Power production is the largest source of emissions of anthropogenic carbon dioxide. The main fuels in Poland are solid fuels - hard coal and lignite. Their combustion produces large quantities of waste, primarily fly ash. The ashes from lignite, due to the chemical and phase composition, and thus their properties, have - so far - limited economic use. Among their possible applications is the use of mineral sequestration of carbon dioxide - this is the result of their relatively high content of active CaO and MgO, which can react with carbon dioxide in aqueous suspensions. The paper presents maximum theoretical capacity of CO2 bonding for examined fly ashes and the results of the research on absorption of CO2 by the ash-water suspensions from fly ash resulting from the combustion of lignite from Pątnów and Turów power plants. Calculated for the examined fly ashes maximum theoretical capacity of CO2 bonding amounted to 14% for the ashes from Pątnów power plant and 14.4% for the fly ashes from Turów power plant. Studies have shown that most CO2 - 8.15 g/100 g of ash, was absorbed by suspension with ashes from Turów power plant with a mass ratio of ash to water of at 0.8:1. In the case of ash from Pątnów power plant absorption was lower and amounted to a maximum - 8.7 g CO2/100 g ash. The largest increase CO2 absorption was observed in the first 30 minutes of carbonation in the suspensions of fly ash from Pątnów power plant and the first 15 minutes in suspensions of fly ash from Turów power plant. After this time, the absorption has increased slowly. An increase in temperature in the chamber system, confirming the occurrence of the process of carbonation and its endothermic character. The highest temperature - 44.8 C recorded in the suspension with ashes from Turów power plant, which has also the greatest absorption of CO2. The results confirm the usefulness of these ashes to sequester carbon dioxide.
CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) technology is one of the methods that limit the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, the high cost of capturing CO2 in this technology is a major obstacle to the implementation of this solution by power plants. The reduction of costs is expected primarily on the side of the capture and separation of CO2 from flue/ industrial gas. The article presents the financial performance of the most popular amine technology (MEA) against mesoporous material about MCM-41 structure obtained from fly ash, impregnated with polyethyleneimine (PEI), for CCS installations. The study was conducted for an investment comprising three key components that provide a full value chain in CCS validation (capture, transport and storage). The mineralogical studies and determination of the physicochemical properties of mesoporous material produced from waste materials such as fly ash allowed us to identify the best class sorbents of MCM-41, which can be used in CO2 capture technologies. Developing an innovative relationship not only allows 100% of CO2 to be removed but also reduces operating costs (OPEX), primarily including energy by 40% and multiple material costs relative to amine mixtures such as MEA.
In this article, the contribution of renewable energy sources (RES) to the worldwide electricity production was analyzed. The scale of development and the importance of RES in the global economy as well as the issues and challenges related to variability of these sources were studied. In addition, the chemical conversion of excess energy to renewable methanol has been presented. The European Union regulations and targets for the years 2020 and 2030 concerning greenhouse gases reduction were taken into consideration. These EU restrictions exact the further development of renewable energy sources, in particular, the improvement of their efficiency which is closely related to economics. Moreover, as a part of this work, energy storage were described as one of the ways to increase the competitiveness of renewable energy sources with respect to conventional energy. A method for the conversion of carbon dioxide separated from high-carbon industries with hydrogen obtained by the over-production of green energy were described. The use of methanol in the chemical industry and global market have been reviewed and thus an increasing demand was observed. Additionally, the application of renewable methanol as fuels, in pure form and after a conversion of methanol to dimethyl ether and fatty acid methyl esters has been discussed. Hence, the necessity of modifying car engines in order to use pure methanol and its combination with petrol also was analyzed.
The location, geological structure and characteristics of the Kamionki Anticline is presented in terms of possibility of underground CO2 storage. It is situated in the Płock Trough, in the SW part of the Płońsk Block, and represents a synsedimentary graben originated in the Early and Middle Jurassic. It has been explored by a semi-detailed reflection seismic survey and three deep boreholes (Kamionki 1, Kamionki 2 and Kamionki IG-3). Assuming that the anticline is conventionally outlined by a contour line of the top of the Lower Jurassic, its length is about 15 km, width is about 5 km and the area reaches approximately 75 km2. Geological, seismic and reservoir property data allow concluding that this structure is suitable for underground carbon dioxide storage. The primary reservoir level for underground CO2 storage is represented by Barremianmiddle Albian deposits of the Mogilno Formation with an average thickness of 170 metres, containing on the average 85% of sandstones, and showing porosity of about 20% and permeability above 100 mD up to 2000 mD. The sealing series is composed of Upper Cretaceous marls, limestones and chalk reaching the thickness of about 1000 metres. The secondary reservoir level is represented by upper Toarcian deposits of the Borucice Formation.
