POWER GEN, OIL & GAS, PUMPS, TURBINES, COMPRESSORS, PETROCHEMICAL, O&M

Muhammad Riaz – Mitsubishi Power Americas

Heat rate is commonly used to gage the health of a power plant and is a direct measure of its performance. The design of the steam turbine and how it interacts with the rest of the plant plays a large part in the overall heat rate. Every year the power industry puts huge financial resources towards heat rate improvements; understanding the effect of these improvements ensure that investments are made in the optimal areas. This paper will identify the expected impact on plant heat rate of upgrading specific components of a steam turbine and will provide an in-depth review of the relative benefits of each. The expected heat rate improvement provided by upgrading and modifying aspects of the steam turbine such as blades, seals, extraction pressure set points, and others will be ranked to provide a list of options to consider when looking to improve heat rate.