1st International Exergy, Life Cycle Assessment, and Sustainability Workshop & Symposium (ELCAS)

4 - 6 June, 2009, NISYROS - GREECE

THE ZERO EMISSIONS CITY

Yantovsky E. a), Gorski J. b)
a)
Independent researcher
Email: yksvotnay@mail.ru, iksvotnay@aol.com
b)
Cracow University of Sciences & Technology
Email: jagorski@agh.edu.pl

Abstract
In spite of all the hopes that have been placed on renewable energy, the fossil fuels
coal and gas will dominate in this century. As nobody can violate the law of
conservation of mass, every atom entering an energy system must exit. The real
meaning of sustainability is a way to substitute the hydrolithosphere for the
atmosphere as a receiver through the conversion of gaseous emissions into liquid
effluents that can be stored underground without causing any harm. In view of the
many sources of emissions in our cities, the easiest way to do this is to focus on fuel-
fired power plants and the conversion of all city-based fuel-energy usage into
electrically satisfied usage.

Some principal remarks…

Unfortunately our Lord did not equip human beings for the incorporation of the
carbon dioxide from our lungs into the urine that we release. We breathe out products
of respiration as emissions, but this represents just a tiny fraction of all man-made
emissions. The major fractions are: (1) fuel-fired power plants, (2) industry (steel,
cement, etc.), (3) vehicles, (4) heating of dwelling and (5) incineration. In the paper
some data and pictures of available solutions are given.
1. After about 30 years of discussions and calculations, two zero emissions (ZE)
pilot power plants of the “oxy-fuel” type are now in operation: 5 MW in
California by CES since March 2005, burning liquid fuel, and 30 MW in
Germany by Vattenfall since September 2008, burning brown coal [3]. The
European Union has published plans to build twelve large ZE power plants by
2014, including a plant of many hundreds of MW in Jenschwalde, Germany.
Experience of injection underground (at a depth of 800 m) in Norway of 1
million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually for 13 years without any hint of
leakage has been quite positive.
2. There are no industrial processes where energy has to be supplied through
combustion only. All can be satisfied by electricity. If hydrogen is needed for a
chemical reaction it can be produced by electrolysis. If carbon dioxide is
required it can be provided without emissions from the effluent going to
sequestration.
3. After many decades of intensive research appropriate batteries for electric
vehicles seem to have been found, for instance the Zebra, based on NiCl, or,
even better, the Li-ion type [5]. The boom of electrical automobiles has started.
Some really significant results are a battery mass of 330 kg for a total car mass
of 990 kg, a range of 300 km and a maximum speed of 210 km/h. There exist
some schematics of fuel-fired zero emission vehicles (ZEMPES cycle). These
proposals have been published but still have not been tested [10].
 1st International Exergy, Life Cycle Assessment, and Sustainability Workshop & Symposium (ELCAS)
4 - 6 June, 2009, NISYROS - GREECE

4. For the heating of dwellings, the excellent and well established approach of
using electrically driven heat pumps would be used—taking heat from the
ground or the atmosphere. There are many millions of small domestic heat
pumps. Unique installations for taking low grade heat from sea water exist in
Sweden (heat pump stations of 180 MW for district heating, see [7]).
5. Zero emissions incineration of municipal waste is rather new and still presents
a difficult problem due to the diverse chemical composition of refuse and the
extremely poisonous nature of any emissions of dioxins. The easiest way to
achieve zero emissions incineration is to add the waste to coal for burning in
zero emissions power plants. There exist large scale incinerators with thorough
cleaning of the combustion products through the addition to the combustor of a
long series of chemical reactors before discharge of the combustion products,
but this is still not zero emissions technology and poisonous gases can enter the
atmosphere in spite of all the efforts to clean the products. The remedy might
be combustion in rotary kiln or fluidized bed incinerators with oxy-fuel zero
emissions technology [8].
A true real zero-emissions city could use systems as described in points 1 to 5 above.
A competition in which cities would vie to be adjudged the foremost zero emissions
city in the world is within sight.

