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Title: Advanced operator training: Principles of plant performance

Book ·
OSTI ID:5318926

This text has been developed for control room operators and supervisors to aid them in better understanding the operation of the integrated fossil-fuel power plant. The knowledge gained from this text will improve the operator's ability to optimize thermal efficiency and maintain equipment reliability, thereby furthering the operator's overall capabilities. This five-module text is designed to improve the expertise of the control room operator in the field of heat rate improvement, a major area of importance during times of rising fuel costs. Each module covers and builds on specific areas. Module one discusses the basic principles of thermodynamics, energy and its application in a power plant, and the use of steam tables. Module two examines energy flow in a power plant while considering the plant as an ''energy conversion factory.'' Module three explains energy losses throughout the plant, concentrating on the following areas: the boiler, the turbine-generator, and the regenerative feedwater system. Module four describes operator-controllable losses, including case studies of ''typical'' performance problems and recommendations of corrective actions. The fifth module describes integrated controls needed for plant operation. Proportional, integral, and derivative type controls, along with the ''three elements of control'' used for the steam drum level, are all presented in this final module.

OSTI ID:
5318926
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English