Performance impacts on steam cycle, unit heat rate

and output of a Thermal Generating Unit

BY: SHRI !"!#$#$%, %&PUTY %IR&'T(R, '&#
The heat exchangers, particularly in the regenerative cycle of a coal based
unit are of utmost importance for an optimally economized operation of the power
plants. Thus, these heat exchangers like, LP/P heater, deaerator, !e"heater,
superheaters, and condenser etc. are warranted to be operated at designed
parameters to achieve optimal performance not of their own only, but also for the
entire integrated system of the cycle of power plant unit. Thus, potential of heat
exchanger networking need to be realized to its maximum capacity.
The two vital parameters for performance and selection of a heat
exchangers are TT#$ % #&'.$ The lower the TT# % #&', the more efficient is
the cycle and the larger is the surface area, which ultimately results in more
efficient cycle having lower heater rate. (ut there is a limit to increase the
surface area and then a detailed engineering study is re)uired using applicable
economics in enlarging the surface areas to achieve an optimum feed water
parameters. There are other operational factors also which affect the optimal
performance of cycle.
)%rain 'ooler #pproach *%'#+ is defined as temperature difference
,et-een the drains lea.ing the heater and feed -ater entering the heater! If
-e decrease the %'# of a heater, cycle efficiency is impro.ed -hile surface
area is increased!
)TT% is the difference ,et-een the saturation temperature at the operating
pressure of the condensing /one and temperature of feed -ater lea.ing the
heater!
*
The design and operating parameters have a number of impacts on the
performance of regenerative cycle system. These are as follows+"
0! Re1heater *R2H+ 3 its system pressure drop
4! &5traction line pressure drop
6! 7a8e up
9! Tur,ine e5haust pressure
:! #ir preheat ;Note: it is Air pre-heat not the Air heat<
=! 'ondensate su,1cooling
>! S2H 3 R2H spray flo-s
?! @et Bul, Temperature
A! Top Heaters out of ser.ice
0B! H!P! Heater drain pump!
00! Type of BCP dri.es 3 method of flo- control
These factors influence the steam cycle,s mass and energy balance,
thereby causing performance impacts. Though these need to be maintained
carefully and are hard in optimizing the cycle performance, yet can be achieved
for bringing in improvement in cycle efficiency through adoption of best practices
in operation % maintenance. -f the changes in these parameters are observed,
the relevant poorly performing component/e)uipment must be corrected on
priority as these have cascading effect on each other.s performance, as well as
cycle performance besides the economics of its operation % cost of power thus
generated.
*. Impact on account of R2H 3 its system pressure drop: " The
pressure drop across !/, &old !eheat /&!0 % ot !eheat /!0
piping is designed for *12 of P turbine exhaust pressure. 3or a *2
decrease in this system pressure drop, improvement in the Turbine eat
!ate /T!0 % output, approximately 1.*2 % 1.42 is observed
respectively.
5. Impact of &5traction line pressure drop: 6 3or extractions which are
drawn from locations other than P % -P exhaust of turbine, a pressure
drop of 72 drop across the extraction nozzle and 42 drop for piping %
valves is permitted between stage pressure and heater shell pressure.
3or extractions at turbine"exhaust section, total drop is 42. 3or every
52 increase in extraction line pressure drop, output % T! would be
poorer by 1.182 approximately.
5
4. Impact of cycle ma8e up: 6 ' typical value between 12 % 42 are
normally acceptable for a cycle make up to offset cycle water losses
which may be on account of various retrievable leakages, boiler blow
down, soot blowing and passing of valves % leakages. The additional
make up flow result in higher feed water thermal duties which causes
additional extraction flows and higher pump duty re)uirement. 3or *2
make up, approx 1.92 increase in T! and reduction of 1.52 on output
can be observed for boiler blow down for saturated conditions at boiler
drum pressure.
9. Impact of &5haust Pressure: 6 Though increase or decrease in
exhaust pressure affect the performance of turbine, by increasing or
decreasing the heat rate, but no accurate thumb rule has been
developed which would be valid for all cycles % turbines. owever,
actual turbine characteristics i.e. last stage blade design and exhaust
area and unit size both do affect the impact of changing exhaust
pressure on performance.
:. Impact of #ir Preheat: 6 Preheating of combustion air by flue gas
through regenerating air heaters improves boiler efficiency thereby
lowering flue gas exit temp, but not below the acid dew point temp, to
avoid formation of harmful sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid. To
achieve this, an average cold end temp /'&;T0 in the regenerative air
heater is maintained by preheating the air by passing it either through
steam air preheating coil or hot water preheating coils drawn from LP
extraction steam or turbine cycle as the case may be. The condensate
thus collected after preheating is either pumped back to
deaerator/condenser or to an intermediate LP feed water heater point
through flash tank. #epending up on the unit load, a correction in T!
is done for the specified percentage of combustion air preheating duty of
cycle heat impact.
7. Impact of condensate su,1cooling+" <hen condensate in hot well is
cooled well below the saturation temp corresponding to turbine exhaust
pressure, the duty of first feed water heater increases thereby causing
enhanced extraction steam flow. 3or an approx 5.:
1
& sub cooling,
when throttle flow beginning with 412, is plotted against the 2 increase
in T!, there is 1.11*2 increase in T! for every subse)uent *12
increase in flow.
4

