Power Plant Production Management and Monitoring

PRODUCTION
MANAGEMENT AND
MONITORING IN A
POWER PLANT
Enerbit
ul. Czerniakowska 28 B
00-714 Warsaw, POLAND
Tel: +4822880 92 68
Fax: +48 22880 92 68
E-mail: info@enerbit.com
www.enerbit.com
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
AND MONITORING IN A POWER PLANT
contents
1. Boiler Efficiency and Thermal Balance. ................................................................................................................................................ 4
2. Laboratory Module. .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
3. Fuel Handling.................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
4. Monitoring of Heat Losses................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
5. Monitoring of Coal Pulverizers. ....................................................................................................................................................................... 8
6. Turbine Efficiency and Thermal Balance............................................................................................................................................. 9
7. Regeneration System........................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
8. District Heating............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 11
9. Efficiency of Auxiliaries....................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
10. Turbine Condenser and Cooling Tower. ....................................................................................................................................... 13
11. Generator. .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 14
12. Technological and Economic Indicators. .................................................................................................................................. 14
13. Boiler Start-up Monitoring............................................................................................................................................................................. 15
14. Turbine Start-up Monitoring. ....................................................................................................................................................................... 16
15. Start-up Context Advisory Assistance................................................................................................................................................17
16. Start-up Loss Monitoring..................................................................................................................................................................................17
17. Stress Monitoring................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
18. Material Degradation Monitoring........................................................................................................................................................ 19
19. Program Energy Meters................................................................................................................................................................................. 20
20. Equipment Characteristics. ....................................................................................................................................................................... 21
21. Production Accounts. ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
22. Production Cost and Revenues............................................................................................................................................................ 23
23. CHP Plant Model. ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 24
24. Forecasting of CHP Plant Heat Load. .............................................................................................................................................. 25
25. Electric Load Forecasting............................................................................................................................................................................ 26
26. Profit Optimization - the Cogenopt Module......................................................................................................................... 27
27. Optimal Plant Operation with Heat Accumulator - The CogenoptA Module..................................... 28
Appliaction Platform................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Reference List.................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 32
1. boiler efficiency and thermal balance
Fluidised bed boiler efficiency screen graphics
he boiler efficiency programme module may be applied

to boilers fired pulverised coal, oil, gas, biomass, as well
as to fluidised bed boilers and heat recovery steam
generators. The module software enables also calculations to
be performed for simultaneous combustion of several fuels.
The module calculates thermal balance, heat loss and
efficiency on the basis of current measurements that have
been taken from a database or from the control system.
The results in each calculation cycle are made available to
operators in the form of screen graphics. The data obtained from these calculations are also recorded in the database and can be analysed at a later date.
Depending on the boiler size and fuel type, the calculations are carried out either by the direct method or by the loss
method. For coal fired boilers, the efficiency is calculated by
determining the main heat loss. In addition, the flue gas composition necessary for calculations is determined by iterative
procedures.
The applied calculation methodology is based on the
relationships described in standard PN-EN 12952-15 of
2006 Water-tube boilers and auxiliary installations. Part
15: Acceptance tests. Also other methods may be applied
for efficiency calculations, including the method described
in the ASME standard.
The operators are informed of the current value of heat
loss, the thermal balance components, the fuel chemical
energy used for steam generation and a number of parameters,
of which some are listed below.
The fuel composition. This is determined on the basis

of chemical analysis of individual fuels (for simultaneous
combustion of basic fuel and additional fuels). In addition,
the current composition of the fuel composite burned is
determined on the basis of the measurements taken of the
outlet flue gas composition.
The dependency of the boiler flue gas loss on the
excess combustion air and the flue gas temperature. This
dependency is calculated based on the current conditions,
i.e., for the current flue gas composition, the oxygen content in the flue gas and the flue gas temperature at the
boiler outlet.
The dependency due to unburned carbon loss
on the combustion conditions. The unburned parts in
fly ash and slag are systematically estimated with neural
models. The current loss value, and its dependency on
the factor that currently has the strongest influence on
this loss are then determined. A simpler solution is when
the fuel composition laboratory analysis result is used
instead of the neural model.
The operators, having quantitative information on
the influence of individual parameters on the boiler
efficiency, are then able to individually take
cost-effective measures during the boiler operation.
2. LABORATORY MODULE
An example of a user interface of the laboratory module
aboratory module is a database in which records are

gathered after analyses have been completed. The database - along with the user interface - enables this data
to be used both by the employees and by applications, which
may automatically download this information and apply
them in calculations.
For calculations as regards boiler efficiency, the results of
analyses taken of the fuel burned are required, along with
the ash and slag. This data, along with their time stamps, are
downloaded by the application from the database.
As an example, the following parameters may be archived
in the database:
water: hardness, acidity, conductivity,
Demineralised
silica, iron, copper
water: hardness, acidity, conductivity, silica, eliminox
Feed
water: acidity, conductivity, phosphates, p parame Boiler
ter, m parameter
steam: conductivity, silica
Saturated
steam: conductivity, silica
Superheated
hardness, acidity, conductivity, silica,
Condensate:
ammonia
technical analysis: calorific value, C, S, ash, moisture
Coal,
elementary analysis: calorific value, C, S, N, H, O,
Coal,
H2O
Flue gas, unburned parts content: in ash, in slag
fuel, mill 1, pulverised coal duct 1: R200, R125,

