Highly efficient zero emission CO2-based power plant

An attempt to make a zero emission power plant more profitable is presented. Thanks to complete elimination of waste gases, the use of special fuels with high heating value (for example, used lubricants), otherwise forbidden to be burnt, is now possible. These fuels have actually a negative price because local authorities pay for their incineration. The performance of an original CO2-based quasicombined cycle is calculated. Efficiencies are at the level of the best state-of-the-art combined cycles. The payback time is estimated at around 3 years, which seems to be acceptable even for a private owner. A first simple design of a gas turbine using CO2 as working fluid is also presented. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.