TY - JOUR
T1 - Techno-economic analysis of the thermal energy saving options for high-voltage direct current interconnectors
AU - Giampieri, Alessandro
AU - Ma, Zhiwei
AU - Ling Chin, Janie
AU - Smallbone, Andrew
AU - Lyons, Padraig
AU - Khan, Imad
AU - Hemphill, Stephen
AU - Roskilly, Anthony Paul
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 The Authors
PY - 2019/8/1
Y1 - 2019/8/1
N2 - High-voltage direct current interconnection stations are increasingly used for long-distance electricity transport worldwide, due to efficiency and economic reasons. The identification and evaluation of cost-effective waste heat sources appropriate for recovery and reutilisation represent an opportunity that can improve the efficiency of high-voltage direct current stations, resulting in significant savings in energy consumption and reduction of the carbon footprint. The paper is the first to investigate the technological and economic feasibility of heat recovery at a major interconnector power station. Once identified the potential recoverable heat sources and evaluated the latest advancements in thermal energy recovery technology, a technological and economic analysis of two potential heat recovery strategies has been performed. While the heat-to-electricity technology was proved to be technologically but not economically feasible, the realisation of a combined liquid desiccant and evaporative cooling heat recovery strategy was proved to present the best economic performance with a payback period of about 5 years and a levelised cost of saved energy of 0.155 €/kWh, depending on the heat recovery and size of the system. Additional economic savings can be obtained for high-voltage direct current stations located in hot and humid climates, where the moisture removal ability of liquid desiccant technology could be particularly advantageous.
AB - High-voltage direct current interconnection stations are increasingly used for long-distance electricity transport worldwide, due to efficiency and economic reasons. The identification and evaluation of cost-effective waste heat sources appropriate for recovery and reutilisation represent an opportunity that can improve the efficiency of high-voltage direct current stations, resulting in significant savings in energy consumption and reduction of the carbon footprint. The paper is the first to investigate the technological and economic feasibility of heat recovery at a major interconnector power station. Once identified the potential recoverable heat sources and evaluated the latest advancements in thermal energy recovery technology, a technological and economic analysis of two potential heat recovery strategies has been performed. While the heat-to-electricity technology was proved to be technologically but not economically feasible, the realisation of a combined liquid desiccant and evaporative cooling heat recovery strategy was proved to present the best economic performance with a payback period of about 5 years and a levelised cost of saved energy of 0.155 €/kWh, depending on the heat recovery and size of the system. Additional economic savings can be obtained for high-voltage direct current stations located in hot and humid climates, where the moisture removal ability of liquid desiccant technology could be particularly advantageous.
KW - Economic factor
KW - Electricity production
KW - High-voltage direct current conversion station
KW - Low-grade heat recovery
KW - Moisture control
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85064215640
U2 - 10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.04.003
DO - 10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.04.003
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85064215640
SN - 0306-2619
VL - 247
SP - 60
EP - 77
JO - Applied Energy
JF - Applied Energy
ER -
