The Effects of Parameters on HRSG Thermodynamic Performance

Abstract

Changes of inlet temperature, mass flow rate and composition of flue gas, or of water/steam pressure and temperature in heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), all will modify the amount of waste heat recovered from flue gas; this brings forward a desire for the optimization of the design of HRSG. For single pressure HRSGs with given structures and specified values of inlet temperature, mass flow rate and composition of flue gas, the steam mass flow rate and gas outlet temperature of the HRSG are analyzed as functions of several parameters. This analysis is based on the laws of thermodynamics, incorporated into the energy balance equations for the heat exchangers. Those parameters are superheated steam pressure and temperature, feedwater temperature and pinch point temperature difference. It was shown that the gas outlet temperature could be lowered by selecting appropriate water/steam parameters and pinch point temperature difference. While operating with the suggested parameters, the HRSG can generate more high-quality steam, a fact of great significance for waste heat recovery from wider ranges of sources for better energy conservation.