Optimal integration condition between the gas turbine air compressor and the air separation unit of IGCC power plant

Parametric studies are conducted for optimizing the integration design between gas turbine compressor and air separation unit (ASU) of integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant. The ASU is assumed as low pressure double-distillation column process which is integrated at the interstage location of the compressor, and integration design criteria of air extraction and reversing heat exchanger are defined and mathematically formulated. With the performance prediction of compressor by through-flow analysis, the effects of pinch-point temperature difference (PTD) in the reversing heat exchanger, the amount and the pressure of extracted air are quantitatively examined. As the extraction air amount or the PTD is increased. the power consumption is increased. The compressor efficiency deteriorates as the increase of the flow rate of air extracted at higher pressure while improving at lower pressure air extraction. Furthermore, optimal integration condition for compressor efficiency maximization is found by generating the compressor characteristic curve