Method for operating a combined-cycle power station

• US 6,810,675 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ansaldo Energia IP UK Limited (Ansaldo Energia SPA)
• Original Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd. (Alstom SA)
• Inventors: Liebig, Erhard
• Primary Examiner(s): FREAY, CHARLES GRANT
• Application Number:
  US10/670,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20040060299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 607/73, 60/391.81, 60/391.82, 607/93
• US Class Current: 60/773
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 23/105 Regulating means specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 23/108 Regulating means specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/16 Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT]

Abstract

In a method for increasing the power output of a combined-cycle power station, comprising at least one gas turbo group, at least one heat recovery steam generator and at least one steam turbo group, with the gas turbo group comprising at least one compressor, at least one combustion chamber and at least one gas turbine, the heat recovery steam generator having at least one pressure stage and the steam turbo group comprising at least one steam turbine, in which combined-cycle power station air is compressed in a compressor, is then supplied as combustion air to a combustion chamber, the hot gas which is produced there is passed to a gas turbine, and the exhaust gas from the gas turbine is used in a heat recovery steam generator to produce steam for a steam turbo group, an immediate and rapid increase in the power output is achieved, and an additional power output from the combined-cycle power station is maintained in safe operating conditions, in that an supplemental firing is arranged to provide additional heating for the exhaust gas from the gas turbine and in that the combustion chamber or the gas turbo group is supplied with more fuel, and the supplemental firing is switched on at the same time, for immediately, rapidly and temporarily increasing the power output of the combined-cycle power station, and in that the power output of the gas turbo group is reduced again to the extent that the additional steam power produced as a result of the supplemental firing is also provided via the steam turbo group as power.

Claims

1. A method for operating a combined-cycle power station, the combined-cycle power station including at least one gas turbo group, at least one heat recovery steam generator, and at least one steam turbo group, with the gas turbo group including at least one compressor, at least one combustion chamber, and at least one gas turbine, the heat recovery steam generator having at least one pressure stage, and the steam turbo group including at least one steam turbine, and a supplemental firing being arranged in the gas turbo group exhaust gas path downstream of the gas turbine, the method comprising:

compressing air in the compressor;

supplying the compressed air to the combustion chamber;

using the compressed air as combustion air thus producing a hot gas;

passing said hot gas through the gas turbine;

passing exhaust gas through the heat recovery steam generator;

producing steam in the heat recovery steam generator;

supplying said steam to the steam turbo group;

immediately, rapidly, and temporarily maintaining an increase in the power output of the combined cycle power station, including;

increasing the firing rate of the gas turbo group, including increasing the fuel supply to the gas turbo group thus increasing the power output of the gas turbo group;

taking the supplemental firing into operation thus increasing the steam production; and

subsequently reducing the power output of the gas turbo group to the same extent as the increased steam production becomes available as steam turbo group shaft power.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

reducing the firing rate of the gas turbo group essentially to an original level such that temporarily maintaining an increase of the power output is solely effected by the supplemental firing.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

increasing the power output of the combined cycle power station by between 5% and 15% of the combined cycle power station nominal rated power.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the power increase is in the range of 5% to 10% of the combined cycle power station nominal rated power.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

increasing the power within 5 to 30 seconds.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the power is increased within less than 10 seconds.

7. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the power increase is maintained for between 5 and 50 minutes.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the duration of the temporary power increase is between 15 and 30 minutes.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

reducing the power output of the gas turbo set to an original value within 10 seconds to 5 minutes after the power increase.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

reducing the power output of the gas turbo set to an original value within 30 seconds to 2 minutes after the power increase.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

triggering the power increase by a decrease of the grid frequency.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the triggering grid frequency decrease is in the range from 0.1 Hz to 3.0 Hz.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the triggering grid frequency decrease is in the range from 0.5 Hz to 1.0 Hz.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

operating the gas turbo group at nominal full load; and

effecting the increase of the gas turbo group power output by overfiring the gas turbo group.