Pulverised
R90; pulverised coal duct 2: R200, R125, R90
fuel, mill 2, pulverised coal duct 1: R200, R125,
Pulverised
R90; pulverised coal duct 2: R200, R125, R90
Apart from the laboratory database, the module also
contains two interfaces:
user interface, for retrieving the recorded data
The
laboratory interface for making entries into
The
database by authorised personnel
the
Making entries is authorised by inserting the individuals

username and password.
Users
Id
Name
Initials
Password
Alexis Galwarys
AG
***
Alicja Kubicki
AK
******
12
Ann Neugebauer
AN
********
Barbara Zeeman
BZ
***
16
Dafne Coperer
DK
****
Hana Lexwind
HL
********
3. FUEL HANDLING
Screen graphics showing the current composition of the fuel composite at simultaneous combustion of coal,
biomass (two types) and biogas
t present, in many power and CHP plants,

co-combustion of two or more fuels is applied.
Unless the proportion of fuels burned is forced, the
question as regards the best ratio will always arise. In both cases
these questions can be answered by efficiency assessment. To
calculate efficiency, one needs to know the chemical composition of the fuel composite that is formed in the process
of combustion of various fuels. Therefore the application
systematically deter-mines the share of the elementary components that are fed to the boiler. The screen graphics show
this as the composition of the fuel composite.
If two known fuels are burned, it is possible to perform
regression analysis of the results of the afore-mentioned
economic calculations and to obtain a simple dependency
of the boiler efficiency on the fuel ratio.
The left-hand graph shows such a dependency for a CFB

boiler that is fired with coal and hydraulically fed coal slurry
of inferior quality, but is much cheaper than the basic fuel.
Optimal share of the additional fuel in combustion
Boiler efficiency at various shares of the additional fuel
This graph - complemented with fuel prices - enables

the optimum proportions of fuels to be determined. The
graph presented above indicates explicitly how much additional fuel should be burned in order to ensure the highest
possible revenues from energy sales in relation to the fuel
costs.
Preparation of pulverised fuel to have it adapted for
combustion in the boiler is a separate issue. Pulver-ised
coal of adequate quality may be obtained by the monitoring of coal mills. This module is described in the section
Monitoring of Coal Pulverizers.
4. MONITORING OF HEAT LOSSES
he main heat losses in a boiler consist of flue gas loss,

incomplete combustion loss and imperfect combustion
loss, as well as convection and radiation loss.
The latter does not depend on the operational conditions, and the imperfect combustion loss in modern boilers is
negligible.
Monitoring of the outlet loss is performed by tracking
the working point in a graph with independent coordinates (oxygen in flue gas and flue gas outlet temperature).
The graph curves are calculated accordingly to the
current chemical composition of flue gas and the moisture
content. Monitoring of this biggest heat loss enables the boiler
efficiency to be monitored on an ongoing basis. The operators may change the settings of the oxygen set value if it is
deemed advisable and practicable.
In order to eradicate this drawback, a model has been

applied in which characteristics are determined with an
artificial neural network. As a result, we can obtain a graph
of the flammable matter content in fly ash with a time
resolution of 10 seconds. An example of the graph is presented in the picture.
The second biggest heat loss in the boiler is the incomplete combustion loss that arises from the remains of unburned
carbon in carbon fly ash and slag. The content of flammable matter in fly ash is not measured by direct methods and
therefore its value is laboratory-determined. This is a serious
disadvantage as the consequent delay prevents it from being
moni-tored online.
The results of the operations of the trained neural model

that determines the carbon content in fly ash are presented
in the picture. These laboratory test results are then compared with the results estimated for the times when fly ash was
sampled.
Systematic monitoring of flammable matter in fly ash
Due to changes in the facility properties such as wear and

tear of mill pulverising components, periodic fuel changes
and other such examples, the other feature of a neural model - which is its continuous learning - becomes valuable.
The possibility of verifying model properties by means of
continuous confrontation with laboratory tests is utilized
here. In this case there is no requirement for tests to be
performed on a daily basis.
Systematic monitoring of the outlet loss of a

pulverised fuel boiler
5. MONITORING OF COAL PULVERIZERS
Screen graphics of the coal mill monitoring module
he mill module monitors the operating conditions of the

mill itself, along with the influence of the mill assembly
operation on the incomplete combustion loss in the boiler.
Operators can observe the following parameters:

working point as regards the unit power consumption
The
for coal pulverising, as presented in the graph that has the
Unit energy consumption for coal pulverising
following coordinates: unit ventilation and classifier position.

The operator can see the actual working point in the form
of the current value of unit power consumption, and also
a series of statistically averaged characteristics of mill ventilation (the working point for the reference conditions).
It results in a deviation from the standard which may be
caused either by the deterioration of the pulverising component condi-tion, or the fuel quality.
working point as regards the unburned parts content

The
in fly ash is presented in the graph that has the following
coordinates: unit ventilation and classifier position. In this

case, these coordinates mean the weighted averages for the
assembly of mills in operation. As in the first example, there
are two working points: the actual working point (Cp laboratory measurement), and the working point for the averaged
(standard) conditions).
Flammable matter content in fly ash
The presented graphs enable the mill performance and the

influence of their operations on boiler efficiency to be assessed,
along with correctional measures to be implemented with regard
to the classifier and air control system settings, both for the primary and secondary air.
6. TURBINE EFFICIENCY AND THERMAL BALANCE
Graphics of a back pressure turbine with bleeding
Temperature versus entropy
n the program module of turbine efficiency the turbine

thermal balance is calculated, including the regeneration
system. For condensing turbines, the balance includes the
condenser with the cooling water system; and for district
heating turbines the balance of heat exchangers and the heat
export system.
The module makes calculations for:

steam turbines
back pressure extraction turbines
condensing turbines
gas turbines
steam and gas systems
The program for calculating the efficiency is based on

having knowledge of enthalpy and entropy at the inlet and
outlet of each turbine stage. For turbines where - in some
extractions - wet steam with unknown steam quality, the
program - based on the available measured values - systematically defines the steam expansion curve and determines all the necessary parameters for the whole turbine flow
path. The output parameters those that are exported to the
database as a result of the turbine-generator set
calculations for internal efficiency of the HP, IP and LP

parts, thermal power in characteristic points of the flow
system and the mechanical power at the shafts of the HP, IP
and LP parts, thermal power in the steam from each turbine extraction, the electrical power generated in cogeneration
and in the condensing mode, electrical and thermal power
of auxiliaries used for production of power, heat and general needs, net and gross efficiency of energy generation, and
heat and power cogeneration ratio.
Enthalpy versus entropy
The program module for turbine efficiency calculations

presents the following additional information, which may be
significant for the operating personnel in the power plant:
The steam path expansion line in the turbine flow path.

