A simplified model based supercritical power plant controller

• Published in: Proceedings of 35th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control Vol. 4; pp. 4486 - 4491 vol.4
• Main Authors: Shinohara, W., Koditschek, D.E.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 1996
• Subjects: Boilers; Chemical industry; Design methodology; Fluid dynamics; Fuel processing industries; Furnaces; Industrial control; Power generation; Solid modeling; Turbines
• DOI: 10.1109/CDC.1996.577567
• ISBN: 9780780335905; 0780335902
• ISSN: 0191-2216

We present a simplified state-space model of a once-through supercritical boiler turbine power plant. This phenomenological model has been developed from a greatly simplified application of the first principles of physical laws. When we fit our model to a far more complex and physically accurate simulation model commissioned by EPRI for operator training, we find that the input-output responses are surprisingly close. Encouraged by this initial success, we describe some initial steps toward a design method for supercritical boiler control suggested by the geometric structure arising from the simplified model. Preliminary simulation results suggest that this approach may offer a closed loop response considerably improved relative to that achieved by the linear controllers presently in place in typical industrial settings.