- https://www.linkedin.com/in/pablodiaz1989/
- I am a researcher and consultant with experience in R&D and process engineering on conventional and clean energy gene... moreI am a researcher and consultant with experience in R&D and process engineering on conventional and clean energy generation. My expertise mainly focuses on green hydrogen, carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS); and recently, bioenergy (BioCCUS and biomethane). I have collaborated on projects with the private and public sectors, national and local governments, and international organizations.edit
This study examines the feasibility of utilizing biogas from the Prados de la Montaña landfill (PML) in Mexico City to produce vehicular biomethane. Five solvent-based biogas upgrading technologies are analyzed: water scrubbing (WS),... more
This study examines the feasibility of utilizing biogas from the Prados de la Montaña landfill (PML) in Mexico City to produce vehicular biomethane. Five solvent-based biogas upgrading technologies are analyzed: water scrubbing (WS), propylene carbonate (PC), dimethyl ether of polyethylene glycol (DPEG), monoethanolamine solution (MEA), and potassium carbonate solution (K2CO3). Process modeling and economic analysis are conducted, focusing on the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) as a comparative indicator. The results indicate that the quality and production capacity of biomethane are comparable across all evaluated technologies. The carbon capture system, which significantly impacts the LCOE, represents the largest component cost of the biogas upgrading plant. Among the case studies, the PC solvent demonstrates the most favorable economic performance ($14.5/MMBTU), followed by the solvents K2CO3, DPEG, and WS, which exhibit similar LCOE values ($17.1-17.5/MMBTU). Conversely, the MEA solvent exhibits the highest cost ($20.3/MMBTU). While these LCOEs exceed the historical average cost of natural gas in the market, the PC solvent remains competitive at a carbon tax price ≥ $9.6/tCO2eq. In conclusion, the commercial viability of producing vehicular biomethane at PML using these technologies is primarily dependent on the projected price of imported natural gas and the carbon tax.
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El informe técnico: "Potencial industrial de México en las cadenas de valor del hidrógeno verde", es publicado por el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD) y la Embajada de Dinamarca en México. Este proyecto representa... more
El informe técnico: "Potencial industrial de México en las cadenas de valor del hidrógeno verde", es publicado por el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD) y la Embajada de Dinamarca en México. Este proyecto representa un esfuerzo colaborativo en el que he tenido el honor de participar desde el equipo de la Sociedad Mexicana del Hidrógeno. Este informe aborda tres puntos cruciales:
1. Evaluación del Potencial de la Industria Mexicana en Tecnologías de Hidrógeno Verde.
2. Principales Desafíos y Oportunidades de la Industria de Hidrógeno y Power-to-X en México.
3. Recomendaciones Políticas Clave para Construir una Cadena de Valor de Hidrógeno Verde.
Espero sea de su agrado. Correo: pablor.diazh@gmail.com
1. Evaluación del Potencial de la Industria Mexicana en Tecnologías de Hidrógeno Verde.
2. Principales Desafíos y Oportunidades de la Industria de Hidrógeno y Power-to-X en México.
3. Recomendaciones Políticas Clave para Construir una Cadena de Valor de Hidrógeno Verde.
Espero sea de su agrado. Correo: pablor.diazh@gmail.com
Research Interests:
This research aims to get the statistical optimization of the higher heating value for residual biomass of a coculture conformed of microalgae and yeast species (CCMY). The CCMY was grown in different culture broths with micronutrient (N,... more
This research aims to get the statistical optimization of the higher heating value for residual biomass of a coculture conformed of microalgae and yeast species (CCMY). The CCMY was grown in different culture broths with micronutrient (N, P, and Fe) distributions defined by the Box-Behnken
experimental design. Lipids in the cultured biomass were removed by the reactive extraction method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed that biomass compounds were susceptible to applying thermogravimetric characterization. A pyrolysis process determines the
invested energy and accumulated energy during biomass thermal degradation. The pyrolysis process evaluated the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), yielding the determination of the amount of volatile matter, fixed carbon, and ashes in terms of the nutrient’s distributions. The obtained volatile matter range was 50.57-69.27%, fixed coal from 19.61-22.77% and the ash content was between 7.04 and 19.94%. The optimization problem considers that the accumulated energy is a
function of the culture broth micronutrients’ distribution. Applying the response surface method (RSM) over the experimental design data leads to determining the best nutrient combination that produces the higher heating value in the residual biomass (22.04 MJ/kg, dry-basis biomass).
experimental design. Lipids in the cultured biomass were removed by the reactive extraction method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed that biomass compounds were susceptible to applying thermogravimetric characterization. A pyrolysis process determines the
invested energy and accumulated energy during biomass thermal degradation. The pyrolysis process evaluated the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), yielding the determination of the amount of volatile matter, fixed carbon, and ashes in terms of the nutrient’s distributions. The obtained volatile matter range was 50.57-69.27%, fixed coal from 19.61-22.77% and the ash content was between 7.04 and 19.94%. The optimization problem considers that the accumulated energy is a
function of the culture broth micronutrients’ distribution. Applying the response surface method (RSM) over the experimental design data leads to determining the best nutrient combination that produces the higher heating value in the residual biomass (22.04 MJ/kg, dry-basis biomass).
