Development and Optimization of an Integrated Process Configuration for IGCC Power Generation Technology with a Fischer-Tropsch Fuels from Coal and Biomass

Abstract

The conversion of coal into high-quality fuels is carried out through gasification, syngas production and the process of Fischer-Tropsch. Additionally, produced syngas derived from coal gasification only can generate power and heat in a combined cycle power plant. In order to combine these two methods together in an integrated process at the same time, it is necessary to use part of the produced gas for the production of heat and power, and the other part for the production of liquid fuel. As a result, this new and integrated process will consist of three major parts: "coal gasification", "power and heat generation" and "production of liquid fuel". The purpose of this study is by consideration of an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant with input feed of coal, an integrated system of "Combined heat and power as well as liquid fuel of Fischer-Tropsch", called in this research CHPF is designed, and the optimum amounts of production of the power, heat and liquid fuel are provided at a certain scale of the feedstock. Thus, the various parts of this integrated process is designed conceptually, and simulated and integrated with Aspen software; then an objective function is defined to maximize the revenue from the sale of process products (power and liquid fuels). To ensure the accuracy of the results, the sensitivity analysis tool is used; and the simulation and design results are compared with an experimental work, indicating that the difference in results is about 4%.