A Municipal Generating Station Boiler Controls Conversion Adds Flexibility in Current Energy Marketplace

摘要

Recent FERC decisions on electric utility deregulation coupled with growth in kilowatt-hour demand have made a substantial impact on the way large utilities currently operate. Older and less efficient steam generating stations are being depended upon to fill the "peak void" as new combustion turbines are being ordered, built, and installed. Small municipal generating utilities are facing similar challenges as they are being called upon by their larger interconnecting "IOU"/contracts for unit operation to offset higher market peak demand energy costs in order to achieve consumer satisfaction. The City of Winfield's electric utility and Black & Veatch are addressing these issues by making plant control improvements which will improve efficiency, safety, and reliability, and which will lengthen the unit operating life cycle. There has been a very gradual degradation in efficiency over the life of the plant. Plant safety and reliability have been compromised due to frequent control equipment failure and obsolescence. This paper will focus on the goals of improvement, which have been previously mentioned, and the cost-effectiveness associated with the completion of the tasks. Secondly, it will examine the peripheral benefits such as machinery and instrument response time to cycling demands, reduced fuel costs, and the impacts on manpower due to plant automation. Finally, it will discuss and evaluate the outcomes of each goal, and success or failure and pitfalls in each primary area.