Geological carbon dioxide storing should be carried out with the assumption that there are no leakages from the storage sites. However, regardless of whether the gas which is injected in leaks from the storage site or not, the carbon dioxide stored will influence the environment. In a tight storage site the carbon dioxide injected in will dissolve in the reservoir liquids (groundwater and oil) and react with the rocks of the storage formation. Dissolving CO2 in underground water will result in the change of its pH and chemism. The reactions with the rock matrix of the storage site will not only trigger changes in its mineralogical composition, but also in the petrophysical parameters, because of the precipitation and dissolution of minerals. A leakage of CO2 from its storage site can trigger off changes in the composition of soil air and groundwater, influence the development of plants, and in case of sudden and large leaks it will pose a threat for people and animals. Carbon dioxide can cause deterioration of the quality of drinking waters related to the rise in their mineralization (hardness) and the mobilization of heavymetals' cations. A higher content of this gas in soil leads to a greater acidity and negatively affects plants. A carbon dioxide concentration of ca. 20-30% is a critical value for plants above which they start to die. The influence of high concentrations of carbon dioxide on the human organism depends on the concentration of gas, exposure time and physiological factors. CO2 content in the air of up to 1.5% does not provoke any side effects in people. A concentration of over 3% has a number of negative effects, such as: higher respiratory rate, breathing difficulties, headaches, loss of consciousness. Concentrations higher than 30% lead to death after a few minutes. Underground microorganisms and fungi have a good tolerance to elevated and high concentrations of carbon dioxide. Among animals the best resistance is found in invertebrates, some rodents and birds.
The article has presented the assumptions underlying the organization of emissions trading of greenhouse gases with a particular emphasis on CO2 emission allowances. Through the analysis of the literature, international activities were undertaken aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, starting from the First World Climate Conference organized in 1979. The origins and guidelines of the Kyoto Protocol were also given considerable attention. In addition to the description of the key assumptions of the Protocol and its main components, the characteristics of international trade in Kyoto units were also included. The mechanisms involved in international trade and the types of units traded in a detailed manner are described. In the next part of the article, emission trading systems operating in the world are characterized. In the second part of the paper special attention was paid to the conditionings of the European market, i.e. European Emissions Trading System – EU ETS. Historical events were presented that gave rise to the creation of the EU ETS. In the next steps, the types of units that are tradable were described. Furthermore, the trade commodity exchanges on which trade is conducted, the key factors determining the price of individual allowances are also indicated. In the last part of the article, relatively recent issues – the IED Directive and the BAT conclusions have been pointed out. Referring to the applicable regulations, the impact of their implementation on the situation of entities obliged to limit greenhouse gas emissions was analyzed. In the final phase, an attempt was made to assess the impact of IED and BAT to electricity prices.
The aim of this study was to identify thoroughly the geological structure of the Choszczno Anticline for potential CO2 storage. The paper presents the interpretation of seismic materials for a selected seismic profile reprocessed into a section of reflection coefficients characterized by increased recording resolution as compared to the wave image. Particular attention was paid to the geological complexes associated with the Jurassic reservoir formations suitable for carbon dioxide storage within the anticline. The correlation of the identified layers reflects the lithology and structure of the rock series. It allows determination of the thicknesses of the series and changes within them, and enables linking the individual layers with the lithologic units, based on geological data. The study refers to the whole Zechstein-Mesozoic succession of the Choszczno Anticline, with special emphasis on these series, in which there are potential reservoir formations for CO2 storage. The interpretation has significantly expanded the amount of data provided in standard seismic documentations. While assessing the suitability of the formations for CO2 storage, special attention should be paid to the tectonic disturbances within the Komorowo Formation, especially in the top part of the Choszczno structure. The Reed Sandstone bed is more continuous in this respect. The obtained results seem to suggest wider application of reprocessing of seismic materials into effective reflection coefficients to study the geological structure, also for other structures.
The article describes the testing of four selected samples of limestone originating from four commercially exploited deposits. The tests of sorbents included a physicochemical analysis and calcination in different atmospheres. The main aim of the tests was to determine the possibilities for using limestone during combustion in oxygen-enriched atmospheres. Tests in a synthetic flue gas composition make it possible to assess the possibility of CaCO3 decomposition in atmospheres with an increased CO2 concentration.
Paper presents the results of numerical modelling of a rectangular tube filled with a mixture of air and CO2 by means of the induced standing wave. Assumed frequency inducing the acoustic waves corresponds to the frequency of the thermoacoustic engine. In order to reduce the computational time the engine has been replaced by the mechanical system consisting of a piston. This paper includes the results of model studies of an acoustic tube filled with a mixture of air and CO2 in which a standing wave was induced.
Using the Konary anticlinal structure in central Poland as an example, a geological model has been built of the Lower Jurassic reservoir horizon, and CO2 injection was simulated using 50 various locations of the injection well. The carbon dioxide storage dynamic capacity of the structure has been determined for the well locations considered and maps of CO2 storage capacity were drawn, accounting and not accounting for cap rock capillary pressure. Though crucial for preserving the tightness of cap rocks, capillary pressure is not always taken into account in CO2 injection modeling. It is an important factor in shaping the dynamic capacity and safety of carbon dioxide underground storage. When its acceptable value is exceeded, water is expelled from capillary pores of the caprock, making it permeable for gas and thus may resulting in gas leakage. Additional simulations have been performed to determine the influence of a fault adjacent to the structure on the carbon dioxide storage capacity.
