Exergy analysis of a thermal power plant with measured boiler and turbine losses

In this paper, a thermodynamic analysis of a subcritical boiler-turbine generator is performed for a 32 MW coal-fired power plant. Both energy and exergy formulations are developed for the system. A parametric study is conducted for the plant under various operating conditions, including different operating pressures, temperatures and flow rates, in order to determine the parameters that maximize plant performance. The exergy loss distribution indicates that boiler and turbine irreversibilities yield the highest exergy losses in the power plant. In addition, an environmental impact and sustainability analysis are performed and presented, with respect to exergy losses within the system. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.