The aim of this paper is to analyze various CO2 compression processes for post-combustion CO2 capture applications for 900 MW pulverized coal-fired power plant. Different thermodynamically feasible CO2 compression systems will be identified and their energy consumption quantified. A detailed thermodynamic analysis examines methods used to minimize the power penalty to the producer through integrated, low-power compression concepts. The goal of the present research is to reduce this penalty through an analysis of different compression concepts, and a possibility of capturing the heat of compression and converting it to useful energy for use elsewhere in the plant.

Recently, significant progress has been made in experimental studies on the flow of wet steam, measuring techniques based on recording the phenomenon of extinction of light and ultrasound have been elaborated or improved. The basic value experimentally determined in the final stage was the content of the liquid phase defined as the wetness fraction. The methodology of tests and experimental investigations was presented, as well as the applied and developed measurement systems. Next, some developed designs of new ultrasonic and light extinction measuring probe and their modifications are described. The article presents also some examples of applications of the developed measurement techniques in application to experimental research conducted on wet steam. Examples of comparison between experimental and numerical tests for the extinction method are also provided.

A commercially available ASPEN PLUS simulation using a pipe model was employed to determine the maximum safe pipeline distances to subsequent booster stations as a function of carbon dioxide (CO2) inlet pressure, ambient temperature and ground level heat flux parameters under three conditions: isothermal, adiabatic and with account of heat transfer. In the paper, the CO2working area was assumed to be either in the liquid or in the supercritical state and results for these two states were compared. The following power station data were used: a 900 MW pulverized coal-fired power plant with 90% of CO2recovered (156.43 kg/s) and the monothanolamine absorption method for separating CO2from flue gases. The results show that a subcooled liquid transport maximizes energy efficiency and minimizes the cost of CO2transport over long distances under isothermal, adiabatic and heat transfer conditions. After CO2is compressed and boosted to above 9 MPa, its temperature is usually higher than ambient temperature. The thermal insulation layer slows down the CO2temperature decrease process, increasing the pressure drop in the pipeline. Therefore in Poland, considering the atmospheric conditions, the thermal insulation layer should not be laid on the external surface of the pipeline.

The paper presents a research program carried out to improve understanding of the fluid dynamics mechanisms that lead to rotating stall in the axial flow low speed compressor stage. The stalling behavior of this compressor stage was studied by measuring unsteady casing pressure by means of a circumferentially and axially spaced array of high frequency pressure transducers. Another probe used was a disc static pressure probe, with the pressure transducer, for in-flow and out-flow measurements along the blade span. It was expected that understanding of the fluid dynamics will facilitate at least two important tasks. The first was to accurately predict of when and how a particular compressor would stall. The second was to control, delay, or eventually suppress the rotating stall and surge. In consequence, one could extend the useful operating range of the axial compressor. Another motivation for the research was to compare the results from the three applied analysis techniques by using a single stall inception event. The first one was a simple visual inspection of the traces, which brought about a very satisfactory effect. The second one was application of spatial Fourier decomposition to the analysis of stall inception data, and the third method of analysis consisted in application of wavelet filtering in order to better understand the physical mechanisms which lead to rotating stall. It was shown that each of these techniques would provide different information about compressor stall behavior, and each method had unique advantages and limitations.

Three commercially available intercooled compression strategies for compressing CO2 were studied. All of the compression concepts required a final delivery pressure of 153 bar at the inlet to the pipeline. Then, simulations were used to determine the maximum safe pipeline distance to subsequent booster stations as a function of inlet pressure, environmental temperature, thickness of the thermal insulation and ground level heat flux conditions. The results show that subcooled liquid transport increases energy efficiency and minimises the cost of CO2 transport over long distances under heat transfer conditions. The study also found that the thermal insulation layer should not be laid on the external surface of the pipe in atmospheric conditions in Poland. The most important problems from the environmental protection point of view are rigorous and robust hazard identification which indirectly affects CO2 transportation. This paper analyses ways of reducing transport risk by means of safety valves.

The paper presents experimental investigations of pressure fluctuations near the tip clearance region of the rotor blades of the axial-flow low-speed compressor stage in stable and unstable parts of the overall performance characteristic. In this investigation, unsteady pressure was measured with the use of high frequency pressure transducers mounted on the casing wall of rotor passage. The pressure signals and their frequency characteristics were analyzed during the steady-state processes, before the rotating stall, during the transition from the steady-state process to the rotating stall, and during a stabilized phenomenon of low-frequency rotating stall. As the operating point moves to the unstable region of flow characteristic, an inception of the rotating stall can be observed, which rotates with a speed of about 41.4% of the rotor speed. The results of this study confirm that in the low-speed axial compressor stage operating in a rotating stall regime there appears one stall cell that spreads over to adjacent rotor blade channels. As the flow rate is reduced further, the frequency of the rotating stall decreased to 34.8% of the rotor speed and the number of blade channels with the stall cell increases.