Plant Performance Evaluation With Secular Change and Component Upgrades
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plant evaluation methods do not account for secular changes in performance and do not provide measures to compensate for performance deterioration over time, leading to discrepancies between design and actual operation.
Innovation Solution
A plant evaluation system that includes a performance information calculation unit to reflect secular changes, an optional component selection unit to improve device performance, and a cost calculation unit to assess the economic impact of component additions, such as high efficiency particulate air filters (HEPA) for gas turbines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If plant evaluation is performed using only design-time device models and thermal balance calculations, then the evaluation process is simple and quick, but the evaluation accuracy deteriorates because secular changes and performance deterioration over time are not considered
Solution Approach 1:
The evaluation process is segmented into multiple independent modules: a secular change calculation module that models performance degradation over time, a device model module, and a thermal balance calculation module. Each module handles a specific aspect of the evaluation, allowing complex calculations to be broken down into manageable segments that can be executed systematically.
Solution Approach 2:
Secular changes and performance deterioration are calculated in advance before the main thermal balance evaluation. By pre-computing the secular change factors based on operating hours and environmental conditions, the system prepares correction data that is then applied during the thermal balance calculation, improving accuracy without significantly increasing overall computation time.
2Reliability
If optional components are added to compensate for performance deterioration, then the plant performance can be maintained or improved, but the initial cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system evaluates how optional components change key performance parameters such as thermal efficiency, fuel consumption rate, and power output. By quantifying the parameter changes that components can provide, the system can objectively assess whether the performance benefits justify the added complexity and cost, enabling data-driven decisions about component selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary evaluation layer that assesses the impact of optional components between the device configuration and final performance calculation. This intermediary module calculates the secular change with and without optional components, allowing stakeholders to evaluate the marginal benefit of adding complexity before finalizing the plant configuration.
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive performance evaluation including secular changes is performed, then the evaluation accuracy improves, but the calculation time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The calculation process is divided into separate segments: secular change calculation, optional component impact assessment, and thermal balance evaluation. Each segment can be executed independently and cached for reuse, reducing redundant computations and overall calculation time while maintaining comprehensive evaluation accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a tiered evaluation approach where basic thermal balance calculations can be performed quickly for preliminary assessments, and more comprehensive secular change analyses are conducted only when needed for final decision-making. This allows users to balance calculation time against evaluation depth based on their specific needs.
Data Source
AI summary
A plant evaluation system is configured to calculate performance of a plant while receiving setting of operating conditions of the plant and devices installed in the plant and simulating a secular change occurring in the plant during an evaluation target period included in the operating conditions. At least one of the devices is added, a selection of a component improving performance of a certain device is received, and an improvement of the performance of the device by the component is expected and the performance of the plant is calculated.