Introduction
“Founded in 2005, the European Technology Platform for Zero Emission Fossil Fuel
Power Plants is a broad coalition of stakeholders united in their support for CO2
Capture and Storage (CCS) a key technology for combating climate change. Indeed, if
implemented without delay, CCS can reduce CO2 emissions in the European Union by
400 million tonnes a year by 2030 even before its full potential is realized”.
This citations shows the great plans of EU in the field of Zero Emission Power
Plants (ZEPP) developments. Not less ambitious plans are in USA and worldwide.
ZEPP creation is very important to prevent the global warming and climate change.
But not less or0 even more important is the problem to eliminate emissions of other
(disseminated) sources of atmospheric emissions. For that matter is needed a
programme of a complex solution, the creation of Zero Emissions City (ZEC). The
paper is aimed at describing of the main elements of such a program, bearing in mind
all the air polluters of our cities. It might be solution to the problem of violation of our
human right to breathe. Along with fuel-fired power plants such polluters are industry,
vehicles, heating of dwellings and incinerators.

1.) Zero Emissions Power Plants

The domination of fossil fuels in the energy supply of this Century is seen from the
World Energy Forecasts of International Energy Agency [1]. Only to the very end
of the Century might be implemented Renewable energy in massive scale. The
ZEPP are unavoidable for many decades as a bridge to that time.
Among many schematics, including the first one by C. Marchetti (1979) the most
popular is “Oxy-fuel” one, with combustion of arbitrary fuel in the artificial air, the
mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide, recirculated to be mixed to oxygen from an
1st International Exergy, Life Cycle Assessment, and Sustainability Workshop & Symposium (ELCAS)
4 - 6 June, 2009, NISYROS - GREECE

air separation unit. First experiments of combustion of coal powder in CO2 and
oxygen belong to A. Wolsky (1985) in Argonne National Lab., see history in [2].
The first in the world brown coal-fired ZEPP of 30 MW commissioned 9-th
October 2008 by Vattenfall in Germany. Due to successful test it in a year it is
worth to be depicted in Fig.1, see [3].

Fig. 1: Schematics of the first in the world ZE coal-fired power plant of 30 MW by Vattenfall. [3]

Liquid (supercritical) CO2 is to be injected underground along with dissolved in

it contaminants as poisonous combustion products. Great experiment by Statoil in
Norway, injection annually 1 mln ton of CO2 for 13 years with careful monitoring
reveals no hint of leakage from the depth of 800 m. Such ZEPP will form the major
part in mentioned plans of EU. We have to fix attention on it for ZEC as a reliable
and tested perspective.
The same schematics might be expand for the case not powder coal. It might be
crushed splintered only by pieces of some centimetres. Here might be used a
fluidized bed combustor in vertical O2-CO2 mixture flow or such gasifier.
Mentioned fuels admit an appropriate part of municipal waste in mixture.
The extremely detailed research of combustion of coal in O2/CO2 mixture for
ZEPP (OXYCOAL-AC programme) are underway by Prof. R. Kneer in the WSA
Institute of Technical University (RWTH) Aachen [4].

2.) Industry
Major polluters in industry are ferrous metallurgy, cement kiln oven and myriad
of other processes. But no one industrial process needs energy from combustion
only. Everyone might be done with electrical energy.
If somewhere the hydrogen is needed it might be produced by water electrolysis,
if CO2- it might be deflected from the transportation pipe of ZEPP. If in a special
1st International Exergy, Life Cycle Assessment, and Sustainability Workshop & Symposium (ELCAS)
4 - 6 June, 2009, NISYROS - GREECE

case just combustion is needed, it should be organized as “Oxy-fuel” with CO2

injection underground.
3.) Vehicles
The fleet of half billion of piston engine -driven vehicles is a big and dangerous
polluter. In favour of ZEC the well known old vehicle- electrical car is now within
sight. The first in the world electrical car has been demonstrated by Siemens in
1896. However the batteries of that time were too weak to compete with such
genial invention of the same year – the diesel piston engine. In hundred years the
diesel engine had changed insignificantly, its main elements now are the same as
by invention. However gradual success in electrochemistry lets develop the very
compact batteries on NiCl-Ni process and even better the Li-ion accumulators.
Many major automakers are demonstrated electrocars (Mercedes, General Motors
a.o.)
Here are presented achievements of not so giants, the models of rather small
companies which seem to be ahead of all. The first in Fig. 2 is the small 3-wheel
city car with Li-ion batteries and power 204 HP by a Swiss Co.

Fig. 2: Electrical city-car by Swiss Co with Li-ion batteries, charged from home grid. [5]

More powerful electrical car by Dutch Company Essent is presented in Fig.3.

