Abstract
This research presents the performance assessment of a combined heat and power plant operating in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The main focus is to evaluate the performance parameters of the gas turbine unit and the waste heat recovery generator section of the combined-heat-and-power plant. Data were gathered from the manufacturer’s manual, field and panel operator’s log sheets and the human machine interface (HMI) monitoring screen. The standard thermodynamic equations were used to determine the appropriate parameters of the various components of the gas turbine power plant as well as that of the heat exchangers of the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The outcome of all analysis indicated that for every 10C rise in ambient temperature of the compressor air intake there is an average of 0.146MW drop in the gas turbine power output, a fall of about 0.176% in the thermal efficiency of the plant, a decrease of about 2.46% in the combined-cycle thermal efficiency and an increase of about 0.0323 Kg/Kwh in specific fuel consumption of the plant. In evaluating the performance of the Waste Heat Boiler (WHB), the principle of heat balance above pinch was applied to a single steam pressure HRSG exhaust gas/steam temperature profile versus exhaust heat flow. Hence, the evaporative capacity (steam flow) of the HRSG was computed from the total heat transfer in the super-heaters and evaporator tubes using heat balance above pinch. The analysis revealed that the equivalent evaporation, evaporative capacity (steam flow) and the HRSG thermal efficiency depends on the heat exchanger’s heat load and its effective maintenance.
Highlights
In the history of the human race more and more energy has been used with the discovery of new energy sources and the development of new and better conversion methods
The thermodynamic performance of the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) in this work is analyzed with reference to its actual evaporation, equivalent evaporation, heat absorption capacity, the thermal efficiency and the combined-cycle thermal efficiency of the HRSG with the application of relevant equations in the section - 2 as well as the collected data/parameters in Table III of the gas turbine combined-heat-and-Power plant
This increase in the HRSG heat load leads to a corresponding increase in the actual mass of steam generated per unit mass of fuel burnt which result to increase in the thermal efficiency of the HRSG system
Summary
In the history of the human race more and more energy has been used with the discovery of new energy sources and the development of new and better conversion methods. In the first half of the twentieth century, energy sources were exploited with the primary consideration given to economics – low cost. The base-load electric power generation was dominated by large coal and nuclear power plants [3]. Due to their high efficiencies, low capital costs, short installation times, good emission characteristics, the abundance of natural gas supplies, more and more electric utilities are using gas turbines for baseload power production as well as for peaking. The construction costs of gas-turbines are roughly half that of comparable conventional fossil-fuel steam power plants, which were the primary base-load power plants until the early 1980’s. More than half of all power plants to be installed in the foreseeable future are forecast to be gas turbines or combined-gas-steam turbines
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