PLANT OPTIMISATION Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Energy Efficiency Advanced control systems for power plants Growing demand for action in reducing greenhouse gas emissions has led to a quest for better control and optimisation strategies in heat and power plants. ÅF has developed advanced concepts for optimising and controlling combustion processes without timeconsuming tuning procedures. Large, complex facilities with high energy demands need sophisticated control systems to ensure the most efficient use of resources. Over a long time period, even small flaws can lead to huge, unnecessary losses in income and resources. Balance+ boiler control concept ÅF has more than 20 years’ experience of process control across a wide range of industries, including chemical processing, paper mills and a broad spectrum of heat and power plants. One of the products that ÅF has developed during this time is a boiler main control package, a concept called Balance+. Fine-tuning plant operation The essence of Balance+ is its processbased calculation models. Any disturbances to a process within a facility are measured directly or indirectly, and the model automatically calculates the control adjustments required to react to these disturbances. Implementing Balance+, including stabilisation of boiler water balance, steam temperatures and the combustion process, improves the operation of the plant in many ways. For example, the process of starting up solid fuel boilers can be speeded up when any problems are quickly detected, and the amount of oil required for start-up will be reduced. This improves the fuel utilisation rate and increases overall plant efficiency – all of which contributes to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Used in large, complex plants The Balance+ system developed by ÅF is already in use in several plants all over Europe, including the world’s largest biomass-fired fluidised-bed (CFB) boiler at Alholmens Kraft Unit 2 in Finland, with a thermal output of 550 MW. Other examples are Foster Wheeler’s boiler plant in Łagisza, Poland, with an electrical output of 460 MW and the E.ON 85 MW waste fuel boiler in Norrköping, Sweden. Simplified operation Stora Enso’s pulp and paper mill in Hylte, Sweden, has been operating for more than a hundred years, mainly producing paper for newspapers. The power plant at the mill Stora Enso has improved gas boiler performance at its Hylte plant with Balance+ software, specially developed by ÅF to optimise heat and power plant control and reduce the use of resources. Balance+ ÅF has many years’ experience of process control across a broad spectrum of industries. 24 GREEN ADVISOR REPORT 2 011: 0 2
Download PDF file