Analysis of reheater size impact on power plant performance

Abstract

Paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Mauritius, 11-13 July, 2011.In order to be able to analyze performance of the coal fired thermal power plant, a detailed mathematical model of thermohydraulical processes in the steam generator, steam turbine and feedwater line has been developed. Attention has been focused on the influence of the reheater package size on the thermal efficiency of the plant. History of the plant shows that the reheater size had been decreased due to problems with coal ash slugging, what eventually resulted in lower power output and thermal efficiency decrease. Simulation results showed that change of utilised coal for the type with improved slugging characteristics would not achieve design temperatures unless the reheater size would be restored. In this case the plant thermal efficiency would be increased for 0.4-0.7 % resulting in some 140000 euro/a operational cost savings.