Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

WIND-POWERED AMMONIA FUEL PRODUCTION FOR REMOTE ISLANDS

Eric Morgan

Professor Jon G. McGowan

Professor James F. Manwell

Wind Energy Center

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

University of Massachusetts

World Renewable Energy Forum Denver, CO

May 13-17, 2012

1

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Outline

• Why NH3 fuel?

• Economics of wind/NH3

• Case study – Monhegan Island, Maine

• NPV of system

• Sensitivity

• Conclusions

2

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Ammonia Fuel

• More Hydrogen than Hydrogen (per volume)

• Blends with diesel

• Runs in ICEs

• Properties of NH3 fuel – Products: Water, N2

– Bonus: it’s a coolant

3

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

CARBON NO CARBON

4

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering 5

Bubble Size ~ Annual Global Production

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Producing Ammonia with Wind

• All electric wind powered processes: – PSA Air Separation (N2)

– Electrolysis of water (H2)

• MVC Water purification

– Haber-Bosch process

• 45% efficient

• 485 kW for 1 ton/day

6

N2(g)+3H2(g)→2NH3(g) ∆H=-92kJ

Sources: Dubey, M., F. Young, et al. (1977). Conversion and Storage of Wind Energy as Nitrogenous Fertilizer. Burbank, CA National Science Foundation: 1-300. Grundt, T. and K. Christiansen (1982). "Hydrogen by water electrolysis as basis for small scale ammonia production. A comparison with hydrocarbon based technologies." International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 7(3): 247-257. Dugger, G. L. and E. J. Francis (1977). "Design of an Ocean Thermal Energy Plant Ship to Produce Ammonia via Hydrogen." International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2: 231-249.

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Economics of Ammonia and Wind

• “Terrestrial offshore” wind turbine – $3200/kW based on nearby Fox

Islands

– Three 1.5 MW GE turbines

• Ammonia plant with storage

– $3,320,000X0.6 where X is the capacity in tonnes/day

– Based on H2A and chemical engineering texts

• Diesel prices > $5/gallon

7

Sources: foxislandswind.com. (2012). "Fox Islands Wind Project." Retrieved February 10, 2012, from http://www.foxislandswind.com/. U.S. Department of Energy. (2012). "DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program: DOE H2A Analysis." Retrieved January 5, 2012, from http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/h2a_analysis.html.

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Monhegan Island, Maine

8

• Gulf of Maine, 10 miles offshore

• 70 year-round inhabitants

– Hundreds of visitors in the summer

• Diesel micro-grid

– 40,000 gallons diesel per year

• Heating diesel: 37,000 gallons/year

• Boating diesel: 23,500 gallons/year

• Hourly electric load data available

Source: Manwell, J. F., J. G. McGowan, et al. (2003). Potential for Wind Energy Development on New England Islands. Amherst, MA, Rene wable Energy Research Laboratory.

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Monhegan Island Wind Data

Gulf of Maine

Mount Desert Rock

Cape Wind

Source: http://maps.massgis.state.ma.us/map_ol/oliver.php

9

Monhegan Island

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Wind Resource

10

Source: National Data Buoy Center. (2011). "NBDC - Station MDRM1." Retrieved July 12, 2011, from http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=mdrm1.

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Wind/Load Mismatch

11

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Wind NH3 Modeling • Turbine sizes up to 1250 kW (14 turbines)

– Power curves from Idaho NL

• Ammonia plant sizes up to 1.5 tonnes/day – ~195 gallons diesel equivalent

– Assumed to be “flexible” plants

– Produce NH3 only when system has extra power

• Assumptions represent best possible scenario

12

Turbine Size

Ammonia Plant Size

Sensitivity

NPV

Wind Data

Load Data

Ongoing Costs

Capital Costs

Simulation

System Assumptions

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

NPV of System

• Total costs are given by NPV of system plus NPV of all diesel fuel over system lifetime

• Diesel costs are offset due to:

– Electricity from the turbine

– NH3 fuel for lobster boats and diesel generator

– Excess electricity for space heating

13

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

NPV for Turbine/NH3 Configurations

14

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Sensitivity Baseline

15

• Minimum value found on contour map

– Varied the following baseline parameters

• $8/gallon diesel

• $3200/kW wind turbine

• $3,320,000X0.6 ammonia plant cost

• 23,500 gallons of marine fuel

• Wind speed at height 65 m

• Average Monhegan Load – 35kW

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Sensitivity Results

16

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Conclusions

• Ammonia can be competitive as an energy storage medium

– Requires research on catalyst and compressor flexibility

– Diesel must be expensive for NH3 to be viable

– More work on NH3 in diesel engines needed

• Wind turbines are a good fit for Monhegan

17