SOUTHERN LUZON STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
LUCBAN, QUEZON

MODULE 9
Combined Cycle Power Plants
INTRODUCTION
The process for converting the energy in a fuel into electric power
involves the creation of mechanical work, which is then transformed into
electric power by a generator in a "simple cycle", causing efficiency
losses in the process. Depending on the fuel type and thermodynamic
process, the overall efficiency of this conversion is typically around
30 – 40%. This means that a significant amount of the latent energy of
the fuel ends up wasted. Much of this wasted energy ends up as thermal
energy in the hot exhaust gases from the combustion process.

To increase the overall efficiency of electric power plants, multiple

processes can be combined to recover and utilize the residual heat
energy in hot exhaust gases.

OBJECTIVE
After completing this module, you should be able to design a Combined
Cycle Power Plant.

DISCUSSION
Gas Turbine Power PLant

Basic Elements in Plant Design

1. Air compressor, ac
2. Combustor or combustion chamber, cc
3. Gas turbine, gt
4. Electric generator, eg
5. Gas Turbine
a) Starting motor or engine, sm
b) Fuel system
c) Lubrication system
d) Speed control or governing system

Schematic Diagram
Open cycle gas turbine power plant (direct mixing of air and fuel)
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Useful Formulas:
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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
LUCBAN, QUEZON
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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
LUCBAN, QUEZON

Combined-Cycle

The term “combined cycle” refers to the combining of multiple

thermodynamic cycles to generate power. Combined cycle operation employs
a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) that captures heat from high
temperature exhaust gases to produce steam, which is then supplied to a
steam turbine to generate additional electric power. In combined cycle
mode, power plants can achieve electrical efficiencies of up to 60
percent. The process for creating steam to produce work using a steam
turbine is based on the Rankine cycle.
The HRSG is basically a heat exchanger, or rather a series of heat
exchangers. It is also called a boiler, as it creates steam for the
steam turbine by passing the hot exhaust gas flow from a gas turbine or
combustion engine through banks of heat exchanger tubes. The HRSG can
rely on natural circulation or utilize forced circulation using pumps.
As the hot exhaust gases flow past the heat exchanger tubes in which hot
water circulates, heat is absorbed causing the creation of steam in the
tubes. The tubes are arranged in sections, or modules, each serving a
different function in the production of dry superheated steam. These
modules are referred to as economizers, evaporators,
superheaters/reheaters and preheaters.
The economizer is a heat exchanger that preheats the water to approach
the saturation temperature (boiling point), which is supplied to a
thick-walled steam drum. The drum is located adjacent to finned
evaporator tubes that circulate heated water. As the hot exhaust gases
flow past the evaporator tubes, heat is absorbed causing the creation of
steam in the tubes. The steam-water mixture in the tubes enters the
steam drum where steam is separated from the hot water using moisture
separators and cyclones. The separated water is recirculated to the
evaporator tubes. Steam drums also serve storage and water treatment
functions. An alternative design to steam drums is a once-through HRSG,
which replaces the steam drum with thin-walled components that are
better suited to handle changes in exhaust gas temperatures and steam
pressures during frequent starts and stops. In some designs, duct
burners are used to add heat to the exhaust gas stream and boost steam
production; they can be used to produce steam even if there is
insufficient exhaust gas flow.
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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
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Saturated steam from the steam drums or once-through system is sent to

the superheater to produce dry steam which is required for the steam
turbine. Preheaters are located at the coolest end of the HRSG gas path
and absorb energy to preheat heat exchanger liquids, such as
water/glycol mixtures, thus extracting the most economically viable
amount of heat from exhaust gases.
The superheated steam produced by the HRSG is supply to the steam
turbine where it expands through the turbine blades, imparting rotation
to the turbine shaft. The energy delivered to the generator drive shaft
is converted into electricity. After exiting the steam turbine, the
steam is sent to a condenser which routes the condensed water back to
the HRSG.

Combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT)

The most common type of combined cycle power plant utilizes gas
turbines and is called a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant.
Because gas turbines have low efficiency in simple cycle operation, the
output produced by the steam turbine accounts for about half of the CCGT
plant output. There are many different configurations for CCGT power
plants, but typically each GT has its own associated HRSG, and multiple
HRSG’s supply steam to one or more steam turbines. For example, at a
plant in a 2x1 configuration, two GT/HRSG trains supply to one steam
turbine; likewise there can be 1x1, 3x1 or 4x1 arrangements. The steam
turbine is sized to the number and capacity of supplying GTs/HRSGs.

CCGT design considerations

Designs and configurations for HRSGs and steam turbines depend on
the exhaust gas characteristics, steam requirements, and expected power
plant operations. Because the exhaust gases from a gas turbine can reach
600ºC, HRSG’s for GT’s may produce steam at multiple pressure levels
to optimize energy recovery; thus they often have three sets of heat
exchanger modules – one for high pressure (HP) steam, one for
intermediate pressure (IP) steam, and one for low pressure (LP) steam.
The high pressure steam in a large CCGT plant can reach 40 – 110 bar.
With a multiple-pressure HRSG, the steam turbine will typically have
multiple steam admission points. In a three-stage steam turbine, HP, IP
and LP steam produced by the HRSG is fed into the turbine at different
points.
The HRSG’s present operational constraints on the CCGT power plant. As
the HRSG’s are located directly downstream of the gas turbines, changes
in temperature and pressure of the exhaust gases cause thermal and
mechanical stress. When CCGT power plants are used for load-following
operation, characterized by frequent starts and stops or operating at
part-load to meet fluctuating electric demand, this cycling can
cause thermal stress and eventual damage in some components of the
HRSG. The HP steam drum and superheater headers are more prone to
reduced mechanical life because they are subjected to the highest
exhaust gas temperatures. Important design and operating considerations
are the gas and steam temperatures that the module materials can
withstand; mechanical stability for turbulent exhaust flow; corrosion of
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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
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HRSG tubes; and steam pressures that may necessitate thicker-walled