This enables its current operational conditions, the throttling
degree in the control valves and the IP valves, along with the
ventilation effect of the final stages, etc. to be evaluated.
Efficiency variation history. This is the course of efficiency
within the last 8 hours - visualised in order to show the correlation between the initiated changes of operation conditions
and the efficiency.
The efficiency deviations from its design value - which

have occurred as a result of deviations of the actual operating
conditions from the design conditions.
10
Sensitivity of efficiency to the operating parameter changes. This is the magnitude of efficiency change caused by
a change in a certain physical parameter. The operators are
aware of the current impact of, for example, the incoming
steam temperature and pressure, a vacuum in the condenser, condenser surface contamination, heat exchange in the
regenerative heaters, or a pressure drop at IP valves (in CHP
plants) on the efficiency.
The steam parameters and the parameters of streams of
steam, water, condensate and drip as determined by calculations enable all the parameters needed for making reports
as used in power industry statistics and in the production
planning, to be calculated. The explicit presentation of the
dependency of efficiency on key factors allows the operators
to solely optimise operations.
7. Regeneration System
he regeneratiom module calculates the

thermal balance and parameters as related to
regenerative heaters. These are the following
groups of data:
thermal balance of the heaters
The
heat flux to the heat exchange surface
The
steam flow from the extractions to the
The
heaters
The heater thermal temperature difference
Regeneration system screen graphics
8. DISTRICT HEATING
he program module for monitoring the

district heating module perfor-mance
determines the balance and characteristic
parameters related to the production and external transfer of heat. Aside from the energy
balance, the thermal temperature difference
in the heat exchangers for district heating are
determined, and are used as a measure of heat
exchange efficiency. In this module, steam streams from the turbine extractions that feed the
under-turbine heat exchangers are calculated.
The obtained data is the basis for calculations of
turbine efficiency.
The graphics of an example of district heating module
11
9. EFFICIENCY OF AUXILIARIES
onsumption of power for auxiliaries constitutes a significant

part of CHP plant production.
Therefore it is advisable to monitor
working points of large power consumers
and their current efficiency. The program
module designed for this purpose monitors FD fans, mill fans, flue gas fans (ID
and recirculation fans), feeding pumps
and municipal water pumps.
The equipment efficiency is determined on the basis of systematic calculations of hydraulic power of the medium,
and the absorbed electric power.
In another variant of screen graphics,
the working power of the equipment
can be seen in the background of equal
efficiency curves. This family of curves
is obtained from a database containing
historical data.
Monitoring of feed water pumps
Screen graphics of flue gas fans - the working point and the chart of current flow resistances
12
10. TURBINE CONDENSER AND THE COOLING TOWER
Graphic interface of the turbine condenser and the cooling tower
he condenser working point is significant for turbine

efficiency. It is a function of cooling system performance. The monitoring of a cooling system, for example, with vent coolers, is focused on indicating the correct
relationship between the cooling water temperature, the
number of cooler cells in operation, and the fan speed.
The result is then used for setting the condenser working

point as these coordinates: the condenser temperature versus the stream of the steam condensed, where the cooling
water tempera-ture is a monitored parameter. The whole is
to inform the operators of the best operating conditions of
the condenser, along with the information on how to achieve
these conditions with the cooler.
13
11. Generator
he task of the generator program

module is to monitor the generator working point on a circular
chart which is supplemented with limitation ranges. Usually the following
parameters are calculated:
Active power and reactive power on
a circular chart
Phase angle cosine and phase angle
Power angle and power triangle
Power limitations at overexcitation
and underexcitation
Changes in generator efficiency
with the power generated and phase angle
Changes in generator efficiency are
in relation to the manufacturers data
for nominal conditions. To this end,
the module corrects the losses in copper and iron depending on the active
and reactive power generated.
Graphic interface of the generator program module
12. TECHNOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Here is an example of an indicator set
calculated separately for the condensing
circuit and for cogeneration:
net electric power
Gross,
generation efficiency
Power
consumption of chemical energy of
Unit
fuels for power generation
power consumed by auxiliaries
Electrical
as related to power production, and as
related to heat production
Graphics of technological and economic indicators
he technological and economic

indicators are calculated for the
Division of Economic Analyses of
the CHP plant, Division of Production
Settlements and unit operators.
14
These parameters are utilised as

aggregated in various time horizons. In
order to enable calculations to be made
for any use, the calculations are made
with a time resolution of 10 seconds.
power sent externally for hea Thermal

ting and process purposes
thermal power sent exter Cogenerated
nally
generation efficiency
Heat
consumption of fuel chemical
Unit
energy for heat generation
Thermal
Thermal
as related to power production; related
to production of heat sent externally
13. BOILER START-UP MONITORING
Operators interface for boiler start-up
uring start-up, shut-down and during severe load

changes, mechanical and thermal stresses occur in
thick-walled boiler components. In order to avoid
exceeding those values that are permissible, the main thick-walled components are monitored.
The difference between the permissible stress value and
the actual stress value is defined as the stress margin. This
margin, for any thick-walled component which may affect
the boiler start-up or shut-down speed, is monitored online. This parameter informs the operator of the possibility of
increasing the start-up speed at a given time.
The operation monitoring module contains the tools
required for start-up coordination.
The basis for the calculation is the model which maps the
heat accumulation process in the evaporator volume and in
the economizer.
After the heat accumulation process in the evaporator

has been coordinated, it becomes possible to determine the
acceptable increase in the fuel stream to the boiler and the
received steam stream.
Both types of load margin enable the start-up to be
conducted at the maximum speed.
The boiler start-up monitoring module is provided with
a context-sensitive prompt function for the operator. Its
objective is to remind the operator of those activities that are
necessary to be performed at any given moment or to display
warnings about unacceptable states.
The start-up monitoring module enables the boiler
start-up to be conducted with as few start-up losses as
possible. Operational safety conditions are then met.
The picture (above) shows a fragment of the screen graphics for the boiler operator. The current heat accumulation
curve and the current and optimal steam stream from the
boiler are indicated.
15
14. TURBINE START-UP MONITORING
he operator has access to the

following components:
thermal restrictions con Turbine

taining start-up criteria
related to the shut-off
Restrictions
valve
internal body restrictions
HP
external body restrictions
HP
body restrictions
IP
measurements
Special
(general abstract)
measurements
General
Start-up conditions for the turbine
Operators interface for turbine start-up
The eccentricity, axial shift, elongations, metal temperature and bearing

vibrations are monitored.
Visualisation of the turbine generator set bearing vibrations in the
X-Y plane are presented by the graph
as ellipses. The coloured surfaces enable the vibration levels to be quickly
evaluated, along with the dynamics of
their amplitude changes in relation to
the currently applicable values.
Operators interface for turbine start-up - vibrations, elongations,

and axial shift
16
15. Start-up Context Advisory Assistance

Boiler related messages:
Alerts:
Economizer water temperature is under saturation only 6 Deg C
Water in economizer is boiling !
Increase water flow
Superheater IV tubes temperature is 7 Deg C over allowable value

