Methods and systems for modeling power plants

• US 20050171748A1
• Filed: 01/29/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Oke, Harsh Pramod
• Granted Patent: US 7,383,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/06 Power analysis or power optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A modular method of modeling a power plant includes selecting a major component module model from a library of component module models for each major component of the power plant, with each major component module representing a power plant major component of a unique configuration. The method also includes inputting initial model information into a database for the selected modules, with the initial model information including at least convergence criteria and a maximum number of passes. The method further includes running the modular model by running each selected module and enabling data exchange between the selected modules.

Claims

1. A modular method of modeling a power plant, the power plant comprising a plurality of major components including at least one of a gas turbine, a heat recovery steam generator, a steam turbine, and a condenser/cooling tower, said method comprising:

selecting a major component module model from a library of component module models for each major component of the power plant, each major component module representing a power plant major component of a unique configuration;

inputting initial model information into a database for the selected modules, the initial model information including at least one of operating parameters, deign data, convergence criteria, and a maximum number of passes; and

running the modular model by running each selected module and enabling data exchange between the selected modules.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said inputting initial model information comprises inputting initial model information into a spread sheet associated with each selected module.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said running the modular model comprises running the modular model by running each selected module in succession and passing the results from a module to the next module in succession.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein said running each selected module in succession comprises running each selected module in a predetermined order.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising creating a library of major component module models.

6. A modular method of modeling a power plant having a plurality of components, said method comprising:

selecting at least two component module models from a library of component modules, each component module representing a power plant component of a unique configuration;

inputting initial model information into a database for the selected modules, the initial model information including at least one of operating parameters, design data, convergence criteria, and a maximum number of passes; and

running the modular model by running each selected module and exchanging data between the selected modules.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6 wherein said inputting initial model information comprises inputting initial model information into a spread sheet associated with each selected module.

8. A method in accordance with claim 6 wherein said running the modular model comprises running the modular model by running each selected module in succession and passing the results from a module to the next module in succession.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said running each selected module in succession comprises running each selected module in a predetermined order.

10. A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising creating a library of component module models.

11. A modular method of modeling a power plant, the power plant comprising a plurality of major components including at least one of a gas turbine, a heat recovery steam generator, a steam turbine, and a condenser/cooling tower, said method comprising:

creating a power plant model by selecting a major component module model from a library of component module models for each major component of the power plant, each major component module representing a power plant major component of a unique configuration;

linking the selected modules together to enable data exchange between modules;

inputting initial model information into a database for the selected modules, the initial model information including at least one of operating parameters, design data, convergence criteria, and a maximum number of passes; and

running the modular model by running each selected module and exchanging data between the selected modules.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said inputting initial model information comprises inputting initial model information into a spread sheet associated with each selected module.

13. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said running the modular model comprises running the modular model by running each selected module in succession and passing the results from a module to the next module in succession.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein said running each selected module in succession comprises running each selected module in a predetermined order.

15. A method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising creating a library of major component module models.

16. A power plant modular modeling system comprising a database operationally coupled to a computer, said database comprising a library of power plant major component module models, each major component module representing a power plant major component of a unique configuration, said computer configured to:

create a power plant model by selecting a major component module model from the library of component module models for each major component of the power plant;

link the selected modules together to enable data exchange between modules;

receive initial model information from a user for the selected modules, the initial model information including at least one of operating parameters, design data, convergence criteria, and a maximum number of passes; and

run the modular model by running each selected module including exchanging data between the selected modules.

17. A system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said computer is further configured to store the initial model information in a spread sheet associated with each selected module.

18. A system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said computer is further configured to run the modular model by running each selected module in succession and passing the results from a module to the next module in succession.

19. A system in accordance with claim 18 wherein said computer is further configured to run each selected module in a predetermined order.