Posted on 03/12/2018 10:25:15 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
They might be upset to find the U.S. is likely to kill multiple birds with a single stone by lowering energy cost, negating the carbon argument, and making raw materials less expensive with a single move. Cost of energy remains the primary limitation restricting economic growth.
Last month a grant was established to underwrite development of a synthesis gas project to be located in North Dakota for utilization of varied grades of coal as an additional fuel source for Allam Cycle power generation. The first pilot plant located near Houston has focused upon testing with natural gas as the fuel. The coal process as fuel source for this specific system will now be developed.
In the context of selling bulk pipeline grade CO2 for boosting oil and gas recovery, atmospheric gases from dedicated air separation units, and chemical feed-stock recovered from fuel processing and combustion gas scavenging, LCOE for NG operation has been calculated to be possibly as low as $9 per MW of electricity produced, under ideal market conditions. Straight-up electrical generation cost without secondary product income sources is projected as $42 per MW.
In Kingsport Tennessee, Eastman Chemical operates three gasification plants using nearby SW Virginia coal.
They were designed by close Jaycee friends of mine and at least one close friend was an operations engineer there. They have been running since 1980.
Eastman has several turbines producing electricity. They recently converted one to natural gas from coal.
With gas so cheap, one wonders if the North Dakota project will be profitable
Raw steel and aluminum imported by NAFTA partners, subsidizes the production of products which enter the U.S. duty free.
The ND project will examine if any modifications to the combustor will be required for stability of fuel burn, and evaluate any corrosion issues from burning raw unscrubbed syngas. The syngas unit will be an integral part of a power generating plant using coal as a fuel feed source.
This turbine differs from a typical jet engine in that the primary working fluid is CO2 at about 400 bar pressure. A fuel gas and pure oxygen mixture, diluted with about 95% CO2 is burned within specialty combustor cans. The construction uses specialty high nickel alloys for the inner turbine components, to counter the combined heat and corrosion aspects presented in operation.
The syngas operation will explore use of varied compositions of coal including lignite. As the pure NG fueled Allam Cycle turbine is rated for sour gas contaminated operation, an examination of components tested under conditions of use with syngas containing acid precursor contaminants and minor water content will be undertaken.
Within the turbine, additional water results from the combustion of fuel; and, will transform oxides of nitrogen and sulfur to acids once condensation occurs within the cooler water separation part of the system. Combustion product scrubbing from the produced water results in a chemical feed-stock and pure water output. A minor amount of the 30 bar pure CO2 is diverted to feed a pipeline pumping unit.
If those are government jobs than we're headed in the RIGHT direction.
Uh huh - and the Globull warming folks keep telling us we all died out 12 years ago....
“Raw steel and aluminum imported by NAFTA partners, subsidizes the production of products which enter the U.S. duty free.”
But the actual tariffs on the NAFTA partners is going to be extremely less to nil.
You are using an example where government imposed mandates on improving MPG, not cost benefit, was the reason for the decision
Steel and Aluminum fill a niches in industrious because they produce benefits in strength and low weight that no other alternative can match. The market has all ready weight the cost benefits and both Steel and Aluminum win that battle. There isn’t a ready alternative to either that works nearly as well as they do.
Agreed.
Nonsense.
Never, ever make this assumption for any material that has a commercial application. Industries are constantly conducting research to develop new composite materials that are cheaper, stronger and/or more durable than the ones they're using. Look how many materials are commonplace today that didn't even exist a few decades ago.
Just in the last couple of days there was an article posted here about a company that had figured out a way to produce heat-treated compressed lumber that is comparable in strength to steel for some building applications -- at a much lower cost.
Think about what you are saying. IF your theory holds, why haven’t they all ready switched to these replacement materials?
1. Steel is still cheaper AT ITS CURRENT PRICE.
2. It's one thing to develop a viable alternative material. It takes some time to ramp up production so it can be mass produced in sufficient quantities to price it for economies of scale.
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