Accepted Manuscript

Title: Simulation and Parametric Optimization of Thermal

Power Plant Cycles

Author: P. Ravindra Kumar V. Ramachandra Raju N. Ravi

Kumar

PII: S2213-0209(16)30082-9
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.pisc.2016.04.060
Reference: PISC 230

To appear in:

Received date: 20-1-2016

Accepted date: 7-4-2016

Please cite this article as: Kumar, P.R., Raju, V.R., Kumar, N.R.,Simulation and
Parametric Optimization of Thermal Power Plant Cycles, Perspectives in Science
(2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pisc.2016.04.060

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 Simulation and Parametric Optimization of Thermal Power Plant Cycles
P.Ravindra Kumar a*, V.Ramachandra Raju b, N.Ravi Kumar c
a*
LakiReddy Bali Reddy College of Engineering (A), Mylavaram, A.P., India
b
University College of Engineering, JNTUK, Kakinada, A.P., India, drvrr59@gmail.com
c
MVGR College of Engineering (A),Vizianagaram, A.P., India, naradasuravi@mvgrce.edu.in

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___________________________________________________________________________
Abstract

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The objective of the paper is to analyze parametric studies and optimum steam
extraction pressures of three different (subcritical, supercritical and ultra-supercritical) coal

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fired power plant cycles at a particular main steam temperature of 600 0C by keeping the
reheat temperature at 537 0C and condenser pressure at 0.09 bar as constant. In order to

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maximize the heat rate gain possible with supercritical and ultra-supercritical steam
conditions, 8 stages of feed water heater arrangement with single reheating is considered. The
system is optimized in such a way that the percentage exergetic losses are reduced for the
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increase of the exergetic efficiency and higher fuel utilization. The plant cycles are simulated
and optimized by using Cycle Tempo 5.0 simulation software tool. From the simulation
study, it is observed that the thermal efficiency of the three different power plant cycles
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obtained as 41.40%, 42.48% and 43.03% respectively. The specific coal consumption for
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three different power plant cycles are 0.56 Tonnes/MWh, 0.55 Tonnes/MWh and 0.54
Tonnes/MWh. The improvement in feed water temperatures at the inlet of steam generator of
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respective cycles are 291 0C, 305 0C and 316 0C.

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Keywords: Exergy efficiency, Subcritical cycle (SubC), Supercritical cycle (SC), Ultra-
supercritical cycle (USC).
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1. Introduction

Thermal power is the largest source of power in the world. In thermal power plants,
the average heat addition is increased by introducing number of feed water heaters. The
thermal efficiency of the power plants can be increased by adopting supercritical and ultra-
supercritical conditions. So, there is an ample scope to enhance the steam conditions and

Special Issue- ICEMS-2016

a* Corresponding author. Tel: +919490381201
E-mail: pasupuletirk@gmail.com

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optimize steam extraction pressures further to improve the plant efficiencies significantly.
The schematic layout of power plant cycle is shown in figure1.Yuanyuan Li et al., [1] have
carried out the work on thermodynamic analysis and optimization of a double reheat system
in an ultra-supercritical power plant with thermal efficiency (46.83 %) and compared with
single reheat plant power generation efficiency of (44.78 %) for 1000 MW. Sandhya Hasti et

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al., [2] conducted exergy analysis on Ultra-supercritical power plant capacity of 422 MW using

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lignite fuel by developing Microsoft excel spread sheet programs and reported the thermal efficiency
of the plant as 51 %. Singh O.K. et al., [3] have carried out work on variables influencing the

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exergy based performance of a steam power plant. Zhi Li et al., [4] have carried out work on
energy and exergy analysis for various types of 500 MW steam power plants. Siva Reddy.V., et al. [5]

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has highlighted work on, an approach to analyze energy and exergy analysis of thermal power plants.
Wang.L., et al., [6] have simulated the performance of a supercritical power plant of 660 MW by
using Ebsilon software

In view of the above observations from the literature review, it is observed to solve the
problem on simulation and optimization of thermal power plants for three different power an
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plant capacities of 500 MW, 660 MW and 800 MW that covers the subcritical, supercritical
and ultra-supercritical type plants. The parametric effect on plant cycle performance is
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carried out using Cycle Tempo 5.0 simulation software. In the present work, thermodynamic
analysis of three different plant cycles has been compared. Some of the output parameters are
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exergy loss and heat transfer rate which are shown in figure 2 and exergy efficiencies of
power plant components for three types of power plant cycles has been analyzed and
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compared which are shown in figure 3.

