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Title: Modelling and assessment of advanced processes for integrated environmental control of coal-fired power plants. Technical progress report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6923960

Efforts during this quarter focused on two principal activities: (1) consolidating existing models of power plant environmental control options into a computer program able to analyze power plant performance and control technology costs for a conventional plant using specified combinations of frontend (coal cleaning) and backend (flue gas treatment) processes; and (2) exploring new software approaches for power plant optimization and the analysis of uncertainty model components. Existing models of power plant performance and control technologies costs have been formally connected to a recently developed model of conventional coal cleaning plants, which are described in detail. The construction of an analytical model simulating the operation of four generic levels of coal preparation plant is described. The operational details of the plant being modeled are adjusted so that the overall process yield is maximized. The concept of washability data is provided and methods for manipulating this data, particularly to allow for the effects of washing equipment inefficiency, are described. The application of Lagrange multiplier theory to the problem of process yield maximization is discussed. The coal assumptions used in estimating the price of cleaned coal are described. Finally, use of the model is illustrated. Research was also initiated on two new software approaches for facilitating assessments of integrated environmental controls for conventional and advanced power plant designs. One approach involved an investigation of formal optimization techniques using mixed integer linear programming (MILP). A second effort, complimenting the first, involved the implementation of existing performance cost models for flue gas treatment systems in a newly developed software system called DEMOS (for Decision Modelling System). 13 references, 11 figures, 6 tables.

Research Organization:
Carnegie-Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (USA). Center for Energy and Environmental Studies
DOE Contract Number:
FG22-83PC60271
OSTI ID:
6923960
Report Number(s):
DOE/PC/60271-T1; ON: DE84011555
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English