Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions, Inc.

Frederick Charles Huff

Xu Cheng

Peter Nicholas Francino

Ranjit Ramesh Rao

David Glen Foster

Jacob Nathaniel Adams

Konrad Swirski

Melanie Jean Novacek

Harry Robert Winn

Benjamin F Gerideau, Iii

Methods and apparatus to optimize ramp rates in combined cycle power plants are disclosed herein. An example method disclosed herein includes predicting a first setpoint for a gas turbine in a combined cycle power plant over a prediction horizon and predicting a second setpoint for a steam generator over the prediction horizon. The example method includes identifying a first steam property of steam generated by the steam generator in the combined cycle power plant based on the second setpoint. The example method includes comparing the first steam property to a second steam property of steam associated with a steam turbine in the combined cycle power plant and dynamically adjusting at least one of the first setpoint or the second setpoint based on the comparison.

Methods and apparatus to optimize steam header blending and gas turbine loading in combined cycle power plants

Methods and apparatus to optimize turbine ramp rates are disclosed herein. An example method includes predicting a setpoint for a turbine rotor over a prediction horizon. The example method includes predicting a surface temperature profile of the turbine rotor for the prediction horizon based on the predicted setpoint via an empirical data model. The example method also includes predicting a first stress profile for the turbine rotor based on the surface temperature profile. The example method includes performing a comparison of the first stress value to a second stress value and dynamically adjusting the setpoint based on the comparison.

Methods and apparatus to optimize steam turbine ramp rates

An economic dispatch program allocates a load demand and an emission allowance of a power generation system among various power plants to determine the operational set-points and the pollution control set-points of each of the various power plants in a manner that minimizes the total operating cost for the power generation system, including the pollution control cost. The economic dispatch program uses the pollution control set-points and the load set-points of the various power plants as decision variables and takes into consideration the pollution control costs of the various power plants in allocating the load demand. During operation, the economic dispatch program takes into consideration the pollution credits available to the various power plants in allocating the load demand and pollution control level to determine the optimal operating solution for the power plants.

Method and apparatus for providing load dispatch and pollution control optimization

A control system uses a modeled steam turbine megawatt (power) change attributed to a gas turbine demand change (i.e., a steam turbine to gas turbine transfer function) within a conventional closed loop feedback control scheme to perform control of a combined cycle power plant. This control system implements a form of internal model control and provides better unit megawatt (power) set-point tracking and disturbance variable rejection for overall more robust control, and thus operates to optimize the gas turbine operation of the combined cycle power plant in a manner that provides cost savings over time.

Model-based combined cycle power plant load control

An energy management system uses an expert engine and a numerical solver to determine an optimal manner of using and controlling the various energy consumption, producing and storage equipment in a plant/communities in order to for example reduce energy costs within the plant, and is especially applicable to plants that require or that are capable of using and/or producing different types of energy at different times. The energy management system operates the various energy manufacturing and energy usage components of the plant to minimize the cost of energy over time, or at various different times, while still meeting certain constraints or requirements within the operational system, such as producing a certain amount of heat or cooling, a certain power level, a certain level of production, etc. In some cases, the energy management system may cause the operational equipment of the plant to produce unneeded energy that can be stored until a later time and then used, or that can be sold back to a public utility, for example, so as to reduce the overall cost of energy within the plant.

Energy management system

An energy management system uses an expert engine and a numerical solver to determine an optimal manner of using and controlling the various energy consumption, producing and storage equipment in a plant/community. The energy management system operates the various energy manufacturing and energy usage components of the plant to minimize the cost of energy over time, or at various different times, while still meeting certain constraints or requirements within the operational system, such as producing a certain amount of heat or cooling, a certain power level, a certain level of production, etc. In some cases, the energy management system may cause the operational equipment of the plant to produce unneeded energy that can be stored until a later time and then used, or that can be sold back to a public utility, for example, so as to reduce the overall cost of energy within the plant.

Optimization system using an iteratively coupled expert engine

An optimization and control system for a utility plant that uses fan based air cooled condensers controls the operation of the power generation system at the plant in conjunction with the operation of the air cooled condensers so as to run the power plant at an optimum operating point associated with minimizing or reducing the cost energy produced by the plant. The optimization and control system includes an optimizer having a numerical solver that determines values for a set of control variables associated with an optimal operating point of the plant and an expert system that oversees and modifies the control variable settings prior to providing these settings to a plant controller. The numerical solver uses an objective function and one or more models of plant equipment to determine the operating point of the plant that minimizes the cost per unit of useful energy generated by the plant.

Optimized control of power plants having air cooled condensers

A technique of implementing performance monitoring in a power plant is appropriate to control operating parameters and factors connected with the efficiency of the energy production process in an energy marketplace that is more complex than in the past, and that takes variable costs besides the cost of fuel into account, e.g., environmental credits, equipment degradation and repair costs, electrical energy trade market factors like ramp rate, LMP (Locational Marginal Pricing) factors, the ability to deliver contracted power levels and spot transactions, etc. The technique applies a statistical analysis to collected power plant data to determine the factors that are best controlled or changed to affect (increase) the efficiency or other primary performance indication of the plant, as well as to establish baseline or best-possible operational constraints to be used to control the plant in the future.

Use of statistical analysis in power plant performance monitoring

A statistical performance evaluation system for a thermodynamic device and process uses the achievable performance derived from statistics and real-time data for the device or process to evaluate the current performance of the device or process, and to adjust the operations of the device or process accordingly, or provide feedback to an operator or other monitoring system for taking corrective actions to obtain performance approaching the optimum achievable performance. The achievable performance of the device or process is derived from data collected during operational periods when the best achievable performance is anticipated, such as after maintenance is performed, and supersedes the ideal or design performance specified by the manufacturer, which typically does not represent the actual operating conditions in the field, as the basis for evaluating the real-time performance of the device. The statistical performance evaluation system may set desired upper and lower limits for performance parameters, and compare desired limits to the actual performance parameter values to determine the readjustment to be made to the operation of the device or process.

Method and apparatus for generalized performance evaluation of equipment using achievable performance derived from statistics and real-time data

An economic dispatch program optimally allocates load demand specifying real power and reactive power to be generated by a power plant among various power generators in a manner so that each of the power generators are operated within its optimal operating space as defined by a reactive capability curve. Allocating a power demand with consideration of the reactive capability curves of the power generators results in optimal generation of real power and reactive power as specified by the load demand. Alternatively, the economic dispatch program allocates load demand specifying real power and reactive power to be delivered by a power grid among various power plants wherein one or more of the various power plants have capacity limits exhibited by reactive capability curves.

Method and apparatus for providing economic analysis of power generation and distribution

A system for generating updated reactive capability curves of a generator operates the genarator at a number of operating load levels and at a number of different power factors to collect data regarding the real and reactive power generated at each of the various operating load levels and power factors. Subsequently, the system analyzes the collected data to determine an actual reactive capability curve of the generator. The system also provides generator health monitoring and identifies changes and trends in the capability curves of the generator. The updated reactive capability curves may be used by an economic dispatch program in determining optimum MW and MVAR setpoints for the generator.

Method and apparatus for determining actual reactive capability curves

A system for generating updated reactive capability curves of a generator operates the generator at a number of operating load levels and at a number of different power factors to collect data regarding the real and reactive power generated at each of the various operating load levels and power factors. Subsequently, the system analyzes the collected data to determine an actual reactive capability curve of the generator. The system also provides generator health monitoring and identifies changes and trends in the capability curves of the generator. The updated reactive capability curves may be used by an economic dispatch program in determining optimum MW and MVAR setpoints for the generator.

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Frederick Charles Huff