Combustion Optimization and Power Plant Performance Enhancements

Abstract

The power industry is striving to decrease NOx, improve heat rates, and respond to load changes in an efficient and reliable manner. Combustion optimization and faster ramp rates are becoming a key element of power plant operations. Steam temperature control and sliding pressure enable plants to ramp at increasing rates. Several advanced control methods have gained adoption by the power industry to improve plant performance. Neural networks for non-linear optimization, multivariable dynamic control, and fuzzy logic technologies have proven themselves as enhancements to the legacy control methods previously used. Each of these technologies has a role to play in the most efficient and reliable power plant operation. This paper briefly discusses these enabling technologies and the benefits that their application has brought to the industry.

Keywords:

• combustion optimization
• heat rate improvement
• NOx reduction
• ramp rate
• superheat temperature control

Notes

¹Correspondence with Ready Engineering Corporation, Box 3825, Suite 209, 215 McLeod Avenue Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada T7X 3A4.