Research Interests:
This work aims to analyze the cost projection of natural gas combined cycles (NGCC) with post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) technology for two promising power plant configurations, namely: conventional NGCC and exhaust gas recirculation... more
This work aims to analyze the cost projection of natural gas combined cycles (NGCC) with post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) technology for two promising power plant configurations, namely: conventional NGCC and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). A thermo-economic analysis was performed considering the second-law efficiency for the CO 2 separation process (η 2nd) and the CO 2 avoided cost (CAC) as main indicators. Several critical variables influencing the overall cost of the plant were considered, such as the work required for solvent regeneration (W regen), technology maturity, learning rate, carbon tax credit, and carbon capture level (85%, 90%, and 95%). A hybrid method combining engineering-economic and experience-curve approaches was used to estimate the costs of Nth-of-a-kind (NOAK) plants. The results showed that NOAK plants could potentially decrease the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) by 10%-11%, and the CAC by 21%-23%, compared with first-of-a-kind (FOAK) plants. EGR at 85% capture level showed the best economic performance among the study cases evaluated, with a CAC equal to $102.5/tCO2. At an 85% capture level, the CAC for the conventional NOAK NGCC plant is $104.1/tCO2 ; maintaining this same CAC value, the carbon capture rate could increase from 85% to 90.8% if EGR configuration is implemented. Finally, from the findings of this research, it is concluded that the CAC for NOAK plants is expected to be, in the best scenario, as low as $69/ tCO2. Therefore, these plants might need at least a similar carbon tax value to ensure their operation during their useful life.
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One of the main criteria for the selection of a suitable solvent is the CO2 solubility capacity or CO2 loading. The objective of this work is to provide students and earlycareer scientists a detailed description of a titration-based... more
One of the main criteria for the selection of a suitable solvent is the CO2 solubility capacity or CO2 loading. The objective of this work is to provide students and earlycareer scientists a detailed description of a titration-based experiment to measure the CO2 loading using simple and inexpensive volumetric and gravimetric lab apparatus. The performance of the method is corroborated by comparing the experimental uncertainty obtained during the determination of the CO2 concentration in test samples (in an absorption unit at lab scale) with reference values obtained by mass balance based on a certified gas analyser. The results indicate that CO2 loading values between the experimental method and the reference range from ±3 to 13%, which is in good agreement with other similar methods.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The objective of this work is to compare the theoretical implementation of three strategies for reducing CO2 emissions in existing natural gas combined cycles (NGCC) under the context of the Mexican clean energy regulation, namely: NGCC... more
The objective of this work is to compare the theoretical implementation of three strategies for reducing CO2 emissions in existing natural gas combined cycles (NGCC) under the context of the Mexican clean energy regulation, namely: NGCC with post-combustion carbon capture plant (CCS); NGCC fueled with blends of natural gas and blue H2 (bH2) or green H2 (gH2). These options were analysed from the point of view of the end users in meeting the National goals in clean electricity generation during the period of 2020-2050. A techno-economic analysis was performed by considering different variables, such as clean energy certificate price, fuel costs, capital expenditure, operating cost and capacity factor plant. In general, the CCS shows a better economic performance than bH2 and gH2 cases for reducing carbon emissions in existing NGCCs. In a low natural gas price scenario ($1/MMBTU), the gH2 case is economically attractive from gH2 cost equal to or less than $ 0.9 per kg. Finally, it is found that under the current Mexican regulatory framework is not possible the incorporation of any of the technologies mentioned above, in which case, this regulation needs to be deeply amended in order to define new technical and administrative criteria for promoting the market entry of these technologies in the country.
Research Interests: Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Hydrogen, Energy Policy, Power System, and 12 moreCombined Cycle Power Plants, Hydrogen Storage, Wind Power, Solar Power, Hydrogen Energy, Carbon Capture and Storage, Hydrogen Production, Energy Regulation, Hydrogen Economy, Power to Gas, green hydrogen, and blue hydrogen
This paper aims to estimate capture level design of a natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) with CO 2 capture by considering the electricity output penalty (EOP), levelised cost of electricity (LCOE), cost of CO 2 avoided, optimum size of the... more
This paper aims to estimate capture level design of a natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) with CO 2 capture by considering the electricity output penalty (EOP), levelised cost of electricity (LCOE), cost of CO 2 avoided, optimum size of the equipment, and two novel configurations e.g. exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and sequential gas turbine combustion (SGTC), all of these parameters together. SGTC configuration represents the highest LCOE at different capture rates, even when the number of absorbers is reduced by half due to the incorporation of the air separation unit (ASU) to supply O 2 to the second combustor. Compared with a conventional NGCC, if EGR is incorporated, the design capture level increases from 90% to 92% at lower cost of CO 2 avoided, lowering carbon intensity (5.2% reduction) while maintaining the same LCOE, even when the volume of the absorber is reduced by 17% approximately. Increasing the capture level is very important to generate electricity nearly to net zero emissions.
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Research Interests:
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CO2 capture was evaluated on Li8SiO6 at high-pressure.
CO2 is trapped chemical and physically on Li8SiO6.
High-pressure enhances the CO2 capture between 30 and 350 C.
CO2 is trapped chemical and physically on Li8SiO6.
High-pressure enhances the CO2 capture between 30 and 350 C.