Method and apparatus for analyzing coal containing carbon dioxide producing mineral matter as effecting input/loss performance monitoring of a power plant

• US 6,873,933 B1
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Exergetic Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Exergetic Systems LLC
• Inventors: Lang, Fred D
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sun, Xiuqin
• Application Number:
  US09/971,527
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 702/183, 700/287, 700/274, 110/347, 431/12
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 35/18 Applications of computers to steam boiler control
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 1/002 using electronic means F23N1/04 - F23N1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2221/08 Preheating the air
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2221/10 Analysing fuel properties, e.g. density, calorific
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2223/40 Simulation
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2225/22 heat losses
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/003 using detectors sensitive to combustion gas properties F23N5/02, F23N5/18 - F23N5/26 take precedence

Abstract

The operation of a fossil-fueled thermal system such as a power plant or steam generator is quantified by obtaining the amount of carbon dioxide produced from inorganic materials and, with this information, applying corrections to processes related to the Input/Loss Method and similar methods.

Claims

1. A method for quantifying the operation of a fossil-fired thermal system in which a corrected fuel chemistry is being determined by an analytical model for fuel chemistry, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials associated with a fossil fuel;

determining an ultimate analysis of the fossil fuel resulting in an uncorrected fuel chemistry;

determining a set of corrections to the ultimate analysis based on the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials; and

determining the corrected fuel chemistry based on the set of corrections to the ultimate analysis used in the analytical model for fuel chemistry.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials comprises:

determining the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials associated with a fossil fuel using a coulometer instrument.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of determining the quantity of CO₂ produced from, inorganic materials comprises:

determining the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials associated with a fossil fuel using a coulometer instrument manufactured by UIC, Inc. of Illinois.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials comprises:

determining the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials associated with a fossil fuel based on a procedure substantially specified by ASTM D1756.

5. A method for quantifying the operation of a thermal system burning a fossil fuel in which a fuel heating value of the fossil fuel is being determined by an analytical model for heating value which is dependent on fuel chemistry, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials associated with a fossil fuel;

determining an ultimate analysis of the fossil fuel;

applying a set of corrections to the ultimate analysis based on the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials resulting in a corrected fuel chemistry;

determining the fuel heating value of the fossil fuel based on the analytical model for heating value which is dependent on the corrected fuel chemistry; and

reporting the fuel heating value.

6. A method for quantifying the operation of a thermal system burning a fossil fuel producing a useful output in which a system heat rate is being determined, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials associated with a fossil fuel;

determining an ultimate analysis of the fossil fuel;

applying a set of corrections to the ultimate analysis based on the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials resulting in a corrected fuel chemistry;

determining a heating value of the fossil fuel based on an analytical model for heating value which is dependent on the corrected fuel chemistry;

obtaining a fuel flow of the thermal system;

measuring a useful electrical power generated by the thermal system;

determining the system heat rate of the thermal system based on the heating value, the fuel flow and the useful electrical power; and

reporting the system heat rate.

7. An apparatus for determining a fossil fuel chemistry when the fuel contains CO₂ producing inorganic materials, said apparatus comprising:

an instrument for measuring a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials;

a means of preparing and testing the fossil fuel in the instrument for measuring a quantity of CO₂ resulting in a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials associated with the fossil fuel;

a plurality of instruments for measuring an ultimate analysis;

a means for preparing and testing the fossil fuel for the ultimate analysis using the plurality of instruments for measuring the ultimate analysis, resulting in the ultimate analysis;

a means for determining a set of corrections to the ultimate analysis based on the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials resulting in a corrected fossil fuel chemistry; and

a means for reporting the corrected fossil fuel chemistry.

8. The apparatus as in claim 7 wherein the instrument for measuring a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials comprises:

a coulometer instrument to be used for measuring a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials.

9. The Apparatus as in claim 8 wherein the coulometer instrument for measuring a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials comprises:

a coulometer instrument manufactured by UIC, Inc. of Illinois to be used for measuring a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials.

