Gas Turbine Power Plant Modelling for Operation Training

Abstract

Of the $11.4 billion worth of non-aviation gas turbines produced in 2008, $9.6 billion—more than 80 percent—were for electrical generation (Langston, 2008). Particularly, in Mexico, about 15% of the installed electrical energy (no counting the electricity generated for internal consuming by big enterprises) is based on gas turbine plants (CFE web page), either working alone or in combined cycle power plants (and 8% produced directly by gas turbines) that offers an important roll in improving power plant efficiency with its corresponding gains in environmental performance (Rice, 2004). The economical and performance results of a power plant, including those based on gas turbines, are directly related to different strategies like modernisation, management, and, in particular, the training of their operators. Although the proportion that corresponds to the training is difficult to be assessed, there exists a feedback from the plant’s directors about improvement in speed of response, analysis of diverse situations, control of operational parameters, among other operator’s skills, due to the training of the operation personnel with a full scope simulator. In general, all these improvements lead to a greater reliable installation. The Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE1, the Mexican Utility Company) generates, transmits, distributes and commercialises electric energy for about 27.1 millions of clients that represent almost 80 millions of people. About one million of new costumers are annually added. Basically, the infrastructure to generate the electric energy is composed by 177 centrals with an installed capacity of 50,248 MW (the CFE produces 38,791 MW and the independent producers 11,457 MW). The use of real time full scope simulators had proven trough the years, to be one of the most effective and confident ways for training power plant operators. According to Hoffman (1995), using simulators the operators can learn how to operate the power plant more efficiently during a lowering of the heat rate and the reducing of the power required by the auxiliary equipment. According to Fray and Divakaruni (1995), even not full scope simulators are used successfully for operators’ training.