Efficient utilization of energy and resources toward economic and social prosperity

Power plant optimization has been a focus of energy research for decades, with the integration of renewable and sustainable energy sources into power grids becoming more prevalent since the 2016 Paris climate agreement. Numerous projects have aimed to achieve this integration by incorporating renewable power systems into existing conventional power plants or by expanding renewable energy systems' penetration into electrical grids. However, renewable resources are inherently intermittent, and thus, challenges have arisen in enhancing demand-supply matching and smoothing the transition to carbon-neutral power systems. 

At IR4TD, we have undertaken projects addressing both types of renewable expansion, addressing associated challenges. In our first energy project, we developed novel cycles incorporating renewable energy integrations to enhance the performance of gas turbine power plants and reduce greenhouse emissions and NOx pollutants [1, 2]. We utilized a computer code to simulate an actual power plant and employed linear-regression and artificial neural network multi-objective optimizations to tune the operating parameters of the proposed novel cycles. In addition, we employed energy [2] and exergy-based [3] optimizations to reduce integration costs and total exergy destruction, while maximizing thermal and electric-exergy efficiencies. Our work demonstrated that the proposed integrations were feasible both technically and economically and thus, realistic for implementation.

In our second project, we investigated different routes and scenarios for the 100% renewable energy transition [4, 5], addressing problems related to their increased penetration into the grid. For example, one of the most significant challenges of wide deployment of renewable systems is the mismatch between energy supply and demand. Typically, large installation capacities and energy storage systems are needed to manage low supply periods [6]. However, we showed that renewable energy system installation locations should be assessed based on demand-supply profile matching, rather than high resource sites, to achieve higher RES fractions without energy storage systems [7]. In addition, we presented that a multi-objective optimization to scan and superpose multiple sites' supply profiles could achieve a better matching of the demand, leading to close to 100% RES fraction without storage requirement and at a feasible levelized cost of electricity [8]. This is a significant development in the transition planning to 100% RES electrical grids, as Lithium-ion battery storage systems come with multiple risks, including metal depletion, environmental impact, and human health hazards. 

Additionally, We proved that an alternative, greener storage thermal energy system could replace lithium-ion batteries and eliminate the associated risks, providing autonomous RES grids [9]. Moreover, we demonstrated the viability of producing hydrogen, a future green energy carrier, from the RES excess resulting from supply-demand mismatch, thereby fully exploiting the installed capacity of the renewable energy system [10]. 
 

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References

1. Darwish Ahmad, A., et al., Power boosting of a combined cycle power plant in Jordan: An integration of hybrid inlet cooling & solar systems. Energy Conversion and Management, 2020. 214: p. 112894.

2. Abubaker, A.M., et al., Multi-objective linear-regression-based optimization of a hybrid solar-gas turbine combined cycle with absorption inlet-air cooling unit. Energy Conversion and Management, 2021. 240: p. 114266.

3. Abubaker, A.M., et al., A novel solar combined cycle integration: An exergy-based optimization using artificial neural network. Renewable Energy, 2021.

4. Al-Ghussain, L., et al., An integrated photovoltaic/wind/biomass and hybrid energy storage systems towards 100% renewable energy microgrids in university campuses. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, 2021. 46: p. 101273.

5. Al-Ghussain, L., et al., 100% Renewable Energy Grid for Rural Electrification of Remote Areas: A Case Study in Jordan. Energies, 2020. 13(18): p. 4908.

6. Manaserh, Y.M.A., et al., Assessment of integrating hybrid solar-combined cycle with thermal energy storage for shaving summer peak load and improving sustainability. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, 2021. 47: p. 101505.

7. Al-Ghussain, L., et al., A Demand-Supply Matching-Based Approach for Mapping Renewable Resources Towards 100% Renewable Grids in 2050. IEEE Access, 2021. 9: p. 58634-58651.

8. Al-Ghussain, L., A.M. Abubaker, and A. Darwish Ahmad, Superposition of renewable-energy supply from multiple sites maximizes demand-matching: Towards 100% renewable grids in 2050. Applied Energy, 2021. 284: p. 116402.

9. Al-Ghussain, L., et al., Techno-economic feasibility of thermal storage systems for the transition to 100% renewable grids. Renewable Energy, 2022. 189: p. 800-812.

10. Loiy Al-Ghussain, et al., Exploring the feasibility of green hydrogen production using excess energy from a country-scale 100% solar-wind renewable energy system. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2022.