Feedwater heater control system for improved Rankine cycle power plant efficiency

A method of operating a steam cycle power plant comprising:

• producing steam in a boiler, wherein the boiler comprises a superheat section, a reheat section, a boiling section, and an economizer section;
• measuring the temperature of the steam in the superheat section of the boiler;
• transferring the steam to a steam turbine system comprising a high pressure turbine and a lower pressure turbine;
• condensing at least a portion of the steam passing out of the steam turbine system to form a feedwater stream;
• transferring at least a portion of the feedwater stream and a portion of the outlet steam from the steam turbine system to the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger;
• contacting the portion of the outlet steam and the feedwater stream in the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger to transfer energy between the portion of the outlet steam and the feedwater stream;
• transferring the portion of the feedwater stream from the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger to the boiler;
• and
• controlling the energy available from the outlet steam flow in the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger for transfer between the portion of the outlet steam and the feedwater stream to control the temperature of the feedwater stream received by the boiler while maintaining steam flow to the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger, wherein control of the energy available is based on measuring the temperature of the steam in the superheat section of the boiler and decreasing the energy available to reduce the temperature of the feedwater stream when the measured temperature of the steam in the superheat section of the boiler is below a set point.

A method of controlling a steam cycle power system comprising:

• measuring a feedwater stream temperature at the entrance to a boiler in a steam cycle power system;
• measuring a superheat steam temperature at an outlet of the boiler;
• measuring a reheat steam temperature at an outlet of the boiler;
• and
• controlling the feedwater stream temperature based on the measured superheat steam temperature by controlling the energy available in the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger from the steam flow for transfer to the feedwater stream while maintaining steam flow to the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger to:
• allow the superheat steam temperature to meet a superheat steam temperature setpoint and to allow the reheat steam temperature to meet the reheat steam temperature setpoint.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions that, when executed, provide a control signal to a feedwater temperature control device to control the temperature of feedwater provided to a boiler, the control signal based on received measurements from a steam cycle system, said instructions comprising:

• a steam measurement instruction for receiving a superheat steam temperature measurement from a superheat section of a boiler;
• a stream measurement instruction for receiving a feedwater stream temperature measurement from an output stream of a high pressure feedwater heat exchanger, the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger providing feedwater to the boiler;
• a control signal instruction for determining a control signal for the feedwater temperature control device based on the received superheat steam temperature measurement and the received feedwater stream temperature measurement;
• and,
• a feedwater temperature control device instruction for providing the determined control signal to the feedwater temperature control device to control the temperature of the feedwater stream by modulating the energy transfer in the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger between the steam flow provided through a steam extraction line between a high pressure turbine and the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger and a portion of the feedwater received by the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger, the feedwater temperature control device instruction being configured to change the energy available in the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger from the steam flow while maintaining steam flow to the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger;
• wherein the determined control signal controls the feedwater temperature control device to modulate the energy transfer in the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger to control the feedwater stream temperature based on the received superheat steam temperature measurement.

A steam cycle system comprising:

• a boiler comprising a superheat section, a reheat section, and an economizer section, wherein the boiler is configured to receive a feedwater stream;
• a sensor for measuring temperature in the superheat section;
• a steam turbine system comprising a high pressure turbine and a lower pressure turbine, wherein the steam turbine system is configured to receive steam generated by the boiler;
• a condenser configured to receive at least a portion of the outlet steam from the steam turbine system and output the feedwater stream;
• a high pressure feedwater heat exchanger configured to receive at least a portion of the feedwater stream, allow for an energy exchange between the portion of the feedwater stream and a steam stream, and output the portion of the feedwater stream to the boiler;
• a steam extraction line configured to provide a steam flow from an outlet of the high pressure turbine to the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger;
• a feedwater temperature control device configured to control the temperature of the feedwater stream by modulating the energy transfer in the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger between the steam flow provided through the steam extraction line and the portion of the feedwater received by the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger, the feedwater temperature control device being configured to change the energy available in the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger from the steam flow while maintaining steam flow to the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger;
• wherein modulating the energy transfer in the high pressure feedwater heat exchanger comprises controlling feedwater stream temperature based on the temperature measured in the superheat section by the sensor;
• wherein controlling feedwater stream temperature based on the temperature measured in the superheat section by the sensor further comprises adjusting the feedwater temperature set point.