Synergistic Heat Pumped Thermal Storage and Flexible Carbon Capture System

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Program:
FLECCS
Award:
$1,100,000
Location:
Fort Collins, Colorado
Status:
ALUMNI
Project Term:
03/01/2021 - 08/31/2022
Website:

Technology Description:

Colorado State University and its partners—ION Clean Energy, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Bright Generation Holdings—will develop a thermal energy storage system with flexible advanced solvent carbon capture technology. The system aims to decrease the levelized cost of electricity for natural gas-fired combined cycle (NGCC) power plants to <75 $/MWh while simultaneously capturing >95% of CO2 emissions when operating in highly VRE penetration markets. The team's approach uses a novel and low-cost heat-pump thermal storage system. This system enables load shifting and NGCC efficiency benefits to reduce capital costs and achieve higher net plant capacities while enabling load following (adjusting power output as energy demand fluctuates) and optimal utilization of ION’s flexible CCS technology. The combination of these two unique technologies eliminates the peak operation plant de-rate (operating at less than maximum capacity) for CCS, allowing the plant to produce at maximum generation levels while simultaneously capturing >95% of CO2 emissions.

Potential Impact:

Improvements in the design and processes of CCS-equipped plants in high VRE environments could dramatically reduce the cost of a net-zero carbon system. Benefits include:

Security:

Flexible CCS systems can enable the continued use of low-cost domestic fuel for electricity generation and increase the reliability of a deeply decarbonized electricity system.

Environment:

Flexible CCS systems can achieve high CO2 capture rates from flue gas. For example, a power generator could be enabled to shift the times it exports electricity to the grid, allowing the power generator and CCS plant to operate under steady-state conditions and with reduced emissions.

Economy:

Flexible CCS systems can reduce the cost of a net-zero carbon electricity system by providing dispatchable power to a high-VRE grid.

Contact

ARPA-E Program Director:
Dr. Jack Lewnard
Project Contact:
Dr. Todd Bandhauer
Press and General Inquiries Email:
ARPA-E-Comms@hq.doe.gov
Project Contact Email:
tband@colostate.edu

Partners

Bright Generation Holdings
ION Clean Energy, Inc.
University of Pennsylvania

Related Projects

• 8 Rivers Capital - Enhancing Responsiveness of Gas Turbine Generators through Retrofitting with Exhaust Gas Recycle and a Phase-Change CO2 Capture Process
• Colorado State University (CSU) - Synergistic Heat Pumped Thermal Storage and Flexible Carbon Capture System
• Envergex - Flexible Low Temperature CO2 Capture System, E-CACHYS™
• General Electric (GE) Global Research - Flexible Oxy-Fuel Combustion for High-Penetration Variable Renewables
• Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) - Positive Power with Negative Emissions: Flexible NGCC Enabled by Modular Direct Air Capture
• Linde - Process Integration & Optimization of an NGCC Power Plant W/Co2 Capture, Hydrogen Production & Storage
• Luna Innovations - Flexible FlueCO2
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Power Plant CO2 Capture Integrated with Lime-based Direct Air Capture
• RTI International - Advanced Co2 Capture Solvent Systems for Dynamic Power
• Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) - Oxygen Storage Incorporated into the Allam Oxy-Fuel Power Cycle
• Susteon - A Rapid Temperature Swing Adsorption Carbon Capture Technology for Optimal Operation of a Fossil Power Plant
• University of Pittsburgh - Natural Gas/Direct Air Capture Hybrid Plant

Release Date:
11/14/2019