Plant-level dynamic optimization of Cryogenic Carbon Capture with conventional and renewable power sources

Increasing competitiveness of renewable power sources due to tightening restrictions on CO2 emission from fossil fuel combustion is expected to cause a shift in power generation systems of the future. This investigation considers the impact of the Cryogenic Carbon Capture™ (CCC) process on transitional power generation. The CCC process consumes less energy than chemical and physical absorption processes and has an energy storage capability that shifts the parasitic loss of the CCC process away from peak hours. The CCC process responds rapidly to the variation of electricity demand and has a time constant that is consistent with the intermittent supply from renewable power sources. The hybrid system of conventional and renewable power generation units and the CCC process are optimized in this investigation. The system under consideration consists of load-following coal and gas-fired power units, a CCC process, and wind generation. The objective is to meet the residential and CCC plant electricity demands while maximizing the operating profit. The results demonstrate that an average profit of $35 k/hr is obtained from this hybrid system over the selected days. The total electricity demand is best met using a combination of coal, gas, and wind power with grid-scale energy storage.