Power Generation and Systems Planning (EN 302/EN 642)

Assignment 2: CO2 capture

Perform the following and submit your report as a hard copy by 12 p.m. on 15 th March 2024
(Friday). Each person will submit one report. There are 2 pages in this assignment.

State all your assumptions clearly. Show all your calculation steps neatly and use tables,
wherever needed. Answer the questions in the same order and don’t combine your answers.
Also, list all the references you used at the relevant places.

The list of power plants allotted to each of you is in a separate pdf file named
“Assignment2Allotments”. Some of the references you can use are as follows:
https://www.ntpc.co.in/en/power-generation/coal-based-power-stations; Wikipedia pages related
to the given power plants, coal mines, biomass types and their energy, https://cea.nic.in/wp-
content/uploads/opm_grid_operation/2020/07/thermal_review-2018%20(1).pdf

1. For the NTPC unit given to you, what are the unit capacity and the average plant load factor in
2018 – use the CEA 2018 review pdf? What is the power generation efficiency? What is the
annual power generation (million kWh)?
2. What is the calorific value of the coal used? What is the ultimate analysis of the coal used?
Corresponding to the annual power generation in Q1, what is the amount of coal used? What are
the amounts of CO2 and SO2 emitted from this unit annually?
3. If an excess air ratio of 1.1 is used, what is the volume of the flue gas generated – express in
Nm3/h? What are the concentrations of CO2 and SO2 in the flue gas (mol%)? Assume an
appropriate humidity for the combustion air based on the plant location – you may consider an
annual average and mention the value in the solution.
4. Select a suitable solvent to capture the CO2 from this unit. What is the solubility of CO2 and
the regeneration energy requirement (MJ/t CO2) for the chosen solvent? Note that the solubility
is at a specific pressure and temperature – mention these conditions also. Find the solvent
flowrate needed for 90% CO2 capture from the flue gas you have. Calculate the regeneration
energy needed.

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5. Assume that the regeneration energy is met through saturated LP steam (5 bar). Find the
amount of steam needed. If this steam is generated in a biomass-fired boiler with an efficiency of
90%, find the amount of biomass required. Consider a biomass that is available in the vicinity of
the plant and mention its calorific value. Is this a viable proposition with regards to the
availability, transport and storage of biomass?
6. Corresponding to the amount of coal and biomass used, find the storage yard requirement (in
m2). Assume a density for coal and biomass, and assume that the heap cannot have a height of
more than 10 m. How do they compare?
7. What is the amount of limestone required to capture 95% of the SO 2 in the flue gas? What is
the storage yard area (in m2) needed for this? What is the amount of gypsum formed?
8. If the regeneration energy in the CO2 unit is met by the LP steam from the power plant, what
will be the power output? What is the plant efficiency under this condition?

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