Introduction to CCPP

BY JUN CHEOL JANG

Introduction to CCPP

DEFINITION

Combined cycle describes when a power producing engine or plant employs more
than one thermodynamic cycle. Heat engines are only able to use a portion of the
energy their fuel generates (usually less than 50%). The remaining heat from
combustion is generally wasted. Combining two or more "cycles" such as the Brayton
cycle and Ranking cycle results in improved overall efficiency.

TYPES OF COMBINED CYCLE

GAS TURBINE COMBINED CYCLE

INTEGRATED COAL GASIFICATION COMBINED CYCLE (IGCC)

PRESSURIZED FLUID BED COMBUSTION COMBINED CYCLE (PFBC-CC)

OTHERS

GAS TURBINE COMBINED CYCLE

The CCPP is combined with the gas turbine cycle and the steam turbine cycle. This
system is most widely applied in commercial purpose. After the first power
generation is carried out in the gas turbine cycle utilizing hot combustion gas, the
second generation is again done in the steam turbine cycle using the exhaust gas
from the gas turbine cycle so that two times of power generation and high thermal
efficiency can be achieved. The current newly-constructed CCPP's thermal efficiency
is more than 50%, and it is expected to be improved up to about 60%.

CHARICTERISTICS OF GAS TURBINE CCPP

FEATURE :
- the simple cycle generation using a gas turbine, efficiencies of up to 30% can be
achieved
- The thermal efficiency of a gas turbine is much lower than recent supercritical
thermal power plants (about 40%).
- In case that the exhaust gas which has much available heat value is wasted into
the ambient, the gas turbine simple cycle thermal efficiency is low because the
temperature of combustion gas entering into the gas turbine is more than
1,000 and that of the exhaust gas is still high.
- The gas turbine exhaust gas enters into the HRGS (Heat Recovery Steam
Generator) and produces steam to drive the steam turbine as a way to recover
some part of the wasted heat from the gas turbine.

The reason that the gas turbine combines with the steam turbine:
- The facility configuration is simple and easy
- The facility management and operation technologies can be easily accumulated
- The operation experiences are abundant

INTEGRATED COAL GASIFICATION COMBINED CYCLE (IGCC)

The IGCC can reduce remarkably air pollutants compared to the conventional coalfired thermal power plant, and it is a new technology with high thermal efficiency,
and in practical use stage.

The IGCC facility as a fuel supply facility can be separated from the other generation
facility, but combining those two facilities properly is more profitable from the point
of combined cycle efficiency.

The solid coal is required to be gasified in order to be used for a gas turbine. After the
coal is converted into gas and refined by the various processes as coal is not
available to be fired directly in the gas turbine, the gas is used in the gas turbine. And
the gas turbine exhaust flue gas is used in the steam cycle to drive the steam
turbine.

CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAM OF IGCC

GASIFICATION REFRACTORY (1)

Fixed or Moving Bed Process

The process in which the fuel coal is fed
from the top and the oxidizer is supplied
from the bottom.
The coal is fed slowly down, and it is
heated by the rising air from the bottom
combustion zone and gasified at the
combustion zone.
* Merits: simple, much-experienced in
practical use and stable process
* Demerits: coking coal is restricted to be
used, and fluid by-product is produced.

Fluidized Bed Process

The process in which the coal particles fed
from the top of the gasification furnace are
fluidized and gasified by making the
oxidizer which is fed from the bottom
faster.
* Merits: the temperature distribution is
even as the degree of mixture is good, and
the processing capacity per volume is
large.
* Demerits: the carbon-conversion ratio is 9
low, and the abilities of start-up, shut-down
and following-up are low.

GASIFICATION REFRACTORY (2)

The process in which the gasification is

reacted within a short time as the
pulverized coal together with the oxidizer
is fed from the top and the gasification
temperature is high and the surface per
volume is large.
* Merits: the range of coal to be utilized
is wide and the processing capacity is
large and there is no fluid by-product.
* Demerits: The heat and carbon losses
are large, and the maintenance cost for
crusher is much.

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PRESSURIZED FLUID BED COMBUSTION COMBINED CYCLE

(PFBC-CC)

The pressurized fluid bed combustion

is the combustion process in which
coal and heat transfer media are put
into the furnace, and the combustion
air is fed from the furnace bottom
and the solid particles are fluidized.
The combustion furnace can be
down-sized by burning the coal under
the furnace pressure of 5 to 12
atmospheric pressure.

And the process has high combustion

and de-SOx efficiencies, and it can
configure the pressurized fluidized
bed combustion combined cycle in
which the combustion gas after being
refined drives the gas turbine, and
again the steam turbine is driven by
the gas turbine exhaust gas heat.

