APTECH ENGINEERING SERVICES, INC.

Calculating True Cost of Cycling

at Combined Cycle Power Plants
BACKGROUND ON CYCLING EFFECTS
During the course of hundreds of engineering GT Exhaust Gas Temp Ramp Rate
900 3000
investigations and analyses, Aptech Engineering 800
2780 Cold 1955 Warm
2500

Services, Inc. (APTECH) has found that

Ramp Rate (deg F/hour)

700
2000

Temp (deg F), MW

1452 Hot
equipment wear and tear due to power plant 600
1500

on/off and load cycling is a very significant 500

1000
400

production cost component. This component 300

500

needs to be unbundled and quantified. 200

0

Furthermore, it has been APTECH’s experience 100

-500

that this component is not well understood or 0 -1000

-100 -1500
accounted for by most power plant owners. This 0 120 240 360 480 600 720 840
Time (min)
960 1080 1200 1320 1440 1560

brochure introduces the general concepts of MW T EXH GAS DIG Ramp Rate

cycling effects and describes how we work with

plant owners to determine the cost-of-cycling.
These costs enable the utility to better optimize
dispatching by taking into account the damage
and reliability impacts of cycling and ultimately
increase corporate profits. Such investigations
also result in recommendations reducing cycling
costs through operational or design changes.
OPERATIONAL CYCLES LEAD TO DAMAGE
Every time a combined cycle power station is
brought on line, shut down, or used for load
following, the gas turbines (GTs), steam
turbines, heat recovery steam generators
(HRSGs), steam piping, and auxiliary
components go through large thermal and
pressure cycles. Expansion and contraction of
complex GT and HRSG components lead to
thermal and mechanical fatigue damage. Other
phenomena, such as corrosion fatigue and
water chemistry transients, creep, creep/fatigue
interaction, erosion, wear, and vibration also
contribute to accelerated life expenditure of
critical components.
Figure 1 shows three starts executed over a
24-hour period by a client’s large GT. Exhaust
gas temperature, power output, and exhaust
temperature ramp rates are plotted. The ramp
rates, expressed as deg F change per hour, are
important drivers of fatigue and creep/fatigue
interaction effects. The GT is dispatched to
Figure 1
about the same load each time. However, each
shutdown it is restarted before reaching a cold
condition, causing different startup ramp rates.
The initial cold start exhibits a ramp rate of
2780°F/hr in exhaust gas temperature transient.
The second (or warm) start exhibits a lower
ramp rate at 1955°F/hr. The third (hot) start
exhibits a ramp rate of nearly one-half the level
of a cold start at 1452°F/hr. APTECH has found
such differences in ramp rates between various
cycles are of extreme importance when
determining the stress level and amount of cyclic
thermal fatigue damage accumulated by both
GT and HRSG components.
A similar situation exists in the HRSG when the
duct burner is activated, shut off, or the gas
turbine is dispatched in a load following mode.
Subtle changes in temperature occur among the
individual tube circuits causing additional
thermal/mechanical fatigue cycles. Since HRSG
components are densely packed and rigidly
supported to optimize the amount of heat
recovered from the GT exhaust, flexing of tube-
to-header connections and transfer piping
nozzles impose huge stresses on connections,
ultimately resulting in cracking and tube failures.
In addition, steaming of water-cooled
components and chemical attack of exposed
metal beneath internal deposits can lead to
further damage.

Aptech Engineering Services, Inc.

HOU008-F
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EQUIPMENT SUSCEPTIBILITY IS IMPORTANT
Through APTECH’s many cost-of-cycling
projects, we have determined that some units
are designed better for cycling than others.
Some designs are so bad, or the service
duty/ramp rates are so severe, that the HRSGs
experience forced outages within a hundred
on/off cycles. Other units can cycle on a daily
basis without major problems, enduring
thousands of on-off cycles without failure.
Modern power plant designs have tended to
compromise physical robustness to cycling
stresses for higher efficiencies and lower
installed costs.
critical components, and their historical costs.
The flowchart shown in Figure 2 depicts this
combination of methods. For new combined
cycle units, the Top-Down methods would not
apply due to inadequate operating and cost
history. Thus, for these units, APTECH would
apply its Bottom-Up methods and industry
experience on similar units to derive cycling cost
estimates. The heat rate effects of cycling can
be determined with only a few months of hourly
megawatt and gas consumption data.
Cost of Cycling Estimation Procedure
General Unit Historical Cost
Damage Modeling Analysis

