Assessment of the Potential to Increase Electricity Generation from Sugarcane Straw in Brazilian Sugarcane Cogeneration Plants

• Main Authors: M. Modesto, A. Aoki, A. Lodi, E. Pina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AIDIC Servizi S.r.l. 2016-06-01
• Series: Chemical Engineering Transactions
• Online Access: https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/3190

The present work aims to evaluate the potential to increase electricity generation through the usage of sugarcane straw in sugarcane cogeneration plants. Currently the cogeneration plants use sugarcane bagasse as fuel in their systems based on Rankine Cycle presenting backpressure and condensing steam turbines. The utilisation of straw has become feasible after a change in the handling of sugarcane harvesting due to the ban on sugarcane burning, thus opening possibilities for its energetic usage. Three configurations of cogeneration plants were analysed: two traditional Rankine cycles, one with backpressure steam turbines and the other with condensing steam turbines, and a proposal of a cogeneration plant based on a BIGCC. Each configuration was assessed through exergetic cost analysis, aiming to evaluate the potential of electricity generation with the combined use of sugarcane bagasse and straw.