Efficiency and emissions: cost effective modelling for plant performance improvement

Power station managers are faced with the two major issues of maximising generation efficiency whilst minimising emissions. Numerical simulation of boiler systems has advanced to the point where the best 3 dimensional computational fluid dynamic models can provide a wealth of information and be used to carry out design studies for the optimisation or improvement of combustion efficiency, emissions, corrosion and erosion damage, heat transfer, slagging, fouling and flow distribution. Drawing on the authors extensive experiences of applications in the power generation industry, the paper demonstrates that such modelling is extremely cost effective, both when applied to upgrading existing hardware and when used to provide independent and objective assessment of new equipment installations