Is there any chance that a syngas-combustion power plant's thermal efficiency higher than which of a CH4-combustion power plant ?
I'm not sure what you're asking. The thermal efficiency of most power plants, whether simple fired or combined cycle (gas turbine + heat recovery steam generator and steam turbine) is mostly determined by the equipment design and not the fuel type. For example, General Electric, Siemens, Mitsubishi, Rolls Royce, Solar, and other gas turbine manufacturers all sell engines that will run on natural gas or diesel with performance curves for each. Shifting from methane (CH4) to some other hydrocarbon may change the emissions but have negligible effect on the thermal efficiency. If you're hoping to create some secret fuel that will increase thermal efficiency, that's not going to happen.
As Dudley J Benton mentioned, the thermal efficiency of a power plant depends on the cyclic configuration. Fuel is one of the parameters but not the only one affecting the thermal efficeincy. It seems you are concerned with the combustion efficiency of the combustion chamber of the power plant. In that case, again You need to evaluate the fuel based on the combustion parameters. For that matter, syngas is a general name for a synthesis gas of varied compositions depending upon the method of forming. Which type of syngas are you referring to? CO/H2 or CO/H2/CH4/CO2/N2? You may refer to the following reference, it has a topic for a stationary power plant:
Article Trends of Syngas as a Fuel in Internal Combustion Engines
The energy efficiency of a power system depends on many parameters such as Pressure ratio, the inlet temperature of turbine, fuel type, and so on. Generally, under equal conditions, the yield of pure methane is higher than that of syngas.
On an equivalent performance basis the loss of efficiency in making a syngas will always make this less efficient. If the comparison excludes the conversion loss (e.g. syngas is a by-product), then the efficiency may be marginally higher or lower depending upon gas analysis and temperatures. This loss is purely a "wet-gas" loss difference which favours low hydrogen fuels.
I won't say where because I don't want to be sued (or shot), but I have conducted tests at several synfuel plants. One produced aviation-grade gasoline with 117 octane for decades, while dumping carcinogenic waste into a nearby lake popular for fishing and swimming. The company demolished the plant, burned all the paperwork, and have no memory of their shameful activity. A second plant dumps their toxic waste into a ditch that runs into a national park. While the state and federal authorities fight over jurisdiction, the plant continues to pollute the environment. I sent samples to a lab and they wouldn't even run it through their HPLC. They finally agreed to analyze the stuff after diluting it 1000:1. One of the many toxic chemicals the lab found was the same substance that shut down municipal water supplies drawing from the Elk River near Charleston, West Virginia in 2014. A third refinery producing a variety of products, including synfuel, dumps toxic chemicals similar to the first into a nearby bay, where shellfish are harvested. They get away with this because it's sort of in the USA but not a state. There is no state EPA to regulate them and the federal agency doesn't technically have jurisdiction either. When there's a lot of money involved, the environment often suffers. Landfill gas sounds good, but can produce hydrogen cyanide when burned [I shut that plant down.] and contains siloxanes, which can quickly ruin equipment, is difficult to remove, and requires complete dismantling. There's also the plant that burns used crankcase oil from ships and isn't subject to EPA regulation. Alternative fuels is a complicated topic and requires careful and comprehensive consideration.
If synthesis gas is obtained from methane, there is no such chance. It is necessary to expend additional energy to obtain synthesis gas. only part of it can be used in a power plant.
Dear Bowen,
Greetings, Your question is not clear for me! but I think that it can be possible certainly. What is important the way and structures that are used to combustion. You can see the following papers:
1. DOI:
- 10.37934/arfmts.82.2.6171
2. DOI:
- 10.24203/ajas.v8i6.6472
Regards, Saeed
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