The simulation of CO2 injection into the Konary structure has shown that taking capillary pressure at the summit of the structure into account resulted in reducing the dynamic capacity by about 60%. The greatest dynamic capacity of CO2 storage was obtained locating the injection well far away from the structure’s summit. A fault adjacent to the structure did not markedly increase the CO2 storage capacity. A constructed map of CO2 dynamic storage capacity may be a useful tool for the optimal location of injection wells, thus contributing to the better economy of the enterprise.
In this work, a new dual-evaporator CO2transcritical refrigeration cycle with two ejectors is proposed. In this new system, we proposed to recover the lost energy of condensation coming off the gas cooler and operate the refrigeration cycle ejector free and enhance the system performance and obtain dual-temperature refrigeration simultaneously. The effects of some key parameters on the thermodynamic performance of the modified cycle are theoretically investigated based on energetic and exergetic analysis. The simulation results for the modified cycle indicate more effective system performance improvement than the single ejector in the CO2vapor compression cycle using ejector as an expander ranging up to 46%. The exergetic analysis for this system is made. The performance characteristics of the proposed cycle show its promise in dual-evaporator refrigeration system.
Szargut proposed the algorithm for determination of the influence of irreversibility of components of thermal process on the emission of CO2 [6]. In the presented paper, basing on Szargut's proposal, the example of analysis of influence of operational parameters of coal fired power plant on the local increase of CO2 emission is presented. The influence of operational parameters on the local exergy losses appearing in components of investigated power plant are simulating making use of the semi-empirical model of power plant.
An analysis of energy efficiency for transcritical compression unit with CO2 (R744) as the refrigerant has been carried out using empirical operating characteristics for the two-phase ejector. The first stage of the refrigerant compression is carried out in the ejector. The criterion adopted for the estimation of energy efficiency for the cycle is the coefficient of performance COP. The analysis is performed for the heat pump and refrigeration systems. The results of COP for the systems with the ejector has been compared with the COPL values for the single stage Linde cycle.
This paper provides a discussion concerning results of CO2 removal from a gas mixture by the application of aqueous solutions of ethanoloamine (MEA) and 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) promoted with piperazine (PZ). The studies were conducted using a process development unit. Research of such a scale provides far more reliable representation of the actual industrial process than modelling and laboratory tests. The studies comprised comparative analyses entailing identical energy supplied to a reboiler as well as tests conducted at similar process efficiencies for both solvents. The results thus obtained imply that using AMP/PZ enables reduction of the solvent heat duty. Moreover, while using AMP/PZ temperature decrease was also observed in the columns.
Fly ashes from the combustion of lignite coal are suitable materials for the creation of suspensions in which CO2 is bound by mineral carbonation. Considering their limited economic uses, mineral sequestration, as a stage of the CCS technology in lignite coal power plants, can be a way of recycling them. Mineral sequestration of CO2 was researched using fly ashes from the combustion of lignite coal in the Pątnów power plant, distinguished by a high content of CaO and free CaO. Research into phase composition confirmed the process of carbonation of the whole calcium hydroxide contained in pure suspensions. The degree of CO2 binding was determined on the basis of thermogravimetric analysis. A rise in the content of CaCO3 was found in the suspensions after subjecting them to the effects of carbon dioxide. Following carbonation the pH is lowered. A reduction in the leaching of all pollutants was discovered in the studied ashes. The results obtained were compared to earlier research of ashes from the same power plant but with a different chemical composition. Research confirmed that water suspensions of ashes from the combustion of lignite coal in the Pątnów power plant are distinguished for a high degree of carbonation.
The paper presents the results and analysis of biomass processing in order to provide the conditions for the most profitable use of the biomass in modern and efficient power generation systems with particular attention put on the decrease of the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) and no need to develop carbon capture and storage plants. The promising concept of CO2 storage via the production of biochar and the advantages of its application as a promising carbon sink is also presented and the results are supported by authors’ own experimental data. The idea enables the production of electricity, as well as (optionally) heat and cold from the thermal treatment of biomass with simultaneous storage of the CO2 in a stable and environmentally-friendly way. The key part of the process is run in a specially-designed reactor where the biomass is heated up in the absence of oxygen. The evolved volatile matter is used to produce heat/cold and electricity while the remaining solid product (almost completely dry residue) is sequestrated in soil. The results indicate that in order to reduce the emission of CO2 the biomass should rather be ‘cut and char’ than just ‘cut and burn’, particularly that the charred biomass may also become a significant source of nutrients for the plants after sequestration in soil.