Boosting power plant performance with advanced process control

摘要

Cool fired power plants have come a long way in terms of greater efficiency and reduced emissions. It is only recently however, that advanced process control technologies, well established in other industries, have been made available to power plants. One such process control system has led to significant reductions in NO{sub}x, as well as greater fuel efficiency. Multi-variable model predictive control (AAPC) is an established technology with superior performance over traditional single-input/single-output (SISO) control strategies. Originally developed for petroleum refineries, MPC has become common in process industries over that past 30 years. It is only recently, however, that MPC has found its way into power plant control and optimization.