Combined Cycle Plant for Power Generation: Introduction

The process for converting the energy in a fuel into electric power involves the creation of mechanical work, which is then transformed into electric power by a generator.

Depending on the fuel type and thermodynamic process, the overall efficiency of this conversion can be as low as 30 percent.

This means that two-thirds of the latent energy of the fuel ends up wasted. For example, steam electric power plants which utilize boilers to combust a fossil fuel average 33 percent efficiency. Simple cycle gas turbine (GTs) plants average just under 30 percent efficiency on natural gas, and around 25 percent on fuel oil. Much of this wasted energy ends up as thermal energy in the hot exhaust gases from the combustion process.

To increase the overall efficiency of electric power plants, multiple processes can be combined to recover and utilize the residual heat energy in hot exhaust gases. In combined cycle mode, power plants can achieve electrical efficiencies up to 60 percent. The term “combined cycle” refers to the combining of multiple thermodynamic cycles to generate power. Combined cycle operation employs a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) that captures heat from high temperature exhaust gases to produce steam, which is then supplied to a steam turbine to generate additional electric power. The process for creating steam to produce work using a steam turbine is based on the Rankine cycle.

The most common type of combined cycle power plant utilizes gas turbines and is called a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant. Because gas turbines have low efficiency in simple cycle operation, the output produced by the steam turbine accounts for about half of the CCGT plant output. There are many different configurations for CCGT power plants, but typically each GT has its own associated HRSG, and multiple HRSGs supply steam to one or more steam turbines. For example, at a plant in a 2×1 configuration, two GT/HRSG trains supply to one steam turbine; likewise there can be 1×1, 3×1 or 4×1 arrangements. The steam turbine is sized to the number and capacity of supplying GTs/HRSGs. Combined Cycle Principles of Operation The HRSG is basically a heat exchanger, or rather a series of heat exchangers.

It is also called a boiler, as it creates steam for the steam turbine by passing the hot exhaust gas flow from a gas turbine or combustion engine through banks of heat exchanger tubes. The HRSG can rely on natural circulation or utilize forced circulation using pumps. As the hot exhaust gases flow past the heat exchanger tubes in which hot water circulates, heat is absorbed causing the creation of steam in the tubes. The tubes are arranged in sections, or modules, each serving a different function in the production of dry superheated steam. These modules are referred to as economizers, evaporators, superheaters/reheaters and preheaters. The economizer is a heat exchanger that preheats the water to approach the saturation temperature (boiling point), which is supplied to a thick-walled steam drum.

The drum is located adjacent to finned evaporator tubes that circulate heated water. As the hot exhaust gases flow past the evaporator tubes, heat is absorbed causing the creation of steam in the tubes. The steam-water mixture in the tubes enters the steam drum where steam is separated from the hot water using moisture separators and cyclones. The separated water is recirculated to the evaporator tubes. Steam drums also serve storage and water treatment functions. An alternative design to steam drums is a once-through HRSG, which replaces the steam drum with thin-walled components that are better suited to handle changes in exhaust gas temperatures and steam pressures during frequent starts and stops. In some designs, duct burners are used to add heat to the exhaust gas stream and boost steam production; they can be used to produce steam even if there is insufficient exhaust gas flow. Saturated steam from the steam drums or once-through system is sent to the superheater to produce dry steam which is required for the steam turbine.

Preheaters are located at the coolest end of the HRSG gas path and absorb energy to preheat heat exchanger liquids, such as water/glycol mixtures, thus extracting the most economically viable amount of heat from exhaust gases. The superheated steam produced by the HRSG is supply to the steam turbine where it expands through the turbine blades, imparting rotation to the turbine shaft. The energy delivered to the generator drive shaft is converted into electricity. After exiting the steam turbine, the steam is sent to a condenser which routes the condensed water back to the HRSG.