=. Impact of RH 3 Superheater Spray flo-+ " To control the >? temp %
! temp, desuperheaters are provided which draw spray water either
from discharge % inter stage or (3P respectively or from after the final
feed water heater. These spray water adversely affect the T! when
drawn from the (3P discharge. > ? ?pray evaporates in the boiler %
becomes the part of the >? flow. ?ince this additional flow was less
regenerative the T! is affected. Likewise !/ spray is also not only
less regenerative but this additional flow by passes the PT also. 3or
every *2 of each de"superheating flow the correction for T! % load for
varying 2 of @<A flow, has to be carried out as per curves supplied in
the thermal kit by the turbine manufacturer.
B. Impact of @et1Bul, Temperature+" This has indirect effect on tur,ine
cycle output as well as tur,ine heat rate. -t is very difficult to
accurately )uantify the performance impact relationships to cover all
possible cases, as it involves performance of evaporative cooling tower
and turbine design performance features. 3or a typical :11 >< !eheat
power plant, impacts up to *.:2 to 52 can occur on turbine heat rate
and output due to change in wet bulb temperature.
8. Impact of top heater out of ser.ice+" -n the event of top heaters being
taken out of service due to leakages or otherwise, the extraction steam
flow meant for these heaters passes through turbine thereby increasing
the output of turbine. 't the same time the heat input to turbine is
increased and final feed water temperature is lowered and T!
becomes poor for the given throttle flow. This also causes larger steam
flow in the last stage of LP turbine as well as through -PT. Thus, the
turbine also needed to be checked up with manufacture to know it.s
compatibility to cope up with this condition before permitting to take out
top heaters from service in the regenerative heat cycle.
*1. Impact of HPH drain pump+" Cormally at full /more than :12 load, the
difference of pressure between P" 7%= is sufficient enough to push
the condensate to deaerator. Typically at around :12 load, pressure is
not enough to drive this condensate /drip0 to deaerator. Thus either P
heater drain pump is deployed for the purpose, or it is dumped in
condensate hot well/ flashes it to next lower pressure heater. This way
T! can be improved by 5.:5 k&al/k<h for :12 load condition.
9
**. Impact of type of BCP dri.e 3 flo- controls+" Cormally, any of the
following four alternate (3P drive % control concepts are installed for the
boiler feed water pumping to boiler drum.
/a0&onstant speed, motor driven (3P with throttle valve controlD
/b0>otor driven (3P with variable speed coupling control
/c0 @ariable speed motor driven (3P
/d0Turbine driven (3P
(oth the ,hp *Bra8e Horse Po-er+ 3 net electric po-er consumption for the
pump at DaE above is highest % lowest for the pump at DdE for *112 to :12
throttle flow. Likewise the net T! % net turbine output too reduces for the pump
configuration DaE to DdE. Thus for the best turbine cycle heat rate and turbine
output, the turbine drive (3P arrangement is the best as it improves the net T!
% net turbine output by about 1.:72 % 1.:B2 respectively for *112 throttle flow.
'onclusion:1 @arious design and operating parameters of a Thermal Power
Plant are responsible for its cycle performance, heat rate and the output as well.
&hanges in these parameters are reflected by changes in steam cycle mass and
energy balances. Therefore, these operating parameters need to monitored
closely and kept as near as possible to the design parameters for optimized
performance of various e)uipment and conse)uential economics in power
generation. 's such every accountable power plant engineer managing the
operation of the unit is re)uired to know these impacts, caused on account of off
design operation of the plant, simply for the reason that Ethe more efficient a plant
works the more economically it isF.

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Note:- The values stated herein are indicative only.
Ref.: 1. "Power Plant engineering" by lac! " #eatch
$. " Power Plant Perfor%ance" by A &ill
: