Research Triangle Park

Steve Scavuzzo
Babcock & Wilcox Co.
Technical Consultant
• Plant Efficiency = Net Plant Heat Rate (NPHR)

• HHV or LHV >4% Difference by definition

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

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

~36-42% ~ 84-90%

• Combined = 30-38%
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
Once Through Boiler
• Allows the furnace to operate at full
pressure with turbine throttle valves
wide open - full steam temperature
to the 1st stage - at all loads

• Permits increased load change rate

capability

• Can be retrofitted onto drum or once-

through 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 Not a Viable Option for all Units

• Economizer resurfacing / heating • Lower economizer exit

surface addition temperature reduces SCR control
range
• Air Heater Basket Upgrades
• 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 isn’t 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
 Subcritical Supercritical (Both at 1000/1000F)
2950
Specific Coal Consumption (g/kWh)

2.4%
Heat
rate
2900 imprvm.

5.5%
Heat
rate
imprvm.
2850

2800

2750

2400 psig 3600 psig

Subcritical Supercritical

Source: Siemens, Data based on:

KWU FTP2/Ka/Gs 2 x 660 MW units
Steam pressure @ Turbine Inlet (psig) 30.6.1997 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 flue gas handling equipment size and fan power

• Lower plant fuel handling
• Lower fuel transportation system impact
• Lower 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%)