Electrochemical Membrane for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Power Generation
- FuelCell Energy, Inc., Danbury, CT (United States)
FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FCE), in collaboration with AECOM Corporation (formerly URS Corporation) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, has been developing a novel Combined Electric Power and Carbon-dioxide Separation (CEPACS) system. The CEPACS system is based on electrochemical membrane (ECM) technology derived from FCE’s carbonate fuel cell products featuring internal (methane steam) reforming and carrying the trade name of Direct FuelCell®. The unique chemistry of carbonate fuel cells offers an innovative approach for separation of CO2 from existing fossil-fuel power plant exhaust streams (flue gases). The ECM-based CEPACS system has the potential to become a transformational CO2-separation technology by working as two devices in one: it separates the CO2 from the exhaust of other plants such as an existing coal-fired plant and simultaneously produces clean electric power at high efficiency using a supplementary fuel. The development effort was carried out under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) cooperative agreement DE-FE0007634. The overall objective of this project was to successfully demonstrate the ability of FCE’s ECM-based CEPACS system technology to separate ≥90% of the CO2 from a simulated Pulverized Coal (PC) power plant flue gas stream and to compress the captured CO2 to a state that can be easily transported for sequestration or beneficial use. In addition, a key objective was to show, through the technical and economic feasibility study and bench scale testing, that the ECM-based CEPACS system is an economical alternative for CO2 capture in PC power plants, and that it meets DOE’s objective related to the incremental cost of electricity (COE) for post-combustion CO2 capture (no more than 35% increase in COE). The project was performed in three budget periods (BP). The specific objective for BP1 was to complete the Preliminary Technical and Economic Feasibility Study. The T&EF study was based on the carbon capture system size suitable for a reference 550 MW PC power plant. The specific objectives for BP2 were to perform (flue gas) contaminant effect evaluation tests, small area membrane tests using clean simulated flue gas, design a flue gas pretreatment system for processing of the gas feed to ECM, update the Technical & Economic Feasibility Study (T&EFS) incorporating results of contaminant effect tests and small area membrane tests, and to prepare a test facility for bench scale testing. The specific objectives for BP3 were to perform bench scale testing (parametric and long-duration testing) of a 11.7 m2 ECM-based CO2 capture, purification and compression system, and update (as final) the Technical and Economic Feasibility Study. In addition, an Environmental Health and Safety evaluation (assessment) of the ECM technology was included. This final technical report presents the progress made under the project.
- Research Organization:
- FuelCell Energy, Danbury, CT (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FE0007634
- OSTI ID:
- 1414833
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-FCE-0007634-2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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