The photo has been made by author at the World Energy Congress in Essen 10-th
February 2009. The data of Essent car are as follows:
• Power 200 HP,
• Total weight 990 kg,
• Batteries (Li-ion, 37.5 kWh) weight 330 kg,
• Maximal speed 215 km/h,
• Range 300 km,
• Start 0-100 km/h in 4 s.
1st International Exergy, Life Cycle Assessment, and Sustainability Workshop & Symposium (ELCAS)
4 - 6 June, 2009, NISYROS - GREECE

Many demonstrated electrocars are of the same properties. Here one may see
starting of a boom of electrical vehicles, quite good for a ZEC.

Fig. 3: Electrical car of Essent Company, demonstrated in Essen Congress 10.02.2009. [6]

If for any reason the electrical car use is impossible or not justified economically
there exists a possibility to build a Zero Emission Membrane Piston Engine System
(ZEMPES) [2], see Fig.4.
Here is used ordinary fuel, combusted in a piston engine just as in ZEPP in the
mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Oxygen produced from air, being separated
from air in ceramic membrane reactor, whereas CO2 is stored onboard and
discharged in a central big tank on filling station.

Fig. 4: Schematics of the ZEMPES. [2]

1st International Exergy, Life Cycle Assessment, and Sustainability Workshop & Symposium (ELCAS)
4 - 6 June, 2009, NISYROS - GREECE

4.) Heating of dwellings

In the middle of XIX century William Thomson (afterward Lord Kelvin) had
claimed that he can heat our dwellings (even in rather cold Scotland) using only
3% of firewood by a “heat multiplier” in comparison with ordinary stove. He
offered the use of machinery: to expand air with work production and air cooling
below ambient air, then to heat this air by ambient air through appropriate heat
exchanger, then to compress this air to the normal or slightly higher pressure by a
compressor having temperature high enough for a dwelling. As work of
compression exceeds the work of expansion the additional work is needed to drive
compressor. But amount of this additional work so small that it is equal about 3%
of energy income into dwelling due to much heat from ambient air.
This brilliant idea was considered as an unrealistic dream about half a century.
Then it was materialized in the two large industrial branches: cooling machines and
heating machines (the last are called “heat pumps”, HP). The only change from the
first idea was the use a special working substance “Freon” instead of air in a closed
loop. In some cases it might be the carbon dioxide either.
Now in the world exist tens of million small heat pumps, taking low-grade heat
from ambient air (as it was mentioned by inventor) or from the ground, the layers
some meters below the heated building. As usual their compressor is driven by an
electric motor, which makes it very good for the ZEC concept. Due to accepted
ambient heat the electrical energy is about 30% of the delivered heat to dwelling. If
to use direct electric heat for the same matter the 100% of electrical energy is
needed. That is why the direct electrical heating of dwellings is considered as
barbarism and is admitted in rare special cases.

Fig. 5: Heat Pump Station of 180 MW (6 x 30 MW) in Stockholm. [7]

If a ZEC prefers the district heating, there the heat pump stations (HPS) should
be used with powerful HP of about hundred megawatts, taking heat from a near
water basin, like a sea or river. An example is one of many Swedish HPS, taking
heat from Botany Bay (2 0C in the winter), see Fig.5.
1st International Exergy, Life Cycle Assessment, and Sustainability Workshop & Symposium (ELCAS)
4 - 6 June, 2009, NISYROS - GREECE

In the next Fig.6 is presented the recent approach how to use heat pumps
technology to adaptation to cool dwellings if needed. In European climate this
equipment is in work all year-round, replacing many small air conditioners and
boilers [7].

Fig. 6: District heating and cooling (DHC) heat pump station, using water of Baltic Sea, an
example of efficient zero emissions climatization in large cities near to the shore. [7]

