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With the rapid advancement of Digital Twins (DTs) technologies, they have emerged as viable solutions for enhancing the control and optimization of thermal power combustion processes. This paper presents a pioneering approach that leverages DTs to revolutionize the combustion process control system within thermal power generating units. Focused on bridging the physical and digital realms, our research establishes DTs of the combustion process control system (CPCS), situated within the Networked Control System Laboratory (NCSLab). We propose a novel five-dimensional (5D) DTs model encompassing the physical, data, service, connection, and virtual models, thereby facilitating a comprehensive fusion of physical and digital information. By analyzing the demands and technical intricacies of the combustion process control system, we design and implement a virtual 3D model, enriching the visualization and analytical capabilities of the DT environment. Furthermore, through controlled experiments on the combustion process and rigorous comparison with offline simulations, we validate the efficacy and feasibility of our approach. Importantly, our research opens avenues for future exploration, particularly in harnessing industrial real-time data to drive the virtual 3D model. Through the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques such as Deep Learning, we elevate the capabilities of our DT framework. This enhanced predictive analytics, dynamic optimization, human–machine interaction, and virtual model realism. This research contributes to the advancement of DT technology in the context of thermal power plants and holds promise for driving innovation and efficiency across diverse industrial sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cycle chemistry monitoring systems are intended for online comprehensive automatic monitoring, analysis, diagnostics, and prediction of the water chemistry in power equipment in all regimes of its operation, including startups and shutdowns, as well as for remote automatic control of one or several processes in the serviced process facility. Basic requirements for cycle chemistry monitoring systems are formulated. Mathematical models, which are based on the material balance, ionic composition of the coolant, and recurrent neural networks, have been developed and studied. They enable us to predict the concentration of impurities along the power unit's path to prevent failures of the water chemistry. An algorithm has been developed for online quality assessment, based on dimensionless coefficients that provide fair information on the water-chemistry conditions and help to detect failures affecting the water chemistry. A simulation model with a user interface has been developed based on a set of algorithms considering the requirements for cycle chemistry monitoring systems, such as visualization, interactivity, reporting, customization, scalability, continuity, and simplicity. The model facilitates the activities performed by the operational personnel of power plants as to decision-making and prevention of failures of the water chemistry of the power unit, enables us to monitor the process parameters of the power unit in real time, analyze statistical data, predict parameters using algorithms on the basis of the material balance, ionic equilibriums, and neural networks. A user manual has been prepared to help one to understand the program interface. The manual contains a brief description of the system structure, including information and diagnostic functions, basic elements of the mnemonic diagram, and a set of control buttons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the effects of indiscriminate disposal of coal fly ash on surface and groundwater hydrochemistry and heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) occurrence through a comprehensive assessment around a thermal power plant located in the central Ganga Plain, India. Both surface and groundwater in the region are slightly alkaline in nature. Groundwater samples are marked by high concentrations of HCO3‒ (~ 78%), which is likely influenced by both anthropogenic and geogenic activities. High Pb concentrations were found in 40% of groundwater samples. Ca2+ – Mg2+ – HCO3‒ and Na+ – K+ – HCO3‒ are the principal hydrochemical facies, while silicate weathering is a dominant process controlling the chemistry of groundwater. PHREEQC modeling, a method for simulating geochemical reactions in natural waters, indicates oversaturation with aragonite, dolomite, and calcite and undersaturation with fluorite, anhydrite, halite, gypsum, and sylvite. The entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI), based on physicochemical concentrations, suggests samples have excellent to good water quality. However, the modified heavy metal pollution index (m-HPI) reveals that ~60% of groundwater samples fall into the 'high pollution' category, with 30% in the 'medium pollution' class. Health risk assessments (HRA) indicate both children and adults face non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, with children being more vulnerable. Irrigation water quality results demonstrate that ~ 50% of samples are unacceptable for agricultural practices, and samples in proximity to the dumping site display poor water quality. This study recommends regular monitoring of water quality near coal fly ash disposal sites, which is necessary to ensure early detection and management of any contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis descriptive study was conducted to compare the job demands, job control, social support and mental health status of thermal power plant and underground coal mine workers. 