Techno-Economic Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment for the Typical Intermediate Crude Refining Scheme in China

The integration of refinery and petrochemical units(IRPUs)has become an inevitable choice for the sustainable development of petrochemical industry.The utilization efficiency of petroleum resources could be improved obviously through IRPUs.However,integrating economic and environmental impacts into the model of IRPUs is still a grand challenge.Herein,a model called TEA-GHG-OPWM(Techno-Economic Analysis and GreenHouse Gases Oriented Plant-Wide Model)has been established on Aspen HYSYSTM platform to calculate the energy consumption,the technoeconomic performance,and the GHG emissions for two different kinds of schemes,viz,:VRHCU(Vacuum Residue Hydrocracking Unit)and VRDS-RFCC(Vacuum Residue Desulfurization and Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking).Furthermore,a novel processing pathway named VGOHDT-HTMP-DC(Vacuum Gas Oil Hydrotreating,Hydrogenation and TMP coupling process and Delayed Coking)has also been developed to find methods to improve the economic performance based on a ten-million-CNY output value(TMYOV)and a reduced GHG emissions.Our results demonstrate that VRHCRU could consume more energy and emit more GHG(877.11 t of CO2 eq·TMYOV^-1·h^-1)than VRDS-RFCC(817.03 t of CO2 eq·TMYOV^-1·h^-1)and VGOHDT-HTMP-DC(721.96 t of CO2 eq·TMYOV^-1·h^-1),while obtaining a higher mass yield of petrochemicals.The VGOHDT-HTMP-DC process exhibits the lowest feedstock consumption,hydrogen consumption,energy consumption,and GHG emissions,indicating that VGOHDT-HTMP-DC has both well economic and environmentally friendly performance.

Techno-Economic Analysis of Power Production by Using Waste Biomass Gasification

Energy recovery from waste biomass can have significant impacts on the most pressing development challenges of rural poverty and environmental damages. In this paper, a techno-economic analysis is carried out for electricity generation by using timber and wood waste (T & WW) gasification in Iceland. Different expenses were considered, like capital, installation, engineering, operation and maintenance costs and the interest rate of the investment. Regarding to revenues, they come from of the electricity sale and the fee paid by the Icelandic municipalities for waste collection and disposal. The economic feasibility was conducted based on the economic indicators of net present value (NPV) and discounted payback period (DPP), bringing together three different subgroups based on gasifier capacities, subgroup a: 50 kW, subgroup b: 100 kW and subgroup c: 200 kW. The results show that total cost increases as the implemented power is increased. This indicator varies from 1228.6 k€ for subgroups a to 1334.7 k€ for subgroups b and 1479.5 k€ for subgroups c. It is worth mentioning that NPV is positive for three subgroups and it grows as gasifier scale is extended. NPV is about 122 k€ (111,020 $), 1824 k€ (1,659,840 $) and 4392 k€ (3,996,720 $) for subgroups a, b and c, respectively. Moreover, DPP has an inversely proportional to the installed capacity. It is around 5.5 years (subgroups a), 9.5 months (subgroups b) and 6 months (subgroups c). The obtained results confirm that using small scale waste biomass gasification integrated with power generation could be techno-economically feasible for remote area in Iceland.

Techno-Economic Analysis of a Grid-Connected Waste to Energy Gasification Plant:A Case Study

With population growth around the world,municipal waste disposal and continued energy demand becomes some of the major challenges to deal with.In order to address these,an approach is required for an optimal waste management system that offers the population benefit with a lower environmental impact.This study evaluates the technical-economic and environmental impact analysis of a grid-connected waste to energy(WtE)plant to power a Univerisiti Teknologi Malaysia(UTM)community.The energy recovery potential of the waste stream was assessed using the life cycle assessment(LCA)method with GaBi^(TM) software(version 4).A technical,economic and environmental analysis was then carried out for the grid-connected WtE system using HOMERPro software with gasification conversion technology.The cash flow analysis was based on levelized costs of energy(LCOE)and total net present value(NPV).The results gave an NPV for the system at USD 1.11×10^(7),with most of the effects resulting from the grid operating costs and the LCOE of USD 0.43/kWh compared to the grid unit price of USD 0.7/kWh which corresponds to a saving of$0.27/kWh in energy purchase.From an environmental point of view,the results showed a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from around 2,000 tons per year to around 400 tons per year.With regard to the amount of waste sent to landfills,the results show a significant improvement from 142,605.5 kg/year to 0.13 kg/year.

