Thermodynamic Modeling and Validation of a 210-MW Capacity Coal-Fired Power Plant

This paper presents the thermodynamic modeling and validation of a 210-MW subcritical coal-fired power plant situated in North India. In the era of high computing facilities available, modeling and simulation have become a very pertinent tool for design and development. As such, the objective of the present work is not to enhance the thermal conversion efficiency, but to represent the thermal system in a simplistic yet functional manner. The thermal performance module consists of the following main sections such as steam boiler, economizer, superheater, reheater, steam turbine, condensate extraction pump, boiler feed pump, feedwater heaters and condenser. Thus, a semi-empirical module has been developed to predict thermal performance of coal-fired power plant. It includes the mass balance, energy balance, thermodynamic property relations for working substance followed by empirical correlations for steam bled pressure and thermodynamics of a steam power cycle. By using the MATLAB calculation tool, a process-based computer program of the coal-fired power plant has been successfully validated for thermal efficiency, steam flow rate and coal consumption rate at wide plant load range. The predictions were compared with operating data of 210-MW thermal power plant at different power output levels. The predicted results agree with plant operating data.