Performance Analysis of a 3 Pressured Combined Cycle Power Plant

Combined cycle power plant is a system where a gas turbine or a steam turbine is used to produce shaft power to drive a generator for producing electrical power and the steam from the HRSG is expanded in a steam turbine for additional shaft power. The temperature of the exhaust gases from a gas turbine ranges from , and can be used effectively in a heat recovery steam generator to produce steam. Combined cycle can be classed as a topping and bottoming cycle. The first cycle, to which most of the heat is supplied, is a Brayton gas turbine cycle. The wasted heat it produces is then utilized in a second process which operates at a lower temperature level is a steam turbine cycle. The combined gas and steam turbine power plant have been widely accepted because, first, each separate system has already proven themselves in power plants as an independent cycle, therefore, the development costs are low. Secondly, using the air as a working medium, the operation is relatively non- problematic and inexpensive and can be used in gas turbines at an elevated temperature level over . The steam process uses water, which is likewise inexpensive and widely available, but better suited for the medium and low temperature ranges. It therefore, is quite reasonable to use the steam process for the bottoming cycle. Recently gas turbine attained inlet temperature that make it possible to design a highly efficient combined cycle. In the present study, performance analysis of a 3 pressured combined cycle power plant is carried out to investigate the influence of topping cycle to combined cycle performance. Present calculation is compared with acceptance performance test data from SeoInchon combined cycle power plant. Present results is expected to shed some light to design and manufacture 150~200㎿ class heavy duty gas turbine whose conceptual design is already being undertaken.