158 workers in thermal power plant and 162 workers in underground coal mine participated in the study. The results unearthed that thermal power plant workers had 2.3 times better mental health (p < 0.001 OR = 2.3 CI = 1.50-3.74) and 3.0 times lower job demands (p < 0.001 OR = 3.0 CI = 1.91-4.92) than coal mine workers. In the study, it was determined that mental health was positively affected as job control and social support increased in both thermal power plant and underground mine workers (p < 0.05); there was no significant relationship between job demands and mental health (p > 0.05). These results indicate that underground mine workers are at higher risk in terms of mental health and job demands than thermal power plant workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present stimulated business environment, power sector is playing a major role in the economic growth of India. During the last 20 years, the country had been facing a poor supply of energy and this supply-demand gap is increasing continuously. So, it is important for power plants to improve its power generation capacity drastically by reducing the failure rate. In the present paper, to analyze the causes of poor availability, thermal power plant has divided into six different systems and a system comprising of waste gases heating system has been considered. With the help of transition diagram, mathematical equations have been used to find out the availability. After analyzing, it was found that the value of availability is very low and boiler tube failure is one of the most critical factors for this low availability of system. Economizer zone has identified having long existence time of failures and frequency of occurrence is very high. So, minimizing the failure rate with the help of a proper maintenance schedule will result in decreasing the shutdown period of the plant and increasing the system availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European decarbonization goals and requirement for energy independence are mostly relying on intermittent renewable energy sources for electrification. A numerical model was developed to simulate the operation of a steam generator, allowing a study of the potential impacts of retrofitting existing coal-fired power plants to operate with biomass or coal–biomass mixtures on combustion parameters and CO2 emissions. The results obtained using the operational parameters of the Sines power plant indicate that a mixture of 25% coal and 75% pine sawdust allow operation at λ = 1.8, demonstrating that a small amount of coal allows operation near the coal combustion parameters (λ = 1.9). These conditions have the drawback of a reduction of 8.7% in adiabatic flame temperature but a significant reduction of 57.5% in CO2 emissions, considering the biomass as carbon-neutral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is an attempt to determine the carbon stock and carbon sequestration potential of forest growing stocks around a thermal power plant near Bilaspur smart city in Chhattisgarh, Central India. The non-destructive sampling method is used to estimate above-ground biomass and below-ground biomass. The height and diameter at breast height (DBH) is measured for each individual tree. The allometric equation was made for estimation of carbon storage of tree species. 35 tree species were recorded around the national thermal power plant at a radius of 30 km in four different directions (east, west, north, and south). The results revealed that Ficus benghalensis was the species that found the maximum amount of carbon storage, followed by Ficus religiosa. According to the present study, the allometric models developed can further estimate carbon stocks in forest vegetation in and around National Thermal Power Corporation power plants, and other tropical deciduous forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectivesDue to the fact that the actual operation of the thermal power plant uses high moisture lignite, problems such as blockage and adhesion often occur during coal transportation. Therefore, this article uses EDEM software for numerical simulation analysis based on these problems.MethodsThrough the investigation and analysis of on-site coal samples, in the simulation process, the particle size, moisture content, and total flow of coal were mainly analyzed, and its impact on the fluidity of coal was exploved. After numerical simulation analysis, the effects of various factors were compared using flow velocity and forces between particles.ResultsThe main reasons for blockage are as follons: firstly, the relative interaction between coal particles during the flow process in the silo is caused by the coal particle size being too large or too small; Secondly, as the amount of coal increases, the flow state of coal in the warehouse changes from overall flow to central flow; The last and most important factor is the moisture content of coal, which not only affects its own adhesion but also increases its own weight. Therefore, excessive moisture can cause slow flow and blockage.ConclusionsThe research results can provide theoretical support for solving the problem of coal blockage in coal-fired power plants.

The European decarbonization goals and requirement for energy independence are mostly relying on intermittent renewable energy sources for electrification. A numerical model was developed to simulate the operation of a steam generator, allowing a study of the potential impacts of retrofitting existing coal-fired power plants to operate with biomass or coal–biomass mixtures on combustion parameters and CO2 emissions. The results obtained using the operational parameters of the Sines power plant indicate that a mixture of 25% coal and 75% pine sawdust allow operation at λ = 1.8, demonstrating that a small amount of coal allows operation near the coal combustion parameters (λ = 1.9). These conditions have the drawback of a reduction of 8.7% in adiabatic flame temperature but a significant reduction of 57.5% in CO2 emissions, considering the biomass as carbon-neutral.

