Generation Optimisation
Generation Optimisation - economic Power Plant’s load splitting
The economic load splitting module allows to minimize electric and thermal power generation heat losses by distributing the load onto all cooperating boilers and turbines currently in operation. The economic load split involves individual units’ efficiencies calculation. The optimisation is performed after prior calculation of such individual units’ loading pattern, which ensures the lowest costs of electric power generation. In case of combined thermal and electric power plants, which sell both thermal as well as electric power – the module presents such loading option, which minimizes the overall generation costs.
In order to determine the optimum load split between individual units, a generation costs optimisation application is offered. It calculates the optimum loads of each unit currently in operation. This task is accomplished in real-time, as conditioning are time-dependent. The main time-dependent factors are:
- variable fuel supply conditions and fuel prices
- variable environmental costs (NOx and SO2 emissions)
- time-of-day –dependent cost of electric energy
- contractual conditioning for electric power supplies
- contractual conditioning for thermal energy supplies
- technical limitations on behalf of the generating equipment
The load split optimisation module, performs its tasks basing on economic criteria and using such computing techniques as linear programming. The operational personnel can access up-to-date information on the current load split between individual units as well as on the optimum load split under current conditions, e.g. for a specific configuration, electric power prices, thermal energy prices and fuel prices. For each unit, new, economically-justified operating point is specified as well as the level of savings that can be achieved if the module recommendations are followed. If daily variations of electric and thermal energy prices are known, it will be possible to determine load distribution between individual units corresponding to these conditions in the form of daily graphs .
