Performance Entitlement of Supercritical Steam Bottoming Cycle

Author(s):  
S. Can Gülen

A supercritical steam bottoming cycle has been proposed as a performance enhancement option for gas turbine combined cycle power plants. The technology has been widely used in coal-fired steam turbine power plants since the 1950s and can be considered a mature technology. Its application to the gas-fired combined cycle systems presents unique design challenges due to the much lower gas temperatures (i.e., 650 °C at the gas turbine exhaust vis-à-vis 2000 °C in fossil fuel-fired steam boilers). Thus, the potential impact of the supercritical steam conditions is hampered to the point of economic infeasibility. This technical brief draws upon the second-law based exergy concept to rigorously quantify the performance entitlement of a supercritical high-pressure boiler section in a heat recovery steam generator utilizing the exhaust of a gas turbine to generate steam for power generation in a steam turbine.

Author(s):  
R. W. Jones ◽  
A. C. Shoults

This paper presents details of three large gas turbine installations in the Freeport, Texas, power plants of the Dow Chemical Company. The general plant layout, integration of useful outputs, economic factors leading to the selection of these units, and experiences during startup and operation will be reviewed. All three units operate with supercharging fan, evaporative cooler, and static excitation. Two of the installations are nearly identical 32,000-kw gas turbines operating in a combined cycle with a supplementary fired 1,500,000-lb/hr boiler and a 50,000-kw noncondensing steam turbine. The other installation is a 43,000-kw gas turbine and a 20,000-kw starter-helper steam turbine on the same shaft. The gas turbine exhaust is used to supply heated feedwater for four existing boilers.


Author(s):  
A. Hofstädter ◽  
H. U. Frutschi ◽  
H. Haselbacher

Steam injection is a well-known principle for increasing gas turbine efficiency by taking advantage of the relatively high gas turbine exhaust temperatures. Unfortunately, performance is not sufficiently improved compared with alternative bottoming cycles. However, previously investigated supplements to the STIG-principle — such as sequential combustion and consideration of a back pressure steam turbine — led to a remarkable increase in efficiency. The cycle presented in this paper includes a further improvement: The steam, which exits from the back pressure steam turbine at a rather low temperature, is no longer led directly into the combustion chamber. Instead, it reenters the boiler to be further superheated. This modification yields additional improvement of the thermal efficiency due to a significant reduction of fuel consumption. Taking into account the simpler design compared with combined-cycle power plants, the described type of an advanced STIG-cycle (A-STIG) could represent an interesting alternative regarding peak and medium load power plants.


2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (3) ◽  
pp. 637-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mun Roy Yap ◽  
Ting Wang

Biomass can be converted to energy via direct combustion or thermochemical conversion to liquid or gas fuels. This study focuses on burning producer gases derived from gasifying biomass wastes to produce power. Since the producer gases are usually of low calorific values (LCV), power plant performance under various operating conditions has not yet been proven. In this study, system performance calculations are conducted for 5MWe power plants. The power plants considered include simple gas turbine systems, steam turbine systems, combined cycle systems, and steam injection gas turbine systems using the producer gas with low calorific values at approximately 30% and 15% of the natural gas heating value (on a mass basis). The LCV fuels are shown to impose high compressor back pressure and produce increased power output due to increased fuel flow. Turbine nozzle throat area is adjusted to accommodate additional fuel flows to allow the compressor to operate within safety margin. The best performance occurs when the designed pressure ratio is maintained by widening nozzle openings, even though the turbine inlet pressure is reduced under this adjustment. Power augmentations under four different ambient conditions are calculated by employing gas turbine inlet fog cooling. Comparison between inlet fog cooling and steam injection using the same amount of water mass flow indicates that steam injection is less effective than inlet fog cooling in augmenting power output. Maximizing steam injection, at the expense of supplying the steam to the steam turbine, significantly reduces both the efficiency and the output power of the combined cycle. This study indicates that the performance of gas turbine and combined cycle systems fueled by the LCV fuels could be very different from the familiar behavior of natural gas fired systems. Care must be taken if on-shelf gas turbines are modified to burn LCV fuels.


1990 ◽  
Vol 112 (4) ◽  
pp. 585-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. W. Harris

Acid dewpoints were calculated from SO2-to-SO3 conversion in gas turbine exhaust. These data can be used as guidelines in setting feedwater temperatures in combined-cycle systems. Accurate settings can prevent corrosion of heat-exchanger (boiler) tubes, thus extending their life time. This study was done using gas turbine engines and a laboratory generator set. The units burned marine diesel or diesel No. 2 fuel with sulfur contents up to 1.3 percent. The exhaust from these systems contained an excess of 20 percent oxygen, and 3–10 percent water vapor. Exhaust temperatures ranged from 728 to 893 K (455 to 620°C).


