Capital cost, reduction

Even in a simple hydrogen fuel cell system, capital cost reduction requires improvements in many diverse areas, such as catalyst loadings, air pressuriza-... 

In a new process proposed by Kellogg the oxidation of HCI makes use of nitrosyl-sulfuric acid (HNSOs) at 4 bar and 260-320 °C [9], The amount of byproducts diminishes drastically raising the overall yield over 98%. The gaseous emissions are reduced practically to zero. Chlorinated waste from other processes may be incinerated to HCI, and in this way recycled to the manufacturing of VCM. The process is safer because the contact of hydrocarbon mixtures with oxygen is eliminated. A capital cost reduction of 15% may be estimated compared with the oxy-chlorination process. 

MSRs also operate at high temperature, which allows far higher thermal efficiencies approaching 50%, with a choice of steam Rankin or various gas Brayton technologies. This factor alone represents a significant source of capital cost reduction. 

Achieving goals of safety, cost innovation, resource sustainability, and long-lived waste minimization has involved various potential design choices both during early development and recent MSR proposals. Early MSR development was mandated as a breeder program and the focus was upon breeding ratio and fuel cycle costs at perhaps the expense of capital cost reduction. 

While capital cost reduction was the original target for PI, it quickly became apparent that there were other benefits, some of which have become even more important since PI was conceived. 

The heat exchanger can be fabricated in any material which can be diffusion bonded - stainless steel, titanium, higher alloy steels and nickel. As an alternative, brazing can be used, which allows metals such as aluminium to be considered. This potentially could lead to capital cost reductions compared to exchangers fabricated using more bespoke procedures. 

Process simplification the potential for capital cost reduction is clear in that RD can remove the need for separate reaction and separation steps. Prior to use of RD, for example, the methyl acetate process required two reactors and eight distillation columns. It has been succeeded by systems containing one RD column and two separating columns (Agreda et al., 1990), with a significant reduction in overall capital cost. 

The major advantages for CD in ethers production are the capital cost reduction and lowering of energy costs due to the utilisation or reaction heat (more than 20%). Moreover, conversion is increased due to removal of products via distillation (25% for TAME), and the product selectivity is improved. The production of ethers via CD can also benefit from increased catalyst lifetime due to reduction of hot spots and removal of fouling substances from the catalyst. 

The replacement of fuel oil burners by plasma torches provides considerable operating costs reduction for existing plants as well as a capital cost reduction for future plants. The off-gas flow rate generated by a plasma torch being much less than that generated by a burner, the off-gas treatment system can be downsized significantly. In addition, plasma torches allow a major GHG reduction by avoiding the combustion of substantial amounts of fossil fuel in burners. 

The fuel elements are separated by a spiral wrapping wire (alternatively, grid spacers can be used). The sodium coolant flows through the spaces between the fuel elements. The fuel elements are placed in a tight triangular lattice arrangement to maximize the fuel volume fraction for core neutron performances and to minimize the core size for the plant capital cost reduction. 

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