Evaluation of CO2 production for enhanced oil recovery from four power plants

• Published in: Energy (Oxford) Vol. 206; p. 118161
• Main Authors: Arroyave, Juan D., Chejne, Farid, Mejía, Juan M., Maya, Juan C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2020; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Carbon capture; Carbon dioxide; Carbon sequestration; Coal; Coal gasification; Combustion; Compression; Electric power; Energy; Enhanced oil recovery; Exergy; Fluidized beds; Fuel combustion; Fuel technology; Gasification; High pressure; Integrated gasification combined cycle; Investment; Mathematical models; Oil recovery; Oxy-fuel; Particle size distribution; Power generation; Power plants; Robustness (mathematics); Size distribution; Solid oxide fuel cells; Thermodynamics; Utilization and storage; Gasification; Exergy; Enhanced oil recovery; Carbon capture; Power generation; Utilization and storage
• ISSN: 0360-5442; 1873-6785
• DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2020.118161

Four coal-based power plants were evaluated with respect to their capacity to produce CO2 for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). The plant characteristics were evaluated using energy and exergoeconomic criteria and a robust coal gasification/combustion mathematical model that can predict temperature, converted fraction and particle size distribution for solids have been used for a high pressure fluidized bed. Other models based on Python, Aspen Hysys and Microsoft Excel have been used too. Integrating carbon sequestration reduces the global energy and exergy efficiencies of all power plants (up to 10%). However, the Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) is a promising technology utilizing coal for generating electrical energy and direct compression of CO2 (11–20 MPa). Similarly, integrating gasification with Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC), allows for the pre-combustion capture of CO2, with the advantage of lower initial investment costs. The oxy-fuel combustion (OXY) plant offers high energy and exergy efficiencies, but the exergoeconomic cost of CO2 is increased by 31 USD/t as compared to IGCC. The conventional thermoelectric (CT) plant exhibit disadvantages due to their simple power cycle and the elevated initial investment costs. This suggests that coal-gasification based plants are the best alternatives for CO2 production for EOR and co-generated electrical power.
•A power plant thermodynamic analysis for CO2 production for EOR was developed.•A robust mathematical model of the gasifier was integrated.•Different gas compression system configurations were analyzed.•Oxy-combustion plant provides a well energy performance, but CO2 cost is elevated.•Coal-gasification based plants are the best alternative for CO2 production for EOR.