Modelling and operational analysis of coal-fired supercritical power plant integrated with post-combustion carbon capture based on chemical absorption under UK grid requirement

Fossil-fuel fired power plants are subjected to stringent operational regime due to the influx of renewable resources and the CO2 emission reduction target. This study is aimed at modelling and analysis of supercritical coal-fired power plant (SCPP) integrated with post-combustion CO2 capture (PCC) and its response electricity grid demand constraints. Current status of dynamic modelling of SCPP integrated with PCC was reviewed to identify the gaps in knowledge. It was observed that no accurate dynamic model of an SCPP integrated with PCC had been reported in open literature. A steady state model of the SCPP integrated with PCC was developed with Aspen Plus®. The model was validated with the reference plant and it was found that the relative error is about 1.6%. The results of the conventional and advanced exergetic analysis showed that the energy/exergy consumption and the efficiency of the integrated system can be improved by recovering the avoidable exergy destruction in the whole system.Dynamic models of SCPP once-through boiler based on lumped parameter and distributed parameter approaches were compared. The distributed parameter model gave a more accurate prediction of the SCPP boiler dynamics at different load levels. Analysis of the strategies for operating the SCPP under the UK grid requirement as regards to primary frequency response was performed using the validated SCPP model. The results show that using turbine throttling approach, extraction stop or condensate stop individually was not sufficient to meet the grid requirement. A combination of turbine throttling, extraction stop and/or condensate stop can achieve a 10% increase in maximum continuous rating (MCR) of the power plant within 10 seconds to 30 seconds of primary frequency change as required by the UK grid.The dynamic model of SCPP was integrated with a validated and scaled-up model of PCC. Analysis of the strategies for operating the SCPP integrated with PCC under the UK grid requirement as regards to primary frequency response was undertaken. The results show that the stripper stop mechanism is not sufficient for the 10% MCR required for the primary response. The results show that the combination of stripper stop mechanism with extraction stop can meet the 10% MCR requirement for integrated plant operating at above 75% of its full capacity. The throttling and stripper stop configuration only barely meets the demand at full load capacity. The condensate stop combination with the stripper stop mechanism on the other hand could not meet the frequency response requirement at any load level