Feasibility Study of Scheme and Regenerator Parameters for Trinary Power Cycles

Vladimir Kindra (), Igor Maksimov, Ivan Komarov, Cheng Xu and Tuantuan Xin
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Vladimir Kindra: Department of Innovative Technologies for High-Tech Industries, National Research University “Moscow Power Engineering Institute”, Krasnokazarmennaya, 14, 111250 Moscow, Russia
Igor Maksimov: Department of Innovative Technologies for High-Tech Industries, National Research University “Moscow Power Engineering Institute”, Krasnokazarmennaya, 14, 111250 Moscow, Russia
Ivan Komarov: Department of Innovative Technologies for High-Tech Industries, National Research University “Moscow Power Engineering Institute”, Krasnokazarmennaya, 14, 111250 Moscow, Russia
Cheng Xu: Key Laboratory of Power Station Energy Transfer Conversion and System of Ministry of Education, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
Tuantuan Xin: Key Laboratory of Power Station Energy Transfer Conversion and System of Ministry of Education, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 9, 1-25

Abstract: Natural gas-fired combined cycle plants are nowadays one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly energy complexes. High energy efficiency and low specific emissions are achieved primarily due to the high average integral temperature of heat supply in the Brayton–Rankine cycle. In this case, the main sources of energy losses are heat losses in the condenser of the steam turbine plant and heat losses with the exhaust gases of the waste heat boiler. This work is related to the analysis of the thermodynamic and economic effects in the transition from binary to trinary cycles, in which, in addition to the gas and steam–water cycles, there is an additional cycle with a low-boiling coolant. A method for the feasibility study of a waste heat recovery unit for trinary plants is proposed. The schematic and design solutions described will ensure the increased energy and economic performance of combined cycle power plants. Based on the results of the thermodynamic optimization of the structure and parameters of thermal schemes, it was found that the use of the organic Rankine cycle with R236ea freon for the utilization of the low-grade heat of a trinary plant’s exhaust gases operating from a GTE-160 gas turbine makes it possible to achieve a net electrical efficiency of 51.3%, which is a 0.4% higher efficiency for a double-circuit combined cycle gas turbine plant and a 2.1% higher efficiency for a single-circuit cycle with similar initial parameters. On the basis of the conducted feasibility study, the parameters and characteristics of the heat exchangers of the regenerative system of the waste heat recovery unit are substantiated. The use of plain fin-and-tube heat exchangers in the regenerative system of the utilization cycle is the most promising solution. It was found that the level of allowable pressure loss in the regenerator of 10 kPa and the degree of regeneration of 80% allow for maximum economic efficiency of the waste heat recovery unit.

Keywords: combined cycle power plant; organic Rankine cycle; Brayton cycle; Kalina cycle; carbon dioxide; efficiency; heat exchanger (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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