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ABSTRACT
This article will discuss the derivation and use of a performance model, which represents both steam and electric thermal plant cycles of a cogeneration plant. The plant is rated at 58.2 MW electric and 350 kpph steam output; it utilizes four boilers and six back pressure turbines and was commissioned in 1950. The host site is a legacy Department of Energy (DOE) complex facility located in the Southeast United States. This complex, which covers an area of 310 square miles, serves as a nuclear materials processing center for the DOE and employs over 10,000 people.
The primary focus is OPTIM, a spreadsheet based economic model that incorporates a detailed thermal performance map, fixed and variable operating costs and electrical purchase contract costs. It can be used to estimate as well as optimize plant running costs accrued by serving the site's steam and electrical demands. This ability allows OPTIM to be used for the analysis of daily economic dispatch or to evaluate various operating strategies for providing future steam and electrical demands. A sample application of OPTIM related to operating strategies is discussed.