Dynamic Simulation of Coal-Fired Power Plant Integrated With Trough Solar Collector Operating in Parallel With High Pressure Heaters

Abstract

Solar-aided coal-fired power plant (SACFPP) is a cost-effective approach to overcome solar energy intermittency. SACFPPs frequently operate in dynamic processes due to power load and solar energy fluctuations. This study investigated the dynamic characteristics of SACFPPs; such characteristics are important for flexibility evaluation and control system design. The SACFPP used in this study was based on a 660 MW coal-fired power plant, and a trough collector system (TCS) operates in parallel with high pressure (HP) heaters. After model development and validation, the dynamic performance of the SACFPP was analyzed under four load ratios of power plant, with disturbances of two parameters: direct normal irradiance (DNI) and mass flowrate ratio to TCS. The performance was also compared with three parallel TCS connection modes. Results showed that the magnitude and response time for power variation under DNI disturbance increased with load ratio. With 500 W/m2 DNI step increments, power increased by approximately 18.4, 21.2, 24.7, and 29.8 MW in 2200, 2330, 2550 and 2620 s at 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100% load ratios, respectively, when all the HP heaters were replaced. The serial number and the number of HP heaters replaced also increased the power variation and response time. Under mass flowrate ratio to TCS increase disturbance, the power rapidly changed to its maximum and then slowly decreased, but the variation value depended on the load ratio.