Exergy Analysis of A Thermal Power Plant

MEB11002, MEB11003, MEB11005, MEB11006, MEB11010

Department of Mechanical Engineering Department, Tezpur
University, PIN: 784028
1

Basic Principle Of Thermal

Power Plant
Prime mover is steam driven.
Water is heated, turns into steam and spins a steam
turbine which drives an electrical generator.
The steam is condensed in a condenser and recycled.
Rankine Cycle.

Main Parts Of A Thermal Power Plant.

Figure 1

 Coal Conveyor:
This is a belt type of arrangement. With this coal is transported
from coal storage place in power plant to the place nearby boiler.

Figure 2

 Stoker
The coal which is brought nearby boiler has to put in boiler furnace
for combustion. This stoker is a mechanical device for feeding coal to a
furnace.

Figure 3

 Pulverizer
The coal is put in the boiler after pulverization. For this pulverizer is
used. A pulverizer is a device for grinding coal for combustion in a
furnace in a power plant.

Figure 4

Boiler
Boiler is an enclosed vessel in which water is heated and circulated
until the water is turned into steam at the required pressure.

Figure 5

 Super heater:
It is a component of a steam-generating unit in which steam, after it
has left the boiler drum, is heated above its saturation temperature. It
helps in improving efficiency.

Figure 6

Reheater

Some of the heat of superheated steam is used to rotate the turbine

where it loses some of its energy. The steam after reheating is used to
rotate the second steam turbine where the heat is converted to
mechanical energy.

Figure 7

 Condensor
These are heat exchangers which convert steam from its gaseous to
its liquid state, also known as phase transition. In so doing, the latent
heat of steam is given out inside the condenser

Figure 8

10

 Cooling tower
It is a tower- or building-like device in which atmospheric air
circulates in direct or indirect contact with warmer water and the water
is thereby cooled. It serves as the heat sink in a conventional
thermodynamic process

Figure 9

11

 Economizer
Flue gases coming out of the boiler carry lot of heat. Function of
economizer is to recover some of the heat from the heat carried away
in the flue gases up the chimney and utilize for heating the feed water
to the boiler.

Figure 10

12

 Electrostatic Precipitator
It is a device which removes dust or other finely divided particles from
flue gases by charging the particles inductively with an electric field,
then attracting them to highly charged collector plates.

Figure 11

13

Smoke Stack (Chimney)

A chimney is a system for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a

boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. They are
typically almost vertical to ensure that the hot gases flow smoothly.

Figure 12

14

Working Principle :

BLOCK DIAGRAM OF THERMAL POWER PLANT

Figure 13

15

TYPES OF CYCLES
Ideal Rankine Cycle
Re-heat Rankine Cycle
Re-generation Rankine Cycle

16

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF A
THERMAL POWER PLANT
A thermal power plant converts the heat
energy of coal into electrical energy.
The prime mover is steam driven.
Coal is burnt in a boiler which converts
water into steam. The expansion of steam in
turbine produces mechanical power which
drives the alternator coupled to the turbine.
After it passes through the turbine, the steam
is condensed in a condenser and recycled to
the boiler, this is known as a Rankine Cycle.
17

IDEAL RANKINE CYCLE

Figure 14.: Block diagram of a simple steam plant

Figure 15.: T-S Plot

18

Processes:
4-1: Reversible constant process heating process of water
to form steam in the boiler. Applying S.F.E.E.,

1-2: Reversible adiabatic expansion in the turbine.

Applying S.F.E.E.,

19

 2-3: Reversible constant pressure heat rejection in the

condenser. Applying S.F.E.E.,

3-4: Reversible adiabatic compression in the pump.

Applying S.F.E.E.,

20

Real Rankine Cycle

The actual rankine cycle differs from the ideal

one because of the following losses:
Piping losses
Turbine losses
Pump losses
Condenser losses

21

RE-HEAT RANKINE
CYCLE
The optimal way of
increasing the boiler
pressure but not increase
the moisture content in
the exiting vapor is to
reheat the vapor after it
exits from a first-stage
turbine and redirect this
reheated vapor into a
second turbine.