Techno-economic analysis of single U-tube and double U-tube heat exchangers in Chongqing area

On the basis of practical projects in Chongqing,the thermal performance of heat exchangers (single U-tube type and double U-tube type) of the ground-source heat pump (GSHP) system in the hot summer was obtained and analyzed. The data obtained from test could match with the result deduced from theoretical calculation. From the test results,the cooling capacity of double U-tube is 1.6 times that of single U-tube. Taking cost per depth per watt Clq as the evaluation standard,Clq of single U-tube is 4.69 RMB$/W,and Clq of double U-tube is 3.14 RMB$/W. The double U-tube heat exchangers usage should be prioritized.

Modifying Plant Oils for Use as Fuel in Rural Contexts Tanzania: Techno-Economic Analysis

Techno-economic analysis of a small-scale Modified Plant Oil (MPO) production plant that has an annual production capacity of 15,072,741 kg of MPO (batch process) was carried out to estimate the capital and operating costs of a plant. The analysis was done by using a computer model that was designed and simulated with an aid of SuperPro Designer (Version 4.32) software. The specified feedstock was crude Jatropha oil (JO) and the main product was MPO. The major processes involved were degumming, neutralisation and blending. Degumming involved the removal of gums or phospholipids, and two methods were used: water degumming and acid degumming, whereas blending involved mixing of degummed or purified JO with natural gas condensate (NGC) modifier to lower the viscosity of JO. From techno-economic analysis of the process, it was found that the total capital investment of a plant was about US $ 10,222,000 and the predicted unit production cost of MPO was US $ 1.315/kg at a value of US $ 1.0/kg of JO. The economic feasibility of MPO production was found to be highly influenced by the price of feedstock, which contributed about 95% of the total annual production cost. The relationship between plant throughput and unit cost of producing MPO showed that unit production cost was very sensitive to production rate at low annual throughputs. The MPO cost showed a direct linear relationship with the cost of JO, with a change of US $ 0.50/kg of MPO in MPO cost in every change of US $ 0.50/kg of JO in JO price. The process technology simulated was found to be economically viable and can be implemented in rural setting, taking into consideration Tanzania’s rural situation.

Thermodynamic and Techno-economic Analysis of a Triple-pressure Organic Rankine Cycle: Comparison with Dual-pressure and Single-pressure ORCs

Investigation of a triple-pressure organic Rankine cycle(TPORC) using geothermal energy for power generation with the net power output of the TPORC analyzed by varying the evaporation pressures, pinch temperature differences(tpp) and degrees of superheat(tsup) aimed to find the optimum operation conditions of the system. The thermodynamic performance of the TPORC was compared with a dual-pressure organic Rankine cycle(DPORC) and a single-pressure ORC(SPORC) for geofluid temperatures ranging from 100°C to 200°C, with particular reference to the utilization of a hot dry rock(HDR) geothermal resource. Thermodynamic performances of the TPORC system using eight different organic working fluids have also been investigated in terms of the net power outputs. Results show that a higher geofluid mass flow rate can make a considerable contribution to shortening the payback period(PBP) as well as to decreasing the levelized electricity cost(LEC), especially when the geofluid temperature is low. For the temperature range investigated, the order from high to low based on thermodynamic and techno-economic performances is found to be TPORC > DPORC > SPORC. In terms of using geothermal resources within the given temperatures range(100°C–200°C), the TPORC system can be a better choice for geothermal power generation so long as the wellhead geofluid temperature is between 140°C and 180°C.

Preliminary techno-economic analysis of three typical decentralized composting technologies treating rural kitchen waste:a case study in China

This study was designed to evaluate whether the decentralized rural kitchen waste(KW)composting technologies used in China can be widely applied.To this end,we completed a techno-economic analysis of three typical types of KW compositing,namely solar-assisted(SAC),bio-enhanced(BEC),and heat-dewatering composting(HDC).These evaluations revealed that all three technologies produce composting products that meet China’s organic fertilizer standard and that both SAC and BEC are economically self-sustaining and generate net profits(18824.94 and 17791.52 US$/a)and positive net present values(32133.11 and 25035.93 US$).Subsequent sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the KW-handling subsidy plays a critical role in making decentralized composting economically attractive.Based on these analyses,we believe that reducing the coverage area of SAC,reducing the operating cost of BEC and HDC,upgrading composting products,and strengthening secondary pollution control would aid in supporting the technological improvement of these processes.Moreover,providing appropriate subsidies and promulgating specific standards and policies for KW fertilizer are key strategies for decentralized rural KW composting management.

