Effective ways to modernize outdated coal heat power plants

An analysis of the state of equipment of 72 outdated coal HPP (heat power plants) of a total capacity 14.3 GW with steam parameters before the turbines p_before ≤ 9 MPa, t_before = 420–540°С was performed. The equipment is characterized by a considerably low efficiency factor, even if it were converted to burning the natural gas, and by increased release of harmful substances. However, on the most part of the considered HPP, the steam turbines, unlike the boilers, have thus far retained the operation applicability and satisfactory reliability of performance. The analysis has shown that it makes sense to effectively modernize the outdated coal HPP by transformation of their equipment into combined-cycle plant (CCP) with coal gasification, which has high economic and ecological indicators due to thermodynamic advantage of the combined cycle and simpler purification of the generator gas in the process under pressure. As the most rational way of this transformation, the one was recognized wherein—instead of the existing boiler (boilers) or parallel to it—a gasification and gas turbine system is installed with a boiler-utilizer (BU), from which steam is fed to the HPP main steam pipe. In doing this, the basic part of the power station equipment persists. In the world, this kind of reconstruction of steam power equipment is applied widely and successfully, but it is by use of natural gas for the most part. It is reasonable to use the technology developed at Heat Engineering Research Institute (HERI) of hearth-steam gasification of coal and high-temperature purification of the generator gas. The basic scheme and measures on implementation of this method for modernization of outdated coal HPP is creation of CCP with blast-furnace of coal on the basis of accessible and preserved HPP equipment. CCP power is 120 MW, input-output ratio (roughly) 44%, emissions of hazardous substances are 5 mg/МJ dust, 20–60 mg/МJ SO₂, and 50–100 mg/МJ NO_х. A considerable decrease of specific CCP cost is expected: down to approximately half compared to that of CCP with coal gasification created elsewhere abroad. Verification and debugging of accepted solutions can be carried out at a small-scale pilot plant.