Application of Exergy-based

Methods for Technical, Economic

and Environmental Assessments
of Nuclear Cogeneration
Marc A. Rosen
Past-President, Engineering Institute of Canada
Professor, Faculty of Engineering & Applied Science
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Oshawa, Canada

Outline

Exergy
Exergy and efficiency
Exergy and environment
Exergy and economics
Example: allocating cogeneration
emissions
Illustration: utility cogeneration in Ontario

Introduction

Efficiency of energy systems must be

understood to increase it
Energy a misleading efficiency measure
Exergy can help improve

understanding of efficiency
efficiency

Exergy also helps efforts to improve

economics, environment, sustainability

Objectives
Improve
understanding
and appreciation
of exergy
Show exergy can
improve nuclear
cogeneration

EXERGY

What is Exergy?
Maximum work obtainable in
reference environment
Potential to cause change
Measure of

quality
usefulness
value

Merger of first and second laws

Key Exergy Feature I

Not conserved
(unless
reversible)
Destroyed in
real processes

Key Exergy Feature II

Energy forms differ:

Electricity
Work
Heat
Cold
Matter

Key Exergy Feature III

All energy is equal,
but not all energy is equally valuable

Exergy & Reference

Environment

Exergy dependent on system

and reference environment
Exergy-environment tie has
implications for environment

EXERGY AND EFFICIENCY

Exergy Analysis
Helps analyse, design & improve
Clarifies:

losses - locations, types, magnitudes

efficiencies - always approach to ideal,

unlike for energy

Identifies margin available to design

more efficient systems

Applications

All Energy Systems (and More)

Use

Supply

Conversion

Illustration

Ideal Heat Engine

Energy efficiency =
50%
(yet device ideal)
Exergy efficiency =
100%

Carnot engine
operating between
600 K and 300 K

Illustration

Pickering Nuclear Power Plant

Illustration

Pickering Nuclear Plant Results

Energy outputs

Exergy outputs &

consumptions

EXERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

Exergy and Environment

Exergy linked to environmental impact

(measures departure from environment)
Increasing exergy efficiency reduces
environmental impact by reducing exergy
losses

emissions
destructions

Exergy & Environment

Relations

Exergy & Sustainability

EXERGY AND ECONOMICS

Exergy & Economics

Exergy normally consistent measure

of economic value (energy
sometimes is)
Exergy-based economic analyses:

recognize exergy, not energy, of value

assign costs/prices to exergy variables
help allocate economic resources
optimally

EXAMPLE: ALLOCATING
COGENERATION EMISSIONS

Cogeneration

Electricity

Fuel

Thermal
Power
Generation

Heat
Recovery

Winter
Heating
Load

CO2 Allocation Methods

for Cogeneration

Energy content of products

Exergy content of products
Economic value of products
Incremental fuel use to electricity production
Incremental fuel use to heat production
Shared emission savings between electrical and
thermal energy
Agreement
Other factors

Allocation of emissions for Cornwall

cogeneration and district heating system
120

Emissionallocation(%)

100

80

60

40

20

0
Based on
exergy of
products
-20

Based on
energy of
products

Incremental
fuel to
electrical
production

Incremental
fuel to heat
production

Shared
emission
savings

Emission allocation to thermal product

Overlap for electricity/heat cost ratios of 1.5-2.5
Emission allocation to electrical product

Based on
economic
product
values

Trigeneration
Expanded Cogeneration

Electricity

Fuel

Thermal
Power
Generation

Heat
Recovery

Winter
Heating
Load

Absorption
Chiller

Summer
Cooling
Load

Extension to Economics

Exergy can similarly be used to allocate

costs among cogeneration products more
rationally, yielding better pricing, for
cogeneration and related processes

ILLUSTRATION: UTILITY
COGENERATION IN ONTARIO

Ontario, Canada

13.5 million
people
1 million km2
Industrial heart
of Canada
Large electric
utilities (nuclear,
hydro, fossil)

Scenarios for UtilityBased Cogeneration

Basic
cogeneration
network
Advanced
cogeneration
network

Residentialcommercial
sector
Industrial sector
Combination

Results I
Base-case annual energy use
Base-case
energy use (PJ)

Electricity

Gas &
NGL's

Oil &
Petrol.

Coal

Other

Utility sector
Prov. (no util.)
Province (total)

477
477

824
824

14
782
796

286
21
307

158
158

Uran- Total
ium
640
640

940
2260
3200

% Reductions in values (Scenario A)

Utility sector
Prov. (no util.)
Province (total)

5.3
5.3

2.8
2.8

0
0.5
0.5

17
0
17

0.5
0.5

6.8
6.8

10
2.4
4.6

Results II
Base-case annual emissions to environment
Material emissions (kilotons)

Utility sector
Prov. (no utility)
Province (total)

SO2

NOX

CO2
(1000)

CO

Particulates

VOC

Spent
Uraniu
m

321
1060
1380

92
526
618

32
132
164

4
3500
3504

11
837
849

0.5
775
775

1.04
1.04

Thermal
Pollu
-tion
(PJ)

Radiation
(1015
Bq)

591
591

11
11

% Reductions in values (Scenario A)

Utility sector
Prov. (no utility)
Province (total)

17
1.2
4.9

17
0.7
3.2

17
1.2
4.2

17
0.7
0.8

17
0.3
0.5

17
0.5
0.5

6.8
6.8

15
15

6.8
6.8

Results III
Heat demand satisfied
by cogeneration (PJ yr-1)
Scenario

A
B
C
D
E
F

% reductions in some
key utility parameters

% of fuel
cogenerating
for utility

Residen- Indust- Total Coal Uran- ElecCoal Urantial/

rial
use
ium
tricity
ium
Commer
use Produc-cial
tion
46
206
0
0
46
206

0
0
26
54
26
54

46
206
26
54
72
260

17
41
13
16
20
47

7
30
3
5
9
35

5
24
3
6
8
30

12
77
6
13
22
100

8
49
4
2
12
49

Results IV
Annual reductions in health &
environmental effects/costs
Cogeneration
scenario

Base
A

Health effects
Mortality

Costs (million $)

Mor- Lost Health

bidity work
(1000
days)

18.9-25.7 1,043 1,691

3.0-4.2

165

286

Health and
environment

Environmental effects
Yield loss (%)
Fish

Crops

Lost
fishing
(1000
days)

42.2

122.3

0.046

0.378

43.9

8.4

17.9

0.008

0.065

7.5

Implications

Utility-based cogeneration beneficial for

Ontario:

substitute nuclear energy for other fuels

increase efficiency
reduce emissions and related health impacts
reduce energy consumption
reduce costs (observed elsewhere)

Conclusions

Exergy can play significant role in

understanding and increasing efficiency

improving economics
reducing environmental impact

Exergy useful for

nuclear energy systems

nuclear cogeneration

Exergy Recognition