Performance Analysis and Econometric Assessment of a Community Waste Power Plant Biogas System

Abstract

The global composition of energy consumption is experiencing a massive transformation as a result of nonrenewable energy resources, and the consumption of conventional energy causes greenhouse gas emissions. The clean and sustainable energy development system known as renewable energy system serves as the main focus in replacing conventional energy sources. The enhancement of energy network stability and smoothing operation of intermittent energy generation from renewable energy power sources, therefore, is being processed by the energy storage system during the power flow. The technologies associated with energy storage systems are updated and improved continuously to meet up with energy demand to reduce the rate of fuel consumption for greater reliability and minimizing energy cost when connected to the grid system or disconnected from the grid network. This dissertation focused on a flexible and steady clean energy source from municipal wastes that was integrated successfully with the utility grid operation in On-Nut community in Bangkok, Thailand. The configuration of biomass gasifier system from municipal wastes with storage system following dispatched algorithms was designed with the grid system as a unified microgrid network. The proposed generating system was modeled experimentally, mathematically, and schematically to determine the most efficient power generation management, energy cost productivity, and sectional energy contribution between the biogas generators and grid system. An optimized controlling algorithm with feedback control systems was designed by an industrial HOMER analysis application to perform technical supervision and econometrics of the energy flow management by switching operation to the most productive electric energy cost service and efficient operational network system from the integrated power system architectures operating energetically in different modes. The research results showed that the proposed configuration of biogas-grid connected lithium-ion storage network recorded the highest level of technical efficiency in terms of energy purchase of 239,764 kWh and energy sales to the grid of 1,959,426 kWh. The lowest net energy purchase was 1,719,661 kWh while the configuration of biogas-grid connected zinc bromide storage network attained the most economical energy system in terms of overall cost of $ 8,647,863.00 and the operating cost of $ 143,974.00. The investment return rate was 17.00 Percent and the internal return rate was 20.30 Percent. The payback period was 4.83 years.