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

Energy and exergy analyses results of steam turbine and steam condenser, which operate in commercial combined cycle power plant are presented in this paper. Energy analysis shows that steam turbine has high energy (isentropic) loss equal to 71.71 MW, and very low energy (isentropic) efficiency of 58.79% only. Simultaneously, steam condenser is an almost perfect component from the energy viewpoint. At the base ambient state, steam turbine has high exergy destruction of 61.80 MW and low exergy efficiency of 62.34%, so both used analyses show that steam turbine operation can and should be notably improved. Steam condenser has an exergy destruction of 17.12 MW and exergy efficiency of 55.17% at the base ambient state, what are acceptable results. Observed steam condenser is much more sensitive to the ambient temperature change than steam turbine. Increase in the ambient temperature from 5 °C to 35 °C decreases steam condenser exergy efficiency for 35.90%, while the same increase in the ambient temperature decreases steam turbine exergy efficiency for 2.39% only.

This paper presents exergy analysis results of a complex three cylinder steam turbine with nominal power 210 MW. The analysis is performed for each cylinder, cylinder part and whole turbine as well as for each segment of each turbine cylinder. In the observed turbine, Low Pressure Cylinder (LPC) has the highest exergy destruction (8668.15 kW) and the lowest exergy efficiency (87.19%), while Intermediate Pressure Cylinder (IPC) has the highest exergy efficiency (92.15%) of all cylinders. Exergy efficiency is the highest for each segment at each cylinder entrance and continuously decreases for all segments during steam expansion through each cylinder. In each cylinder, a segment which is the lowest influenced by the ambient temperature change is inlet segment – as steam expands through each cylinder, further segments became more and more influenced by the ambient temperature change. Steam re-heating process has a very beneficial influence on the exergy efficiency of the first two IPC segments (Seg. 3 and Seg. 4) which have the highest exergy efficiency in comparison to all other segments.

The results of three turbomachines (one turbocompressor and two turbines) isentropic and exergy analyses, which operate in supercritical CO2 power plant are presented in this paper. Both observed turbines (Turbine 1 and Turbine 2) have higher improvement potential than Turbocompressor. Mechanical losses in power transmission between Turbine 1 and Turbocompressor are equal to 456.57 kW in real operation process. Turbocompressor has the highest isentropic efficiency of 96.87% and the highest exergy efficiency of 97.61% if all observed turbomachines are considered. Turbine 2 used for the electric generator drive has higher efficiencies (both isentropic and exergy) in comparison to Turbine 1, regardless of higher isentropic loss and higher exergy destruction. Increase in the ambient temperature from 5 °C up to 45 °C decreases Turbocompressor exergy efficiency for 0.31%, while the same ambient temperature increase decreases exergy efficiency of both turbines for 0.53% (Turbine 1) and for 0.52% (Turbine 2).

This paper presents energy and exergy analysis results of whole gas turbine set and all its components. From the energy viewpoint, combustion chamber has the lowest energy loss (21.31 MW) and the highest energy efficiency (97.20%) of all gas turbine set components. Exergy analysis shows totally opposite trend in comparison to the energy analysis. From the exergy viewpoint, turbocompressor and turbine have low exergy destruction (both around 12 MW) and very high exergy efficiencies (92.43% for turbocompressor and 96.12% for turbine) at the base ambient state. Simultaneously, at the base ambient state combustion chamber has an exergy destruction of 159 MW and low exergy efficiency of 73.29% only. The combustion chamber is the most sensitive to the ambient temperature change of all components from the gas turbine set – the ambient temperature change of 10 °C will result with combustion chamber exergy efficiency change of approximately 0.67%. Whole gas turbine set (plant) has an energy efficiency of 34.40% and exergy efficiency of 33.08%.

This paper presents an exergy analysis of six pressure reduction valves which operate in a condensate/feedwater heating system of a 660 MW coal-fired steam power plant. For all observed pressure reduction valves is additionally investigated the ambient temperature change influence of their exergy parameters. Second pressure reduction valve (PRV2) has the highest exergy destruction of all observed valves (equal to 1003.36 kW at the base ambient state). The first five observed pressure reduction valves (from PRV1 to PRV5) have very high exergy efficiencies at the base ambient state, higher than 90%. The last observed valve, PRV6, has an exergy efficiency at the base ambient state notably lower in comparison to other five valves, equal to 64.90% only. The exergy variables of any pressure reduction valve are more and more influenced by the ambient temperature change when the operating parameters of working fluid which flows through the valve (fluid pressure and temperature) are closer to the ambient state.