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PRESSURIZED FLUID BED COMBUSTION COMBINED CYCLE

(PFBC-CC)

Description

Fluidized combustion process

Fluidizing velocity

Bubbling fluidized bed combustion (BFBC)

Circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC)

Working pressure

Atmospheric fluidized bed combustion (AFBC)

Pressurized fluidized bed combustion (PFBC)

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OTHERS

FUEL CELL COMBINED CYCLE

MHD COMBINED CYCLE: generation method which uses the vertically flowing current
by passing the good conductive hot combustion gas through the magnetic field.
(magneto hydro dynamics)

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THERMAL EFFICIENCY OF GAS TURBINE COMBINED CYCLE

The designed thermal efficiency of the CCPP which has a gas turbine inlet temperature of
around 1,100 is 43% as a little higher than that of the coal-fired plant(40%)

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THERMAL EFFICIENCY VARIATIONS AT PARTIAL LOAD

The output of a single unit of

the gas turbine is 150MW
more or less and
comparatively smaller than
that of the coal fired thermal
power plant unit so that
several units are combined
to configure a large capacity
power plant

Shutting down procedure to

minimize thermal efficiency
drop: In combined-cycle
operation, the gas turbine
should be shut down unit by
unitand the remained
operating-unit is operated at
its maximum output in order
to reduce the loads.

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OUTPUT VARIATIONS WITH ABMIENT TEMPERATURE

The gas turbine output increases as the

ambient temperature decreases below 15,
and it decreases as the ambient temperature
increases.

The reason that the output increases when the

ambient temperature lowers:
1. The limit on the turbine inlet gas
temperature is determined in order to protect
the turbine blades that is revolving at high
speed.
2. In case that the ambient temperature is
lowered, the air density is higher and the
suction air flow rate increases and additional
fuel can be supplied accordingly.
3. As the suction air flow and the fuel supply
increase, the combustion gas flow increases
and the gas turbine output increases.
Together with the gas turbine output increase,
the steam generation of HRSG increases and
accordingly as the steam turbine output
slightly increases.
After all, the maximum output of the
CCPP increases as the ambient
temperature lowers.

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PERFORMANCE VARIATIONS WITH FUEL TYPE (1)

In the gas turbine system, turbine or HRSG performance can be much affected by the
fuel type because the combustion gas directly enters the turbine. The expected
problems and measures in case that the clean fuel is not used is as follows:
1. Gas turbine blade corrosion
Problem: Vanadium, sodium, potassium or sulphur, etc. contained in the heavy
fuel oil cause corrosions on the hot surfaces of the combustor and hot gas path
components
Measures: Using the fuel after de-sulphurization and removing the
steelcomponents by fuel treatment system. Lowering the gas turbineinlet gas
temperature to prevent hot-temperature corrosion. Note that if the gas turbine
temperature lowers, the thermal efficiencyalso decreases.
2. Thermal efficiency reduction due to the unburned fuel sticking

Problem: The thermal efficiency decreases because the unburned fuel sticksonto
the gas turbine blades and also the ammonium sulfate((NH4)2SO4) that is
formed when the ammonia isinjected into the flue gas to reduce NOx sticks onto
the HRSG tubes.

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PERFORMANCE VARIATIONS WITH FUEL TYPE (2)

3. The thermal efficiency reduction by the low-temperature corrosion

Problem: In the combined cycle system, the low-temperature feed water is heatexchanged at the end-zone of the HRSG heat surface as the air preheater is not
installed.
4. Pollution measures
Problem: In the high-nitrogen fuel, the NOx emission is much producedbecause the
combustion temperature is high and the excess air is much. The exhaust gas flow is
much than that of the conventional coal-fired power plant with the same capacity so
that the De-NOx facility or the dust removal system is larger.

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CCPP CONFIGURATIONS

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CCPP CONTROL SYSTEM CONFIGURATIONS

SINGLE SHAFT CONFIGURATION

MULTI-SHAFT CONFIGURATION

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COMPARISON OF CCPP CONFIGURATIONS (1)

Single shaft configuration

Multi shaft configuration

One unit of gas turbine and one unit of

steam turbine is coupled on the same
single shaft.
For configuration of a large capacity CCPP,
several single shaft configurations are
combined.

In this configuration, several gas turbine

units against one steam turbine unit are
installed.

There are respective control systems per

unit for each gas turbine, HRSG, steam
turbine and an integrated control system
for all units as one plant.