Author(s):  
Paul B. Johnston

Margining gas turbine exhaust energy exposes the EPC (Engineering, Procurement & Construction) contractor to risk when developing overall plant performance guarantees. The objective of this paper is to explain the nature of this risk, recognize its significance and propose ways of mitigation. Sharing risk between the Developer and the contractor should be apportioned to maximize value for the project. Attention is focused on 2 on 1 combined cycle power plants, but the results are relevant for all types of gas turbine based power and cogeneration facilities. Risk mitigation alternatives discussed include both assessment of margins to the bottomline performance and the application of performance corrections at the time of field testing. Allowing for corrections leads to enhanced overall plant performance guarantees.


Author(s):  
Mun Roy Yap ◽  
Ting Wang

Biomass can be converted to energy via direct combustion or thermo-chemical conversion to liquid or gas fuels. This study focuses on burning producer gases derived from gasifying biomass wastes to produce power. Since the producer gases are usually low calorific values (LCV), the power plants performance under various operating conditions has not yet been proven. In this study, system performance calculations are conducted for 5MWe power plants. The power plants considered include simple gas turbine systems, steam turbine systems, combined cycle systems, and steam injection gas turbine systems (STIG) using the producer gas with low calorific values at approximately 30% and 15% of the natural gas heating value (on a mass basis). The LCV fuels are shown to impose high back compressor pressure and produces increased power output due to increased fuel flow. Turbine nozzle throat area is adjusted to accommodate additional fuel flows to allow compressor operate within safety margin. The best performance occurs when the designed pressure ratio is maintained by widening nozzle openings, even though the TIT is reduced under this adjustment. Power augmentations under four different ambient conditions are calculated by employing gas turbine inlet fog cooling. Comparison between inlet fog cooling and steam injection using the same amount of water mass flow indicates that steam injection is less effective than inlet fog cooling in augmenting power output. Maximizing steam injection, at the expense of supplying the steam to the steam turbine, significantly reduces both the efficiency and the output power of the combined cycle. This study indicates that the performance of gas turbine and combined cycle systems fueled by the LCV fuels could be very different from the familiar behavior of natural gas fired systems. Care must be taken if on-shelf gas turbines are modified to burn LCV fuels.


Author(s):  
Akber Pasha

In recent years the combined cycle has become a very attractive power plant arrangement because of its high cycle efficiency, short order-to-on-line time and flexibility in the sizing when compared to conventional steam power plants. However, optimization of the cycle and selection of combined cycle equipment has become more complex because the three major components, Gas Turbine, Heat Recovery Steam Generator and Steam Turbine, are often designed and built by different manufacturers. Heat Recovery Steam Generators are classified into two major categories — 1) Natural Circulation and 2) Forced Circulation. Both circulation designs have certain advantages, disadvantages and limitations. This paper analyzes various factors including; availability, start-up, gas turbine exhaust conditions, reliability, space requirements, etc., which are affected by the type of circulation and which in turn affect the design, price and performance of the Heat Recovery Steam Generator. Modern trends around the world are discussed and conclusions are drawn as to the best type of circulation for a Heat Recovery Steam Generator for combined cycle application.


2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (12) ◽  
pp. 57-57
Author(s):  
Lee S. Langston

This article presents an overview of gas turbine combined cycle (CCGT) power plants. Modern CCGT power plants are producing electric power as high as half a gigawatt with thermal efficiencies approaching the 60% mark. In a CCGT power plant, the gas turbine is the key player, driving an electrical generator. Heat from the hot gas turbine exhaust is recovered in a heat recovery steam generator, to generate steam, which drives a steam turbine to generate more electrical power. Thus, it is a combined power plant burning one unit of fuel to supply two sources of electrical power. Most of these CCGT plants burn natural gas, which has the lowest carbon content of any other hydrocarbon fuel. Their near 60% thermal efficiencies lower fuel costs by almost half compared to other gas-fired power plants. Their installed capital cost is the lowest in the electric power industry. Moreover, environmental permits, necessary for new plant construction, are much easier to obtain for CCGT power plants.


1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (07) ◽  
pp. 72-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Valent

This article reviews that twenty-first century passengers on the Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises are set to make history in style. Up to six of Royal Caribbean’s Voyager- and Millennium-class vessels will be the first cruise ships ever powered by General Electric’s gas turbines. In addition to reducing engine-room noise and vibration and cutting emissions, this propulsion system—a departure from the traditional diesel engine—will make it possible for ships to set sail with a reduced maintenance crew and smaller parts inventory. Royal Caribbean International currently operates a fleet of 12 ships. In the Royal Caribbean application, the GE gas turbine will be used to drive generators that will provide electricity to propeller motors. The steam turbine will recover heat from the gas turbine exhaust for other uses. This combined gas turbine and steam turbine integrated electric drive system represents a departure from diesel engines in more than one respect.


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