Thermoecologic Assessment and Life Cycle–Based Environmental Pollution Cost Analysis of Microgas Turbine

Abstract

Increasing global warming concerns are compelling humanity to find alternative fuels to fossil fuels. Ammonia, with its carbon-free structure, can be combusted to produce only water and nitrogen. This study includes exergy analysis–based thermoecologic analysis and life cycle assessment–based environmental pollution cost analysis of a Turbec T100 microturbine. A Turbec T100 microturbine is normally operated with natural gas combustion and is modeled using commercially available software for (1) natural gas; (2) 10% ammonia and 90% natural gas; and (3) 20% ammonia and 80% natural gas mass fractions. The ecologic objective function and ecological coefficient of performance parameters for natural gas combustion are −174.441 and 0.37336, respectively. The 20% ammonia combustion has the best ecologic objective function and ecological coefficient of performance results, which are −156.818 and 0.3986, respectively. The 20% ammonia combustion also decreases the environmental and life cycle–based environmental payback period. However, 20% ammonia combustion slightly increases the payback period of the system. The 20% ammonia has the lowest CO2-equivalent emission rate due to producing the lowest CO2-equivalent emissions during combustion. Finally, 20% ammonia combustion decreases total and specific environmental pollution costs.