A micro combined heat and power (CHP) plant operating through an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) using renewable energy is analysed. The reference system is designed to produce 50 kWe. The heat sources of the system are geothermal energy at low temperature (80–100 °C) and solar energy. The...

Glass heat pipe solar collectors are becoming very popular for heating/sanitary water production. The use of a double glass system, with vacuum in between (Dewar scheme), allows to minimize heat dispersion to the environment, and to reach potentially temperature levels in competition with much...

The thermodynamics of compression and expansion processes in turbomachinery are examined. Rational efficiencies are defined and their relation to isentropic and polytropic efficiencies are discussed. Multistage turbines with extractions are optimized. This approach yields expressions that are...

Coal gasification is seen as an attractive way for hydrogen production. The main advantage of this approach is the low fuel price compared to reforming of natural gas. On the other hand, considering the EU climate policy, the emission of CO2 has to be reduced. The CO2 capture from the raw syngas...

In this paper an exergo-environmental analysis of a reverse osmosis desalination plant in Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) has been performed using real plant operation data. The plant has a nominal capacity of 82,000 m3/day. Different configurations are possible depending on the energy...

The stochastic nature of several renewable energy sources has raised the problem of designing and building storage facilities, which can help the electricity grid to sustain larger and larger contribution of renewable energy. Seawater pumped electricity storage is proposed as a good option for...

Carbon dioxide separation by means of membranes from methane reformed synthesis gas and from semi-closed cycle flue gases has been studied. In the first case, removing carbon dioxide using membrane is more energy consuming than removing it, from the same synthesis gas, using chemical absorption,...

Two relatively innovative gas turbine (GT) based power cycles with high CO2 removal potential have been proposed and discussed in terms of exergy analysis. Fuel decarbonisation is applied by the means of auto thermal reforming (R-ATR) and simple reforming (R-REF), in order to convert the primary...

In this work, a possible way for partial CO2 emissions reduction from gas turbine exhausts by co-firing with biomass is investigated. The basic principle is the recirculation of a fraction of the exhausts (still rich in oxygen) to a gasifier, in order to produce syngas to mix with natural gas...

In this paper, the integration of a solid oxide fuel cell operating at a very high temperature (900–1000 °C, 55–60% efficiency) in a near-zero emission power cycle is presented. A more efficient and powerful hybrid near-zero emission CO2/O2 cycle is obtained with a CO2 release as small as 6...