high-P
turbine

Low-P
turbine

boiler

pump
condenser

Figure 16

22

T-S DIAGRAM

high-P
turbine

Low-P
turbine

high-P
turbine

low-P
turbine

boiler

pump
condenser
Figure 17 and 18

23

Energy analysis: Heat transfer and work output both

change
qin = qprimary + qreheat = (h3-h2) + (h5-h4)
Wout = Wturbine1 + Wturbine2 = (h3-h4) + (h5-h6)
Efficiency :
: Work Done/Heat Supplied

24

RE-GENERATION
RANKINE CYCLE
Use regenerator to heat up the liquid (feedwater) leaving the
pump before sending it to the boiler, therefore, increase the
averaged temperature (efficiency as well) during heat addition in
the boiler.
Lower temp
heat addition

higher temp
heat addition

4
2

2
1
Figure 19 and 20

Extract steam from

turbine to provide
heat source in the
regenerator

3
1

Use regenerator to heat up the feedwater

25

T-S DIAGRAM
Open FWH

boiler
Open
FWH
Pump 2
Pump 1
Figure 21 and 22

condenser

s
26

Energy analysis: Heat transfer and work output both

change
Energy analysis:
qin = h5-h4, qout = (1-y)(h7-h1),
Wturbine, out = (h5-h6) + (1-y)(h6-h7)
Wpump, in = (1-y)Wpump1 + Wpump2
= (1-y)(h2-h1) + (h4-h3)
Efficiency :
: Work Done/Heat Supplied
In general, the more feedwater heaters, the better the
cycle efficiency.
27

Exergy Analysis
A study of available energy,
irreversibility and degradation of energy
for improving the overall efficiency

28

First law of
thermodynamics
It states that the net increase in energy of the system is
equal to the difference between the total heat transfer and
the work done.

29

Limitations
The first law does not indicate the direction of
heat flow.
It does not specify the feasibility or spontaneity
of a reaction

30

Overcoming these limitations

The first limitation is overcome by the following

statements :
Clasius statement: Heat can never pass from
a colder to a warmer body without some other
change, connected therewith, occurring at the
same time.
Kelvin Plancks Statement: It is impossible for
a heat engine to produce work by exchanging heat
only with bodies at a fixed temperature.
The second limitation is overcome by the concept
of availability or exergy.
31

Definitions
Exergy (also called Availability or Work Potential):
the maximum useful work that can be obtained
from a system at a given state in a given
environment; in other words, the most work you
can get out of a system
Surroundings: outside the system boundaries
Environment: the area of the surroundings not
affected by the process at any point
Dead State: when a system is in thermodynamic
equilibrium with the environment, denoted by a
subscript zero; at this point no more work can be
done

32

Why Study Exergy?

In the last several decades, exergy analysis has
begun to be used for system optimization.

o By analyzing the exergy destroyed by

each component in a process, we can
see where we should be focusing our
efforts to improve system efficiency.
o It can also be used to compare
components or systems to help make
improved design decisions.
33

Irreversibility
Irreversibility, I: exergy destroyed; wasted work
potential. It represents energy that could have
been converted into work but was instead wasted
To have high system efficiency, we want
irreversibility to be as small as possible.

34

Second Law Efficiency, II

Thermal efficiency tells us what we get out
compared to what we put in.
The second law efficiency tells us how much we
get out compared to the maximum possible we
could get out, given the inlet and exit conditions.

35

Second Law Efficiency, II

exergy recovered (what' s available after the process)
II
exergy supplied (what' s available at the beginning)
exergy destroyed(I)
1
exergy supplied

36

Exergy
We can calculate the exergy, X (work potential) at
a given state. The work potential is a function of
the total energy of the system.
X = XKE + XPE + XIE + Xflow work

o (however in a control mass, there

will be no flow work)
XKE : V2/2
XPE: gZ
Xinternal energy: u-uo+Po(v-vo)-To(s-s0) where the
subscript o, represents the dead state.

37

A simple heat engine

W(max.)=(1-)

U.E.=

Figure 23 and 24

38

Exergy Transfer by Heat Transfer

As we add heat to a system, we
increase its ability to do work.
Wmax X heat Qo max

To
Qo 1
TB

39

Exergy Transfer by Work

If we do work on a system, we increase its
ability to do work.
Xwork=W-Wsurr for boundary work
Xwork=W
,where

for all other kinds of work

Wsurr P0 V2 V1

40

Entropy Generated, Sgen

For a steady-state control volume, this leads us to

S gen

m s m s
e e

out

i i

in

For a control mass, this becomes

S gen S 2 S1

Q k
Tk

Qk
Tk

Here Tk is the temperature of the heat source or heat

sink (not the system temperature).