Exergy analysis of three cylinder steam turbine segments is performed in this research. The highest mechanical power of 47389.66 kW is developed in the first segment (Seg. I, which actually represents the entire HPC – High Pressure Cylinder). Intermediate Pressure Cylinder (IPC) is the dominant mechanical power producer of all cylinders and it develops 48.95% of cumulative mechanical power produced in the whole turbine. The outlet Low Pressure Cylinder (LPC) segments (Seg. VII and IX) have the highest exergy destructions and the lowest exergy efficiency (equal to 61.27%) of all turbine segments. The best exergy performance shows IPC segments – Seg. V has the lowest exergy destruction (equal to 363.84 kW), while Seg. II has the highest exergy efficiency (equal to 94.04%) of all turbine segments. Outlet LPC segments (Seg. VII and IX) are the most sensitive to the ambient temperature change – their exergy efficiency decreases for 3.19% when the ambient temperature increases from 5 °C to 45 °C.

In this paper are presented results of the energy and exergy analyses related to the steam generator from nuclear power plant at four observed operating regimes. It is shown how the optimization processes and algorithms influence observed steam generator operation. The highest steam generator energy outlet is equal to 3012.17 MW and the lowest energy loss is 0.07 MW – both of them are obtained by using Genetic Algorithm (GA). Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) gives fluid operating parameters which will result with the lowest steam generator exergy destruction (107.05 MW) and the highest exergy efficiency (92.709%) in comparison to all other operating regimes. During the increase in ambient temperature from 5 °C up to 45 °C the lowest decrease in steam generator exergy efficiency (equal to 2.0136%) is obtained in the second operating regime which operating parameters are defined by using WOA. Final conclusion which can be derived from the observed research is that WOA has the most beneficial influence on the steam generator operation.

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.

This paper presents an exergy analysis of a two-cylinder low power steam turbine from combined cycle power plant at three operating regimes. The highest mechanical power produced in the whole turbine is 6807.24 kW in Operating regime 1. Cylinders of the observed turbine did not have the same operation dynamics in relation to produced mechanical power in all operating regimes. In each operating regime High Pressure Cylinder (HPC) has lower exergy destruction and higher exergy efficiency in comparison to Low Pressure Cylinder (LPC) due to the influence of wet steam which expands through the last LPC stages (water droplets in wet steam increases LPC exergy destruction and decreases LPC exergy efficiency). Whole turbine exergy efficiency is between 51.62% (in Operating regime 2) and 64.98% (in Operating regime 1). This range of exergy efficiencies can be expected for a low power steam turbine. An increase in the ambient temperature decreases exergy efficiency of the whole turbine and both turbine cylinders, regardless of the observed operating regime. The exergy efficiency of the LPC is low in all operating regimes, so any improvements should be based on this cylinder first.

In this paper is performed exergy analysis of steam re-heating system, through all of its components, which operate in nuclear power plant. Analyzed re-heating system consists of the moisture separator (MS) and two re-heaters (RH1 and RH2) and is observed in four different operating regimes. MS has significantly lower exergy destructions and significantly higher exergy efficiencies in comparison to both re-heaters, regardless of the observed operating regime. MS and both re-heaters did not achieve the lowest exergy destructions and the highest exergy efficiencies in the same operating regime which notably complicated possible improvements. Further research of presented re-heating system will be based on operation improvement of RH1 and RH2 – performed exergy analysis shows that MS operation in any operating regime leaves no room for further improvement.

Exergy analysis results for the Whole observed steam Turbine and each of her cylinders at three loads are presented in this paper.
Observation of all cylinders shows that LPC (Low Pressure Cylinder) is the dominant mechanical power producer at the highest observed load, while at partial loads the dominant mechanical power producer is IPC (Intermediate Pressure Cylinder). At Load 100% Whole Turbine produces mechanical power equal to 341.11 MW. IPC is the cylinder with the lowest exergy destruction and the highest exergy efficiency (higher than 95%) at all observed loads. The exergy efficiency of the Whole Turbine (WT) continuously increases during the increase in turbine load (WT exergy efficiency is the lowest at Load 50% and equal to 91.36%, while at the Load 100% WT exergy efficiency is the highest and equal to 92.93%). Analyzed turbine is projected to operate dominantly on the Load 100% because at that load the exergy efficiencies of all cylinders and Whole Turbine are higher than 91%.

In this paper is presented an exergy analysis of steam turbine (along with analysis of each cylinder and cylinder part) from ultrasupercritical power plant. Observation of all the cylinders shows that IPC (Intermediate Pressure Cylinder) is the dominant mechanical power producer (it produces mechanical power equal to 394.44 MW), it has the lowest exergy loss and simultaneously the highest exergy efficiency (equal to 95.84%). HPC (High Pressure Cylinder) has a very high exergy efficiency equal to 92.37% what confirms that ultrasupercritical steam process is very beneficial for the HPC (and whole steam turbine) operation. LPC (Low Pressure Cylinder) is a dissymmetrical dual flow cylinder, so both of its parts (left and right part) did not produce the same mechanical power, did not have the same exergy loss, but their exergy efficiency is very similar and in a range of entire LPC exergy efficiency (around 82.5%). Whole observed steam turbine produces mechanical power equal to 928.03 MW, has exergy loss equal to 93.45 MW and has exergy efficiency equal to 90.85%. The exergy efficiency of the whole analyzed steam turbine is much higher in comparison to other steam turbines from various conventional power plants.