Base load power plant

About: Base load power plant is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 6121 publications have been published within this topic receiving 96788 citations.

A Sequential Approach for Gas Turbine Power Plant Preventative Maintenance Scheduling

Abstract: Traditionally, gas turbine power plant preventive maintenance schedules are set with constant intervals based on recommendations from the equipment suppliers. Preventive maintenance is based on fleet-wide experience as a guideline as long as individual unit experience is not available. In reality, the operating conditions for each gas turbine may vary from site to site and from unit to unit. Furthermore, the gas turbine is a repairable deteriorating system, and preventive maintenance usually restores only part of its performance. This suggests a gas turbine needs more frequent inspection and maintenance as it ages. A unit-specific sequential preventive maintenance approach is therefore needed for gas turbine power plant preventive maintenance scheduling. Traditionally, the optimization criteria for preventive maintenance scheduling is usually cost based. However, in the deregulated electric power market, a profit-based optimization approach is expected to be more effective than the cost-based approach. In such an approach, power plant performance, reliability, and the market dynamics are considered in a joint fashion. In this paper, a novel idea that economic factors drive maintenance frequency and expense to more frequent repairs and greater expense as equipment ages is introduced, and a profit-based unit-specific sequential preventive maintenance scheduling methodology is developed. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach, a conceptual level study is performed using a base load combined cycle power plant with a single gas turbine unit.

Predictive contract system and method

Abstract: A control method includes modeling a power generation apparatus, monitoring the generation of a total amount power from the power generation apparatus, monitoring internal consumption of power for a power generation apparatus, acquiring a power generation requirement for a first selected time period of a power generation apparatus to meet a power contract, and projecting an amount of total power needed over a diminishing time varying prediction horizon based on the model, the power generation requirement and the internal consumption.

Load-side demand management in buildings using controlled electric springs

Abstract: With increasing use of renewable energy and the advancements in smart grids, demand side management has been a keen topic of interest. Buildings, both commercial and residential, have great potential in implementing load-side demand management in renewable energy source powered microgrids. Electric Spring, a smart grid technology, is able to provide instantaneous voltage support and load power shedding. Thus, providing an astute solution to the voltage instability problem associated with such microgrids. In this paper, an implementation of electric spring is presented, in conjunction with building loads like central air conditioning system, to demonstrate its properties of voltage support, load power shedding, and reactive power compensation.

Greenhouse gases from geothermal power production

Abstract: Geothermal is a renewable source energy that can be used directly for heating or for power production. Geothermal utilization, particularly power production, may result in some greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. GHG emissions from geothermal power production is generally small in comparison to traditional base load thermal energy power generation facilities. This is mainly due to the fact that the large majority of installations draw their geothermal energy from geothermal reservoirs with low GHG concentrations. However, as the geothermal sector has expanded, a wider range of geothermal resources have been brought into exploitation, including geothermal systems with relatively high GHG concentrations in the reservoir fluid. There is a growing realization within the geothermal community that geothermal power plants can, in rare instances, release significant quantities GHG into the atmosphere. This interim technical note presents an overview of the current knowledge on GHG emissions from geothermal systems and geothermal power plants, and gives guidance on how to assess GHG emissions from geothermal projects when this is required, depending on their stage of development. This note identifies critical knowledge gaps and presents recommendations as to how close these gaps and proposes an interim methodology to estimate GHG emissions from geothermal projects that financing institutions, such as the World Bank, intend to support. The plan is to update this note when the methodology has been tested by application to actual projects and some of the current knowledge gaps have been closed as more information become available. This note proposes a way to estimate future emission factors for geothermal projects under development. For instance, if a pumped binary power plant is planned, the emission factor will be 0. Projects using other energy conversion technologies will result in some emissions. For projects where wells have been drilled and tested, formulas are provided to compute emission factors based on the chemical composition of the geothermal fluid and the design parameters of the power plant. For projects located in the vicinity of existing power plants in analogous geologic settings, emission factors from the existing plants can be used.

An optimal operating strategy of DG unit for power loss reduction in distribution systems

Abstract: This paper presents a strategy for optimal operation of distributed generation (DG) unit for minimizing distribution system power losses. An analytical approach is used to determine the optimal size and power factor of DG unit when it is placed at various locations. A computational procedure is also developed to identify the best placement at which the total system loss is the lowest. The proposed approach has been tested on a 33-bus distribution system. Importance of operating DG unit at appropriate power factor (PF) for minimizing power losses is first highlighted using an exhaustive load flow solution. The developed method is then used to calculate the optimal power factor. The results demonstrate the validity of the proposed approach in terms of optimal power factor, loss reduction and computational time. It is also shown that the optimal power factor operation can minimize power losses while achieving the optimum voltage profile enhancement and maximizing DG penetration.