Supercritical Coal-Fired Power

Plant
Necessary to promote advanced technology in
power generation for achieving better
efficiency, cleaner and safer environment
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By; Partha Das Sharma (E.mail: sharmapd1@gmail.com)

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Author: Partha Das Sharma (E.mail: sharmapd1@gmail.com)
‘Supercritical coal-fired power plant’ - Necessary to promote advanced technology
in power generation for achieving better efficiency, cleaner and safer environment:

1. Introduction –

Energy, in general, and electricity in particular, plays a vital role in improving the
standard of life everywhere. World has abundant proven reserves of coal and thus coal-
based thermal power plants dominate almost everywhere. Because of its abundance and
affordability, coal continues to be a major energy source for power producers worldwide.
However, as carbon consciousness becomes more prominent, technologies for gaining
efficiency and reducing emissions from coal-fired plants become more important. That is
one reason why supercritical and ultra-supercritical boiler technologies are reemerging as
new materials and designs help drive higher efficiency levels and ease of operation.

The development of coal fired supercritical power plant technology can be described as
an evolutionary advancement towards greater power output per unit and higher
efficiency. Energy conversion efficiency of steam turbine cycle can be improved by
increasing the main steam pressure and temperature.

Supercritical steam conditions are primarily attached to lower electricity costs through
improved fuel economy, and with a modest increase in investments and high availability
a sound economy of the concept is guaranteed. Sea water cooling further improves net
efficiencies up to 45%.

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Author: Partha Das Sharma (E.mail: sharmapd1@gmail.com)
As name suggests, coal-fired supercritical power plants operate at very high temperature
and pressure (580 degree centigrade temp. with a pressure of 23 MPa) resulting much
higher heat efficiencies (46%), as compare to sub-critical coal-fired plants which operates
at 455 degree centigrade temp., and efficiency of within 40%. Some of the benefits of
advanced supercritical power plants include:

(a) Reduced fuel costs due to improved plant efficiency;

(b) Significant improvement of environment by reduction in CO2 emissions;

(c) Plant costs comparable with sub-critical technology and less than other clean coal
technologies;

(d) Much reduced NOx, SOx and particulate emissions;

(e) Can be fully integrated with appropriate CO2 capture technology.

2. Supercritical technology and its advantages –

Since the energy crisis in ‘70s a lot of effort has been made to reduce the energy
consumption worldwide and increase the use of indigenously available fuels and
renewables. In recent years also the need of reduced CO2 emission from power
generation has been a prime driver in developed nation’s energy policy. Thus, most of
coal-fired power plants commissioned after 1980s have been designed for super critical

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Author: Partha Das Sharma (E.mail: sharmapd1@gmail.com)
operation with high efficiency ratings. Before the introduction of the super critical power
plant concept, the generally applied concept was a drum-type boiler, which was
replaced by the once-through type boiler to increase efficiency by at least 3% (relative)
for practically the same investment.

In other words, supercritical power plants are highly efficient plants with best available
pollution control technology, reduces existing pollution levels by burning less coal per
megawatt-hour produced, capturing the vast majority of the pollutants. This increases the
kWh produced per kg of coal burned, with fewer emissions.

Because of the above techno-economic benefits along with its environment-friendly

cleaner technology; more and new power plants are coming-up with this state-of-the-art
technology. As environment legislations are becoming more stringent, adopting this
cleaner technology have benefited immensely in all respect. As LHV (lower heating
value) is improved (from 40% to more than 45%); a one percent increase in efficiency
reduces by two percent, specific emissions such as CO2, NOx, SOx and particulate
matters.

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Author: Partha Das Sharma (E.mail: sharmapd1@gmail.com)
“Supercritical” is a thermodynamic expression describing the state of a substance where
there is no clear distinction between the liquid and the gaseous phase (i.e. they are a
homogenous fluid). Water reaches this state at a pressure above 22.1 MPa. The efficiency
of the thermodynamic process of a coal-fired power describes how much of the energy
that is fed into the cycle is converted into electrical energy. The greater the output of
electrical energy for a given amount of energy input, the higher the efficiency. If the
energy input to the cycle is kept constant, the output can be increased by selecting
elevated pressures and temperatures for the water-steam cycle.

Increased thermal efficiency observed when the temperature and pressure of the steam is
increased. By raising the temperature from 580 °C to 760 °C and the pressure out of the
high pressure feed-water pump from 33 MPa to 42 MPa, the thermal efficiency improves
by about 4% (Ultra-supercritical steam condition).

Moreover, there are various operational advantages in case of supercritical power plant.
There are several turbine designs available for use in supercritical power plants. These
designs need not fundamentally differ from designs used in sub-critical power plants.
However, due to the fact that the steam pressure and temperature are more elevated in
supercritical plants, the wall-thickness and the materials selected for the high-pressure
turbine section need reconsideration. The supercritical plant needs ‘once-through’ boiler,
where as ‘drum’ type boiler is required by sub-critical power plant. In fact, once-through
boilers are better suited to frequent load variations than drum type boilers, since the drum
is a component with a high wall thickness, requiring controlled heating.