Life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis of the production of wood vinegar from Eucommia stem: a case study

This research undertook a case study of the life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis of the slow pyrolysis of Eucommia stem for the production of wood vinegar and activated carbon.The results showed that the production of one ton of wood vinegar via the slow pyrolysis of Eucommia stem show comparatively low global warming potential(2.37×10^(2) kg CO_(2) eq),primary energy demand(3.16×10^(3) MJ),acidification potential(2.19 kg SO2 eq),antimony depletion potential(3.86×10^(–4) kg antimony eq),and ozone depletion potential(7.46×10^(–6) kg CFC-11 eq)and was more environmentally friendly than the production of dilute acetic acid(12 wt%)via petrochemical routes.Meanwhile,the total capital investment,total product cost,and cash flowsheet were provided in the techno-economic analysis.Then,the net present value,internal rate of return,and dynamic payback period of the production process were evaluated.The findings indicated that while this production process is cost-effective,it might not be economically attractive or could generate investment risks.An increase in the added value of the wood vinegar and the activated carbon could remarkably improve the economic feasibility of this production process.

Prognostics and health management of alkaline water electrolyzer: Techno-economic analysis considering replacement moment

Recently,considerable attention has been paid to the installation of renewable energy capacity to mitigate global CO_(2) emissions.H_(2) produced using water electrolysis and renewable energy is regarded as a clean energy carrier,generating electricity without CO_(2) emissions,called‘Green H 2’.In this paper,a prognostics and health man-agement model for an alkaline water electrolyzer was proposed to predict the load voltage on the electrolyzer to obtain the state of health information.The prognostics and health management model was developed by training historical operating data via machine learning models,support vector machine and gaussian process regression,showing the root mean square error of 1.28×10^(−3) and 8.03×10^(−6).In addition,a techno-economic analysis was performed for a green H_(2) production system,composed of 1 MW of photovoltaic plant and 1 MW of alkaline water electrolyzer,to provide economic insights and feasibility of the system.A levelized cost of H_(2) of$6.89 kgH_(2)−1 was calculated and the potential to reach the levelized cost of H_(2) from steam methane reforming with carbon capture and storage was shown by considering the learning rate of the photovoltaic module and elec-trolyzer.Finally,the replacement of the alkaline water electrolyzer at around 10 years was preferred to increase the net present value from the green H_(2) production system when capital expenditure and replacement cost are low enough.

Comparative techno-economic analysis of large-scale renewable energy storage technologies

Energy storage is an effective way to address the instability of renewable energy generation modes,such as wind and solar,which are projected to play an important role in the sustainable and low-carbon society.Economics and carbon emissions are important indicators that should be thoroughly considered for evaluating the feasibility of energy storage technologies(ESTs).In this study,we study two promising routes for large-scale renewable energy storage,electrochemical energy storage(EES)and hydrogen energy storage(HES),via technical analysis of the ESTs.The levelized cost of storage(LCOS),carbon emissions and uncertainty assessments for EESs and HESs over the life cycle are conducted with full consideration of the critical links for these routes.In order to reduce the evaluation error,we use the Monte Carlo method to derive a large number of data for estimating the economy and carbon emission level of ESTs based on the collected data.The results show that lithium ion(Li-ion)batteries show the lowest LCOS and carbon emissions,at 0.314 US$kWh-1 and 72.76 g CO_(2) e kWh^(-1),compared with other batteries for EES.Different HES routes,meaning different combinations of hydrogen production,delivery and refueling methods,show substantial differences in economics,and the lowest LCOS and carbon emissions,at 0.227 US$kWh^(-1) and 61.63 gCO_(2) e kWh^(-1),are achieved using HES routes that involve hydrogen production by alkaline electrolyzer(AE),delivery by hydrogen pipeline and corresponding refueling.The findings of this study suggest that HES and EES have comparable levels of economics and carbon emissions that should be both considered for large-scale renewable energy storage to achieve future decarbonization goals.

Application and progress of techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment in biomanufacturing of fuels and chemicals

To reduce the dependency on petroleum-based products and emission of greenhouse gas,renewable biofuels and chemicals play an important role to meet the unmatched energy demands of the rapidly growing population.However,most biofuel and chemical products do not reach the commercialization stage,mainly hindered by incomparable economics to petroproducts.Techno-economic assessment(TEA)is a useful tool to estimate eco-nomic performance,and identify bottlenecks for the development of biofuel and chemical production technology,meanwhile,life cycle assessment(LCA)is applied to assess sustainability by reducing the environmental impact of biofuel and chemical production.This present review covers TEA and LCA research progress in the manufacturing of biofuels and biochemical,and discusses the impacts of TEA and LCA results on the development and optimi-zation of biofuel and chemical production.In addition,challenges associated with TEA and LCA of biofuel and biochemical production were briefly overviewed,and potential approaches that may overcome such challenges were discussed enabling viable and sustainable biomanufacturing of fuels and chemicals.Future integrated TEA and LCA studies could significantly promote the economic and sustainable development of the biomanufacturing process.