10. An apparatus for determining a heating value of a fossil fuel based on an analytical model for heating value which is dependent on a chemistry of the fossil fuel when the fuel contains CO₂ producing inorganic materials, said apparatus comprising:

an instrument for measuring a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials;

a means of preparing and testing the fossil fuel in the instrument for measuring a quantity of CO₂, resulting in a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials associated with the fossil fuel;

a plurality of instruments for measuring an ultimate analysis;

a means for preparing and testing the fossil fuel for the ultimate analysis using the plurality of instruments for measuring the ultimate analysis, resulting in an ultimate analysis;

a means for determining a set of corrections to the ultimate analysis based on the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials, resulting in a corrected chemistry of the fossil fuel;

a means for determining the heating value based on the corrected chemistry of the fossil fuel as used in the analytical model for heating value; and

a means for reporting the heating value of the fossil fuel.

11. An apparatus for determining a system heat rate of a thermal system burning a fossil fuel producing a useful output, based on an analytical model for heat rate, and based on an analytical model for heating value as based on chemistry of the fossil fuel, when the fuel contains CO₂ producing inorganic materials, said apparatus comprising:

an instrument for measuring a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials;

a means of preparing and testing the fossil fuel in the instrument for measuring a quantity of CO₂, resulting in a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials associated with the fossil fuel;

a plurality of instruments for measuring an ultimate analysis;

a means for preparing and testing the fossil fuel for the ultimate analysis using the plurality of instruments for measuring the ultimate analysis, resulting in an ultimate analysis;

a means for determining a set of corrections to the ultimate analysis based on the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials, resulting in a corrected chemistry of the fossil fuel;

a means for determining the heating value based on the corrected chemistry of the fossil fuel as used in the analytical model for heating value;

a means for delivering the heating value as an input to the analytical model for heat rate;

a flow measuring device measuring a fuel flow to the thermal system;

a means for delivering the fuel flow as an input to the analytical model for heat rate;

a power measuring device measuring a useful electrical power generated by the thermal system;

a means for delivering the useful electrical power as an input to the analytical model for heat rate;

a means for determining the system heat rate of the thermal system based on the analytical model for heat rate; and

reporting the system heat rate.

12. A method for quantifying the operation of a fossil-fired thermal system in which a high accuracy boiler efficiency is being determined by an analytical model for boiler efficiency, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials associated with a fossil fuel;

determining an ultimate analysis of the fossil fuel;

determining a set of corrections to the ultimate analysis based on the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials resulting in a corrected fuel chemistry;

determining the high accuracy boiler efficiency based on the corrected fuel chemistry used in the analytical model for boiler efficiency; and

the high accuracy boiler efficiency.

13. A method for quantifying the operation of a thermal system burning a fossil fuel in which an emission rate is determined from a F_C Factor based on an analytical model for F_C Factors, said model dependent on a chemistry of the fossil fuel, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials associated with the fossil fuel;

determining an ultimate analysis of the fossil fuel;

determining a set of corrections to the ultimate analysis based on the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials resulting in a corrected chemistry of the fossil fuel;

determining a corrected F_C Factor based on the corrected chemistry of the fossil fuel; and

determining the emission rate based on the corrected F_C Factor used by the analytical model for F_C Factors.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method includes an additional step, after the step of determining the corrected F_C Factor, of

determining a system heat rate of the thermal system based on the corrected F_C Factor used by the analytical model for F_C Factors.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of determining the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials comprises:

determining the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials associated with a fossil fuel using a coulometer instrument.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of determining the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials comprises:

determining the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials associated with a fossil fuel using a coulometer instrument manufactured by UIC, Inc. of Illinois.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of determining the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials comprises:

determining the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials associated with a fossil fuel based on a procedure substantially specified by ASTM D1756.

18. A method for quantifying the operation of a thermal system burning a fossil fuel in which an emission rate is determined from a L Factor based on an analytical model for L Factors, said model dependent on a chemistry of the fossil fuel, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials associated with a fossil fuel;

determining an ultimate analysis of the fossil fuel;

determining a set of corrections to the ultimate analysis based on the quantity of CO₂ produced from inorganic materials resulting in a corrected chemistry of the fossil fuel;

determining a corrected L Factor based on the corrected chemistry of the fossil fuel;

determining the emission rate based on the corrected L Factor used by the analytical model for L Factors.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method includes an additional step, after the step of determining the corrected L Factor, of

determining a system heat rate of the thermal system based on the corrected L Factor used by the analytical model for L Factors.