Mechanical Engineering - Theses

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End date: 2019 × Start date: 2000 × Subject: biomass × Subject: natural gas ×

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    Hybrid chemical recuperation of a spark ignited natural gas internal combustion engine
    ORBAIZ, PEDRO JOSE ( 2012)
    This work proposes means of improving the efficiency of natural gas fuelled power plants by using chemical recuperation as a bottoming cycle. The integration of a renewable energy source to boost the recuperation process is also examined. The work is in three parts. A thermodynamic study of both the conventional (i.e. fossil input only) and hybrid (i.e. both fossil and renewable energy inputs) power cycles is first undertaken. The financial performance of the hybrid cycle is then examined by calculating its levelized cost of electricity and comparing it to that of standard fossil and non-fossil power plants. Finally, the performance of the engine when running on four different natural gas reformates is examined and analysed. The presented work shows that the proposed hybrid cycles should have baseload capability, with comparable cost and greenhouse emissions to natural gas fuelled combined cycle (NGCC) power plants, but at a significantly smaller scale. This is thought to be a significant finding, since NGCCs are commonly considered to be the most cost-effective, low emission baseload form of fossil fuelled power generation currently available.