Session: Student Poster Competition

Submission Number: 186972

Comparative Assessment of Co2 Compression Systems for Decarbonized Fossil Fuel Power Plants 

Large scale fossil-fuel power plants are expected to increasingly integrate carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) systems to meet stringent decarbonization global targets. After CO2 removal, pipeline transport - ­which nowadays results the most robust and cost-effective option for transporting large mass flows across intermediate distances, generally below approximately 1000 km - requires the CO2 to be delivered under transport-ready conditions, corresponding to the liquid phase, at a pressure of 150 bar and a temperature of 15 °C.

In post-combustion capture systems, CO₂ is separated from exhaust gases at  near-ambient conditions (around 1 bar and 35 °C), making a dedicated compression and cooling process necessary to reach pipeline specifications. In conventional CO₂ compression systems, the working fluid is compressed in the gaseous or supercritical phase and subsequently cooled to the required delivery conditions. Alternatively, advanced system architectures introduce an intermediate liquefaction stage, enabling CO₂ to be compressed in the liquid phase by means of a pump.

Within this context, this study investigates the preliminary turbomachinery design of CO₂ compression systems integrated into an ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant and a natural gas-fired combined cycle, considering the same post combustion CO2 capture system. The turbomachinery selection focuses on two fundamental parameters - the rotational speed and number of stages - as they directly influence efficiency and, consequently, energy consumption and compactness of turbomachinery.

Different compression layouts are analyzed for each plant, and a comparative assessment is carried out to evaluate how variations in the CO₂ mass flow rate resulting from post-combustion capture in the two power plants and supplied to the compression system affect turbomachinery design and spatial footprint, while also providing insights into which power plant type can be more readily decarbonized.

Presenting Author: Ginevra Romagnoli University of Rome Tor Vergata

Presenting Author Biography: I am a PhD student in Industrial Engineering at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. My research focuses on decarbonized energy systems, with particular emphasis on Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) applied to CO₂. I work on turbomachinery, heat exchangers, and integrated methodologies for energy system decarbonization. My overall activity is driven by an integrated approach aimed at maximizing efficiency and advancing sustainable, low-carbon energy systems.

Authors:

Marco Gambini University of Rome Tor Vergata
Ginevra Romagnoli University of Rome Tor Vergata
Michela Vellini University of Rome Tor Vergata