Hot windbox repowering of coal-fired thermal power plants

Authors: MUSTAFA ZEKİ YILMAZOĞLU, ALİ DURMAZ

Abstract: The repowering of thermal power plants could be the fastest way to respond to the energy demand while decreasing the CO_2 emissions per kilowatt hour of energy generated. Hot windbox repowering of a thermal power plant was investigated in this study using Thermoflex simulations. The Soma A thermal power plant began operation in 1957 and was in service until 2010. In the current situation, the installed capacity of the power plant is 44 MW_{el}, with 2 units. The boiler was designed to operate with Soma lignite, with a lower heating value of 3550 kcal/kg. The current situation of one unit was simulated to determine the percentages of errors with respect to the design data. A fresh air dilution hot windbox repowering case was simulated and the results were compared. In the simulations, the rate of gas turbine power to the original installed power varied between 10% and 22%. According to the results, the net power was increased from 11% to 27%, and the CO_2 emissions per installed capacity were decreased by approximately 7% after repowering.

Keywords: Hot windbox, repowering, CO_2 reduction, thermal power plant, combined cycle

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