Strategies for Integration of Advanced Gas and Steam Turbines in Power Generation Applications

Author(s):  
Justin J. Zachary

Combined cycle power plants (CCPPs) using fossil fuel generate the cleanest and most efficient form of electrical power. CCPP technologies have evolved significantly in providing better, more cost-effective products: gas turbines (GTs), steam turbines (STs), heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs), heat sinks, pollutant removal technologies, balance of plant (BOP), water treatment and fuel treatment equipment, etc. A major reason for these improvements was the introduction of the G and H technologies for gas turbines, in which an inseparable thermodynamic and physical link was created between the primary and secondary power generation systems by using steam instead of air, in a closed loop to perform most (or all) turbine cooling activities.

Author(s):  
Justin Zachary

In the past 20 years, the equipment manufacturers have made significant strives to develop better and more cost effective products: gas turbines, steam turbines, Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSG), water treatment, fuel treatment equipment etc. Consequently, the Combined Cycle Power Plants (CCPP) have become, due to many technological breakthroughs, the most efficient form of electrical power generation from fossil fuel, reaching or exceeding net efficiencies of 60%. We are also witnessing a substantial penetration of Renewable in the power generation mix. The Renewable intermittent nature of generation associated with new grid requirements for spinning reserves and/or frequency control must be considered when new CCPP are conceptually designed. The paper will examine several CCPP configurations, involving one, two, and three gas turbines. Substantial improvements in the efficiency are usually associated with an increased gas turbines electrical output. Various scenarios of plant configurations with targeted, sensible level of integration will be examined. The challenges of major equipment selection (gas turbines, heat recovery steam generator steam turbines, heat sink) for each of the configurations will be examined from an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) Contractor perspective, based on the lessons learned from the development and execution of more than 30 advanced CCPPs. A special emphasis will be given to the strategy of providing the CCPP with fast start-up, capability, rapid load changes, without negatively impacting part-load efficiencies and emissions. The effect of plant configuration on plant reliability, maintenance requirements and recommended spare parts will also be discussed. Finally the paper describes the lessons learned, in plant configuration selection that can be successfully employed on future projects through judicious equipment selection at the development phase, design optimization and proper project management at the execution phase.


Author(s):  
Andrea Ciani ◽  
John P. Wood ◽  
Anders Wickström ◽  
Geir J. Rørtveit ◽  
Rosetta Steeneveldt ◽  
...  

Abstract Today gas turbines and combined cycle power plants play an important role in power generation and in the light of increasing energy demand, their role is expected to grow alongside renewables. In addition, the volatility of renewables in generating and dispatching power entails a new focus on electricity security. This reinforces the importance of gas turbines in guaranteeing grid reliability by compensating for the intermittency of renewables. In order to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goals, power generation must be decarbonized. This is where hydrogen produced from renewables or with CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) comes into play, allowing totally CO2-free combustion. Hydrogen features the unique capability to store energy for medium to long storage cycles and hence could be used to alleviate seasonal variations of renewable power generation. The importance of hydrogen for future power generation is expected to increase due to several factors: the push for CO2-free energy production is calling for various options, all resulting in the necessity of a broader fuel flexibility, in particular accommodating hydrogen as a future fuel feeding gas turbines and combined cycle power plants. Hydrogen from methane reforming is pursued, with particular interest within energy scenarios linked with carbon capture and storage, while the increased share of renewables requires the storage of energy for which hydrogen is the best candidate. Compared to natural gas the main challenge of hydrogen combustion is its increased reactivity resulting in a decrease of engine performance for conventional premix combustion systems. The sequential combustion technology used within Ansaldo Energia’s GT36 and GT26 gas turbines provides for extra freedom in optimizing the operation concept. This sequential combustion technology enables low emission combustion at high temperatures with particularly high fuel flexibility thanks to the complementarity between its first stage, stabilized by flame propagation and its second (sequential) stage, stabilized by auto-ignition. With this concept, gas turbines are envisaged to be able to provide reliable, dispatchable, CO2-free electric power. In this paper, an overview of hydrogen production (grey, blue, and green hydrogen), transport and storage are presented targeting a CO2-free energy system based on gas turbines. A detailed description of the test infrastructure, handling of highly reactive fuels is given with specific aspects of the large amounts of hydrogen used for the full engine pressure tests. Based on the results discussed at last year’s Turbo Expo (Bothien et al. GT2019-90798), further high pressure test results are reported, demonstrating how sequential combustion with novel operational concepts is able to achieve the lowest emissions, highest fuel and operational flexibility, for very high combustor exit temperatures (H-class) with unprecedented hydrogen contents.