41

Xdestroyed
Xdestroyed=I=ToSgen
DSsys=Sin-Sout+Sgen

42

Exergy balance of a
closed system
Initial Availability=Final Availability+ Exergy Destroyed
Q

X1 + (1-)= X2 + W p(V2-V1)+ I
Figure 25

43

Exergy of a Closed
System
Exergy

of a closed system w.r.t. to its surroundings , per

unit mass j, can be found be adding all the terms

V2
u uo Po v vo To s so
gZ
2

This gives us the maximum work we could possibly get

out of a system.
Usually we will be more interested in the change in
exergy from the beginning to end of a process.
For a closed system, change in availability between two
states of the system=-

44

Exergy balance of a steady

flow system

W

af1

af2

af1+(1-)* = af2++I

,where

V2
a f h ho To s so
gz
2
Figre 26

45

Change in exergy
If we only have one fluid stream
af 2 af 2

V22 V12
h2 h1 To s2 s1
g z2 z1
2

If we have multiple streams

46

Exergy Balance of the different

components of a power plant
Turbine

af1
W

a
Exergy Balance: af1 = af2 + )+I

Second
Figure 27

f2

Law efficiency=
47

 Pump

af2

Exergy Balance:

af1

Figure 28

48

 Heat exchanger

Exergy Balance:

Figure 29

49

Exergy Analysis for a Cycle, 1

fluid stream, steady flow
I To S gen
for a component :

S m s s Q
gen
e
i
Tk
S
S
S
gen

gen, pump

gen,boiler

S gen,turbine S gen,cond.

Q pump
Qcond., in
Qboiler
Qturbine

s 4 s3
s1 s 4

m s 2 s1
s3 s 2

To
Tcomb.chamber
To
Tlake

Qout
Qin
I T m

o
T
Tk ,in
k , out

Figure 30

50

Case study I:Exergy analysis of a

coal fired power plant in
Queensland
This research conducts exergy analysis in one unit of a
coal-fired power plant in Central Queensland, Australia
as a case study. The exergy analysis identifies where and
how much exergy is destroyed in the system and its
components. Based on the analysis, it assesses and
discusses different options to improve the efficiency of the
system.

51

Figure

Figure 31 and 32

52

Table 1

53

Results

Figure 33

54

Figure 34

55

Case Study II:Exergy analysis of

a 32 MW coal fired power plant

Figure 35

56

Results

Exergy loss of various components

Figure 36 and 37

Heat loss of various components

57

It has been found that there are three elements which

contribute to the huge boiler loss. They are
1) the boilers internal heat transfer mechanism from
the combustor to the heating medium, which determines
the boilers internal efficiency
2) the heat loss in the departing flue gas stream ,and
3) the loss in the blow down stream of the boiler.

58

Figure 38

59

Conclusion
The following conclusions have been drawn from the drawn from
the site study at thermal power plant,
The exergy analysis of the power plant identifies areas where
most of the useful energy is lost and discusses potential of the
lost energy for improve-ment of the plant energy efficiency.
It shows that the boiler and turbine of a power gen-eration
plant is the major source of useful energy lost. Only negligible
amounts of useful waste ener-gy can be recovered through
implementing some heat recovery system.
In order to achieve significant improvement of energy
efficiency the boiler and turbine systems need to be altered,
which require further techno-economic study.
60

References
Nag P.K.,Basic and Applied Thermodynamics,Tata McGrawhill,New
Delhi,Second Edition,2010
Cengel A. Yunus,Boles A. Michael,Thermodynamics An Engineering
Approach,Tata McGrawhill,New Delhi, Seventh Edition,2011
M.A. Habib, S.M. Zubair, 2nd-law-based thermodynamic analysis of
regenerative-reheat Rankine-cycle power plants, Energy, vol. 17,
Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd., 1992. pp. 295-301.
Kulkarni H.R.,Revankar P.P., Energy and Exergy Analysis of Coal
Fired Power Plant , International Journal of Innovative Research in
Technology & Science(IJIRTS) , ISSN:2321-1156
Mahamud R., Khan M.M.K., Rasul M.G. , Leinster M.G., Exergy
Analysis and Efficiency Improvement of a Coal Fired Thermal
Power Plant in Queensland,Chapter 1,http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/55574

61

Thank you..
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