CombinedCyclePlantforPowerGeneration:Introduction

Theprocessforconvertingtheenergyinafuelintoelectricpowerinvolvesthecreationofmechanicalwork,whichisthentransformedinto
electricpowerbyagenerator.Dependingonthefueltypeandthermodynamicprocess,theoverallefficiencyofthisconversioncanbeaslow
as30percent.Thismeansthattwothirdsofthelatentenergyofthefuelendsupwasted.Forexample,steamelectricpowerplantswhich
utilizeboilerstocombustafossilfuelaverage33percentefficiency.Simplecyclegasturbine(GTs)plantsaveragejustunder30percent
efficiencyonnaturalgas,andaround25percentonfueloil.Muchofthiswastedenergyendsupasthermalenergyinthehotexhaustgases
fromthecombustionprocess.
Toincreasetheoverallefficiencyofelectricpowerplants,multipleprocessescanbecombinedtorecoverandutilizetheresidualheatenergy
inhotexhaustgases.Incombinedcyclemode,powerplantscanachieveelectricalefficienciesupto60percent.Thetermcombinedcycle
referstothecombiningofmultiplethermodynamiccyclestogeneratepower.Combinedcycleoperationemploysaheatrecoverysteam
generator(HRSG)thatcapturesheatfromhightemperatureexhaustgasestoproducesteam,whichisthensuppliedtoasteamturbineto
generateadditionalelectricpower.TheprocessforcreatingsteamtoproduceworkusingasteamturbineisbasedontheRankinecycle.
Themostcommontypeofcombinedcyclepowerplantutilizesgasturbinesandiscalledacombinedcyclegasturbine(CCGT)plant.Because
gasturbineshavelowefficiencyinsimplecycleoperation,theoutputproducedbythesteamturbineaccountsforabouthalfoftheCCGTplant
output.TherearemanydifferentconfigurationsforCCGTpowerplants,buttypicallyeachGThasitsownassociatedHRSG,andmultiple
HRSGssupplysteamtooneormoresteamturbines.Forexample,ataplantina2x1configuration,twoGT/HRSGtrainssupplytoonesteam
turbinelikewisetherecanbe1x1,3x1or4x1arrangements.ThesteamturbineissizedtothenumberandcapacityofsupplyingGTs/HRSGs.
CombinedCyclePrinciplesofOperation
TheHRSGisbasicallyaheatexchanger,orratheraseriesofheatexchangers.Itisalsocalledaboiler,asitcreatessteamforthesteam
turbinebypassingthehotexhaustgasflowfromagasturbineorcombustionenginethroughbanksofheatexchangertubes.TheHRSGcan
relyonnaturalcirculationorutilizeforcedcirculationusingpumps.Asthehotexhaustgasesflowpasttheheatexchangertubesinwhichhot
watercirculates,heatisabsorbedcausingthecreationofsteaminthetubes.Thetubesarearrangedinsections,ormodules,eachservinga
differentfunctionintheproductionofdrysuperheatedsteam.Thesemodulesarereferredtoaseconomizers,evaporators,
superheaters/reheatersandpreheaters.
Theeconomizerisaheatexchangerthatpreheatsthewatertoapproachthesaturationtemperature(boilingpoint),whichissuppliedtoa
thickwalledsteamdrum.Thedrumislocatedadjacenttofinnedevaporatortubesthatcirculateheatedwater.Asthehotexhaustgasesflow
pasttheevaporatortubes,heatisabsorbedcausingthecreationofsteaminthetubes.Thesteamwatermixtureinthetubesentersthe
steamdrumwheresteamisseparatedfromthehotwaterusingmoistureseparatorsandcyclones.Theseparatedwaterisrecirculatedtothe
evaporatortubes.Steamdrumsalsoservestorageandwatertreatmentfunctions.Analternativedesigntosteamdrumsisaoncethrough
HRSG,whichreplacesthesteamdrumwiththinwalledcomponentsthatarebettersuitedtohandlechangesinexhaustgastemperaturesand
steampressuresduringfrequentstartsandstops.Insomedesigns,ductburnersareusedtoaddheattotheexhaustgasstreamandboost
steamproductiontheycanbeusedtoproducesteamevenifthereisinsufficientexhaustgasflow.
Saturatedsteamfromthesteamdrumsoroncethroughsystemissenttothesuperheatertoproducedrysteamwhichisrequiredforthe
steamturbine.PreheatersarelocatedatthecoolestendoftheHRSGgaspathandabsorbenergytopreheatheatexchangerliquids,suchas
water/glycolmixtures,thusextractingthemosteconomicallyviableamountofheatfromexhaustgases.
ThesuperheatedsteamproducedbytheHRSGissupplytothesteamturbinewhereitexpandsthroughtheturbineblades,impartingrotation
totheturbineshaft.Theenergydeliveredtothegeneratordriveshaftisconvertedintoelectricity.Afterexitingthesteamturbine,thesteamis
senttoacondenserwhichroutesthecondensedwaterbacktotheHRSG.