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37

4
HPT LPT
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SG RH

8 35 100
5 COND
16
2
H
36 3
7 34 18 102
101
19 CW P CT
17 20
H 32 12 26 6
23 24
6 15 25
33 18 5 29
11 10 9 8
DEA
H H H H H CEP1
13 21 7
4 3 2 28 1
H PF W H S

31 30 27
BFP
FPT LPFW HS CEP2
14
22

Fig.1. Schematic layout of power plant cycle

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2. Results and Discussions

The comparison of auxiliary power consumption (APC) results for three different power plant
cycles are shown in table 1. The APC decreases to all power plant cycles, when the main
steam temperatures have increased from 500 0C to 700 0C, because it depends on the specific

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volume of steam and quality of steam entering into the pumps. The cooling water required by

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the condenser also decreases when main steam temperatures are raised.

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Table 1 Comparison of auxiliary power consumption (APC) in three different power
plant cycles

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Main Steam Auxiliary power consumption (MW)
Temperature (0C) Subcritical(SubC) Supercritical(SC) Ultra-supercritical(USC)
500 6.65 8.77 10.64

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600 6.17 8.12 9.54
700 5.75 7.84 8.75
The optimum steam extraction pressures of eight regenerative feed water heaters for three
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different power plant capacities are shown in table 2. It shows that, optimum steam extraction
pressures are increasing when power plant capacities are raised due to the increase in
enthalpy of steam and increase in steam consumption.
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Table 2 Optimum steam extraction pressures of eight feed water heaters at a main
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steam temperature of 600 0C in three different power plant cycles

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500 MW 660 MW 800 MW

Regenerative feed water heaters Optimum steam extraction pressures (bar)
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LPFWH1 0.32 0.32 0.32

LPFWH2 0.87 0.96 0.98
LPFWH3 1.96 2.26 2.50
LPFWH4 4.04 4.78 5.78
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OFWH(DEA)5 7.96 9.59 12.01

HPFWH6 14.62 18.35 23.34
HPFWH7 31.21 39.80 48.94
HPFWH8 75.61 92.31 107.58
Figure 2 explains the exergy loss (EL) and heat transfer (HT) rate in closed feed water heaters
of three different power plant cycles. As the number of feed water heaters increases, the
exergy loss decreases. The difference in exergy loss percentage is increased in regenerative
feed water heaters between subC and SC is 22.92 %. The same value between the SC and
USC is 4.47 %. The overall difference in percentage exergy loss between the subC and USC
is 26.37 %.The heat transfer is less in low pressure feed water heaters (LPFWHs) because the

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water is having low entropy. The same value, in high pressure feed water heaters (HPFWHs)
are high because the saturated steam has high entropy. The heat transfer difference, in
percentage is increased in regenerative feed water heaters between subcritical and
supercritical is 23.16 %. The same value between the SC and USC is 7.32 %. The overall HT
difference in percentage between the subcritical and ultra-supercritical is 23.06 %.

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Fig.2. Exergy loss and heat transfer rate effect in closed feed water heaters in three
power plant cycles
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Figure 3 explains the exergy efficiency of various components in the power plant
cycle. It shows the exergy efficiency increases in all the components. Exergy efficiency of
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steam generator and reheater lie in the range of 48 to 51%. HPT and HPFWHs shows the
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high exergy efficiency in the range of 90 to 95%. LPT and LPFWHs shows the exergy
efficiency in the range of 80 to 90% and feed pump shows the exergy efficiency in the range
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of 65 to 70%. The feed water heaters are having more exergy efficiency because of the heat
transfer between steam and feed water. In deaerators the exergy efficiency increases as the
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main steam pressure is raised.

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Fig.3. Exergy efficiency of power plant components in three different power plant cycles

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3. Conclusions

Today there is an importance of increasing the steam input parameters, in power plant
industries for enhancing the plant thermal efficiency. In the current research work three
different power plant cycles with capacities of 500 MW, 660 MW and 800 MW are simulated
and optimized. The following are the main current work conclusions.

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(1) The feed water temperature improvement from SC is 4.51 % compared to subC cycle,
3.47 % compared to SC cycle and overall 7.82 % improvement between USC to subC cycles.

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(2) The saving of specific coal consumption is 1.63 % compared to subC cycle, whereas the
same value is increased 2.03 % compared to SC cycles. But overall 3.07 % of specific coal

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consumption can be saved compared to subcritical power plant cycle. (3) The percentage
exergetic loss in steam generator decreases in between subC to SC is 1.60 % and the same
value in between SC to USC is 1.52 %. The overall percentage difference in exergetic loss

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between USC and subC is 3.14 %. (4) The heat transfer difference in percentage is increased
in regenerative feed water heaters between subC and SC is 23.16, whereas the corresponding
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value in between the SC and USC it is 7.32. The overall heat transfer difference in percentage
between the subC and USC is 23.06. (5) The net thermal efficiency improvement between
subC and SC cycle is 2.51 %, whereas the same value between SC and USC is 1.27 %. The
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overall improvement between subC and USC cycle is 3.76 %.

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Acknowledgement

Authors would like to acknowledge Mr.Mark Roest, for providing (ASIMPTOTE) Advanced
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Simulation for Total Energy, the high performance Cycle Tempo 5.0 software to carry out the research work.
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Bibliography

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