Numerical Modeling and Technico-Economic Analysis of a Hybrid Energy Production System for Self-Consumption: Case of Rural Area in the Comoros

This study aims to provide electricity to a remote village in the Union of Comoros that has been affected by energy problems for over 40 years. The study uses a 50 kW diesel generator, a 10 kW wind turbine, 1500 kW photovoltaic solar panels, a converter, and storage batteries as the proposed sources. The main objective of this study is to conduct a detailed analysis and optimization of a hybrid diesel and renewable energy system to meet the electricity demand of a remote area village of 800 to 1500 inhabitants located in the north of Ngazidja Island in Comoros. The study uses the Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable (HOMER) Pro to conduct simulations and optimize the analysis using meteorological data from Comoros. The results show that hybrid combination is more profitable in terms of margin on economic cost with a less expensive investment. With a diesel cost of $1/L, an average wind speed of 5.09 m/s and a solar irradiation value of 6.14 kWh/m2/day, the system works well with a proportion of renewable energy production of 99.44% with an emission quantity of 1311.407 kg/year. 99.2% of the production comes from renewable sources with an estimated energy surplus of 2,125,344 kWh/year with the cost of electricity (COE) estimated at $0.18/kWh, presenting a cost-effective alternative compared to current market rates. These results present better optimization of the used hybrid energy system, satisfying energy demand and reducing the environmental impact.

Techno-economic Analysis of Wind Curtailment/Hydrogen Production/Fuel Cell Vehicle System with High Wind Penetration in China

Wind curtailment/hydrogen production/fuel cell vehicle system(WCHPFCVS)is the use of curtailment to electrolyze water to produce hydrogen,which then provides energy for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.In this paper,a techno-economic analysis of WCHPFCVS is proposed using the HOMER software.Large-scale wind power penetration is expected to lead to serious wind curtailment,and therefore,the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle will play an important role in future renewable energy storage,energy internet sharing,and electric transport areas.A system model of wind curtailment/hydrogen production/fuel cell vehicle is presented and analyzed using HOMER software to optimize the capacity and cost of the system.An annual revenue and profit of the system is then calculated and analyzed for energy conservation,emissions reduction,and environmental benefits.A technoeconomical evaluation of the system when cost of producing hydrogen and hydrogen load(fuel cell vehicle quantities)changes is also presented,taking into consideration the future progress of the technology and its market development.Techno-economic analysis of WCHPFCVS is shown as an effective method through a case study using actual data of curtailment from a wind farm in Jilin province in northeast China.

Techno-economic analysis of the adoption of electric vehicles

Significant advances in battery technology are creating a viable marketspace for battery powered passenger vehicles.Climate change and concerns over reliable supplies of hydrocarbons are aiding in the focus on electric vehicles.Consumers can be influenced by marketing and emotion resulting in behaviors that may not be in line with their stated objectives.Although sales of electric vehicles are accelerating,it may not be clear that purchasing an electric vehicle is advantageous from an economic or environmental perspective.A technoeconomic analysis of electric vehicles comparing them against hybrids,gasoline and diesel vehicles is presented.The results show that the complexity of electrical power supply,infrastructure requirements and full life cycle concerns show that electric vehicles have a place in the future but that ongoing improvements will be required for them to be clearly the best choice for a given situation.

Lagrangian coherent structure analysis on transport of Acetes chinensis along coast of Lianyungang,China

Spatial heterogeneity or“patchiness”of plankton distributions in the ocean has always been an attractive and challenging scientific issue to oceanographers.We focused on the accumulation and dynamic mechanism of the Acetes chinensis in the Lianyungang nearshore licensed fishing area.The Lagrangian frame approaches including the Lagrangian coherent structures theory,Lagrangian residual current,and Lagrangian particle-tracking model were applied to find the transport pathways and aggregation characteristics of Acetes chinensis.There exist some material transport pathways for Acetes chinensis passing through the licensed fishing area,and Acetes chinensis is easy to accumulate in the licensed fishing area.The main mechanism forming this distribution pattern is the local circulation induced by the nonlinear interaction of topography and tidal flow.Both the Lagrangian coherent structure analysis and the particle trajectory tracking indicate that Acetes chinensis in the licensed fishing area come from the nearshore estuary.This work contributed to the adjustment of licensed fishing area and the efficient utilization of fishery resources.

