Power Plant Dispatch Advisor for Revenue and Maintenance Trade-Offs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Power plants face challenges in maximizing operational revenue due to the need to balance peak-firing gas turbines, which shortens maintenance intervals and incurs extra costs, leading to conservative operation and potential revenue losses.
Innovation Solution
A dispatch advisor system that generates a flexible base load map to optimize operating conditions, considering capacity remuneration mechanisms, market conditions, and parts-life consumption, allowing for interactive visualizations to select operating conditions that maximize revenue, including selling power in spot markets and managing maintenance schedules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If gas turbines are peak-fired above base capacity to meet peak demand, then power output is increased, but parts-life consumption increases and maintenance intervals are shortened
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts gas turbine operating parameters (firing temperature, IGV position, fuel temperature) based on real-time market conditions and parts-life consumption rates. The flexible base load map provides a dynamic operating space that allows operators to temporarily exceed base capacity when market prices are high, while automatically adjusting parameters to control parts-life degradation and maintain acceptable maintenance intervals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (firing temperature, inlet guide vane position, fuel temperature) to optimize the balance between power output and parts-life consumption. By adjusting these parameters within the flexible base load operating space, the system can increase power output during peak demand while controlling the rate of parts-life depletion to avoid excessive maintenance frequency.
2Reliability
If gas turbines are peak-fired more aggressively to capture revenue opportunities, then operational revenue is increased, but maintenance costs increase due to shortened maintenance intervals
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback loops that continuously monitor parts-life consumption rates, market conditions, and operational parameters. This feedback enables the dispatch advisor to recommend operating strategies that capture high-value revenue opportunities while staying within acceptable parts-life consumption thresholds, thereby avoiding excessive maintenance costs. The system learns from historical data to optimize the balance between revenue generation and maintenance expense.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If power plant operates conservatively to preserve parts-life and avoid maintenance costs, then maintenance interval is extended, but revenue opportunities are missed due to reduced power output flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible base load map creates a dynamic operating framework that adapts to changing market conditions. Rather than enforcing a static conservative operating point, the system allows operators to flexibly adjust power output and operational parameters in response to real-time market signals, capturing revenue opportunities while managing parts-life consumption within acceptable thresholds.
4Reliability
If operational parameters are adjusted to increase power output, then revenue potential is improved, but efficiency decreases due to operation outside optimal base load conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system optimizes the balance between power output and efficiency by adjusting operational parameters (firing temperature, IGV position, fuel temperature) within the flexible base load operating space. Rather than simply operating at fixed base load or maximum capacity, the system finds optimal parameter combinations that achieve desired power output while minimizing efficiency losses, thereby maximizing revenue potential.
Data Source
AI summary
A dispatch advisor to assist in selecting operating conditions of a power plant that maximizes operational revenue is described. The dispatch advisor obtains a base load map for operating the power plant to meet base load power demands. The base load map includes a primary base load operating space for attaining target plant power output and efficiency, and an expanded base load portion for attaining higher plant power output and less than optimal efficiency. Both the primary base load operating space and the expanded base load portion associate power output and efficiency values of the power plant that result from a subset of operational parameter values for operating the power plant during base load. The dispatch advisor can transform the flexible base load map into one or more visualizations describing the revenue possibilities associated with operating the power plant based on operating values and attained power output and efficiency.