Hybrid Solar and Coal Fired Steam Power Plant Based on Air Preheating

Abstract

In this paper, a hybrid solar and coal-fired steam power plant with secondary air preheating is proposed, which has much higher thermal efficiency than existing hybrid solar and coal-fired power generation systems. Five cases in total are modeled using GateCycleTM. The simulation indicates that the solar-to-power efficiency of the new system is 5.5–6.5% points higher than solar-feedwater (HP) systems. The performance of the base case is compared with other cases to identify the potentials of the new system. Thermodynamic analysis is carried out and bleed steam heat-to-power conversion ratios are calculated for comparison. In addition, boiler operating parameters are investigated and fuel saving mode and power boost mode are compared.