Computer Simulation and Optimization of Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG)

Heat recovery steam generators are successfully used in combined cycle power plants and many more applications. In a gas / steam combined cycle power plant the performance of bottoming cycle depends largely upon the effectiveness of HRSG. For a good HRSG in combined cycle power plants the heat exchange effectiveness should be as high as possible for maximum waste heat utilization and loss in the pressure of hot gases passing through HRSG should be small. In this paper, the computer simulation of HRSG has been carried out based on its thermodynamic study. An exhaustive generic computer code has been developed in C++ language for getting the critical information such as surface area required, number of tubes required, pressure loss, steam generation rate, effectiveness etc. for a single pressure & multi pressure HRSG. Results obtained using the code have been analyzed for varying operating thermodynamic conditions and different arrangements in HRSG. Preferable HRSG configuration and its thermodynamic analysis have been made using the computer code. Optimization of the HRSG design is carried out in respect to cost of HRSG using genetic algorithm.