POWER PLANT EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT AND ENERGY SAVING PROJECT

Sedat LEBLEBICIOGLU Power Plant Assistant Manager (JULY 2012)

Electricity is generated by two Double Extraction-Backpressure Steam Turbines (BP ST), two Condensing Steam Turbines (CT) and one Gas Trbine (GT). Total capacity is 222MW and average load is 150MW. The main idea in this project is to stop one of the two BP ST that are running nearly 40% capacity, and causing a huge amount of loss.

We know that when the turbines are running with low capacity like 40% this will cause energy loss, and stopping one of them and run the other with >80% capacity will improve the overall efficiency. Of course in this complicated electrical system it is hard to give a decition to stop one of the big turbines. It should be well studied in every aspects.

There was a serious problem to stop one of the two BP ST. When it is stopped the safety of 34,5kV main electrical distribution system is disappeared, because of the voltage stability. So this can not applied until this project. This situation is shown in below picture.

154kV SWITCHYARD (Old Case)

Line-2

Line-1

BB-1

154kV

BB-2

T22 154/34.5kV 100MVA

GT-5 56MW

T21 154/34.5kV 100MVA

34.5kV

Coupling CB

34.5kV

Factories T2

Can not be OPEN

Factories T1

TG-4 20MW (Condensing ST)

TG-3 64MW (Double Ext. and Back Press. ST)

TG-2 64MW (Double Ext. and Back Press. ST)

TG-1 20MW (Condensing ST)

NOT : While working with this configuration TG-2 Steam Turbine can not be stopped because of the safety problem on the 34,5kV main distribution system. Effects of zero impedance faults on the 154kV grid is high, so the sources on 34,5kV main distribution system need to be in service to maintain stability. Also during a fault on the 154kV grid, the GT connected to the same bus-bar with the grid does not help to maintain stability on the 34,5kV main distribution system.

To accomplish this problem we thought to change the bus-bar configuration. By this configuration change we will secure the safety of 34,5kV main electrical distribution system. The stability studies shown that; even though one BP ST is stopped, by this bus-bar configuration change stability issue is improved for the 34,5kV main electrical distribution system.

154kV SWITCHYARD (New Case)

Line-2

Line-1

BB-1 OPEN BB-2

154kV

T22 154/34.5kV 100MVA GT-5 56MW

T21 154/34.5kV 100MVA

34.5kV

Coupling CB

34.5kV

Factories T2

OPEN

Factories T1

TG-4 20MW (Condensing ST)

TG-3 64MW (Double Ext. and Back Press. ST)

TG-2 64MW (Double Ext. and Back Press. ST)

TG-1 20MW (Condensing ST)

NOT : Whith this configuration TG-2 Steam Turbine can be stopped. Because the safety problem on the 34,5kV main distribution system is solved by serial configuration, instead of parallel configuration. Effects of zero impedance faults on the 154kV grid is low, so this will improve stability on 34,5kV main distribution system and less need TG-2 to be in service. The GT is no longer connected to the same bus-bar with the grid. During a fault on the 154kV grid, GT will act directly to maintain stability on the 34,5kV main distribution system. Diasadvantage of this configuration is; 34,5kV main distribution system is connected to the grid by one transformer instead of two. This will increase the islanding possibility.

By the application of this project in July 2012, the below graph is achieved fort the unit production cost of electricity.

Monthly Unit Production Cost of Electricity

September

January

November

May

March

December

February

October

April

June

July

As can be seen in the graph there is a meaningful decrease in unit electricity cost after July 2012. With this efficiency improvement and energy saving project; we achieved nearly 16% decrease in unit production cost of electricity and 1,25million$ monthly saving. We expect 15million$ saving for each year.

October

August