| This study investigated the effects of operating and design parameters of coal-fired power plants on net efficiency of power generation as well as a rate of CO2 emission. The key parameters were identified and used to determine optimal design and operating conditions that would offer the maximum power plant efficiency. The investigation focused on both subcritical and supercritical pulverized coal-fired power plants. The study also examined how the net efficiency of the power plants responds to changes in performance of an integrated CO2 capture unit, thus helping identify the optimal capture target providing the least energy penalty per unit of the CO 2 captured. This study was carried out by first developing a process-based computer model of the pulverized coal-fired power plants that were built on the principles of coal combustion, combustion chemistry, heat transfer from a combustion zone, combined material and energy balances and thermodynamics of a steam power cycle. Simulation of the developed model was then performed for a sensitivity analysis using rank correlation coefficient and Monte Carlo simulation approaches in order to arrive at the optimal operating and design conditions.;It was found from the study that the major influential parameters were moisture content in coal, steam pressures throughout a turbine system, boiler efficiency, temperature of preheated air, and temperatures of both main steam and reheated steam. The obtained parametric effects were quantified and translated into a series of empirical correlations of the net efficiency that could be readily utilized by power industries and engineers. Besides the net efficiency, the magnitude of the energy penalty due to the CO2 capture integration was evaluated and also the optimal level of the CO2 capture target was identified. The sensitivity analysis for cost of electricity was also performed in this study based on different scenarios, i.e., base subcritical pulverized coal-fired power plant without the CO2 capture, subcritical pulverized coal-fired power plant with the CO2 capture using alkanolamine solvent, base supercritical pulverized coal-fired power plant without the CO2 capture, and supercritical pulverized coal-fired power plant with the CO2 capture using alkanolamine solvent. |
