Power Plant Optimization

-Nirban Khaund
 Optimization of Power Plant
Optimization is the process adopted for making
the plant to function effectively.

Basic optimization techniques:

-System Performance Optimization
-Combustion Optimization
-Regenerative Cycle Optimization
-Sootblower Optimization
System Performance Optimization
System Performance Optimization
- Performance of power plant is usually defined by efficiency or
heat rate. Objective behind performance optimization is to
increase the efficiency or decrease the heat rate

- The heat rate is the amount of energy used by a power plant to

generate one kilowatthour (kWh) or 1 unit of electricity.

Or

- input energy/output power

Why it is required
Optimization of heat rate will reduce the heat rate of
the unit and it will lead to

-Less fuel consumption

-Less cost of generation

-Less emission to the atmosphere

-More efficiency,hence more generation

Factors affecting Heat rate

-Design Consideration. For eg: Number of feedwater

Heaters,Types of pumps(TDBFP/MDBFP)

-Ambient conditions.For eg: Cooling water temperature

-Types of fuel supplied

-Conditions of equipments under operation

(maintenance)
 How it is carried out
Monitoring the Process Indicators:

- It is the information to be monitored, measured, or tracked that will

give an indication of the proper fucntioning of the process.

- By monitoring these primary process indicators, many problems can

be detected and corrected before they cause a significant heat rate
deviation.

- For eg monitoring Hot reheat temperature, can help with the

functioning of spray flow system.
 Heat Rate deviations by parameters

- Difference between expected heat rate and actual heat rate due to
parameter deviations are calculated.
The magnitude of heat rate deviation of each problem area can be
determined from parameters related to
- HP turbine (for eg: HR deviation due to drop in MS enthalpy)
- Air Preheater (for eg: HR deviation due to change in air inlet
temperature)
- Condenser etc(for eg: HR deviation due to change in condenser
vacuum)
It will also tell us about the performance of the equipment.
Combustion Optimization
 Combustion Optimization

- Combustion requires three elements i.e. Fuel,Air(Oxygen) and

Heat

- Combustion efficiency is given by

(Heat present in fuel-Heat carried away by flue gas) / Heat
present in fuel
 Why it is required
Product of Combustion
- C+O2---->CO2+ 8480 kcal heat/kg of Carbon (Complete Combustion)
- 2C+O2---->2CO+2430 kcal heat/kg of Carbon(Incomplete
Combustion)
- Each kg of CO formed will lead to loss of 5654 kcal of heat
Controllable Heat Losses in Combustion
-Heat loss due to dry flue gas.
-Heat loss due to un-burnt carbon.
-Heat loss due to radiation Etc.
Minimizing these losses will be an objective of combustion
optimization.
 Factors affecting combustion

- Excess air requirement.

- Burner tilting.
- Air to fuel ratio.
- Mill fineness.
- Coal quality.
- Air leakage.
 Process of optimization
The following parameters are monitored for
- Superheater and reheater steam temperatures.
- Spray flow rate of the heaters.
- Efficiency FD and ID fans.
- Economiser outlet oxygen percentage.
- Efficiency of mills.
- Burner condition(angle of tilting).
Regenerative Cycle Optimization
 Regenerative Cycle Optimization
- Ideal rankine cycle

- Efficiency of rankine cycle =1-Ti/Tf

 Regenerative rankine cycle

- Feed water heaters are added to reduce the heat added in the boiler,thereby
reducing fuel consumption
- Steam extractions from turbines are used to preheat the water in these
heaters.
 Optimization regenerative cycle

It can be done through

- Performance evaluation of all turbine stages . Deviation of parameters

affecting turbine performance can be monitored.For eg: Extraction
flow,Exhaust temperature etc.

- Performace evaluation of LP and HP heaters . For eg: Calculation of

TTD and DCA of the heaters.

- Deviation of the parameters from the standard will indicate

performance degradation of the heaters .
Sootblower Optimization
 Sootblower Optimization
- Soot is the ash and slag deposition on the surface of the heat transfer
areas of boiler. These are
Water walls(Radiative zone)
Superheater/reheater tubes(Convective zone)
(higher main steam and hot reheat steam temperatures.)

- Sootblowing is used for removing the soot that is deposited on the

furnace tubes of a boiler during combustion.

- The device uses jet of steam or air to remove soot deposited on the
boiler walls and tubes.
 Effects of Sootblowing
- Soot removal leads to increased cleanliness factor.
- It improves the heat rate
- Minimizes wastage of steam.
- Reduces NOx formations

Effect of soot blowing can be observed from the spray flow in

the superheater/reheater tubes. Little or no change in the spray
pressure will indicate the negligible soot deposition.
 Optimization
-The sootblowing optimization system will determine the proper
schedule of sootblower operations needed.

-This should be done considering the standard values of NOx, steam

temperatures,heat rate,and other factors such as opacity,tube life, and
steam consumption.

-It will ensure that it will be operated when it is needed, and only in the
necessary locations.

-Critical value of waterwall cleanliness factor is also considered here

above which sootblowing will not produce much effect.
Thank You