Analysis of heat flow diagram of small-scale power generation system: Innovative approaches for improving techno-economic and ecological indices

In this paper, the heat flow diagram of steam turbine model K-6-35 has been analyzed for innovative approaches towards improving the techno-economic and ecological indices of the small-scale power generation system. The numerical analysis is performed using IPSEpro process simulation software based on heat balance method under four different cases. It was found that the study of Solar Assisted Power Generation (SAPG) system has important practical significance in power generation with minimum pollutants and maximum efficiency. Both fuel-saving (FS) and power-boosting (PB) operation modes of the SAPG system are considered. Various types of stand-alone solar thermal power plants exhibited very low overall efficiency with many ecological advantages compared to the conventional thermal power plant based on fossil fuels. Besides, SAPG system with FS mode presented higher techno-economic indices and operation performance. An important reduction in fuel consumption and pollutant emissions could be obtained with SAPG system. Considering the hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly amount of saved fuel and reduced pollutants in the whole power plant, the SAPG system with FS mode can largely contribute to high ecological indices power generation. A thermal efficiency increased by 1.31% with specific equivalent fuel consumption decreased by 22.54 g/kWh was obtained with SAPG system. The coal consumption was reduced by 4.75% when SAPG system operates in FS mode.