Análise termodinâmica da hibridização solar de uma termoelétrica movida a biomassa

Abstract

The growing interest in the use of renewable energy sources for power generation has driven the concept of hybrid plants, combining two renewable energy sources to ensure a constant supply of electricity. This study presents an exergy analysis of a hybrid plant combining biomass and concentrated solar power (CSP) technology, specifically Fresnel technology. The plant studied uses sugarcane bagasse as fuel and is capable of generating a power output of 64.7 MW. The research focuses on integrating solar fields into the thermodynamic cycle of the plant, evaluating three different configurations for the solar fields and their impact on system efficiency and biomass consumption. Simulations conducted over a year indicated biomass savings ranging from 0.86% to 6.59%, with a reduction in the exergy efficiency of the cycle. It was observed that the introduction of solar fields, although reducing biomass consumption, results in greater exergy destruction due to the thermal and optical inefficiencies of the solar collectors. The analysis highlights that while the first law of thermodynamics suggests the feasibility of solar integration through fuel savings, the second law points to the need to optimize the exergy efficiency of the solar collectors to improve the viability of the hybrid system. It is concluded that the hybridization of thermoelectric plants with CSP technology is promising but requires detailed considerations of exergy efficiency to maximize benefits.