Handling Fluctuation leading to

Flexibility

Fluctuations may lead to demand for maximum load more often than just
once a day. Rather than shutting down plants between demand times, XYZ
Ltd can recognize it may prove more economic to run plants at very low
load, reducing start-up losses and limiting damage due to cycling. Any
reduction in the stable minimum load will thereby improve the
competitiveness of this option

A reduced minimum load is particularly important where low residual load

is needed, for example in areas where there is a high feed in from solar
power during the day. Continuous running at low load will enable back-up
plants to remain connected to the grid and able to move to full load more
rapidly when required. Higher operating hours will increase power
production, minimize start-up losses and reduce damage due to cycling.

Aload following power plant, also known asmid-merit, is apower

plantthat adjusts its power output as demand forelectricityfluctuates
throughout the day. Load following plants are typically in-betweenbase
loadandpeaking power plantsin efficiency, speed of start-up and
shutdown, construction cost, cost of electricity andcapacity factor.

Attributes of flexibility

Start up and shut down on the same day, even twice daily
(e.g., run from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and again from 4:00
p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)
Load follow and run at minimum generation levels: from
480 megawatt (MW) max net capacity per unit to 90-MW
net, and even to 60-MW net (for up to 6 hours) with gas
support
Provide automatic generation control (until recently when
the feature was retired)
Operate at sliding pressure, from 8 to 9 megapascals,
which increases efficiency and flexibility at part loads

Continue..

Increased monitoring and inspections

Improved control systems
Systems to bypass steam to the condenser
Turbine valve modifications, water induction prevention, and
drain automation
Increased water treatment, instrumentation, and analysis
Boiler and turbine stress analyzers
Low Load Operation is essentially a flame stability issue.
Some of these improvements will benefit start cycling, but
also allow better turndown capability- Boiler and burner
modifications to lower minimum load capability- Improved
burner flame stability, flame scanning, and monitoring.
Upgrade ignitors.- Sliding pressure operation- Variable
speed drives on pumps and fans- Lower primary air flowFuel supply control logic upgrade- Procedures to reduce
auxiliary load requirements at low loads

Continue..

Installing fast cooling system to optimize the old steam

turbines
Appropriating the new steam turbines to the flexible needs
of a power plant operator
Pre-heating the steam turbines for a quick starting time and
higher ramp rates
Decreasing the maintenance costs and increasing reliability
through
implementation
of
the
off-line
vibration
measurement
Reducing start-up losses and limiting damage due to
cycling
Decreasing the stable minimum load of operation
Burning coal at higher temperatures and pressures in USC
plants

Continue..
Another important measure of flexibility is through
redudancy in two streams of conveyor streams in coal
handling plant with two numbers of stacker cum
reclaimer.

During low load operation one stream of conveyor

could be shut down for maintenance and inspection
while the other stream could be used to feed coal in
boiler bunker bay .
Also control and instrumentation desk using PLC and
SCADA technology can add to the flexibility of operation
because it will enable the operator to monitor real time
the parameters of the plant and can be used to idle
equipments which are not in use.
A major area of technological flexibility is in the form of
on load tap changer in transformer which can be used
to provide constant voltage at output end even with
reduced load at input end.

Continue..
Flexibility in operation can also be improved by
online maintenance practices.
Online maintenance is performed when the
parameters about the life of the equipment and its
working condition are obtained from OEM and and
there is regular monitoring of such parameters.
This is also called preventive maintenance or
condition monitoring
and is done so that
equipment outage time is as low as possible.
Effective condition monitoring can enable the
operator to run the plant at high efficiency and off
line maintenance can be performed when peak
load condition is not there.

Continue..
Automation in power plants also provides operational
flexibility for the operator to schedule maintenance
activity and reduce the amount of labour hours
needed to do the same activity.
It also improves the life of the equipment and saves
time and man power cost in individual inspection of
equipments.
Automation with Variable Frequency Drives used for
conveyor operation of coal handling plant saves power
by running the motor at optimal conditions and thus
provides smooth operation.
Also fans used for cooling of transformer oil and
windings are automated so that they shut down once a
set temperature is reached and provides significant
power saving.

Continue..
Power plant flexibility can also be achieved by
technologies like coal washing.
Coal washing technology reduces the ash content
in coal and improves the burning of the coal
Effective burning of the coal in the boiler would
produce less fly ash and improve the
environmental impact of power plant on the
surroundings.
It would also reduce the cost of operating
equipment like Electrostatic Precipitator or ESP to
reduce the amount of fly ash .

Continue..
Further measures in flexibility can be attained by
more automation in equipments .
This can be done by building logic for operation in
the equipments to operate at a set parameters
and the programming could be done to generate
event reports , alarms in case of fault analysis
and can enable less number of operators to
monitor large number of area and equipments
thus adding to the flexibility in man hours and
operations.

THANKS