4E Performance Analysis of a Solar-Assisted Coal-Fired Power Generation System Integrated with Kalina Cycle and Carbon Capture

  • ZHANG Hanfei ,
  • GUO Jiaping ,
  • WANG Yuanhui ,
  • JI Shuaiyu ,
  • SHAO Jie ,
  • DESIDERI Umbero ,
  • DUAN Liqiang
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  • 1. School of Energy, Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
    2. Mechanical Department, Thermal power branch company, State Nuclear Electric Power Planning Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, China
    3. Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Constructions Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa 56127, Italy

Online published: 2025-10-29

Supported by

This study has been supported by the National Key Research and development Program of China (No. 2022YFB4202401). 

Copyright

Science Press, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, CAS and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025

Abstract

Pollutant emissions from coal-fired power plants are a significant contributing factor to the increasing environmental issues, making the clean and efficient use of energy crucial in addressing and alleviating these problems. Therefore, this paper proposes a new parabolic trough solar-assisted coal-fired power generation system integrated with waste heat utilization and carbon capture. Based on the principle of energy grade matching and cascade utilization, a portion of the feedwater is directed to drive the carbon capture subsystem and the working medium of the Kalina cycle before being further heated by solar energy. A pulverized coal power generation system is used as the reference system (Case 1); the parabolic trough solar sub-system, Kalina cycle sub-system, and monoethanolamine carbon capture sub-system are respectively integrated with the reference system to form three different new systems of Case 2, Case 3, and Case 4; then a 4E analysis is conducted for these four Cases. The results of this study indicate that these four Cases have system thermal efficiencies of 44.87%, 44.09%, 44.14%, and 43.96% in the power-boosting operation mode, and exergy efficiencies of 44.36%, 43.67%, 43.69%, and 43.52%, respectively. The levelized cost of electricity of Case 1 is 42.62 USD/MWh, and those of Case 2 and Case 3 decrease to 42.15 USD/MWh and 42.16 USD/MWh, respectively; the levelized cost of electricity of Case 4 is 42.67 USD/MWh. The CO2 emission rates of Cases 2–4 are reduced by 11.4 g/kWh, 12.3 g/kWh, and 17.6 g/kWh, respectively, compared to Case 1. This study is expected to offer the possibility of designing solar-assisted coal-fired power generation system with lower carbon emission.

Cite this article

ZHANG Hanfei , GUO Jiaping , WANG Yuanhui , JI Shuaiyu , SHAO Jie , DESIDERI Umbero , DUAN Liqiang . 4E Performance Analysis of a Solar-Assisted Coal-Fired Power Generation System Integrated with Kalina Cycle and Carbon Capture[J]. Journal of Thermal Science, 2025 , 34(6) : 2177 -2195 . DOI: 10.1007/s11630-025-2158-6

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