Heat accumulation in evaporator is too high
Examples of context-sensitive advisor messages.
onitoring of start-up procedures for both the boiler

and the turbine is provided for the operator in the
form of a context-sensitive advisor. Its objective is
to provide the operator close contact with the start-up process. The messages are broken down into two groups. The first
contains information about the event that is about to occur
from the start-up procedure; the other is a set of warnings.
Below are a few messages presented as examples:
water temperature in the economiser is only 6.0C

The
below boiling point
is boiling in the economiser
Water
fourth stage superheater: the pipe metal tem-perature
The
has exceeded acceptable limits by 7C. Increase injection!
is excessive heat accumulation in the evaporator.
There
Increase saturation temperature at a rate of 1.52C/min
Turbine related messages:

steam temperature upstream from the shut off valve
The
must not fall below 186C.
acceptable steam temperature gradient upstream
The
from the shut off valve must not exceed 1.36C/min.
Predicted synchronization time: 19:03:00.
16. START-UP LOSS MONITORING

The module uses the direct method for determining
energy losses. It archives power unit start-up parameters for
various types of start-ups into a local database:
cold, warm and hot start-ups (the determining factor
For
is the turbine body temperature).
the basis of certain algorithms the program also iden On
tifies the cases where the start-up process deviates from
optimal conditions (emergency states).
he start-up loss module is a tool for systematic determination of the amount of energy loss and start-up
costs incurred during the start-up cycle. This includes
shut-downs, standstills and start-ups of power units. In addition, this module which was based on collected historical
data from previous start-ups - forms a start-up template for
forecasting start-up loss quantities, and costs of a shut-down
and any restarting of the unit that is planned for the future.
Calculations in the program are performed online. The

program systematically monitors the operating status of
power equipment, looking for characteristic stages of the
start-up cycle (shut-down, standstill, start-up). The completion of each start-up is followed by calculations related to
this start-up, along with an update of the forecast start-up
loss template.
To determine the specific state of the beginning and
the end of any given unit start-up, the application performs
detailed calculations for every start-up stage of the unit.
17
17. STRESS MONITORING
Boiler thermal stress interface
ny resultant stresses on the boilers thick-walled

pressure components are mainly from the internal
pressure. The difference between the permissible thermal stress value and the actual value is defined as the thermal
stress margin. For safety reasons, this margin is monitored
continuously.
This module performs the following basic functions:
determines the thermal stress margins in the main
Itpressure
components of the boiler in the online mode
determines the safety margin for heated surfaces by
Itmonitoring
the heat load of its heating components
- mainly the superheater components
The components that restrict the boiler start-up speed are

its thick-walled pressure components.
The basic function of the boiler start-up program module
is to systematically identify thermal stresses and then determine the margins of stress that may occur as a result of the
start-up. Mechanical stresses are calculated within appropriate
standards.
18
Thermal stresses in the thick-walled components are

calculated online; the calculation method depends on the
complexity of the thick-walled component shape, along with
the applied method to measure the metal temperature.
The calculation result is then processed into information,
which has two applications:
information is displayed on the screen monitor of the
The
unit operator
information for the control system represents the
The
boiler thermal restrictions.
In the first application, the operator uses the information
obtained for manual start-up. The method of thermal stress
margin visualisation is shown in the picture.
The thermal stress module complements the power plant
diagnostic system. Periodic tests of the units thick-walled
component material with non-destructive (NDE) methods
enable the degree of degradation of each component to be
assessed. However, the correctness of equipment operation in
the period between the subsequent NDE tests is monitored by
the presented thermal stress program module.
18. Material Degradation Monitoring
Screen graphics of the material wear module
he operational history of power unit equipment components is recorded in the material structure, resulting
in a successive loss of material mechanical properties.
The mechanism of exhausting the service life of the material
has been identified, and the mathematical description of this
process enables the current condition to be evaluated with
a specific accuracy on the basis of its operational history.
The destructive effects of operation are measured
by two parameters:
sum of material damage resulting from the stress and
The
high temperature impact or the creep wear
sum of damage resulting from cyclical stress changes
The
at a high temperature or the fatigue wear.
Both kinds of destruction act together, and their
numeric value is the measure of material wear (Usage
Factor).
In the module for boiler start-up monitoring, mechanical and thermal stresses in the selected components recognized as criterion components - are continuously
identified. These parameters are the basis of calculation

of the combined stresses. These total stresses cause the
degradation of material, and the effect of degradation
may be estimated based on examining the history of
stress changes during operation.
The program module calculates the following
parameters:
total stress in the criterion pressure components
The
material wear as a result of high-temperature
Estimated
creep
material wear as a result of low-cycle fatigue
Estimated
Total wear of the monitored components (Usage Factor)
The calculations - which are conducted continuously

- enable hazardous areas to be evaluated on an ongoing
basis and the method of unit operation to be corrected in
order to limit these hazards in the future.
The picture shows an example of screen graphics where the values of relative material wear due to fatigue and
creep are presented. The bar chart shows the aggregated
material wear for each component in its relative form.
19
19. PROGRAM ENERGY METERS

The program meters are an application for recording
production settlement parameters for which no physical
measurement points have been installed.
production within process steam by individual units

