OPTIMUM OPERATION FOR DIFFERENT DESIGN CONDITIONS OF A SINGLE PRESSURE HEAT RECOVERY STEAM GENERATOR (HRSG) FOR MINIMUM ENTROPY GENERATION
Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) is the critical link between the “topping” gas and “bottoming” steam power cycle of a combined power plant. Depending on the mass flow and property of exhaust flue gas from the gas cycle, optimum design and operation, for minimum entropy generation in a single pressure HRSG generating superheated steam is reported in this paper. It shows that an optimum pressure of steam generation exists for minimum entropy generation. The interdependence between the physical size (and hence cost) of different heat transfer components of HRSG with the thermodynamic optimum operation for minimum entropy generation is presented. Optimum pressure of steam generation increases with greater size of super heater, economizer and evaporator up to certain limit, beyond which the increase in optimum saturation pressure is marginal with increase in size of the heat transfer units. However, increasing evaporator size and degree of superheat have the adverse effect of lesser steam generation for a given economizer and super heater for minimum entropy generation.
Second law analysis of a waste heat recovery steam generator
In recent years a great deal of attention is focussed on the efficient utilization of energy resources with minimum heat loss. There is a growing interest on second law analysis to minimize the entropy generation in various thermal units and thereby to improve and optimize the design and performance. In the present work, a waste heat recovery steam generator is considered, which consists of an economizer, an evaporator and a super heater. The unit produces superheated steam by absorbing heat from the hot flue gases. A general equation for the entropy generation has been proposed, which incorporates all the irreversibilities associated with the process. By using suitable non-dimensional operating parameters, an equation for entropy generation number is derived. The effect of various non-dimensional operating parameters, on the entropy generation number are investigated. The role of gas specific heat, non-dimensional inlet gas temperature difference ratio (τ), heat exchanger unit sizes (NTUB, NTUS, NTUE) on entropy generation number are also reported. The results will help to understand the influence of different non-dimensional operating parameters on entropy generation number, which in turn will be useful to optimize the performance of the unit.
Turbines for the turn of the century
This article describes how a natural gas-fired combined cycle with increased firing temperature, reduced cooling air usage, improved component efficiencies, and cycle enhancements could achieve a lower heating value plant efficiency of greater than 60%. Today's gas turbine systems feature high fuel-to-electricity efficiencies. Efficiencies, on a lower-heating-value (LHV) basis, for large natural gas-fired combined-cycle systems for the utility market have been demonstrated at 54%. Even though manufacturers will make improvements in the 1990s, efficiency levels will reach a plateau. Cycle innovations and gas turbine design changes will achieve LHV efficiencies in the 60% range for natural gas-fired utility machines.