Thermodynamic assessment and techno-economic analysis of a liquid indium-based chemical looping system for biomass gasification

• Published in: Energy conversion and management Vol. 225; p. 113428
• Main Authors: Sarafraz, M.M., Christo, F.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2020; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Air compressors; Black carbon; Carbon black; Chemical looping; Cost analysis; Destruction; Economic analysis; Economic conditions; Electric power generation; Electricity; Exergy; Fuels; Gasification; Heat recovery; Hydrogen production; Hydrogen-based energy; Indium; Indium oxide; Indium oxides; Liquid metal slurry; Liquid metals; Nuclear fuels; Oxygen; Performance indices; Power block; Raw materials; Reactors; Slurries; Steam; Synthesis gas; Thermal plasmas; Thermodynamic models; Thermodynamics; Liquid metal slurry; Gasification; Carbon black; Chemical looping; Indium oxide; Power block
• ISSN: 0196-8904; 1879-2227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2020.113428

[Display omitted] •A new chemical looping gasification utilising indium slurry was developed.•A process for co-production of syngas and power from waste carbon is developed.•The system is partially self-sustained and does not produce CO2.•The techno-economic analysis showed that the process is economically viable.•LCOE was competitive against existing systems at various cost scenarios of biomass. A detailed thermochemical analysis is carried out to assess the energetic performance of a proposed process based on liquid metal slurry in a chemical looping gasification process. The system is designed to produce synthetic gas and generate electricity from low-grade (waste) solid carbon black collected from a thermal plasma plant. Indium oxide-indium slurry mixture was used as an oxygen carrier. The thermodynamic models showed that oxygen availability in the fuel reactor is the determining parameter that controls the operating mode of the system. The molar ratio of liquid metal to feedstock (LMO/C) and the steam to feedstock (S/C) are identified the key factors that regulate the level of exergy partitioned in the gas products. Generating steam by heat-recovery from the vitiated air (exhausted from the air reactor), is a proof that the process is partially self-sustained – capable of generating electricity to drive the pumps and the air compressors in the process. At LMO/C = 0.1 and S/C = 1.5, the largest exergy is partitioned in the synthetic gas and a syngas quality (molar ratio of H2: CO) of ~1.55 is achieved. The highest syngas quality was achievable, however, at the cost of unreacted steam, which increased the exergy destruction of the plant. The peak performance of the system is achieved when the (fuel and air) reactors operated at near-isothermal conditions. At these conditions, the exergy destruction between reactors is minimised and the power production in the power block is maximised. Based on indicative available price indexes, a techno-economic analysis evaluated the economic viability and the levelised cost of energy for a different price for various scenarios. It showed that the proposed system offers a competitive LCOE against several existing energy and hydrogen production systems.