Reducing the Superheating of Extraction Stream on Advanced-Ultra Super Critical Power Plants with Regenerative Turbines in South Korea: an Economic Analysis
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energies Article Reducing the Superheating of Extraction Stream on Advanced-Ultra Super Critical Power Plants with Regenerative Turbines in South Korea: An Economic Analysis Dong-Jin Cho 1,2, Eul-Bum Lee 2,3,* , Jae-Min Cho 2 and Douglas Alleman 4 1 Dae-Woo Engineering and Construction, Division of Plant Engineering, 75 Saemunan-Ro, Jongro-Ku, Seoul 03182, Korea; [email protected] 2 Graduate Institute of Ferrous Technology (GIFT), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Ku, Pohang 37673, Korea; [email protected] 3 Department of Industrial and Management Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Ku, Pohang 37673, Korea 4 Construction Engineering and Management, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +82-54-279-0136 Received: 3 April 2019; Accepted: 30 April 2019; Published: 3 May 2019 Abstract: In this study, an advanced-ultra super critical (A-USC) simulation model was developed using the Performance Evaluation of power system efficiencies (PEPSE) software and data collected from a 500 MW ultra-supercritical (USC) coal-fired power plant in South Korea. Using the operational USC and a typical A-USC power plant steam conditions, the model analyzed the impacts of adding an additional feedwater heater (FWH) and reheater to the baseline single reheater (SR) and 8 FWH case. Through the process of introducing reheat and/or regenerative cycles, the authors found: (1) A-USC steam conditions offers an approximate 4% power plant efficiency increase in comparison to the baseline USC steam conditions and; (2) power plant efficiencies increase approximately 1.5% when a 9th FWH and double reheater are added, however; (3) this also results in an approximate 64 ◦C increase in the superheating of extraction stream. This excessive rise in the superheating of extraction steam was found to cause overall energy loss, reducing the overall efficiency of the power plant. Therefore, it was surmised that if the increase in the superheat degree of extraction steam from the improved steam cycle, which can effectively reduce, the efficiency of the power plant could be further improved. To determine the efficiency variations based on the reduction of the superheat degree of extraction steam, the authors applied a regenerative turbine (RT) to the model. Introducing the RT to the A-USC DR and 9 FWH was found to decrease from the average extraction steam temperature from 221 ◦C to 108 ◦C and result in an increase in power plant efficiency of approximately 0.3% to 49.5%. An economic analysis was also performed to assess the fiscal feasibility of adding an RT. Assuming the initial investment to be USD 1409 million, implementing an RT equated to a net present value increase of approximately USD 33 million as compared to that of similar life (30 years of durability) expectancy of A-USC without using an RT. The findings of this study have the potential to improve South Korea’s energy policy, reducing the superheat degree of extraction steam that rises excessively during A-USC steam condition optimization. While this study is focused on South Korea, said findings are also generalizable to worldwide energy policies, serving as an effective method to not only increase system efficiencies, but enhance the economic feasibility as well. Keywords: coal-fired power plant; A-USC; advanced ultra-super critical; superheat degree; extraction steam; regeneration turbine; steam condition optimization; plant efficiency; economic analysis Energies 2019, 12, 1681; doi:10.3390/en12091681 www.mdpi.com/journal/energies Energies 2019, 12, 1681 2 of 22 1. Introduction Energies 2019, 13, x 2 of 22 Coal-fired power plants are a reliable source of energy due to the worldwide abundance of coalCoal-fired reserves power and eplantsfficiencies are a in reliable converting source said of ener sourcesgy due into to electric the worldwide power. However, abundance they of coal produce reserves and significantlyefficiencies in more converting environmental said sources pollution into electr in comparisonic power. However, to other power they produce sources. significantly The National more environmentalGreenhouse pollution Gas Inventory in comparison Report of South to other Korea po forwer 2015 sources. found The that National the total greenhouse Greenhouse gas Gas emissions Inventory Reportamounted of South to Korea 694.5 for million 2015 found tons (CO2eq) that the total with greenhouse 606.2 million gas tons emissions (CO2eq) amounted coming fromto 694.5 the million energy tons (CO2eq)sector—coal-fired with 606.2 million power tons generation (CO2eq) being coming the from most the significant energy sector contributor - coal-fired [1]. Lower power emitting generation power being the generationmost significant sources, contributor often alternative [1]. Lower or sustainable emitting energypower sources,generation are source currentlys, often unable alternative to meet or sustainablethe global energy energy sources, requirements. are currently Nuclear unable power to meet generation the global is a viableenergy source requirements. but has been Nuclear viewed power generationnegatively is a asviable of late source due tobut Japan’s has been Fukushima viewed nuclearnegatively plant. as of In late order due to reduceto Japan’s the Fukushima risk of disasters nuclear plant.and In meet order the to increasing reduce the demand risk of for disasters electric power, and meet it is necessarythe increasing to construct demand and for invest electric in a coal-firedpower, it is necessarypower to plant construct that uses and technologies invest in thata coal-fired can solve power environmental plant that problems. uses technologies One method that to reducecan solve environmentalcarbon emissions problems. is to One increase method the to operational reduce carbon efficiencies emissions of these is to coal-firedincrease the power operational plants, andefficiencies the of thesemost coal-fired effective waypower to achieveplants, and this isthe to most optimize effectiv thee temperature way to achieve and this pressure is to ofoptimize the main the and temperature reheat and steam.pressure Figure of the1 showsmain and the reheat improvement steam. Figure of heat 1 rateshows according the improvement to the condition of heat of rate the according main steam to the conditionand reheat of the steam main understeam singleand reheat reheat steam (SR) condition.under single As reheat the steam (SR) conditionscondition. As increase the steam from conditions 10 bar increaseto 10 from bar based 10 bar on to 16110 bar bar based (main on steam 161 pressure)bar (main/ 538steam◦C pressure) (main steam / 538°C temperature) (main steam/538 temperature)◦C (reheat / 538°Csteam (reheat temperature), steam temperature), the heat consumption the heat consumption rates are improved rates are by 0.5%improved and 0.2%. by 0.5% The temperatureand 0.2%. The temperatureand pressure and conditionspressure conditions of the steam of the are steam proportional are proportional to the effi ciency.to the efficiency. Improvement Improvement of the steam of the steamcondition condition is essentialis essential for for effi efficiencyciency improvement improvement [2]. [2]. Figure 1. ImprovementImprovement of of heat heat consumption consumption rate by the steam condition [2] [2].. In anIn attempt an attempt to achieve to achieve optimal optimal efficiency, efficiency, invest investorsors are are developing developing coal-fired coal-fired power power plants plants with with ever- increasingever-increasing steam conditions. steam conditions. To date, the To date,coal-fired the coal-fired power plant power types plant are types currently are currently divided dividedinto subcritical, into supercritical,subcritical, ultra-supercritical supercritical, ultra-supercritical (USC) and (USC)advanced-ultra and advanced-ultra supercritical supercritical (A-USC) (A-USC) depending depending on the temperatureon the temperature and pressure and conditions pressure conditions of the main of steam. the main One steam. of the One determining of the determining reference referencepoints is the points critical pointis which the critical is the pointstate where which the is thesatu staterated where liquid theline saturated of the steam liquid and linethe saturated of the steam steam and line the meet saturated with each other.steam The lineworking meet fluid with of each a coal-fired other. 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