Another factor in cycling susceptibility relates to

NERC_GADS
the method of chemistry control. Some control Statistical/Top-Down Reliability
Cost Model
schemes simply are not good for cycling units, Data

as they lead to a high probability of chemistry

Cost-of-Cycling
upsets and off normal conditions during cycling Estimation
that cause considerable damage. Maintenance Bottom-Up
Signature Engineering
Data Recurring Capital
Accounting
We use our extensive experience in analyzing Analysis EFOR/Replacement of Costs
Power
failures, including the use of calibrated damage
Heat Rate/Efficiency
and life expenditure models, to assess how Long-Term Capacity Plant
susceptible an HRSG or GT is to cycling Damage
Start-Up Fuel &Aux. Inspection
Modeling of
damage. Critical
Power & Chemicals and
Interviews
Components Cycle Types:
• Hot, Warm, Cold Starts
CYCLING INCREASES HEAT RATES Industry • Load Follow to Various Plant
Comparisons Load Levels Surveys
Another added cost that is not fully accounted of Similar
• Trip and Shutdowns
Units
for by plant owners is the extra fuel needed (i.e.,
higher heat rate) due to cycling. Most people
use incremental heat rate data based on static Figure 2
tests at specified set points to determine the
heat rate at a certain load level. This does not The following is a list of tasks APTECH would
account for the loss of efficiency due to variable typically undertake to determine cycling costs of
load operation—impacting heat rate 2 to 20%. a combined-cycle:
APTECH determines the overall heat rate
effects of each type of cycle (hot starts, warm Tasks Task Description
starts, cold starts, and load follows under 1 Project Kickoff and Data Gathering
varying load levels and ramp rates.) 2 Review of Plant Signature Data
3 Engineering Assessment and
HOW DOES APTECH ESTIMATE Operations Review
CYCLING COSTS? 4 Survey of Selected Plant Personnel
5 Damage Modeling
APTECH has developed and used a
6 Statistical Regression
methodology that employs a combination of
7 Component Life Expenditure/Cost
“Top Down” models and “Bottom-Up” methods.
8 Heat Rate Impact Modeling
Our Top-Down models are based on the use of
9 Total Cost Estimation
past histories of operations, forced outages, and
10 Evaluate Measures to Mitigate Cycling
costs. We have successfully used this method
Costs
on hundreds of generation units throughout the
11 Report and Optional Training
world. Bottom-Up methods rely on calculations
of operational stresses (e.g., temperature,
pressure, and chemistry), life-expenditure of

Aptech Engineering Services, Inc.

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Figure 3 shows the results, breaking down
cycling costs for hot, warm, and cold starts, and
low-load follow for a typical unit.

Cycling Cost Breakdown

120 MegaWatt
Startup Fuel, Aux Power, Generation
100
etc. Cost
80 Low & Variable Load Extra
Fuel Cost
K$

60
Forced Outage Cost
40 Replacement Power Cost Total
20 Maintenance, Operation &
Capital Cost
0 Cost
Cold Start Warm Hot Start Load Hourly
Start Follow

Figure 3

HOW CAN THE RESULTS OF APTECH’S

Figure 4
WORK BE USED?
Once cycling costs are determined, the
Past clients have used APTECH’s cycling cost CyclingvAdvisor is used on a generation
results in the following ways. system level to optimize dispatch schedules of
the plants. It is unique in the industry because of
¾ Proper unbundling of variable costs to its rigorous accounting of damage costs as well
better: as fuel costs. It can also include emission costs
ƒ Negotiate long-term contracts in order to minimize total production costs of an
ƒ Bid into power markets entire Utility system.
ƒ Recover costs of ancillary services (e.g.,
AGC)
¾ Better Information for maintenance
budgeting
¾ Least cost system dispatch (including
APTECH’s CyclingvAdvisorTM)
¾ Improved cycling operations (including
APTECH’s COSTCOM®)

Clients have saved millions of dollars annually in

reduced overall production costs, with increased
profits. APTECH’s Technical Paper TP-054 can Phone, fax, or email us for more
be requested for more information. information!
WHAT IS CYCLINGvADVISOR AND Ph: 832-593-0550
COSTCOM? Fx: 832-593-0551
These software products were developed by
APTECH to allow plant owners to use the cost of Email: costofcycling@aptechpower.com
cycling results in real-time. COSTCOM uses Website: www.aptechpower.com
plant data to track cycling costs. COSTCOM can
be used as a training tool for operators to better
control damage costs related to cycling. It
provides actual unit damage costs as the unit is
running, as shown in Figure 4. It can include fuel
costs, dynamic heat rate effects, and emissions
credits/costs, thus giving total unit production
costs in real time.

Aptech Engineering Services, Inc.

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APTECH is committed to
assisting our clients with the
operation and maintenance of
their power plant equipment.
APTECH will help you run your
equipment as long as practical
and
” Safely
” Reliably
” Economically
APTECH’s goal is to work
with our clients to
REDUCE POWER
PRODUCTION COSTS
Engineering Services, Inc.
16100 Cairnway Drive, Ste 310
Houston, TX 77084
ADDRESS SERVICES REQUESTED
OTHER COMBINED CYCLE SUPPORT SERVICES
OFFERED BY APTECH
APTECH also provides the following services to our clients:
¾ Acceptance testing
¾ Performance testing, prediction, and improvement
¾ Failure investigation, metallurgical examination, root
cause analysis
¾ Inspection and maintenance planning (strategic and fast
track turn around)
¾ Condition monitoring and trend analysis
¾ Emissions system evaluation
¾ EP&C contract drafting, review, and monitoring as
Owner’s Engineer or Financing Institution Engineer
¾ Applications engineering for power plant modifications
and scope of supply
¾ O&M audit of complete combined cycle systems
¾ Asset valuation and due diligence evaluation
¾ Operating and engineering staff training
¾ Litigation and expert witness support, including warranty
issues
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