Cycle configuration analysis and techno-economic sensitivity of biomass externally fired gas turbine with bottoming ORC

This paper focuses on the energy analysis of a combined cycle composed by a topping 1.3 MW Externally Fired Gas Turbine (EFGT) with direct combustion of biomass and a bottoming Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). A non recuperative scheme is assumed for the EFGT in order to avoid the costs of the recuperator. This scheme presents lower conversion efficiency in comparison to a recuperative one, however the heat available for the bottoming cycle is at a higher temperature (about 400 °C). In the present work, evaporation pressure and superheating temperature of ORC cycle are ranged in order to examine different bottoming cycles, including supercritical ones. Different organic fluids are investigated, such as siloxanes and toluene, aiming to analyze how the fluid choice influences both the plant performance and important features for the ORC turbine design. On the basis of the results of the thermodynamic simulation, a thermo-economic assessment is proposed, to investigate the profitability of the bottoming ORC in comparison to only topping EFGT, and the most influencing techno-economic factors that influence the selection of the optimal cycle. In order to propose real case studies, the Italian bioenergy subsidy framework is assumed, and the sensitivity assessment includes the options of only electricity and CHP, at different biomass cost, thermal energy demand and heat selling price values.