Optimal operation and control of heat to power cycles: A new perspective from a systematic plantwide control approach

In this work, we use a plantwide control framework to systematically identify the control objectives, operational and environmental constraints, and degrees of freedom for a heat to power cycle with a drum, one pressure level and with power as the only valuable product. After controlling the active constraints and the unstable inventories, we are left with the fuel (MV1) as the only degree of freedom with a significant steady-state effect. However, the steam valve (MV2) can be used as a dynamic degree of freedom, to improve the response in transient operation while its steady-state effect is negligible. The result is an unified and systematic perspective on the optimal control operation problems for heat-to-power cycles. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.