Combined Cycle Power Plant
While a conventional coal power plant uses only one thermodynamic cycle (the Rankine (steam) cycle), it is possible to build power plants that uses multiple cycles, thus increasing the overall efficiency of the plant. While technically this will work with a wide range of cycles, including Otto and diesel, in the context of power plants combined cycle always refers to a gas turbine (Rankine Cycle)/steam turbine (Brayton cycle) combination. Gas power plants are not necessarily combined cycle designs. Gas fueled single cycle steam turbines are sometimes employed when production of steam for industrial purposes is combined with electrical generation. Single cycle gas turbines have a wide use for peak power generation and in mobile generator units, as they require little space, are relatively simple designs and can be started or stopped in a matter of minutes. However, the combined cycle power plant (CCPP) is clearly superior to any other practical design in terms of electrical efficiency. Gas fueled CCPP units may have an overall electrical efficiency of up to 58%. In comparison, single cycle steam turbine units may only reach 42% electrical efficiency.
Content 1. Working description of a combined cycle gas power plant 2. Efficiency
Working description of a combined cycle gas power plant
Representation of a typical combined cycle natural gas power plant. Source: Siemens.
The primary parts of a combined cycle natural gas power plant are a gas turbine, a steam generator and steam turbines. Compressed air is mixed with natural gas in the combustion chamber, and burns at high temperature (900 to 1500C). The exhaust gas expands through a turbine. The turbine drives the compressor, but generates more work than what is used for compression, typically at a 2 to 1 ratio. This is caused by the change of temperature in the air flow as it passes through the combustion chamber. The Schematic representation of a process is essentially the same as you would find in a jet combined cycle power plant. engine, but while a jet engine is constructed to generate Source: Siemens. thrust, and therefore has a turbine only big enough to drive the compressor, a gas turbine is bigger, using the excess energy to run a generator. The hot exhaust gas (450 to 650C) expands though a Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) which generates steam at typically about 550C and high pressure (30-120 bar), and is expanded through one or several steam turbines (large/high temperature units may be fitted with multiple Schematic representation of a pressure HRSG with reheaters, while smaller units often do Heat Recovery Steam Generator not). The gas turbine and the steam turbine(s) may be fitted (HRSG). Source: Wikipedia. on the same drive shaft, particularly in smaller units. The steam turbine cycle converts about 30 to 40% of the thermal energy of the exhaust gas to work, increasing the total efficiency off the unit by about 20 percentage points. As gas turbines are based on heat expansion of compressed air, combustion gases makes up only a small portion of the exhaust gas from the turbine. Therefore, the CO2 concentration (3 to 4%) and CO2 partial pressure (0.03 to 0.04 bar) in the flue gas is much lower than in thermal power plants (12 to 14% concentration and 0.12 to 0.14 bar partial pressure). This makes capturing the CO2 more challenging. However, the higher overall efficiency of CCPP units might make the portion of the total electric generation needed to run the capture process smaller than is the case in lower efficiency single cycle units, offsetting the higher energy cost pr unit of captured CO2.
Efficiency
The electric efficiency of a combined cycle power station, calculated as electric energy produced as a percent of the heating value of the fuel consumed, may be as high as 58%. As with single cycle thermal units,
combined cycle units may also deliver low temperature heat energy for industrial processes, district heating and other uses. This is called cogeneration and such power plants are often refered to as a
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant.
