Enhancing System Availability and Performance In Combined Cycle Power Plants by the use of Condition Monitoring

The cogeneration industry is characterized by two fundamental attributes. First, it is highly energy intensive making efficient operation critical. A 2000 MW combined cycle power plant can consume 200-300 million dollars worth of fuel in a year depending on the system efficiency. Second, downtime costs are prohibitively high making the attainment of high plant availability an imperative. A 1% drop in availability could translate to a loss of $1,000,000. The introduction of CO₂ taxes alongside stringent emission regulations have added to pressures for efficient operations making performance monitoring a requisite for total condition monitoring. Increased privatization and competition has added to operational constraints creating even a greater need for higher efficiency and cost effectiveness. The paper will focus on cogeneration plant gas turbines and HRSGs and provide examples of how operational problems can be resolved by the use of condition monitoring.