Heat
production within peak heat exchangers differentia Heat
ted between heat produced by co-generation and beyond
It is often necessary to monitor individual production

data for settlement or controlling needs. At the same time,
for technical reasons, it may be impossible to install meters
on site. In such circumstances the program meters may be
applied. This application determines the required parameters
based on available measurements, using mass and energy
balances or indirect calculation methods.
Heat production from steam boilers
co-generation
To ensure continuity of such measurements in the event

of failures, the program is installed at independent servers.
The application has had the necessary protection programs
installed that prohibits any interference in the program
algorithms or in the results themselves, thus ensuring the
security of calculations. The system may also use back-up
measurements by automatically changing the calculation
methodology in case of basic measurement failure. All
information on the application operation is reported and
recorded, and any information as regards incorrect measurements is sent by e-mail to the application administrator.
Examples of parameters monitored by the program
meters:
Coal allocation to individual boilers based on indications
of the scales at the common conveyor belt
Allocation of heat production within heating water to
individual units on the basis of measurements on the
common heating mains
Program meters - table with data
Program meters - graphic presentation of the parameters monitored
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20. EQUIPMENT CHARACTERISTICS
Program interface for identification of equipment characteristics
ithin operating practices of a power plant there

is often the need to analyse equipment operation
in exceptional conditions. In this case, economic
calculations have been made based on a power plant (CHP
plant) model. The model is based on the characteristics of
individual facilities, and such characteristics may be provided
by a specialised company.
At present a vast majority of power plants have a measurement data acquisition system where the process data is
recorded. It can be used for independent identification of
statistical characteristics of the equipment, which provides
the possibility of continuous economic analysis of facility
operation.
Tools based on an artificial neural network, among others,
have been used for the identification of characteristics. This
advanced identification technique enables the data to be
analysed in detail at a future date and verified, but first and
foremost it enables the result to be applied directly to other
applications using the developed equipment characteristics.
Approximating functions may be directly applied by, for
example, using Microsoft Excel sheets.
An example of the turbine IP part characteristics
21
21. Production Accounts
An example of a graphic interface of the accounts program
his application is intended to supporting the balancing

and accounting for heat and power production. It is
used for generating reports that are ready for use for the
Accounting Services in a CHP plant.
Reports generated in the system enable energy for the
CHP plant auxiliaries to be accounted for, and they are used
for settlements with contractual parties. The program enables
reports that are required for example for settlements with
the Energy Regulatory Office to be issued.
Additionally, Users may generate their own data sets by
means of a simple form. This tool provides ease of use with
regards to accounts and the controlling of production.
The calculations performed by the system meet the requirements of standards and recommendations as defined by the
customer. They are based on procedures corresponding to the
design and the adopted equipment balancing limit, and these
procedures are adjusted to specific arrangement and requirements as required by the customer at each use.
The program enables any reports to be generated. For instance, reports for any given period of time can be prepared.
Users may amend the data, add comments to reports, print
reports directly from the application level, or copy whole data
sets to other programs such as Microsoft Excel.
Any report produced may be assigned an approved status, after which it is archived and further manual changes in
the report can no longer be included.
The program has built-in validation of input data. In the
case of accounting meter failure, the application makes calculations using substitute calculation methods, thus providing continuity of reporting.
22
Input data with a low credibility index are properly marked, and the User is informed of this situation.
A selection of report categories (left hand but-tons) and

the list of corresponding ready to use reports from a given
group (right)
The application performs calculations for the

whole CHP plant and for individual generating facilities
as regards power and heat production, fuel consumption
and technological and economic indicators. The graphic
interface enables a specific report to be easily localised.
Data in the program has been grouped by subject categories.
22. Production Costs and Revenues
he optimisation of the CHP plant production aims at

obtaining the best ratio on revenues: from power and
heat sales to expenses on fuel and other variable costs
related to energy production. The difference between the sales
revenue and variable costs constitutes a contribution margin
(but does not contain fixed costs), which is the only criterion
for optimisation.
The cost program module enables the contribution margin to be identified and used in simulation optimisations
that are run offline for comparative examinations of the
various variants of production. It is also used for ongoing
optimization of production.
The input parameters for the cost module are:
cost stream (coal, biomass, oil, biogas, gas)
Fuel
fuel parameters
Current
emissions (CO2 in the form of the environmental
Air
charge + CO2; in the form of emission trade participation, NOx, SO2)
Stream of costs of power consumption for auxiliaries
of costs of heat consumed for auxiliaries

Stream
of heat (within heating water, within process steam)
Sales
of power (contracted, ordered by the medium volta Sales
ge line customers, and sold at the Power Exchange)
on property rights concerning red and green
Information
energy
on the prices of contracted energy, and from
Information
the Next Day Market
As is standard, the cost module calculates the contribution margin value for a period of one hour. Daily, monthly
and other periods that constitute the sum of hourly results
may be calculated with database tools.
The cost module may be used in three cases:
evaluation of the past period - input data is taken
For
from the archive database
current optimisation - input data is taken from the
For
process database
For optimisation of future production - the CHP plant
23
23. CHP Plant model

A multi-variant analysis of CHP plant operation at set
external conditions is only possible by means of its mathematical model. The same concerns any analysis of its operating
conditions that may occur in the fu-ture. For these purposes, a mathematical model of individual CHP plant facilities is applied. The model is verified based on an additional
program module that identifies the static properties of these
facilities. This auxiliary module is called the Characteristics
Mod-ule, and is described above.
Thus models of boilers, turbines, generators, heat exchangers, district heating modules, and cooling systems are created. When combined, they comprise models of whole heat
generating units and CHP plants. The model is intended
mainly for the examination of CHP plant operating conditions in exceptional situations, and for the optimization of its
operations in order to maximise profits on energy sales.
As an example, models of some of these facilities are
outlined below:
Boiler
Turbine
Inputs values:
coal, biomass, oil, biogas, feed water
tream of steam to the HP turbine section, stream of

Ssteam
to the IP turbine section
hemical energy supplied with fuel, stream of steam

CParameters:
Configuration of the mill system
xtraction steam enthalpy in extraction no. 1 and in the