drums. To control the rate of pressure and temperature increase in HRSG
components, bypass systems can be used to divert some of the GT exhaust
gases from entering the HRSG during startup.
The HRSG takes longer to warm up from cold conditions than from hot
conditions. As a result, the amount of time elapsed since last shutdown
influences startup time. When gas turbines are ramped to load quickly,
the temperature and flow in the HRSG may not yet have achieved
conditions to produce steam, which causes metal overheating since there
is no cooling steam flow. In 1x1 configurations, the operation of the
steam turbine is directly coupled to the GT/HRSG operation, limiting the
rate at which the power plant can be ramped to load. Steam conditions
acceptable for the steam turbine are dictated by thermal limits of the
rotor, blade, and casing design.
Control equipment for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO)
emissions are integrated into the HRSG. As these systems operate
efficiently over a narrow range of gas temperatures, they are often
installed between evaporator modules.

SAMPLE PROBLEM
1. In an air-standard Bryton cycle, air enters the compressor at 100 kPa
and 15 deg. C. The pressure leaving the compressor is 0.6 MPa and the
maximum temperature of the cycle is 1000 deg. C. Calculate for the
cycle thermal efficiency, in percent.

Solution:
Pressure ratio, rp = P2/P1 = 600/100 = 6
1−k 1−1.4
Thermal efficiency, e = 1 - rp k = 1 - 61.4 = 40.07% ans.

2. In an air-standard Bryton cycle, air enters the compressor at 20 deg.

C, 100 kPa and enters the turbine at 485 kPa. The maximum temperature
in the cycle is 1000 deg. C. Assuming a compressor isentropic efficiency
of 80% and turbine isentropic efficiency of 85%, what is the thermal
efficiency of the cycle?

Solution:
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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
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3. A combined gas-steam power plant is considered. The topping cycle is

a gas-turbine cycle and the bottoming cycle is a non-ideal reheat
Rankine cycle. The moisture percentage at the exit of the low-pressure
turbine, the steam temperature at the inlet of the high-pressure turbine,
and the thermal efficiency of the combined cycle are to be determined.
Solutions:
Assumptions. (1)Steady operating conditions exist. (2) Kinetic and
potential energy changes are negligible. (3) Air is an ideal gas with
variable specific heats.
Analysis (a) We obtain the air properties. The analysis of gas cycle is
as follows

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF COMBINED GAS-STEAM POWER PLANT

T-S DIAGRAM OF COMBINED GAS-STEAM POWER PLANT

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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
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The temperature at the inlet of the high-pressure turbine may be

obtained by a trial-error approach. The answer is T3 = 468.0ºC. Then,
the enthalpy at state 3 becomes: h3 = 3346.5 kJ/kg.
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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
LUCBAN, QUEZON

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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISES 9
Combined Cycle Power PLants

1. Consider a combined gas-steam power cycle. The topping cycle is a

simple Brayton cycle that has a pressure ratio of 7. Air enters the
compressor at 15°C at a rate of 40 kg/s and the gas turbine at 950°C.
The bottoming cycle is a reheat Rankine cycle between the pressure
limits of 6 MPa and 10 kPa. Steam is heated in a heat exchanger at a
rate of 4.6 kg/s by the exhaust gases leaving the gas turbine, and the
exhaust gases leave the heat exchanger at 200°C. Steam leaves the high-
pressure turbine at 1.0 MPa and is reheated to 400°C in the heat
exchanger before it expands in the low-pressure turbine. Assuming 80
percent isentropic efficiency for all pumps and turbines, determine (a)
the moisture content at the exit of the low-pressure turbine, (b) the
steam temperature at the inlet of the high-pressure turbine, (c) the net
power output and the thermal efficiency of the combined plant.
2. Consider the combined gas–steam power cycle shown below. The topping
cycle is a gas-turbine cycle that has a pressure ratio of 8. Air enters
the compressor at 300 K and the turbine at 1300 K. The isentropic
efficiency of the compressor is 80 percent, and that of the gas turbine
is 85 percent. The bottoming cycle is a simple ideal Rankine cycle
operating between the pressure limits of 7 MPa and 5 kPa. Steam is
heated in a heat exchanger by the exhaust gases to a temperature of
500°C. The exhaust gases leave the heat exchanger at 450 K. Determine
(a) the ratio of the mass flow rates of the steam and the combustion
gases and (b) the thermal efficiency of the combined cycle.

3. Consider a combined gas–steam power plant that has a net power

output of 450 MW. The pressure ratio of the gas-turbine cycle is 14. Air
enters the compressor at 300 K and the turbine at 1400 K. The combustion
gases leaving the gas turbine are used to heat the steam at 8 MPa to
400°C in a heat exchanger. The combustion gases leave the heat
exchanger at 460 K. An open feedwater heater incorporated with the steam
cycle operates at a pressure of 0.6 MPa. The condenser pressure is 20
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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
LUCBAN, QUEZON

kPa. Assuming all the compression and expansion processes to be

isentropic, determine (a) the mass flow rate ratio of air to steam, (b)
the required rate of heat input in the combustion chamber, and (c) the
thermal efficiency of the combined cycle.
4. Why is the combined gas–steam cycle more efficient than either of
the cycles operated alone?
5. In combined gas–steam cycles, what is the energy source for the
steam?

Note: Complete your solutions with proper schematic diagram and T-S
diagram.