Advanced concept of coupling solar-aided flue gas treatment and solar-aided power generation in power plants

In this paper, an advanced concept of coupling solar-aided flue gas treatment (SAGT) and solar-aided power generation (SAPG) is proposed to realize the low energy consumption flue gas treatment for fossil fuel power generation systems. An improved flue gas treatment sequence outside boilers is proposed in SAGT, where de-nitration is configured downstream of flue gas desulfurization (FGD). By using a parabolic trough collector (PTC) solar field, flue gas can be heated up to 550 degrees C in the collectors. The treatment sequence therefore can be achieved with the assistance of solar field. Finally, the waste heat of flue gas is utilized to preheat the feed water of boilers to enhance the power generation of power plants. A 600 MW coal-fired power plant system is analyzed as a case study. The calculation results show that SAGT and SAPG have relatively good performances both on stability and solar-to-electricity efficiency. This study might provide a new solution to deal with the difficulties of treating flue gas inside boilers such as deactivation and blockage of catalysts. Furthermore, efficient utilization of solar energy realizes both environment protection and energy conservation.