Modeling and control of gas cycle power plant operation with variant control profile

A program product stored on a computer readable storage medium for operating a combined cycle power plant (CCPP), the computer readable storage medium comprising program code for causing a computer system to perform actions including:

• operating the CCPP at an ambient condition and a load condition;
• generating a power plant model of the CCPP for operating at the ambient condition and the load condition;
• modeling a fuel consumption using a baseline control profile and the power plant model of the CCPP at the ambient condition and the load condition;
• creating a variant control profile for the CCPP;
• determining, using the power plant model, whether the variant control profile meets a quality threshold for the CCPP, the quality threshold including at least a fuel efficiency of the CCPP;
• modifying the variant control profile in response to the variant control profile not meeting the quality threshold;
• and
• adjusting the CCPP to use the variant control profile in response to the variant control profile meeting the quality threshold, wherein the variant control profile adjusts a turbine section inlet temperature schedule or an exhaust temperature schedule for the CCPP,
• wherein adjusting the CCPP to use the variant control profile reduces an attemperator fluid flow within the CCPP during operation below a load output threshold for the CCPP and increases the attemperator fluid flow during operation above the load output threshold for the CCPP.

A system comprising:

• a combined cycle power plant (CCPP) having a gas turbine and a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG);
• and
• a system controller in communication with the gas turbine and the HRSG of the CCPP, the system controller being operable to:
• operate the CCPP at an ambient condition and a load condition;
• generate a power plant model of the CCPP for operating at the ambient condition and the load condition;
• model a fuel consumption using a baseline control profile and the power plant model of the CCPP at the ambient condition and the load condition;
• create a variant control profile for the CCPP;
• determine, using the power plant model, whether the variant control profile meets a quality threshold for the CCPP, the quality threshold including at least a fuel efficiency of the CCPP;
• modify the variant control profile in response to the variant control profile not meeting the quality threshold;
• and
• adjust the CCPP to use the variant control profile in response to the variant control profile meeting the quality threshold, wherein the variant control profile adjusts a turbine section inlet temperature schedule or an exhaust temperature schedule for the CCPP,
• wherein adjusting the CCPP to use the variant control profile reduces an attemperator fluid flow within the CCPP during operation below a load output threshold for the CCPP and increases the attemperator fluid flow during operation above the load output threshold for the CCPP.