Allam cycle: Review of research and development

The recently developed Allam cycle has already attracted researchers and practicing engineers. The Allam cycle is considered one of the most promising oxy-fuel power cycles to reduce carbon dioxide emissions due to its high cycle efficiency and simple arrangement. It is a recuperative trans-critical carbon dioxide oxy-fuel cycle with near-zero carbon emissions. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art of Allam cycle, cycle performance, design of components, and integration with other processes. The research on part-load and dynamic operation of the Allam cycle are addressed as well. The literature review results show that the Allam cycle's reported energetic efficiency varied in a wide range, that is 48-60% for the natural-gas-fired Allam cycle and 38-51% for the syngas-fired Allam cycle. In addition, the Allam cycle can be integrated with various chemical or energy processes to build co-generation systems. The challenges and suggestions for further research on the Allam cycle are formulated.