Performance Analysis of an Efficient Integration System of Coal-Fired Power Plant, Solar Thermal Energy and CO2 Capture

Coal-fired power plant is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The post-combustion capture is a promising method for CO2 emission reduction but the high thermal demand is unbearable. To address this issue, solar thermal energy and CO2 capture are jointly integrated into the coal-fired power plant in this study. The solar thermal energy is employed to meet the heat requirement of the CO2 capture process, thereby avoiding the electricity loss caused by self-driven CO2 capture. Furthermore, the heat released from the carbonation reaction of MgO adsorbent is integrated into the steam Rankine cycle. By partially substituting the extracted steam for feedwater heating, the electricity output of the power plant is further increased. According to the results from the developed model, the system could achieve a CO2 capture rate of 86.5