Research Triangle Park

Steve Scavuzzo
Babcock & Wilcox Co.
Technical Consultant

Plant Efficiency = Net Plant Heat Rate (NPHR)

HHV or LHV

NPHR = (Fuel Input) / (KWGROSS KWAUX), btu/kWh

>4% Difference by definition

Generating Efficiency = (Turbine Eff.) (Boiler Eff.)

~36-42%
Combined = 30-38%

~ 84-90%

On the Steam Side

Cycles and the Second Law
In 1823 Carnot Said: Max Efficiency =
65% for typical rankine cycles
T0 = Heat Sink Temperature
T1 = Temperature at which heat is added
Increase T1 to improve efficiency
Primary limiting factor is cost and availability of materials
On the Boiler Side
Efficiency is a Function of:
Gas Temp Leaving the air heater
Ambient Temp
Excess Air
Unburned Combustibles
Fuel Properties

Air Heater Performance

Affects every air pollution control and combustion device in the plant
EMISSIONS

BURNERS
COMBUSTION

Air Heater Performance

Poorly maintained Air Heaters could degrade plant heat rate by 0.7 to 0.9%.

Air Heater Performance

Minimize Boiler Setting Air In-leakage
Penthouse Roof Seals
Access and Observation doors
Expansion Joints
Furnace Hopper Seal
Setting Leakage
Degrades Air Heater
Performance
3% air leakage +10F - 0.25% Eff

Degrades Combustion System

performance Increases UBCL
and some emissions

Requires operation at higher total

excess air Increases stack
losses and ID/FD fan power
consumption

Air Heater Performance

Operation and Maintenance of Boiler Cleaning Equipment
Maintain boiler cleanliness
to minimize exit gas
temperature and stack
losses
A 30F Reduction in boiler
exit gas temperature
0.25% Heat Rate
Implement Intelligent
sootblower control to
optimize absorption
distribution and heat rate

Air Heater Performance

Operation and Maintenance of Coal Pulverizers
Proper maintenance of pulverizer wear
parts will increase fineness and decrease
drive motor power consumption.
Increased fineness reduces unburned
carbon loss (UBCL) and possibly
emissions
Upgrading to a dynamic classifier will
improve coal fineness and reduce UBCL

Upgrading to an auto-loading system

optimizes primary air fan and pulverizer
motor power consumption, and coal
fineness

Ensure Proper O2 Measurement and Control

Due to O2 Stratification at normal measurement locations, multiple instruments
should be installed in a grid arrangement
Improper O2 measurement and control lead to off-design excess air, emissions
excursions, slagging and fouling, absorption maldistribution, and other problems
that degrade boiler and emissions performance, and heat rate

Turbine Steam Path Upgrades 4% improvement in NPHR

Incorporate peak generating load increase
Requires boiler heating surface modifications to match the boiler to the revised
turbine conditions

Heat rate degrades as load is reduced

 Split / Sliding Pressure Operation

Allows the furnace to operate at full
pressure with turbine throttle valves
wide open - full steam temperature
to the 1st stage - at all loads

Once Through Boiler

Permits increased load change rate

capability
Can be retrofitted onto drum or oncethrough boilers
Extends RH steam temperature control
range (better low load heat rate)

Drum Boiler

 Variable Frequency Drives for Large Fans and Pumps

In a typical modern coal fired power plant, air and gas fans consume
2-3% of gross generator electric output
VFDs allow fans to operate more efficiently over the range
of ambient conditions and fuel variations
Most significant efficiency gains realized during reduced load operation

Reduce Boiler Exit Gas Temperature

Economizer resurfacing / heating
surface addition
Air Heater Basket Upgrades

Not a Viable Option for all Units

Lower economizer exit
temperature reduces SCR control
range
Air heater exit gas temperature
may already be at the dew point
limit

Condensing Heat Exchanger

Water vapor formed during the combustion process results in
a large stack heat loss
4% for a typical coal fired unit about 1/3 of the total losses
10% for a typical Nat. Gas fired unit about 2/3 of the total losses

Most of the lost energy is due to latent heat of vaporization

Opportunity
Condensing heat exchanges could be used to reclaim a large
percentage of this lost energy
Why it isnt already a routine practice
Heat exchangers are large and expensive
Corrosion is a problem to address
What to do with the low grade energy

Combustion Efficiency
Burners
Overfire Air Systems
Pulverizer Upgrades
Opportunities
New burners and OFA systems optimized with CFD
Reduce total excess air: 5% reduction 0.2%
NPHR
Reduce UBCL
Maintain or reduce NOx and CO emissions

Specific Coal Consumption (g/kWh)

Subcritical

Supercritical (Both at 1000/1000F)

2950

2.4%
Heat
rate
imprvm.

2900

5.5%
Heat
rate
imprvm.

2850

2800

2750
2400 psig
Subcritical

3600 psig
Supercritical

Steam pressure @ Turbine Inlet (psig)

Source: Siemens,
KWU FTP2/Ka/Gs
30.6.1997

Data based on:

2 x 660 MW units
6500 hr/a
LHV = 25MJ/kg

16% better heat rate and lower

CO2 emissions
@ nominal 600 MWNET
Average heat rate 8858 Btu/kWh
in 2013
US Fleet Average 10,555
Btu/kWh

Power Engineering July 2014

+11% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions vs. 600C plant heat rate
+29% reduction vs. the current fleet average heat rate and CO2 emissions
could replace existing units with new A-USC plants and meet EPA CO2 goal
without carbon capture

Lower
Lower
Lower
Lower

flue gas handling equipment size and fan power

plant fuel handling
fuel transportation system impact
water consumption and condenser heat duty

Lower CO2 emitted and auxiliary power consumption for capture

 Fireside Corrosion and Coatings

Steam Side Oxidation
Welding and Manufacturing Development
Conceptual Design Studies
Header Design 600C and 700+C (B&W projects)

+$15.2 million by B&W in previous 12 years for A-USC

Opportunities to improve efficiency of existing fleet without significant capital

investment are incremental and unless the unit is ill-maintained, will not result
in large improvements to NPHR (<1.0 - 1.5%)

Selected older units with original equipment -- turbine steam path upgrades
combined with boiler heating surface modifications are the most likely
opportunity to improve heat rate by multiple percentage points (4%)

Opportunities are available to improve reduced load heat rate and load cycling
capability

New ultra supercritical or advanced ultra-supercritical units offer the most

significant heat rate improvement opportunities (16-29%)