Author(s):  
Arthur Cohn ◽  
Mark Waters

It is important that the requirements and cycle penalties related to the cooling of high temperature turbines be thoroughly understood and accurately factored into cycle analyses and power plant systems studies. Various methods used for the cooling of high temperature gas turbines are considered and cooling effectiveness curves established for each. These methods include convection, film and transpiration cooling using compressor bleed and/or discharge air. In addition, the effects of chilling the compressor discharge cooling gas are considered. Performance is developed to demonstrate the impact of the turbine cooling schemes on the heat rate and specific power of Combined–Cycle power plants.


Author(s):  
Rolf H. Kehlhofer

In the past 15 years the combined-cycle (gas/steam turbine) power plant has come into its own in the power generation market. Today, approximately 30 000 MW of power are already installed or being built as combined-cycle units. Combined-cycle plants are therefore a proven technology, showing not only impressive thermal efficiency ratings of up to 50 percent in theory, but also proving them in practice and everyday operation (1) (2). Combined-cycle installations can be used for many purposes. They range from power plants for power generation only, to cogeneration plants for district heating or combined cycles with maximum additional firing (3). The main obstacle to further expansion of the combined cycle principle is its lack of fuel flexibility. To this day, gas turbines are still limited to gaseous or liquid fuels. This paper shows a viable way to add a cheap solid fuel, coal, to the list. The plant system in question is a 2 × 150 MW combined-cycle plant of BBC Brown Boveri with integrated coal gasification plant of British Gas/Lurgi. The main point of interest is that all the individual components of the power plant described in this paper have proven their worth commercially. It is therefore not a pilot plant but a viable commercial proposition.


Author(s):  
Pascal Fontaine

The US market is currently making a double jump in its HRSG requirements. Heretofore, HRSGs were used largely in industrial size cogen applications. According to the PURPA (Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act), public utilities were required to purchase that electric power generated in excess of the steam host’s needs. Thus, HRSGs were relatively small and operated under constant conditions. Now, HRSGs are much larger (utility size) and also more complex due to the introduction of triple pressure plus reheat behind powerful heavy duty gas turbines. With the onset of deregulation and consequent merchant power, combined cycle plants are now required to supply electrical power to the grid as and when needed with consequent day/night and weekday/weekend cycling. Those merchant plants have to come on and off line with minimal notice and be run sometimes at partial loads. Even units which were originally designed for base load are all eventually forced to cycle as new more efficient power plants are built. Thus, substantial changes in basic HRSG design are needed to cope with these changes. Coincidentally, the types of service projected for USA HRSGs have been in effect in Europe for over two decades. For this reason, European HRSG manufacturers/operators have adopted cycling tolerant Vertical HRSGs based on designs which permit the tubes to expand/contract freely and independently of one another, as distinguished from the more rigid horizontal gas pass design. Thus, fatigue stresses related to load following swings are minimized. This is just an illustration of the specific features of the Vertical European HRSGs for minimizing damages due to cycling related fatigue stresses. Vertical HRSG design shall be considered not only in terms of smaller footprint, but also as a solution to cycling related problems. As generally recognized, the cycling criterion is an integral part of HRSG design. This paper presents solutions to HRSG design issues for cycling tolerant operation. It relates to published data on problems observed with cycling Horizontal HRSGs, and it describes how these problems can be overcome. Concepts, design features and calculation methods applied to cycling tolerant HRSGs are reviewed in detail. Vertical HRSGs have been criticized because of their need for circulation pumps. Interestingly, the need for such pumps was eliminated a decade ago, with the advent of natural circulation for Vertical HRSGs up to 1800 psia (124 bar A) operating pressure.


Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Yoshida ◽  
Kazunori Yamanaka ◽  
Atsushi Yamashita ◽  
Norihiro Iyanaga ◽  
Takuya Yoshida

In the fast start-up for combined cycle power plants (CCPP), the thermal stresses of the steam turbine rotor are generally controlled by the steam temperatures or flow rates by using gas turbines (GTs), steam turbines, and desuperheaters to avoid exceeding the thermal stress limits. However, this thermal stress sensitivity to steam temperatures and flow rates depends on the start-up sequence due to the relatively large time constants of the heat transfer response in the plant components. In this paper, a coordinated control method of gas turbines and steam turbine is proposed for thermal stress control, which takes into account the large time constants of the heat transfer response. The start-up processes are simulated in order to assess the effect of the coordinated control method. The simulation results of the plant start-ups after several different cool-down times show that the thermal stresses are stably controlled without exceeding the limits. In addition, the steam turbine start-up times are reduced by 22–28% compared with those of the cases where only steam turbine control is applied.


Author(s):  
Gregor Gnädig

Many Asian countries are experiencing economic growth which averages 5–10% per year. This environment has led to a privatization process in the power generation industry from typically state-run utilities to a system in which a federal agency oversees a market divided by private utilities and independent power producers (IPP) with the need for high efficiency, reliable power generation running on natural gas and diesel oil. In the 50 Hz market, modem, high efficient gas turbines of the type GT13E and GT13E2 have been chosen as prime movers in many combined cycle power plants in Asian countries. This paper includes a product description, and a general overview of GT13E and GT13E2 operating experience, well as an economic evaluation of a typical 500 MW combined cycle power plant.


Author(s):  
Ram G. Narula

Natural-gas-fired combined cycle plants have become the preferred technology for new power generation because of their high thermal efficiency and superior environmental characteristics. An outcome of the recent resurgence in the U.S. power market is that the average size of the new power plant has increased, leading to the use of two or three advanced gas turbines (GTs) per plant. In lieu of the traditional multishaft arrangement, some GT suppliers are advocating the use of multiple trains of their single-shaft reference plants. This paper covers salient differences between the two approaches and discusses at length the major variables and their impact on balance-of-plant cost that must be carefully examined for a cost-effective solution.


Author(s):  
Helmut E. Vierrath ◽  
Peter K. Herbert ◽  
Claus F. Greil ◽  
Brian H. Thompson

It is widely accepted that coal gasification combined-cycle plants represent an environmentally superior alternative to conventional coal fired power plants with flue gas desulfurization. Purpose of this paper is to show that technology is available for all steps required to convert coal to electricity, including treatment of waste streams. Based on examples for power plants in the 200–800 MW range using current and as well as advanced gas turbines, it is shown that under both European and US-conditions cost of electricity from this (new) route of coal based power generation is certainly no higher — and probably even lower — than from conventional PC (pulverized coal) power plants equipped with equivalent environmental control technology. Thus, this technology is likely to be a prime contributor when it comes to enhance environmental acceptability of power plants in general, and to help solve the acid rain problem in particular. In addition the versatility of the proposed technology for repowering, decentralized application and district heat system is explained.


Author(s):  
J. Tobias ◽  
D. Depperschmidt ◽  
C. Welch ◽  
R. Miller ◽  
M. Uddi ◽  
...  

Pressure gain combustion (PGC) has been conceived to convert fuel’s chemical energy into thermal energy and mechanical energy, thereby reducing the entropy production in the process. Recent research has shown that the rotating detonation combustion or combustor (RDC) can provide excellent specific thrust, specific impulse, and pressure gain within a small volume through rapid energy release by continuous detonation in the circumferential direction. The RDC as a PGC system for power generating gas turbines in combined cycle power plants could provide significant efficiency gains. However, few past studies have employed fuels that are relevant to power generation turbines, since RDC research has focused mainly on propulsion applications. In this study, we present experimental results from RDC operated on methane and oxygen-enriched air to represent reactants used in land-based power generation. The RDC is operated at a high pressure by placing a back-pressure plate downstream of the annular combustor. Past studies have focused mainly on probe measurements inside the combustor, and thus, little information is known about the nature of the products exiting the RDC. In particular, it is unknown if chemical reactions persist outside the RDC annulus, especially if methane is used as the fuel. In this study, we apply two time-resolved optical techniques to simultaneously image the RDC products at framing rate of 30 kHz: (1) direct visual imaging to identify the overall size and extent of the plume, and (2) OH* chemiluminescence imaging to detect the reaction zones if any. Results show dynamic features of the combustion products that are consistent with the probe measurements inside the RDE. Moreover, presence of OH* in the products suggests that the oblique shock wave and reactions persist downstream of the detonation zone in the RDC.


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