CCGTDesignConsiderations
DesignsandconfigurationsforHRSGsandsteamturbinesdependontheexhaustgascharacteristics,steamrequirements,andexpected
powerplantoperations.Becausetheexhaustgasesfromagasturbinecanreach600C,HRSGsforGTsmayproducesteamatmultiple
pressurelevelstooptimizeenergyrecoverythustheyoftenhavethreesetsofheatexchangermodulesoneforhighpressure(HP)steam,
oneforintermediatepressure(IP)steam,andoneforlowpressure(LP)steam.ThehighpressuresteaminalargeCCGTplantcanreach40
110bar.WithamultiplepressureHRSG,thesteamturbinewilltypicallyhavemultiplesteamadmissionpoints.Inathreestagesteam
turbine,HP,IPandLPsteamproducedbytheHRSGisfedintotheturbineatdifferentpoints.
TheHRSGspresentoperationalconstraintsontheCCGTpowerplant.AstheHRSGsarelocateddirectlydownstreamofthegasturbines,
changesintemperatureandpressureoftheexhaustgasescausethermalandmechanicalstress.WhenCCGTpowerplantsareusedfor
loadfollowingoperation,characterizedbyfrequentstartsandstopsoroperatingatpartloadtomeetfluctuatingelectricdemand,thiscycling
cancausethermalstressandeventualdamageinsomecomponentsoftheHRSG.TheHPsteamdrumandsuperheaterheadersaremore
pronetoreducedmechanicallifebecausetheyaresubjectedtothehighestexhaustgastemperatures.Importantdesignandoperating
considerationsarethegasandsteamtemperaturesthatthemodulematerialscanwithstandmechanicalstabilityforturbulentexhaustflow
corrosionofHRSGtubesandsteampressuresthatmaynecessitatethickerwalleddrums.Tocontroltherateofpressureandtemperature
increaseinHRSGcomponents,bypasssystemscanbeusedtodivertsomeoftheGTexhaustgasesfromenteringtheHRSGduringstartup.
TheHRSGtakeslongertowarmupfromcoldconditionsthanfromhotconditions.Asaresult,theamountoftimeelapsedsincelastshutdown
influencesstartuptime.Whengasturbinesarerampedtoloadquickly,thetemperatureandflowintheHRSGmaynotyethaveachieved
conditionstoproducesteam,whichcausesmetaloverheatingsincethereisnocoolingsteamflow.In1x1configurations,theoperationofthe
steamturbineisdirectlycoupledtotheGT/HRSGoperation,limitingtherateatwhichthepowerplantcanberampedtoload.Steam
conditionsacceptableforthesteamturbinearedictatedbythermallimitsoftherotor,blade,andcasingdesign.
Controlequipmentfornitrogenoxides(NOx)andcarbonmonoxide(CO)emissionsareintegratedintotheHRSG.Asthesesystemsoperate
efficientlyoveranarrowrangeofgastemperatures,theyareofteninstalledbetweenevaporatormodules.
FlexibleCombinedCycle:TheFlexicyclePowerPlant
TheFlexicyclepowerplantisacombinedcyclepowerplantwithuniquecharacteristicsbasedonWrtsilgasordualfuelreciprocating
engines.Becausereciprocatingenginesconvertmoreofthefuelenergyintomechanicalwork,theyhavehighersimplecycleefficiencies,
averagingnear50percent.Theexhaustgasesfromreciprocatinginternalcombustionenginesarearound360C,muchlowertemperature
thanGTexhaust.Duetothelowerexhaustgastemperatures,HRSGsdesignedforreciprocatingenginepowerplantsaremuchsimplerin
design,creatingsteamatonepressurelevelapproximately15bar.Thesteamturbineprocessaddsapproximately20%totheefficiencyof
theFlexicyclepowerplant.

FlexicyclePowerPlantbasedonreciprocatingengines
InaFlexicyclepowerplant,eachreciprocatingenginegeneratorsethasanassociatedHRSG.Bypassvalvesareusedtocontrolthe
admissionofsteamtothesteamturbinewhenanenginesetisnotoperating.OneenginecanbeusedtopreheatalltheHRSGexhaustgas
boilerswithsteamtokeeptheHRSGshotandenablefaststarting.Flexicyclepowerplantscombinetheadvantagesofhighefficiencyin
simplecycleandthemodularityofmultipleenginessupplyingthesteamturbine.Thesteamturbinecanberunwithonly25percentofthe
enginesatfullload,or50percentoftheenginesathalfload.Fora12enginepowerplantofaround200megawatts(MW),thismeansonly
threeoftheenginesneedtobeoperatingtoproduceenoughsteamtorunthesteamturbine.Theresultisaveryefficientpowerplantthat
retainstheoperationalagilityofapowerplantbasedonsimplecycleengines.
2014Wrtsil