the approach and the actual impact of the drying system on water consumption, unit heat rate and stack emissions will depend critically on the design and operating conditions of the drying system. The present project evaluated the low temperature drying of high moisture coals using power plant waste heat to provide the energy required for drying. Coal drying studies were performed in a laboratory scale fluidized bed dryer to gather data and develop models on drying kinetics. In addition, analyses were carried out to determine the relative costs and performance impacts (in terms of heat rate, cooling tower water consumption and emissions) of drying along with the development of optimized drying system designs and recommended operating conditions.
Download or read book Estimation of Water Footprints and Review of Water saving recovery Approaches in Coal fired Power Plants Cooling Systems written by Jhosmar L. Sosa Pieroni and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Freshwater availability has become a major concern in some areas of the United States where continuous droughts and ground water depletions are evident. Furthermore, it is in most of those areas where population growth is being experienced in a faster rate, which results in increases in service demands including electricity and water. In view of this, the thermoelectric generating capacity is expected to increase creating a higher demand of water volumes for the operation of their cooling systems. It is expected that thermoelectric power plants will start competing for freshwater with other sectors. The main objective of this study is to estimate the water footprint of coal-fired power plants and to investigate water-saving approaches available within the cooling and steam generation technologies, with a major emphasis on the facilities located in the regions of U.S. with the highest water limitations. Also, the heat transfer optimization of an air-cooled condenser wet electrostatic precipitator (ESP) for the water recovery from coal power plant's flue gas was performed. The states found to be experiencing the highest levels of water scarcity in the U.S. are California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Texas. The results indicate that for once-through cooling systems and recirculating cooling systems located in the Southwest, the water footprints are 4.31E-04 and 5.75E-04 m3/MJ, respectively. It was observed that water withdrawals are higher on once-through systems than in recirculating systems, but the total water consumption is just slightly lower, resulting in a water footprint very similar for both types of system operating in the same region. Furthermore, it was shown that the use of an air-cooled condenser wet ESP represents a potential solution for the recovery of water from coal power plants' flue gas, especially those located in water stressed states.
Download or read book Overarching national policy statement for energy EN 1 written by Great Britain: Department of Energy and Climate Change and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2011-07-19 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This national policy statement (NPS) sets out national policy for the energy infrastructure. A further five technology-specific NPSs for the energy sector cover: fossil fuel electricity generation (EN-2) (ISBN 9780108510786); renewable electricity generation (both onshore and offshore) (EN-3) (ISBN 9780108510793); gas supply infrastructure and gas and oil pipelines (EN-4) (ISBN 9780108510809); the electricity transmission and distribution network (EN-5) (ISBN 9780108510816); and nuclear power generation (EN-6) (ISBN 9780108510823). An Impact assessment is also available (ISBN 9780108510830). The NPSs have effect on the decisions by the Infrastructure Planning Commission on application for energy developments. This statement outlines the Government's objectives for the power sector in order to meet its energy and climate change strategy. It sets out the need for new energy infrastructure and the assessment principles and generic impacts.
Download or read book Operating Experience with Nuclear Power Stations in Member States in 1991 written by and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 854 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Water Availability and Use Science Program Estimated Use of Water in the United States In 2015 written by Cheryl A. Dieter and published by Geological Survey. This book was released on 2018-08-16 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Estimates of water withdrawals enable the depiction of trends in total water use for the Nation among different geographic areas, categories of use, and sources over time. Water-use information is a critical component of water budgets, which are essential to surface- water and groundwater availability studies. This information is also essential to accurately understand how future water demands will be met while maintaining adequate water quality and quantities for human and ecosystem needs across the United States of America. Data is represented in text abstracts and analysis, tables, chart graphics, and photos presented throughout. The estimates contained within this volume focus on water use for eight (8) categories: Public Supply * Irrigation Self-supplied Domestic * Livestock Aquaculture * Industrial Mining * Thermoelectric Power Related products: Other products produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/agency/us-geological-survey-usgs Check out our Water Management resources collection here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/water-management
Download or read book Environmental Engineering for the 21st Century written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2019-03-08 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Environmental engineers support the well-being of people and the planet in areas where the two intersect. Over the decades the field has improved countless lives through innovative systems for delivering water, treating waste, and preventing and remediating pollution in air, water, and soil. These achievements are a testament to the multidisciplinary, pragmatic, systems-oriented approach that characterizes environmental engineering. Environmental Engineering for the 21st Century: Addressing Grand Challenges outlines the crucial role for environmental engineers in this period of dramatic growth and change. The report identifies five pressing challenges of the 21st century that environmental engineers are uniquely poised to help advance: sustainably supply food, water, and energy; curb climate change and adapt to its impacts; design a future without pollution and waste; create efficient, healthy, resilient cities; and foster informed decisions and actions.
Download or read book Optimization Under Uncertainty for Water Consumption in a Pulverized Coal Power Plant written by and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pulverized coal (PC) power plants are widely recognized as major water consumers whose operability has started to be affected by drought conditions across some regions of the country. Water availability will further restrict the retrofitting of existing PC plants with water-expensive carbon capture technologies. Therefore, national efforts to reduce water withdrawal and consumption have been intensified. Water consumption in PC plants is strongly associated to losses from the cooling water cycle, particularly water evaporation from cooling towers. Accurate estimation of these water losses requires realistic cooling tower models, as well as the inclusion of uncertainties arising from atmospheric conditions. In this work, the cooling tower for a supercritical PC power plant was modeled as a humidification operation and used for optimization under uncertainty. Characterization of the uncertainty (air temperature and humidity) was based on available weather data. Process characteristics including boiler conditions, reactant ratios, and pressure ratios in turbines were calculated to obtain the minimum water consumption under the above mentioned uncertainties. In this study, the calculated conditions predicted up to 12% in reduction in the average water consumption for a 548 MW supercritical PC power plant simulated using Aspen Plus. Optimization under uncertainty for these large-scale PC plants cannot be solved with conventional stochastic programming algorithms because of the computational expenses involved. In this work, we discuss the use of a novel better optimization of nonlinear uncertain systems (BONUS) algorithm which dramatically decreases the computational requirements of the stochastic optimization.
Download or read book Understanding Risks and Uncertainties in Energy and Climate Policy written by Haris Doukas and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-12-10 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book analyzes and seeks to consolidate the use of robust quantitative tools and qualitative methods for the design and assessment of energy and climate policies. In particular, it examines energy and climate policy performance and associated risks, as well as public acceptance and portfolio analysis in climate policy, and presents methods for evaluating the costs and benefits of flexible policy implementation as well as new framings for business and market actors. In turn, it discusses the development of alternative policy pathways and the identification of optimal switching points, drawing on concrete examples to do so. Lastly, it discusses climate change mitigation policies’ implications for the agricultural, food, building, transportation, service and manufacturing sectors.