5.) Incineration
The combustion of municipal wastes is extremely detrimental for atmosphere due
to very dangerous combustion products. Some wastes contain the plastic materials
with Chlorine , heavy metals and others; giving poisonous exhaust gases with
strong poison dioxin. Even after many stages of cleaning the discharge of
incinerators into atmosphere is harmful and the problem of Zero Emission
Incinerator (ZEI) is very urgent and difficult. The best way seems to be the
combining of an incinerator and ZEPP, proposed in [8]. Well known are
incinerators with rotary kiln [9], see Fig.7.
Rotary kilns provide long retention, good thermal isolation, and because of the
rotation excellent bed rollover. This makes a rotary waste combustion system ideal
for all wastes. All systems are configured for continuous operation and can have
many types of waste streams such as: boxed, containers, drum, and shredded.
In this schematics the total flow goes from right to the left, rotating kiln is almost
horizontal cylinder, and after some cleaning reactors the exhaust gases are going
through a vertical stack upward into atmosphere. Just this is a sore point,
inadmissible for ZEC.
Looking at a coal-fired ZEPP (Fig.1) we see that if combustion in rotary kiln is in
“artificial air”, (a mixture of recirculated gases with oxygen), the incinerator might
become Zero Emissions just like coal-fired power plant. It is a possible matching,
giving ZEI. Rotary kiln here plays the role of combustion chamber of the boiler of
1st International Exergy, Life Cycle Assessment, and Sustainability Workshop & Symposium (ELCAS)
4 - 6 June, 2009, NISYROS - GREECE

power station. All the poisonous contaminants of exhaust gases are dissolved in
liquefied carbon dioxide and sequestered in depth without harm.

Fig. 7: Schematics of a rotary kiln incinerator, capable of installation anywhere in world. [8]

6.) Energy system of “Zero Emissions City”

As problems of industry and incineration are not still elaborated enough, here is
presented schematics for a city without them. The combustion takes place in ZEPP
and ZEMPES only with zero emissions [10]. In Fig.8 the only emission is water
vapour from cooling tower. Any stack is absent.

Fig. 8: Energy system of “Zero Emission City” with carbon dioxide capture and sequestration, oxy-
fuel ZEPP, electrical auto, electrical heat pump and ZEMPES. [11]
 1st International Exergy, Life Cycle Assessment, and Sustainability Workshop & Symposium (ELCAS)
4 - 6 June, 2009, NISYROS - GREECE

In 2006, 15-17 May in Stockholm there was the European conference for local
governments on climate protection, energy efficiency and the promotion of
renewable energy under a motto: “A Future with Zero CO2 Emissions”. There are
erroneously no one word on carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), only prayers
on efficiency increase and coal elimination. It is a sharp contrast to policy of
European Union, formulated in the beginning of Introduction.

7.) Conclusion
Conversion of a city into zero emission one seems to be possible using known
technologies. Even without industry and incineration (still not fully elaborated),
amount of cities is quite enough to begin with. The price of dwellings in such cities
might be higher than in cities with polluted air. The consumption of oil will be
drastically reduced , which is essential in view of world oil decline. Major energy
supply is to be from coal-fired ZEPP. The described zero emissions coal-electrical
energy system of a big city with Oxy-fuel ZEPP should attract attention of the
World Mayors Council on Climate Change.

References

1. http://www.iea.org/Textbase/press/pressdetail.asp?PRESS_REL_ID=137
2. Foy, K. and E. Yantovsky, “History and state-of-the-art of fuel-fired zero-emissions power cycles”,
Int. Journ. of Thermodynamics, Vol. 9, No. 2 (June 2006), 37-64.
3. Rolland, W., „Entwicklung der CCS Technologie bei Vattenfall“, Sächsisch-ungarischer
Wirtschaft-kongress. Budapest, 14/15 Oct. 2008, (http://www.ahkungarn.hu/fileadmin user_upload/
/Dokumente/Bereich_HF/Dienstleistungen/Kooperationsboersen/Rolland.pdf ).
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Atmosphere”, Combustion & Flame, Vol. 155, No. 4 (2008), 605-618.
5. Rinspeed iChange. Geneva Auto Salon, 2008/9 (www.autocata.com/geneva-2009-rinspeed-ichange-
in-the-flesh/).
6. Author’s photo. Energy Kongress, Essen, 10th Febr. 2009.
7. http://www.friotherm.com/downloads/vaertan_e008_uk.pdf , http://www.iea- dhc.org/
download/city.pdf.
8. Iantovski, E.: Zero emissions power plant as an incinerator (98/02590), Fuel and Energy Abstracts,
Vol. 39, No. 3 (May 1998), 232.
9. http://www.metsominerals.com/inetMinerals/mm_home.nsf/FR?ReadForm.
10. Yantovsky, E., Gorski, J. and M. Shokotov, Zero Emissions Power Cycles. Taylor & Francis,
CRC Press: Boca Raton, 2009, ISBN: 9781420087918.
11. Yantovsky, E. and J. Gorski, “Zero Emissions Urban Power”. Low Carbon Urban Built
Environments (LCUBE), presented at Conf. COST23, Munich, 24/25 Sept. 2008.