A Feasibility Study on Adopting Sliding Pressure Operation for Drum Type Boiler

In general, drum-type boilers are designed for base load duty and applied under constant pressure operation mode. Recently, however conditions often occur that even drum-type boilers have to operate at partial load conditions. A feasibility study on adopting the sliding pressure operation for drum-type boiler was conducted, and corresponding performance changes and effects on the equipment were analyzed by utilizing a process simulation model. As a result, the conclusion was reached that drum type boilers are able to adopt the sliding pressure operation and can improve of net efficiency at part load operation in spite of the Rankine cycle efficiency reduction due to the decreases in main steam pressure. Because of thank to improvement of high pressure turbine stage-1 internal efficiency and power savings of boiler feed water pump. The sliding pressure operation is advantageous in terms of stress level relief for boiler tube as well as maintaining the rating steam temperature at part load condition. However, cautions are required because the drum boilers have poor dynamic response characteristics which may get worse during the sliding pressure operation.