Eother
extractions.
transferred to the rotor shaft in the HP turbine
Power
section, power to the shaft in the IP section
Output values:
Vacuum system
Input values:
fluxes from the steam ejectors, the vapour cooler

Heat
and the heating water stream in the by-pass duct
Output values:
temperature downstream the steam ejectors and

Water
the vacuum cooler (CT), drip streams, heat from the
system to water
24
Input values:
treams of
Stemperature
Output Values:
Heat exchanger
Input values:
flux transferred to the heating water, heating water

Heat
flow, inlet temperature, streams and temperatures of drip
to the heat exchanger, stream of additional water to the

system
Output values:
Temperature, streams of water and drip at the outlet
24. Forecasting of CHP Plant Heat Load
or power production planning, knowledge of the

expected heat load of the CHP plant, along with the
forecasted demand for heat in the heating water and
process steam for the whole calculation period, are required.
The module calculates the demand for heat in the heating
water and process steam for the following and six subsequent
days (n+6).
The output parameters are forecasting demand for heat
in the heating water, the heat in the process steam, and the
power demand from medium voltage customers.
The basic inputs for heat load models is data from
weekly weather forecasts provided by the relevant meteorological office. The other model inputs describe the current
weather conditions and the current operation state of individual CHP plant facilities.
Auxiliary input parameters:
Time
Week
of days from
Number
heating season
temperature
Ambient
exposure
Sun
speed
Wind
Humidity
the winter solstice within the
Forecast of heat transferred to the heating water. Colours: green - measured

value, blue - model output, red - value difference (absolute value)
A one-customer forecast of heat in the process steam. Colours: green - measured value, blue model output, red - value difference (absolute value)
Forecast of power sent to the MV grid customers. Colours: green - measured value, blue - model
output, red - value difference (absolute value)
25
25. electric load forecasting
he program module responsible for determining the

forecast concerning power production operates on the
basis of information that is provided as regards the
expected heat load in the heating water and process steam.
This module operates based on a model of generating facilities, the configuration of their operation, and the method of
their utilization by the operators. This data is complemented
by a list of process restrictions valid for the selected operating
conditions (technological minimums, maximum loads).
The program module contains facilities in the form of
a number of characteristics. These are boilers, turbines,
generators, bypass stations, heat exchangers, rejection systems
(for heat) and a heat accumulator.
It has been assumed that the time period of any calculations is seven days, which means that the results concern the
current day and the six days that follow.
The program has a repository of weather forecast parameters, and is used to obtain information for determining
the forecast of the CHP load. The data is downloaded to the
repository from the relevant meteorological office at hourly
intervals. These parameters are stored in tables:
- the weather forecast
Forecasts
Weather - the actual weather
The unit operation configuration for the first day of the

schedule is determined by the Duty Operating Engineer.
The configuration existing at the time of these calculations
is assumed by default. If, during calculations of any plan in
the configurations assumed, it becomes unfeasible to meet
the production requirements (technological minimum, maximum), then the program will change to the correct configuration.
The power price forecast at the Next Day Market is
acquired from the data obtained via the Internet from the
Power Exchange (Towarowa Gieda Energii S.A.) Price
values are stored in tables.
Determination of process restrictions for heat
production. The program contains tables of optimal unit
working points as a function of configuration, heat production within the heating water, and the process steam flow.
The minimum and maximum heat production within water
is determined based on the tables for a given configuration
26
and process steam production. Heat production within the

heating water limits the possibility of potential charging and
discharging the accumulator.
Calculation of maximum and minimum fluxes of
accumulator charging and discharging heat.
The maximum and minimum accumulator charging
and discharging streams are calculated based on the heat
production forecast, along with the heating water flows and
temperature calculated from the balance, DIR may change
and reset the default minimums and maximums with a form
in the User interface.
Assigning the heat production to the accumulator and
to the heat distribution system according to the Next Day
Market power price criterion.
The program assigns the accumulator charging or
discharging fluxes so that the biggest charging flux is when
the Next Day Market price is at its peak level. These are
iterative calculations. The economic effect is assessed according to the power price criterion only in the first step of
iteration, when the contribution margin is not yet known. In
subsequent calculation steps, the criterion is replaced with
the contribution margin. As a result of iterative calculations,
the optimal working points of the heat generation units and
the accumulator are determined, taking into account both
process limitations and the DIR settings.
Calculation of the contribution margin and power
production
The program calculates the contribution margin and
unit working points with a table of optimal working points
- within a specific unit configuration, heat production within
the heating water, process steam production, and heat flux to
or from the accumulator.
The working points determine the gross active power by
the turbine-generator set, the heat production within the
heating water and process steam, and the power consumed
by unit and non-unit auxiliaries.
The contribution margin for optimisation purposes is
determined in the cost module.
The program determines the accumulated heat that is
optimal for the contribution margin, and heat production
by the units by changing daily increments of heat in the
accumulator.
26. Profit Optimization - the Cogenopt Module
Screen graphics of facility configuration variant

selection
Input data table: weather, sales prices, fuel prices
Active power from the generators
Heat production to the heating water
Fuel for combustion
Comparison of various operation variants and

attainable eco-nomic effects
he simulation module enables the unit, along with the

whole CHP plant behaviour in various operation conditions, to be examined. The basis of the module is a model
based on mass balance and thermal balance, and characteristics are determined from the data collected in the process
database. The model is static, and the module operates offline.
The simulation enables, among others, the following
dependencies to be determined:
selection of operation variant that ensures optimum

The
profit
influence of altered fuel parameters on the technolo The
gical and economic indicators
behaviour of technological and economic indicators
The
at various loads
the influence of steam parameter changes in
Determining
power and heat production
e influence of heating water parameters on unit
Th
operations
27
27. Optimal Plant Operation with Heat Accumulator

The Cogenopt A Module
Graphic interface of the CogenoptA module
his application is intended for managing the CHP plant

operation in order to provide:
Economic distribution of load to the heat generating

units and the condensing turbine-generator set
Heat accumulation in an approach that ensures effective
utilisation of fuel chemical energy
The application has the following built-in mechanisms:
of demand for heat within the heating water

