Optimization Systems for Power Producing Assets is Hot Topic Hour July 29, 2010
Optimizing profit (or minimizing cost and rates for non-profit utilities) is certainly the basic goal of any power utility management, but it is not necessarily the only goal and it is not easily achieved. There are many conflicting goals and constraints such as contracts for power delivery, management of demand, integration of renewable resources such as wind and solar plants and distributed generation, rapidly changing fuel costs, fuel delivery contracts, the design, age and maintenance requirements of producing assets and emission limits and GHG considerations to name just some of the factors that need to be considered. Older based load coal-fired power plants in particular will present significant challenges especially related to achieving the load change flexibility and economics to integrate well with solar and wind farm output. And, since it can take up to ten years to bring a new plant from design to start-up, even new plants may not have the latest technology needed to operate in the current environment of emissions limits, fuel costs and mandated CO2 reductions.
In response to the push from utilities, the suppliers to the industry have developed a wide range of equipment, technologies, software and systems that individually or in combination will help optimize power production. These solutions can be applied to individual components within a power plant for example, simply replacing fans and pumps with new more efficient designs or require replacement or upgrading of major equipment such as a boiler or coal handling equipment. Software is available to optimize the combustion process as well as many of the other processes with the plant but effective utilization of this software may require control system and/or instrumentation additions or upgrades. Software is also available to help optimize demand/load management both for an individual facility or enterprise wide including all producing assets as well as power purchase contracts. Some of this software will also include other variables such as fuel costs, plant operating efficiencies and emission requirements in the optimization scheme.
With many options available, the question for utility and plant managers becomes “which of the many methods or what combination of methods for improving operating efficiency will best achieve all of my goals and what is the shortest and/or the lowest cost path?“.
The following speakers will help us understand how to obtain the optimum efficiency, availability and performance from power producing assets and optimize fossil fueled plants to meet today’s challenges for emission limits, GHG reductions and profitability.
William "Bill" Poe, a Consultant with Invensys Process Systems in Houston, Texas will discuss Generation Management Systems that are now utilized by several power producers with a fleet of generation assets. Combinations of individual power plant optimization with Business Intelligence to support overall generation decisions are the major elements of these systems. His presentation will provide a brief overview of Generation Management Systems and review a few case studies of the results.
Tom Snowdon, a Performance Consultant for Emerson Process Management, Power and Water Solutions Division will discuss fleet optimization strategies. Optimization of an existing fleet is a complex task that must begin with optimization of individual units, accounting for the position of each in the dispatch optimizer of the fleet. This bottom up approach seeks to minimize cost or maximize the margin of the fleet accounting for operating and maintenance costs in both the short-term and mid-term. Success depends heavily on an understanding of optimization science and the active use of appropriate optimization software.
Ray Johnson, Vice-president of Business Development at NeuCo, Inc. will discuss Integrated Boiler Optimization for Improved Combustion and Soot-blowing Performance. His presentation discusses the use of integrated, closed-loop, boiler optimization systems to improve and manage tradeoffs between the combustion and boiler cleaning processes of fossil-fired power plants. Using examples from specific plants, the presentation will detail benefits such as:
Matt
Dooley,
PE,
Manager of Energy Assessments at Sigma Energy Solutions will discuss
Sigma's Asset Optimization program by which Sigma works closely with customers
to reduce power plant operating costs and emissions by improving the thermal
energy efficiency of operating units. This is accomplished through the
application of a modified PTC performance test, which relies on installed
instrumentation and thereby reduces cost.
To register for the "Hot Topic Hour" on July 29, 2010 at 10 a.m. CDT (Chicago time), click on: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/FGDnetoppbroch/Default1.htm
Bob McIlvaine
President
847 784 0012 ext 112
rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com