Dynamic Modeling of a Utility Once-Through Pulverized-Fuel Steam Generator

Abstract

This study aims at modeling and simulating the transient operation of a utility supercritical steam generator fired with pulverized hard coal. The present theoretical study focuses on the development and validation of a dynamic thermodynamic model, with the aim of analyzing the steam generator’s transient state of start-up. A commercial software tool is used to this end and the steam generator model is developed based on the software package’s components and is in accordance with manufacturer’s data. In the beginning, the operation of the once-through steam generator at full load as well as at various partial-load cases is modeled at static conditions. The combustion process in the furnace is influenced by several parameters, which are taken into account in this analysis with as much detail as possible for the specifications of a one-dimensional thermodynamic computational package. For this purpose, the modeling approach adopts and utilizes a number of innovative special simulation features, which are analyzed in the present paper. Both data provided by the steam generator supplier and results derived by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical runs are used for the validation of the present model. Subsequently, the transient event of the steam generator’s cold start-up is simulated dynamically and its results are displayed along with the corresponding ones from the steady-state runs. The present model’s results are in satisfactory agreement with the provided validation data, proving the usefulness of a new simulation tool to the power-plant scientific and industrial community.