Performance Evaluation of a Combined Heat and Power Plant in the Niger Delta of Nigeria

This research presents the performance assessment of a combined heat and power plant operating in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The main focus is to evaluate the performance parameters of the gas turbine unit and the waste heat recovery generator section of the combined-heat-and-power plant. Data were gathered from the manufacturer’s manual, field and panel operator’s log sheets and the human machine interface (HMI) monitoring screen. The standard thermodynamic equations were used to determine the appropriate parameters of the various components of the gas turbine power plant as well as that of the heat exchangers of the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The outcome of all analysis indicated that for every 10C rise in ambient temperature of the compressor air intake there is an average of 0.146MW drop in the gas turbine power output, a fall of about 0.176% in the thermal efficiency of the plant, a decrease of about 2.46% in the combined-cycle thermal efficiency and an increase of about 0.0323 Kg/Kwh in specific fuel consumption of the plant. In evaluating the performance of the Waste Heat Boiler (WHB), the principle of heat balance above pinch was applied to a single steam pressure HRSG exhaust gas/steam temperature profile versus exhaust heat flow. Hence, the evaporative capacity (steam flow) of the HRSG was computed from the total heat transfer in the super-heaters and evaporator tubes using heat balance above pinch. The analysis revealed that the equivalent evaporation, evaporative capacity (steam flow) and the HRSG thermal efficiency depends on the heat exchanger’s heat load and its effective maintenance.