Forecasting
of process steam demand
Forecasting
of the power price sold in the
Forecasting
Next Day Market
mathematical model of CHP plant facilities containing
Atheir
valid characteristics
mathematical description of costs related to energy
Aproduction
and sales revenues
program for the optimization of load distribution
Aaccording
to economic criterion
power production for the following day
Forecasting
the actual values of the set powers of gene Determining
rating units
that CHP plant departments are coordinated in
Ensuring
order to contract sales
Archiving of calculation results
28
A power production forecast on a selected day in the future
Heat production to the heating water at any hour of the

selected day from the six days time period
A power production forecast
A heat accumulator utilization forecast
Set value of gross power production per minute for one of

the turbine-generator sets resulting from the economic load
distribution
Gross power production planned for day n+1 by individual generating units
29
Graphic interface for configuring the CHP plant for the following days
Graphic interface - sales data for the Sales Department
30
Application Platform
Location of the application server containing software for monitoring CHP plant operations
31
reference list
A. Monitoring of unit efficiency:
No. Description
32
Implementation
Date
1 A heat generating unit with capacity 125MEe and 180 MWt, a dual fuel
boiler (coal, coal sludge). Monitoring of the boiler, turbine and heat
generating system efficiency was applied.
CHP KATOWICE
ul. Siemianowicka 60 40-301
Katowice
2000-06-30
2 A 50 MWe and 104 MWt heat generating unit. A pulverised coal boiler.
Monitoring of the boiler, turbine and heat generating system efficiency was
applied.
CHP Biaystok II, Unit no. 2

ul. W. Andersa 3,15-124 Biaystok
2002-03-30
3 Unit no. 4 comprising a condensing turbine-generator set and auxiliaries.

Monitoring of the turbine and generator efficiency was applied. Monitoring
of fan coolers and turbine condenser operating conditions was applied.

ul. W. Andersa 3, 15-124 Biaystok
2004-01-16
4 A Babcock Borsig Power CFB boiler fired with coal, bark, sawdust and other
kinds of biomass. A boiler efficiency module with an extended laboratory
module estimating the elemental composition of the fuel composite
burned was applied.
CFB Saturn IPP Frantschach wiecie,

ul. Bydgoska, 186-100 wiecie
2004-03-16
5 An OP140 type boiler with the capacity of 140t/h operating in variable

conditions intended for supplying steam to paper-making machines.
Boiler no. 5 (OP140), Saturn Power Plant

ul. Bydgoska 1, 86-100 wiecie
2004-03-30
6 A heat generating unit with a Foster Wheeler boiler for hard coal.
CHP ELCHO Chorzw

Unit no. 1
2005-09-30
7 A heat generating unit with a Foster Wheeler boiler for hard coal.
CHP ELCHO Chorzw

Unit no. 2
2006-05-30
8 A turbine-generator set fed by extraction steam in the Saturn CHP Plant.
Saturn Power Plant

2006-06-30
9 A heat generating unit consisting of an OP230 boiler and a 32MW

turbine intednded for steam generation for the production process in the
Chemical Plant.
ZCH Police, CHP II

Unit no. 1
2007-08-20
10 A heat generating unit consisting of an OP230 boiler and a 32MW turbine

intended for steam generation for the production process in the Chemical
Plant.
ZCH Police, CHP II

Unit no. 2
2007-06-30
11 A Babcock Borsig Power CFB boiler fired with coal, bark, sawdust and other
kinds of biomass, with an additional biogas option. A boiler efficiency
module upgrade, with an extended laboratory module estimating the
elemental composition of the fuel composite burned with the additional
fuel (biogas), was applied.
CFB Saturn IPP Frantschach wiecie

2009-10-16
12 An OP140 type boiler with a capacity of 140t/h operating in variable

conditions, and intended for supplying steam to paper-making machines.
The efficiency module was provided with an option including biogas
combustion.
Boiler no. 5 (OP140), Saturn Power Plant

2009-10-30
13 A 55 MWe heat generating duo-unit. Boiler no. 5 for biomass. Boiler no. 6
for pulverised coal. Monitoring of the boiler, turbine and heat generating
system efficiency was applied.

2008-07-30
14 A 50 MWe heat generating unit. Boiler no. 8 for pulverised coal. Monitoring
of the boiler, turbine and heat generating system efficiency was applied.

ul. W. Andersa 3,15-124 Biaystok
2008-04-30
15 A 55 MWe heat generating duo-unit. Boiler no. 5 for biomass. Boiler no. 6
for pulverised coal in the process system with two turbines. Hybrid power
generation - green power. Monitoring of the boiler, turbine and heat
generating system efficiency was upgraded.
CHP Biaystok II, Unit no 1

2009-05-30
16 A program heat meter from boiler no 6.

2010-11-30
17 A program heat meter from boiler no 7. and 8.

2010-11-30
18 Developing and implementing - in practice - of an IT infrastructure for

monitoring of production and technological and economic indicators for
ten power plants of the NUON company (The Netherlands).
NUON Holadnia, Keulsekade 181

3534 Utrecht NL
2010-11-30
19 Application of an IT system for monitoring of operations of the Lage Waide

power plant (collaboration with NUON as part of the INSYP project).
NUON Holadnia, Keulsekade 181

3534 Utrecht NL
2007-05-30
B. Program for supporting production settlements:

No.
Description
20 A CHP plant with three heat generating units, a condensing facility, a water boiler
and two peak heat exchangers. The program supports settlement of the power and
heat produced in compliance with the Energy Regulatory Office requirements.
Implementation
Date
CHP Biaystok II,

ul. W. Andersa 3,
15-124 Biaystok
2010-05-30
C. Identification of characteristics of generating facilities:

No.
Description
21 A CHP plant with three heat generating units and a condensing facility. A program
for determining production characteristics of boilers and turbines, their efficiency,
and other technical indicators (63 predefined characteristics) was applied.
Implementation
Date
CHP Biaystok II,

ul. W. Andersa 3,
15-124 Biaystok
2010-05-30
Implementation
Date
Boiler no. 5 (OP140),

Saturn Power Plant
2005-07-12
D. Combustion optimisation:
No.
Description
22 An OP140 boiler for coal with beater wheel mills feeding 12 PC burners arranged
tangentially. A program for determining set values of air controllers, secondary air
dumpers, mill classifiers, and coal feeders, was applied.
E. Start-up monitoring:
No.
Implementation
Date
24 A CFB Foster Wheeler boiler for coal and coal slurry. Components that limit the startup speed: drum (bottom and top generating line), superheater headers. Intrex
type heat exchanger pipes placed in the fluidised bed. The program monitors
mechanical and thermal stresses, sets limit values of thermal stress margins, and
determines the limits of start-up speed.
Description
CHP KATOWICE, ul.