The are respective control systems per unit

for each gas turbine and HRSG and the
corresponding steam turbine, and an
integrated control system for all units as
one plant.
Shinincheon CCPP (GT 2 + ST 1)
Ilsan CCPP I (GT 4 + ST 1)
Bundang CCPP I (GT 5 + ST 1)

In Seoincheon CC in Korea, they accept

two shaft configuration in which the gas
turbine shaft and steam turbine shaft are
separated in order to reduce start-up loss
and to improve efficiency.

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COMPARISON OF CCPP CONFIGURATIONS (2)

Comparison of operational features of

single-shaft and multi-shaft
configurations:
The efficiency of the multi-shaft system
is higher at rated load and lower at low
loads than that of the single-shaft
system.

That is, the multi-shaft system is

beneficial for base-load operation and
single-shaft system for moderate-load
operation.

The single-shaft combined cycle system

is convenient for operation, as the unitbased start-up, shut-down and output
control are available because there is no
interference between units.

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Operational cautions and reasons for multi-shaft system

As the steam synchronizes when entering into the steam turbine and the feed water
branches out when fed into the HRSG, the fluid is affected by each other.

The temperature difference of each HRSG-exiting steam should be maintained within

a limit in order to avoid excessive thermal stress that can be generated at the header
at which the steam joins.

The changed fluid pressure is transmitted to the unit of gas turbine and HRSG and
the boiler drum level changes.

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COMPARISON OF CCPP CONFIGURATIONS (2)

Description

Single shaft

Multi-shaft

Efficiency at rated
output

base

a little superior

Efficiency at partial
load

base

a little inferior

Start-up, shut-down
time

base

Time delay for thermal stress

relieving of large steam turbine

Load ramp rate

(50 100%)

About 5%/min

About 5%/min

Operability

Convenient because unitindependent operation is

available

Each HRSG steam pressure and

temperature are cooperatively
controlled

Scheduled
maintenance

Unit base

During S/T maintenance, each

GT inspected in turn

Plant application

For moderate load plant

For base-load plant

Control system
configuration

-Unit-based respective G/T,

HRSG, S/T control
- Overall-as-one-unit control

- Unit-based respective G/T,

HRSG control and the
corresponding S/T control, and
overall-as-one-unit control

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EFFICIENCY VARIATIONS WITH TURBINE INLET TEMPERATURE

The efficiency of combined cycle is largely dependent on the gas turbine efficiency. As for the gas
turbine, the improvement of efficiency is achievable by increasing turbine inlet temperature.
At a constant turbine inlet temperature, the maximum efficiency is achieved when the exhaust
temperature is lowest, that is when compression ratio is high. However, the gross efficiency of a
combined cycle plant is improved with the increase of the gas turbine exhaust temperature. Therefore,
the highest efficiency gas turbine does not always configure the most efficient combined cycle power
plant. If the gas turbine inlet temperature goes up under the same conditions, the overall efficiency is
improved.

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THERMAL EFFICIECY UNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS

In the gas turbine combined cycle, the

specific output decreases with the
increase of compression ratio,
however, the thermal efficiency is
improved as the combustion
temperature is high.
The factors that configure the optimal
cycle for a simple cycle and a
combined cycle is different.
As for the simple cycle, the optimal
cycle is achieved at a high
compression ratio while a moderate
compression ratio which is somewhat
lower than that of a simple cycle and
high combustion temperature are
required for configuring an optimal
combined cycle.

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THERMAL EFFICIECY VS. AMBIENT TEMPERATURE

The gas turbine compression ratio

decreases as the ambient temperature
increases because the turbine inlet
temperature is kept constant regardless
of the ambient temperature.

The temperature change of the gas

turbine exhaust gas caused by the
ambient temperature change affects
differently the thermal efficiency of a
simple cycle and a combined cycle

The air temperature rise is a little

profitable to the combined cycle, but it
affects differently the gross efficiency of
a combined cycle power plant because
the output is changed higher by the
exhaust gas flow rate than by the
exhaust temperature.

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OTHER EFFECTS ON THERMAL EFFICIENCY

Atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure does not affect the gas turbine efficiency. The gross combined
cycle efficiency is not changed because the supplied heat and air mass flow rate are
proportional to the atmospheric pressure.
Ambient temperature rise suction air mass flow rate rise gas turbine output and
exhaust flow rate increase boiler input heat increase steam turbine output increase

Condenser cooling media

The degree of condenser vacuum affects the steam cycle efficiency by changing the
heat drop of the steam turbine. It varies with the cooling methods and seasons.
- At the places with fluent cooling water and the seashore the wet process is utilized :
the highest degree of vacuum can be obtained
- At the places with poor cooling water the wet or dry cooling tower where the cooling
water re-cooled by the air is utilized.
- The air-cooled condenser is installed where cooling water is not available.

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