Session: 03-11 Hydrogen & Alternative fuels

Paper Number: 101986

101986 - Is Blue Hydrogen a Better Alternative Than Post Combustion Carbon Capture for Combined Cycle Gas Turbines? a Thermodynamic Point of View 

Today, the impact of global warming is more tangible than ever. Every sector of society needs to engage in a low-carbon plan of action. For the last few years, increasing the share of variable renewable power (VRP) has been the strategy of the energy sector to cut CO2 emissions. It demands the energy system to enhance its flexibility, voltage and frequency control, and firm capacity. To maintain the desired stability, Combined Cycle Gas Turbines (CCGT) come as the ideal candidates. However, if Natural Gas (NG) remains the primary fuel, gas turbines will not comply with carbon emissions limits in a future scenario. Decarbonization must therefore be implemented in CCGTs. The original equipment manufacturers (OEM) are turning toward hydrogen-fueled gas turbines (GT). Nevertheless, the production of hydrogen remains a challenge. In the long run, with a surplus of renewables and the development of more powerful electrolyzers, green or zero-carbon hydrogen could be achievable on a large scale. For the moment, the most mature low-carbon method is steam methane reforming (SMR) combined with carbon capture (CC), producing the so-called blue hydrogen. Alternatively, post-combustion carbon capture presents another low-carbon solution for CCGTs. Within a coherent energy approach, we explore from a thermodynamic point the most appropriate pathway. Using an Aspen Plus model of an HL-class GT combined with a three-level pressure heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), the study presented in this paper seeks to assess the performance of both solutions. For the blue hydrogen scenario, not only hydrogen impacts the GT performance by changing the flue gas composition and flow rate, but we need to consider the conversion process. It implies splitting energy input from NG and exergy distribution between the CCGT, the SMR, and the CC. On the other hand, post-combustion CC is an energy-intensive process. It impacts the efficiency and power output of the CCGT. The study identifies potential improvements and the most appropriate route for decarbonization. 

Presenting Author: Maria José Mendoza Morales Université de Mons (UMONS)

Presenting Author Biography: Maria is a Joint Ph.D. researcher at UMONS and VUB in Belgium. After obtaining her bachelor's in the Universidad Simon Bolivar, she went for a Master's in Energy and Products at the IFPSchool in France. Her work focuses on the impact of hydrogen on the thermodynamic performances of gas turbine systems. She makes part of the Belgian federal project BE-HyFE, a fundamental research project that covers the entire value chain of hydrogen.

Authors:

Maria José Mendoza Morales Université de Mons (UMONS)
Antoine Verhaeghe Université de Mons (UMONS)
Laurent Bricteux Université de Mons (UMONS)
Julien Blondeau Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Ward De Paepe Université de Mons (UMONS)