Optimized control of power plants having air cooled condensers

• Main Authors: Harry R Winn, David G Foster, Peter N Francino, Frederick C Huff
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.01.2018
• Subjects: BLASTING; CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; CONTROLLING; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ENGINES USING SPECIAL WORKING FLUIDS OR CYCLES; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL; HEATING; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS ORELEMENTS; PHYSICS; REGULATING; STEAM ACCUMULATORS; STEAM ENGINE PLANTS; STEAM ENGINES; STEAM OR VAPOUR CONDENSERS; WEAPONS

A plant optimisation system or method suitable fro controlling a plant 50 having a steam cycle including a steam generator 52 and a plurality of electrically driven, air cooled condensers 70, the system or method including an optimiser 86 which analyses a plurality of plant operating points to determine a plant operating point, wherein each of the points includes a value for a set of steam cycle operating variables. The steam cycle may further include a steam consumer 54, the condenser 70 being coupled between the consumer 54 and the steam generator 52. The optimiser 86 may comprise a calculation unit and an objective function. The system may further comprise an expert engine that stores a set of rules which are used to adjust one or more of the steam cycle operating variables associated with an initial plant operating point to determine an optimal operating point for use in controlling the plant 50.