Model reduction of fractional impedance spectra for time–frequency analysis of batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors

Joint time–frequency analysis is an emerging method for interpreting the underlying physics in fuel cells,batteries,and supercapacitors.To increase the reliability of time–frequency analysis,a theoretical correlation between frequency-domain stationary analysis and time-domain transient analysis is urgently required.The present work formularizes a thorough model reduction of fractional impedance spectra for electrochemical energy devices involving not only the model reduction from fractional-order models to integer-order models and from high-to low-order RC circuits but also insight into the evolution of the characteristic time constants during the whole reduction process.The following work has been carried out:(i)the model-reduction theory is addressed for typical Warburg elements and RC circuits based on the continued fraction expansion theory and the response error minimization technique,respectively;(ii)the order effect on the model reduction of typical Warburg elements is quantitatively evaluated by time–frequency analysis;(iii)the results of time–frequency analysis are confirmed to be useful to determine the reduction order in terms of the kinetic information needed to be captured;and(iv)the results of time–frequency analysis are validated for the model reduction of fractional impedance spectra for lithium-ion batteries,supercapacitors,and solid oxide fuel cells.In turn,the numerical validation has demonstrated the powerful function of the joint time–frequency analysis.The thorough model reduction of fractional impedance spectra addressed in the present work not only clarifies the relationship between time-domain transient analysis and frequency-domain stationary analysis but also enhances the reliability of the joint time–frequency analysis for electrochemical energy devices.

Application of Isogeometric Analysis Method in Three-Dimensional Gear Contact Analysis

Gears are pivotal in mechanical drives,and gear contact analysis is a typically difficult problem to solve.Emerging isogeometric analysis(IGA)methods have developed new ideas to solve this problem.In this paper,a threedimensional body parametric gear model of IGA is established,and a theoretical formula is derived to realize single-tooth contact analysis.Results were benchmarked against those obtained from commercial software utilizing the finite element analysis(FEA)method to validate the accuracy of our approach.Our findings indicate that the IGA-based contact algorithmsuccessfullymet theHertz contact test.When juxtaposed with the FEA approach,the IGAmethod demonstrated fewer node degrees of freedomand reduced computational units,all whilemaintaining comparable accuracy.Notably,the IGA method appeared to exhibit consistency in analysis accuracy irrespective of computational unit density,and also significantlymitigated non-physical oscillations in contact stress across the tooth width.This underscores the prowess of IGA in contact analysis.In conclusion,IGA emerges as a potent tool for addressing contact analysis challenges and holds significant promise for 3D gear modeling,simulation,and optimization of various mechanical components.

Preliminary electromagnetic analysis of the COOL blanket for CFETR

The supercritical CO_(2)cOoled Lithium-Lead(COOL)blanket has been designed as one advanced blanket candidate for the Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor(CFETR).This work focuses on the electromagnetic(EM)loads(Maxwell force and Lorentz force)acting on the COOL blanket,which are important mechanical loads in further structural analysis of the COOL blanket.A 3D electromagnetic analysis is performed using the ANSYS finite element method to obtain EM loads on the COOL blanket in this study.At first,the magnetic scalar potential(MSP)method is used to obtain the magnetic field and the Maxwell force on the COOL blanket.Then,the magnetic vector potential(MVP)method is performed during a plasma disruption event to get the eddy current distribution.At last,a multi-step method is adopted for the calculation of the Lorentz force and the torque.The maximum Lorentz forces of inboard and outboard blanket structural components are 5624 kN and 2360 kN respectively.

Automatic area estimation of algal blooms in water bodies from UAV images using texture analysis

Algal blooms,the spread of algae on the surface of water bodies,have adverse effects not only on aquatic ecosystems but also on human life.The adverse effects of harmful algal blooms(HABs)necessitate a convenient solution for detection and monitoring.Unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs)have recently emerged as a tool for algal bloom detection,efficiently providing on-demand images at high spatiotemporal resolutions.This study developed an image processing method for algal bloom area estimation from the aerial images(obtained from the internet)captured using UAVs.As a remote sensing method of HAB detection,analysis,and monitoring,a combination of histogram and texture analyses was used to efficiently estimate the area of HABs.Statistical features like entropy(using the Kullback-Leibler method)were emphasized with the aid of a gray-level co-occurrence matrix.The results showed that the orthogonal images demonstrated fewer errors,and the morphological filter best detected algal blooms in real time,with a precision of 80%.This study provided efficient image processing approaches using on-board UAVs for HAB monitoring.

Erratum to:Vibration analysis of a gear-rotor-bearing system with outer-ring spalling and misalignment

Because of an unfortunate mistake during the production of this article,Figure 13 was wrongly inserted.The corrected Figure 13 is shown as follows.