Efficiency Assessment of a Combined Heat and Power Plant Using Exergy Analysis

Abstract

This study conducted an exergy analysis of a cogeneration power plant utilizing gas turbines, air compressors, combustion chambers, heat recovery steam generators, heat exchangers, and pumps. The study performed an extensive exergy analysis of the system, focusing on each component's process and calculating its base efficiency while tabulating the corresponding exergy degradation. Relevant equations for mass, energy, and exergy were identified to determine optimal control volume conditions for an optimal system and boundary conditions that would enhance the design and reduce exergy destruction. The research project developed revisions and modifications necessary to the base system, utilizing available parameters and boundary conditions, to enable a second law analysis, improve the overall efficiency, and reduce irreversibility and the loss of exergy. The proposed modifications included the remodelling of the cogeneration plant by applying additional processes to utilize the excessive waste heat in the plant. The study further optimized the plant's efficiency by modifying individual system elements that yielded minimal exergy destruction to the overall design. The proposed modifications explored the best-case alteration on optimizing overall plant efficiency with minimum irreversibility compared to the initial analysis done. The technical contributions of this research project are the revisions and modifications that enabled a second law analysis and improved the overall efficiency of the cogeneration power plant.