Abstract
The increasing introduction of renewable energy capacity has changed the perspective on the operation of conventional power plants, introducing the necessity of reaching extreme off-design conditions. There is a strong interest in the development and optimization of technologies that can be retrofitted to an existing power plant to enhance flexibility as well as increase performance and lower emissions. Under the framework of the European project TURBO-REFLEX, a typical F-class gas turbine compressor designed and manufactured by Ansaldo Energia has been studied. Numerical analyses were performed using the TRAF code, which is a state-of-the-art 3D CFD RANS/URANS flow solver. In order to assess the feasibility of lower minimum environmental load operation, by utilizing a reduction in the compressor outlet mass-flow rate, with a safe stability margin, two different solutions have been analyzed: blow-off extractions and extra-closure of Variable Inlet Guide Vanes. The numerical steady-state results are compared and discussed in relation to an experimental campaign, which was performed by Ansaldo Energia. The purpose is to identify the feasibility of the technologies and implementation opportunity in the existing thermal power plant fleet.
Highlights
Renewable energy systems (RES) represent a great revolution for the energy market. Despite their rapid development expected over the decades, gas-fired power plants are required to maintain a key role in the energy horizon in order to ensure grid stability and peak demand and reach extreme off-design conditions
This paper aims to evaluate the capability and the robustness of a 3D CFD flow solver to predict the feasibility of lower full-compressor minimum environmental load (MEL) operation by adopting different solutions: blow-off extractions and inlet guide vanes (IGV) extra-closure
F-class axial compressor designed, manufactured, and experimentally tested by Ansaldo Energia has been studied in the present work
Summary
Renewable energy systems (RES) represent a great revolution for the energy market. Despite their rapid development expected over the decades, gas-fired power plants are required to maintain a key role in the energy horizon in order to ensure grid stability and peak demand and reach extreme off-design conditions. RES-based power plants (mainly wind and solar photovoltaic) are realized and convert energy when and where the power source is available, and this is not necessarily matching the community needs.
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