International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

This paper presents results of the Main Feedwater Pump (MFP) isentropic and exergy analyses at three power plant loads. Observed MFP is a constituent component of condensate/feedwater sub-system from conventional steam power plant. In real exploitation conditions, MFP uses mechanical power higher than 3000 kW, considering all observed power plant loads. Main isentropic and exergy parameters of the MFP at various plant loads show the same general trends (increase in power plant load simultaneously increases MFP losses and efficiencies and vice versa, from both isentropic and exergy viewpoints). Analyzed MFP has high isentropic and exergy efficiencies, considering all plant loads and ambient temperatures (at any plant load MFP isentropic efficiency is higher than 85%, while the lowest MFP exergy efficiency is equal to 89.24% at the lowest observed plant load and the highest observed ambient temperature). The change in isentropic and exergy efficiency of the MFP is small if all observed plant loads and ambient temperatures are taken into consideration.

In this paper is performed an isentropic analysis of the entire Intermediate Pressure Cylinder (IPC) and all of his four Segments. Obtained results show that the first Segment (Seg. 1) is the dominant mechanical power producer of all Segments and it produces 16816.70 kW of mechanical power in the real (polytropic) expansion process. Analyzed IPC produces more than half mechanical power of the entire turbine in which he operates (in real expansion process IPC produces mechanical power equal to 58499.48 kW). Isentropic loss and isentropic efficiency of IPC Segments are reverse proportional – Seg. 3 which has the highest isentropic loss simultaneously has the lowest isentropic efficiency (equal to 82.44%), while Seg. 4 which has the lowest isentropic loss has the highest isentropic efficiency (equal to 87.26%). Entire IPC has an isentropic efficiency equal to 87.78%. Any improvements and modifications which can potentially be performed in the observed IPC should firstly be based on the turbine stages mounted inside Seg. 3.

This paper presents results of two different isentropic analysis types: conventional isentropic analysis which considers the whole steam turbine cylinder and segmental isentropic analysis which considers all cylinder parts (segments). In conventional isentropic analysis is obtained that isentropic efficiency of the analyzed turbine is 73.39%, what is in a range of expected isentropic efficiencies for such steam turbines (in the mechanical power range around 60 MW). Segmental isentropic analysis shows that the last two segments (fifth and sixth segment) of the analyzed turbine did not show proper operation (especially the fifth turbine segment which isentropic efficiency is unacceptably low and equal to 26.73% only). Such isentropic efficiency results, related to the fifth and sixth turbine segment, indicate highly problematic operation, or the most likely malfunction of at least some turbine stages in these segments. For the analyzed steam turbine can be recommended that it should be stopped as soon as possible and that turbine stages mounted in the last two segments should be checked, repaired or replaced.

This paper presents an exergy analysis of a complex four-cylinder steam turbine, which operate in a coal-fired power plant. Analyzed steam turbine consists of high pressure single flow cylinder (HPC), intermediate pressure dual flow cylinder (IPC) and two low pressure dual flow cylinders (LPC1 and LPC2). The highest part of cumulative mechanical power (787.87 MW) is developed in IPC (389.85 MW) and HPC (254.67 MW), while both low pressure cylinders develop a small part of cumulative mechanical power (70.29 MW in LPC1 and 73.06 MW in LPC2). Cylinder exergy destruction (cylinder exergy power loss) continuously increases as the steam expands through the turbine. The lowest exergy destruction has HPC (13.07 MW), followed by the IPC (20.95 MW), while the highest exergy destructions are noted in low pressure cylinders (24.37 MW in LPC1 and 27.17 MW in LPC2). Cylinder exergy efficiency continuously decreases as the steam expands through the turbine. The highest exergy efficiency has HPC (95.12%), followed by the IPC (94.90%) and LPC1 (74.25%), while the lowest exergy efficiency of all cylinders is obtained in LPC2 (72.89%). Exergy efficiencies of LPC1 and LPC2 are much lower in comparison to other low pressure dual flow cylinders from comparable steam power plants. The whole observed steam turbine has exergy
efficiency equal to 90.20%.

In this paper is performed exergy analysis of high pressure feed water heating system and all of its components which operates in nuclear power plant. Four cases are observed: system operation in the base case and system operation in three optimized cases. Exergy analysis show that optimization by using different algorithms has a different influence on the exergy destructions, while all the algorithms increase whole system and its components exergy efficiencies. An increase in the ambient temperature increases exergy destructions and decrease exergy efficiencies of the whole observed system and its components, regardless of operation case. The highest exergy efficiency of the whole analyzed system is 96.12% and is obtained by using an IGSA algorithm at the lowest observed ambient temperature of 5 °C. By observing exergy destructions only, it should be noted that GA and IGSA algorithms give almost identical results.