Optimization of heat recovery steam generators for combined cycle gas turbine power plants

The heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) is one of the few components of combined cycle gas turbine power plants tailored for each specific application. Any change in its design would directly affect all the variables of the cycle and therefore the availability of tools for its optimization is of the greatest relevance. This paper presents a method for the optimization of the HRSG based on the application of influence coefficients. The influence coefficients are a useful mathematical tool in design optimization problems. They are obtained after solving the equations of the system through the Newton-Raphson method. The main advantage of the proposed method is that it permits a better understanding of the influence of the design parameters on the cycle performance. The study of the optimization of the distribution of the boiler area between its different components is presented as an example of the proposed technique. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.