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RemoteMonitoringandDiagnosticsWithinaSmartIntegratedInfrastructure

RemoteMonitoringandDiagnosticsWithinaSmartIntegratedInfrastructure
02/01/2014|UnaNowling
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Coal power plants face more and greater challenges to their continued operations than at any time since the Industrial Revolution. As a result, utilities must
employ new strategies for balancing the competing pressures of emissions compliance, economic dispatch, reliability, and performance. A combination of
software tools and domain knowledgeplus an informed methodology for linking and applying these tools and knowledgeis helping to meet these
challenges.

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Itseemsasifeachweekbringsfurtherbadnewsforcoalpowerplants.Recently,ConsumersEnergysoughtrelieftoclosethree
powerplants,SouthCarolinaElectric&GasannounceditwouldceaseoperationsattheCanadysStation,andtheTennesseeValley
Authorityannouncedtheclosureofeightadditionalcoalunits,removing3,000MWofcoal-firedgenerationfromitsfleet.APlatts
reportreleasedinAugust2013predictsthatretirementsofcoal-firedplantswillsurgethrough2015,whentheU.S.Environmental
ProtectionAgencysMercuryandAirToxicsStandardsgointoeffect.Althoughsomeportionofthislostelectricalgenerationwillbe
replacedbynaturalgascombustionturbines,barringfurtherCO2regulation,theremainingfleetofcoalpowerplantswillsee
greaterdemandandthuswilloperateathighercapacityfactors.
Coalaccountedfor50%ofU.S.generationin2005andbyrecentestimateswillend2013at39.3%,withnaturalgasfiredgenerationbeing27.5%.
AccordingtotheU.S.EnergyInformationAdministration,coalgenerationwillcontinuetoslowlyincreasethrough2029inabsolutenumbers,evenas
itspercentageofourgenerationmixslowlydeclines.Themessageisclear:Mostcoalpowerplantswillweatherthenear-termstormsbutwillrequire
continuousimprovementinordertocontinueoperationsfortheyearstocome.

ChallengesforFutureCoalPlantOperations

CompliancewiththeCleanAirActAmendmentsof1990changedthefocusatmostcoal-firedpowerplantsfromperformancetoemissions,andasa
result,thenetplantheatrateoftheU.S.coalfleethasworsenedsteadily.Thistrendextendedthrough2012,andgiventherushtomeetevertighteningemissionsregulations,thetrendisexpectedtocontinue.
Theseemissionsmandatesworsenheatrate(seesidebar)bothbyrequiringadditionalairqualitycontrolsandbyforcingunitstoswitchtolow-sulfur
coal,primarilyPowderRiverBasin(PRB)coal.Furthermore,accordingtoarecentNationalRenewableEnergyLaboratorystudy,theneedto
accommodatedeepcyclingatcoalpowerplantswillincreaseasourelectricgeneratingsystemcontinuestoevolve(especiallywiththeadditionof
increasedvariablerenewablegeneration),whichwillplaceseveredemandsonunitoperationsandequipment.

ADecadeofWorseningHeatRates
Fourfactorshavecontributedtohistoricallyincreasingheatrates(Figure1).

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1.Increasingheatrates.Overthelastdecade,theaveragenetplantheatrate(NPHR)forthe100coal-firedpowerplantswiththemostnetgenerationhasworsenedby
149Btu/kWh.Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

EmissionsControlsRetrofits.Plantemissionscontrolscontributetoefficiencylossesatthepowerplantthroughdirectandindirectauxiliarypowerconsumption,aswellas
potentialnegativecombustionandheattransferimpacts(Table1).Ifthetotallife-cycleenergycostsofthereagentsandwasteassociatedwithemissionscontrolsare
consideredaswell,thentheimpactsonenergyproductionefficiencyareevengreater.

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Table1.Typicalheatratepenaltiesincurredbyemissionscontrolequipment.Thoughtheyarenecessaryforregulatorycompliance,plantemissionscontrolsincrease
heatrate.Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Black & Veatch

TheMovetoPowderRiverBasin(PRB)Coal.Althoughlowinsulfurandfuel-boundnitrogen,PRBcoalshaveamuchlowerheatcontentandmuchhighermoisturecontent,
whichpresentschallengesformostcoalpowerplantsthatweredesignedforbituminouscoal.Notonlydoesthegreatermoisturecontentresultinpoorerboilerefficiency
thanwhenburningabituminouscoal,butthegreaterfuelburnrateofthePRBcoalcanresultinincreasedauxiliarypoweratthepowerplant.
Theseeffectscanbeprofound;onestudyconductedonbehalfoftheElectricPowerResearchInstitutebyBlack&Veatchfoundthata500-MW(net)coalpowerplantthat
switchedfromNorthernAppalachiancoalwouldexpecttoexperience,onaverage,4.2%poorerboilerefficiencyanda5.9%increaseinauxiliarypower,withanoverallheat
rateimpactof5.0%.
IncreasedUnitLoadCycling.U.S.energydemandhasseensignificantvariationinrecentyearsduetounusualweatherpatternsanddepressedeconomicconditions,aswell
aspricecompetitionfromnaturalgasgeneration.Whencoalpowerplantsoperateatlowerloads,theytendtosufferfrompoorerheatrates.Increasednumbersofstartsand
stopscannotonlynegativelyaffectheatrate,buttheyalsocansignificantlyincreasemaintenancecosts.
ShiftingMaintenancePriorities.Depressedeconomicconditions,pricecompetition,andpendingshutdownsofcoalpowerplantsduetoemissionsregulationshaveplaced
combinedpressuresuponpowerplantmaintenancebudgets.Severalpowerplantsreportthattheycannolongerspendmoneyonefficiencyupgradesandmustdevotemost
oftheirmaintenancebudgetstowardactivitiesthatkeeptheplantrunning,regardlessoftheefficiencylosses.

Asaresultoftheimpactsofemissionsretrofits,fuelswitches,andincreasedcycling,maintenancestaffarefindingthemselvespushedtodelivermore
withlessbudget.

ASmarterWaytoManageMonitoring