Siemianowicka 60, 40-301
Katowice
2000-06-30
25 Monitoring of start-up of an OP230 type boiler and a 13UP55 turbine. Monitored

components: drum, quick-closing valve, turbine internal body, external body, flange.
CHP Biaystok II, Unit no. 2,

ul. W. Andersa 3,
15-124 Biaystok
2002-03-30
26 V63 type turbine start-up monitoring. Monitored components: quick-closing valve,

turbine body, and flange.
CHP Biaystok II, Unit no. 4 ,

ul. W. Andersa 3,
15-124 Biaystok
2004-01-16
27 Monitoring of start-up of a OP230 type boiler and a 13UP55 turbine. Monitored

Boiler no. 5 (OP230), Saturn

Power Plant, ul. Bydgoska 1,
86-100 wiecie
2004-03-30

ul. W. Andersa 3,
15-124 Biaystok
2009-07-30

ul. W. Andersa 3,
15-124 Biaystok
2009-09-30
Functions: To determine limitations of the start-up change speed and load changes
caused by thermal stresses in the monitored components of the boiler and turbine
in the online mode. In addition, context-sensitive tracking of start-up procedure
execution was applied.
33
F. Stress and material degradation monitoring:

No.
Description
Implementation
Date
30 A supercritical unit with a capacity of 500MW fired with hard coal. The "Thermal Stress
Monitoring System" (TSMS) program was applied for stress monitoring during a startup and a shut-down in critical thick-walled boiler components and in superheater
pipes with a high heat load. In each monitored component, a degradation level
resulting from the high temperature creep and low-cycle fatigue of material is
determined.
BORYONG Power Plant (Korea)

Unit No 6
2006-03-28
determined.

Unit No 3
2006-05-31
determined.

Unit No 3
2006-05-31
determined.

Unit No 4
2007-06-31
Implementation
Date
34 A CHP plant with three heat generating units, a condensing unit, a water boiler, and
two peak heat exchangers.
A program for supporting operation management in the offline mode COGENOPT was applied. The program determines the economic distribution of
load to units and other facilities according to the criterion of profit achieved from
production. Based on this program, the personnel can determine loads of individual
facilities which ensure the most profitable operation.
CHP Biaystok II,

ul. W. Andersa 3,
15-124 Biaystok
2010-11-30
35 A CHP plant with three heat generating units, a condensing unit, and a heat
accumulator.
A program for supporting operation management in the online mode COGENOPT_A was applied. The program determines the economic distribution of
load to units and other facilities according to the criterion of profit achieved from
production. The program determines the method for utilising the accumulator
acc. to the profit criterion. The accumulator is charged when the power price is
at its highest level. The program determines the hours when the heat should be
accumulated, and the time when it may be discharged. Based on this program
the personnel can determine the loads of individual facilities and the accumulator
which ensures the most profitable operation of the CHP plant.
CHP Biaystok II,

ul. W. Andersa 3,
15-124 Biaystok
2012-01-10
G. Optimization of CHP plant operation:

No.
34
Description
w w w. e n e r b i t . c o m

Power Plant Production Management and Monitoring

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PRODUCTION

1. boiler efficiency and thermal balance

Fluidised bed boiler efficiency screen graphics

he boiler efficiency programme module may be applied

The fuel composition. This is determined on the basis

An example of a user interface of the laboratory module

aboratory module is a database in which records are

fuel, mill 1, pulverised coal duct 1: R200, R125,

Making entries is authorised by inserting the individuals

t present, in many power and CHP plants,

The left-hand graph shows such a dependency for a CFB

Optimal share of the additional fuel in combustion

Boiler efficiency at various shares of the additional fuel

This graph - complemented with fuel prices - enables

4. MONITORING OF HEAT LOSSES

he main heat losses in a boiler consist of flue gas loss,

In order to eradicate this drawback, a model has been

The results of the operations of the trained neural model

Systematic monitoring of flammable matter in fly ash

Due to changes in the facility properties such as wear and

Systematic monitoring of the outlet loss of a

5. MONITORING OF COAL PULVERIZERS

Screen graphics of the coal mill monitoring module

he mill module monitors the operating conditions of the

Operators can observe the following parameters:

Unit energy consumption for coal pulverising

following coordinates: unit ventilation and classifier position.

working point as regards the unburned parts content

coordinates: unit ventilation and classifier position. In this

Flammable matter content in fly ash

The presented graphs enable the mill performance and the

6. TURBINE EFFICIENCY AND THERMAL BALANCE

Graphics of a back pressure turbine with bleeding

Temperature versus entropy

n the program module of turbine efficiency the turbine

The module makes calculations for:

The program for calculating the efficiency is based on

calculations for internal efficiency of the HP, IP and LP

Enthalpy versus entropy

The program module for turbine efficiency calculations

The steam path expansion line in the turbine flow path.

The efficiency deviations from its design value - which

he regeneratiom module calculates the

Regeneration system screen graphics

he program module for monitoring the

The graphics of an example of district heating module

onsumption of power for auxiliaries constitutes a significant

10. TURBINE CONDENSER AND THE COOLING TOWER

Graphic interface of the turbine condenser and the cooling tower

he condenser working point is significant for turbine

The result is then used for setting the condenser working

he task of the generator program

Graphic interface of the generator program module

12. TECHNOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Graphics of technological and economic indicators

he technological and economic

These parameters are utilised as

power sent externally for hea Thermal

13. BOILER START-UP MONITORING

Operators interface for boiler start-up

uring start-up, shut-down and during severe load

After the heat accumulation process in the evaporator