Power plant operation enhancement
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsMichael James O'Connor, Scott Francis Johnson, Mark Stewart Schroder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power plant control system determines an augmented operating parameter set point responsive to a life cycle cost (LCC) objective function responsive to a LCC model. The augmented operating parameter value may be responsive to an initial set point determined by a controls model and a performance indicator determined by a performance model. The power plant may include a thermal generator, such as a gas turbine or other fuel-burning generator, and the operating parameter may include firing temperature, fuel flow rate, steam pressure/temperature/flow rate, and/or another suitable operating parameter. An offer curve is generated responsive to the augmented operating parameter.
Claims19
A power plant life cycle cost enhancing system for a power plant comprising:
- a power plant arranged to generate electricity by burning fuel;
- and
- a power plant control system including a computing device operationally coupled to the power plant, the computing device being configured to:
- monitor a first parameter of the power plant;
- receive a target load representing a desired power output of the power plant;
- employ a first model of the power plant to simulate operation of the power plant and determine output of the first model including at least a performance indicator of the power plant, an initial set point for an operating parameter of the power plant, and an estimated life cycle cost of the power plant responsive to at least the monitored parameter of the power plant;
- augment the operating parameter using the output of the first model, wherein the augmenting is responsive to a life cycle cost based objective function such that the life cycle cost based objective function is solved for reduced life cycle cost, thereby producing an augmented set point for the operating parameter;
- and
- generate at least one offer curve including a cost of power production versus power output of the power plant using the augmented set point.
A computer program product for enabling enhanced offer curve generation of a power plant by a power plant control system, the power plant control system including a computing device and a non-transitory storage device arranged to store the computer program product, the computing device being configured to execute the computer program product, and the computer program product comprising instructions in the form of computer executable program code that when executed configures the power plant control system to:
- generate an offer curve of the power plant, the offer curve representing an estimated cost of operation versus power output of the power plant, in response to an augmented value of an operating parameter of the power plant wherein the augmented value is based at least in part on a life cycle cost based objective function for the power plant, the life cycle cost based objective function being responsive to at least a life cycle cost model of the power plant and an initial set point of the operating parameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.