Demontration of Integrated Optimization Software at the Baldwin Energy Complex
This project encompassed the design, development, and demonstration of integrated online optimization systems at Dynegy Midwest Generation's Baldwin Energy Complex (BEC) located in Baldwin, Illinois. The overall project objective was to improve coal-based generation's emission profile, efficiency, maintenance requirements and plant asset life in order to enhance the long-term viability of the United States abundant coal resources. Five separate but integrated optimization products were developed, addressing combustion, sootblowing, SCR operations, overall unit thermal performance, and plant-wide availability optimization. Optimization results are inherently unit-specific and cannot be known for a particular generating unit in advance. However, NeuCo believed that the following were reasonable targets for the completed, integrated set of products: Furnace NOx reduction improvement by 5%, Heat rate improvement by 1.5%, Increase of annual Available MWh by 1.5%, Commensurate reductions in greenhouse gases, mercury, and particulates; and Commensurate increases in profitability from lower costs, improved reliability, and greater commercial availability. The goal during Phase I was to establish each system and demonstrate their integration in unified plant optimization. Efforts during Phase I focused on: (1) developing, deploying, integrating, and testing prototypes for each of the five products; (2) identifying and addressing issues required for the products to integrate with plant operations; and (3) systematically collecting and assimilating feedback to improve subsequent product releases. As described in the Phase II continuation application NeuCo successfully achieved the goal for Phase I. The goal of Phase II was to improve upon the products installed and tested in Phase I and to quantify the benefits of the integrated system. As this report documents, NeuCo has also successfully achieved the goal for Phase II. The overall results of the project, compared with the project goals, are: (1) NOx Reduction: The 5% target for NOx reduction was exceeded with average CEMS and SCR Inlet (furnace) NOx reduction of between 12% and 14%. (2) Heat Rate Improvement: The optimization systems delivered an average heat rate improvement of between 0.67% and 0.7%. This falls short of the 1.5% heat rate improvement target largely because Cyclone Stability (availability) and CEMS and SCR Inlet NOx were prioritized over heat rate in the event they needed to be traded-off with one another. A different prioritization of objectives could have driven a different balance, thereby meeting the target of 1.5% improvement. There were also several factors that could have been masking greater heat rate improvements such as the decrease in fuel density over the course of the project and the impact of actions taken as a result of advice provided by the optimizers that are difficult to quantify. (3) Increased Annual Available MWh: Although difficult to measure precisely, the target of increasing available MWh's by 1.5% was met by providing prioritized alerts and knowledge-based diagnostics for a wide array of plant equipment and process anomalies; helping the plant to move from high sulfur, high Btu Illinois coal to PRB and run that fuel at low stoichiometries without derates; and improved management of cyclone flame quality as well as improved vigilance with respect to cyclone conditions which avoided some degree of temporary de-rate due to cyclone slag build up. (4) Commensurate Reductions in Greenhouse Gases, Mercury, and Particulates: Reductions in all three of these indices can be associated directly with the optimization leverage observed in the heat rate and NOx reductions. (5) Commensurate Increases in Profitability from Lower Costs, Improved Reliability, and Greater Commercial Availability: Commensurate improvements in costs, reliability and availability resulted from the previously described benefits. Also playing a role were the sustained operation of the cyclones while using more available, less expensive but off-design fuel; more effective catalytic reduction of NOx; and the reduced time required to discover, prioritize and diagnose plant equipment issues. The total annual dollar value of the benefits associated with the products installed, refined, and commercialized at BEC are estimated to range from $1.8 to $3.2 million dollars per-unit, and $7.2 to $8.1 million dollars per year plant-wide depending on whether CO{sub 2} benefits are included. In summary, the NeuCo project at BEC was successfully completed and has demonstrated that advanced optimization technologies can play an important role in improving the environmental footprint of coal-based power generation while achieving other important operating objectives.
- Research Organization:
- Neuco Inc.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC26-04NT41768
- OSTI ID:
- 945022
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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