The performance of supercritical plant depends on steam condition. Steam conditions up

to 30 MPa/600°C/620°C are achieved using steels with 12 % chromium content. Up to
31.5 MPa/620°C/620°C is achieved using Austenite, which is a proven, but expensive,
material. Nickel-based alloys, would permit 35 MPa/700°C/720°C, yielding efficiencies
up to 48%. Lot R&D inputs and allying with suppliers are required to achieve higher
performance.

Moreover, fuel flexibility is not compromised in Once-Through Boilers. A wide variety

of fuels have already been implemented for once-through boilers. All types of coal as
well as oil and gas have been used.

3. Recent Trend in Supercritical Power –

Now, the worldwide trend in setting-up Coal-fired Supercritical Power Plant is

integrated plant with CO2 capture facilities. The CO2 is captured and transported via
pipeline to nearby oil fields, where it is used in enhanced oil recovery and is stored in the
basin’s geologic formations. CO2 has been used to increase oil production in many of the
oil fields in developed countries such as the US for more than 30 years.

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Author: Partha Das Sharma (E.mail: sharmapd1@gmail.com)
4. Conclusion –

Thus, new pulverised coal combustion systems – utilising supercritical and ultra-
supercritical technology – operate at increasingly higher temperatures and pressures and
therefore achieve higher efficiencies than conventional sub-critical units with significant
CO2 reductions. The objective of power plants within toady’s market boundaries is more
than ever to ensure high efficiency (to reduce the environmental impact as much as
possible) while at the same time to increase their economics in competition to existing
alternatives. The development of an economical and efficient concept needs to look at the
steam turbine all other main components like boiler, flue gas cleaning equipment and the
optimization of the water-steam-cycle as main parts for the optimization.

Current designs of supercritical plants have installation costs that are only 2% higher than
those of sub-critical plants. Fuel costs are considerably lower due to the increased
efficiency and operating costs are at the same level as sub-critical plants. Specific
installation cost i.e. the cost per megawatt (MW) decreases with increased plant size. This
plant concept fulfils the requirement to balance reliable power supply, sustainable use of
existing resources and economic operation.

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Author: Partha Das Sharma (E.mail: sharmapd1@gmail.com)
Today, supercritical steam turbine cycle is the leading “clean coal” technology in
widespread application. Supercritical steam cycle technology has been used for decades
and is becoming the system of choice for new commercial coal-fired plants in many
countries. Because of the high performance, efficiency and preservation of much cleaner
environments than sub-critical coal-fired power plants, more than 500 supercritical coal-
fired power plants are operating in the developed countries like US, Europe, Russia and
in Japan. Most of the new power plants coming up now-a-days are of supercritical coal-
fired technology. Recent plant built in Europe and Asia use supercritical boiler-turbine
technology and China has made this standard on all new plant 600MW and upwards.

In fact, Supercritical steam cycles are not just applicable to coal-fired plant; oil- and gas-
fired plants are also well proven. Research and development is under way for ultra-
supercritical units operating at even higher efficiencies, potentially up to around 50%.
The introduction of ultra-supercritical technology has been driven over recent years in
countries such as Denmark, Germany and Japan, in order to achieve improved plant
efficiencies and reduce fuel costs. Research is focusing on the development of new steels
for boiler tubes and on high alloy steels that minimise corrosion.

Since the first Supercritical plants were commissioned, high temperature steel has
improved remarkably. The P91 steel has been used for headers, steam piping, casings and
rotors, which allow for operation at Ultra Supercritical steam conditions (290 bar/580°C)
and further improvements of efficiency. However, better steels are already available and
steel named P92 has now been used for some of the Danish power project. However,
steel cannot continue to improve forever and crossing the "steel barrier" will need nickel-
based "Super Alloys" for the hottest areas of the water steam cycle. Commissioning of
the advanced plant is foreseen for 2010 and maximum steam temperatures will be in the
range of 700-720°C and net efficiencies 52-55%, depending on site and fuel conditions.
An important part of the project is also to demonstrate ways of lowering investment
costs.

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Author: Partha Das Sharma (E.mail: sharmapd1@gmail.com)
References:

1. http://environmentengineering.blogspot.com/2008/02/cleaner-coal-fired-
supercritical-power.html
2. http://environmentengineering.blogspot.com/2008/02/fludised-bed-combustion-
fbc-technology.html
3. http://www.powergeneration.siemens.com/NR/rdonlyres/025ABC46-9AA8-
451B-88D1-FFE1B42B8966/0/2_Balancing_economics.pdf
4. Y. Oka and S. Koshizuka, “Supercritical-pressure, once-through cycle light water
cooled reactor concept,” Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, vol. 38, no.
12, pp. 1081–1089, 2001.
5. http://saferenvironment.wordpress.com/2008/12/29/%E2%80%98supercritical-
coal-fired-power-plant%E2%80%99-necessary-to-promote-advanced-technology-
in-power-generation-for-achieving-better-efficiency-cleaner-and-safer-
environment/
6. http://knol.google.com/k/partha-das-sharma/supercritical-coal-fired-power-
plant/oml631csgjs7/20#
7. http://www.elsamprojekt.com.pl/usc.html

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Author: Partha Das Sharma (E.mail: sharmapd1@gmail.com)