Clean Power Generation
Research focus
The Peer review has evaluated this group as Excellent
This research line analyzes various aspects of power generation, related to energy efficiency, economics and environmental impact. Our studies are devoted to support the power generation industry, now facing demanding challenges, mainly related to the need of reducing the negative impact of polluting emissions, including greenhouse gases, while maintaining the competitiveness on the liberalized marked. Fossil fuels are the major energy primary source here considered, but specific sections of the research line also include renewables and waste / residual fuels. Reference is made to both commercially available advanced technologies, and innovative solutions at early development stage. The main subjects investigated are the advanced power generation technologies, either by using “clean fuels” (gas-steam combined cycles, “hybrid” cycles with high temperature fuel cells and gas turbines, smallto- large scale cogeneration, including micro-cogeneration and distributed generation), or by applying advanced “clean” technologies to “dirty fuels” (coal, lignite, refinery residuals, urban and industrial wastes), such as gasification and/or fluidized bed combustion. Particular attention is devoted to the technologies for carbon capture, integrated to the production of power and/or hydrogen (another CO2–free energy carrier, as well as electricity). The most significant research activities carried out by the group can be summarized in the following points: 1. High efficiency gas-turbine-based cycles, related to the technological evolution of gas turbines. The research group offers a comprehensive activity of numerical modeling and ‘on-field’ experimental assistance, supporting the needs of the power industry in the field of conceptual power plant design as well as in the optimization of operational aspects. The activity covers large-scale combined cycles power stations as well as cogeneration plants for industrial and district heating applications. 2. Production of “zero emission” electricity and hydrogen from fossil fuels (natural gas, coal, heavy and residual fuels). This subject has recently gathered large attention, due to the concern related to climatic changes caused by the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (greenhouse effect). The main research activities include the performance assessment of novel processes for producing electricity and hydrogen (supplying carbon-free energy to residential users and transports) from fossil fuels, by means of advanced energy conversion and gas treatment / separation processes for CO2 capture and sequestration. 3. Advanced “hybrid” systems for distributed cogeneration, based on the integration of solid-oxides or molten-carbonate fuel cells with micro-gas turbines. In this activity, other research themes concern heat pumps for tri-generation systems, improving the interest towards distributed generation in the residential and tertiary sectors. 4. Organic Rankine Cycles. This subject has a long tradition in our Department, concerning (i) fluid properties experimental characterization, (ii) design, manufacturing, operational assistance to ORC power plants for renewable energy sources utilization (solar, geothermal, biomass) and waste heat recovery from industrial processes. 5. Analysis of advanced power generation systems from: (i) urban solid wastes (MSW) and fuels derived from residual wastes (RDF), (ii) industrial wastes, sludges, (iii) biomass, including synthetic fuels production, (iv) geothermal sources (steam, water). The research team works with close connection to the main industrial and institutional subjects operating in the power generation arena, as far as technology and R&D are concerned. An extended cooperation is also active with a number of other Departments of Politecnico di Milano (Chem., Mech., Electric, Mgmt, Nuclear, Environmental Eng., within the frame of the so-called “Aera Strategica Energia”) on subjects related to Power Generation requiring a multi-disciplinary approach. The most important capabilities regard the analysis and optimization of the above described systems, especially when characterized by elevated 43 complexity and innovative content, keeping into account the energetic, environmental and economic issues. Most activities are on the theoretical and numerical side, but we must emphasize that our calculation models have always been developed on the basis of the operational experience and of the parameters encountered in many real plants and in the industrial practice. Our support was required by the industrial / institutional world especially on the following subjects: (i) the basic, conceptual design of modern energy systems, in particular those including cogeneration and trigeneration (selection of the plant configuration, optimization of the mode of operation, etc.), (ii) the evaluation of the potential of novel power systems (for instance, with CO2 sequestration, with hydrogen production, and so on) in a short-mid term scenario, related to the technological requirements of those systems and to environmental impact issues, (iii) performance testing and tune-up of many ‘benchmark’ power stations in our country, especially for cogeneration and urban wastes utilization, (iv) the design of specific components for energetic systems.
Dipartimento di afferenza
Docenti afferenti
Full Professors
Gianfranco Angelino
Stefano Consonni
Giovanni Lozza
Ennio Macchi
Associate Professors
Stefano Campanari
Paolo Chiesa
Mario Gaia
Assistant Professors
Paola Bombarda
Paolo Silva