In this study, the concentration of thirteen non-volatile elements in coal fly ash samples obtained from the Kangal coal-fired thermal power plant located in Sivas province of Turkey was determined using an energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer. Non-volatile elements in coal fly ash samples were analysed in three groups: major (Al, Si, and Ca), rare earth (Y, La, Ce, Pr, and Nd), and other trace elements (Ga, Rb, Mo, Ba, and Hf). The average concentrations of Ca, Si and Al were found as 22.8, 10.9 and 5.4%, respectively. The average concentrations of Pr, Y and, Nd were found as 23.9, 19.1 and 78.2, respectively. La and Ce were observed below the detection limit of 2 mg/kg, except for two samples. The average concentrations of Ga, Rb, Mo, Ba and Hf were found as 18.6, 51.1, 177.3, 993.5 and 3.9 mg/kg, respectively. According to the average values of enrichment factor estimated for elements analysed in fly ash samples, Mo is found extremely enriched while Ca and Hf are significantly enriched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to identify the most sensitive component of a turbogenerator and optimize its availability. To achieve this, we begin by conducting an initial reliability, availability, maintainability, and dependability (RAMD) analysis on each component. Subsequently, a novel stochastic model is developed to analyze the steady‐state availability of the turbogenerator, employing a Markov birth‐death process. In this model, failure and repair rates are assumed to follow an exponential distribution and are statistically independent. To optimize the proposed stochastic model, we employ four population‐based meta‐heuristic approaches: the grey wolf optimization (GWO), the dragonfly algorithm (DA), the grasshopper optimization algorithm (GOA), and the whale optimization algorithm (WOA). These algorithms are utilized to find the optimal solution by iteratively improving the availability of the turbogenerator. The performance of each algorithm is evaluated in terms of system availability and execution time, allowing us to identify the most efficient algorithm for this task. Based on the numerical results, it is evident that the WOA outperforms the GWO, GOA, and DA in terms of both system availability and execution time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote the development and application of continuous monitoring technologies for CO2 emissions from thermal power plants in China and support the establishment of a carbon emission statistics and accounting system in the country, this study analyzes the international experience in the continuous monitoring of CO2 emissions from thermal power plants using literature research, expert discussion, and technical interpretation, with a focus on the United States and the European Union. The analysis covers eight aspects: types of units applying the technology, formulation of implementation standards, measures for dealing with failures, selection of monitoring technologies, research on key technologies, support for the low-carbon development of thermal power plants, verification of monitoring reports, and evaluation of measurement accuracy. Drawing on international beneficial experience and considering the current status of continuous monitoring of CO2 emissions from thermal power plants in China, the study proposes the following suggestions: (1) formulating supporting policies and regulations while considering the characteristics of technology application and the actual situation of thermal power plants in China, (2) accelerating the improvement in technical implementation standards and specifications to enhance the guiding and supporting role of standards, (3) strengthening the statistical analysis of the measurements using existing flue gas flow meters to provide references for relevant work, (4) enhancing research on flue gas flow measurement in thermal power plants to improve the technical level of continuous monitoring of CO2 emissions, (5) promoting the application of digital technologies in the verification of monitoring reports to support closed-loop management of continuous monitoring of CO2 emissions, and (6) improving the evaluation standards system for measurement accuracy of continuous emission monitoring systems to enhance the international recognition of China’s carbon emission data.

The final feedwater temperature is the temperature of the feedwater supplied to the boiler in the power plant applied with the Rankine cycle. In thermal power plants adopting a regenerative cycle, it is generally known that the heat transfer of the boiler is reduced, and the efficiency of the power plant is increased. However, the output of the power plant is reduced when the final feedwater temperature is increased. In this study, the net output and efficiency of the power plants depending on the final feedwater temperature under the condition of constant boiler heat transfer rate were analyzed for five cases. The results show that there is a final feedwater temperature at which the net output and the net efficiency are maximized. The additional output of the power plant obtained by increasing the final feedwater temperature has the effect of reducing CO2 emissions. If the final feed water temperature is below 308.3 °C, the net output and the final feed water temperature are proportional for all cases. When the final feedwater temperature increases by 1 °C, the net output increases by 63.02 kW and CO2 emissions are reduced by 60.52 kgCO2/h on average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approaches to creating an automated system for monitoring the inner surface of a thermal power plant boiler using small-sized unmanned aerial vehicles, neural networks, and computer vision technologies are considered. Analysis of visual defects in boiler tubes made it possible to identify five main types of defects, for each of them datasets are created using augmentation and synthetic data generation procedures. Three neural networks (YOLOv4, DetectoRS, and DCN) are trained using the datasets. Their characteristics are determined experimentally, and a comparative analysis of the reliability and speed of defect detection is carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research work suggests the application of predictive modeling for the Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions from the 210 MW pulverized boiler that burns coal. In order to lower the NOx emissions in the flue gas, it is necessary to optimize various operational parameters during combustion, including oxygen in flue gas, various damper opening positions, air-distribution system, nozzle tilt, and the temperature of the flue gas outlet. Information gathered from variable parametric field tests was used to create an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model. The model estimated NOx emissions based on the parameters of coal combustion. The ANN model was put to the test under full load conditions and the results of its predictions were compared to the actual values. The trained ANN with its biases and weights in the form of arithmetical equations was given as a fitness function to the weighted distance Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) to improve operating conditions for decreased NOx emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combustion optimization is an effective way to improve the efficiency of thermal power generation and reduce carbon and NOx emissions. Real-time and precise NOx emission prediction is the basis for combustion optimization control of thermal power plants. To construct an accurate NOx concentration prediction model, a novel just-in-time learning (JITL) method based on random forest (RF) is proposed in the present work. With this method, first, an improved permutation importance algorithm is proposed to extract important variables. In addition, a similarity index that incorporates temporal and spatial measures is defined to select a local training set representative of the process data. Moreover, considering the influence of model parameters on prediction performance under different working conditions, a process monitoring method based on a moving window (MW) is used to monitor the change in working conditions and guide online updating. The experimental results show that the proposed method has excellent prediction accuracy, with a coefficient of determination of 0.9319, a root-mean-square error of 3.6960 mg/m3, and an average absolute error of 2.7718 mg/m3 on the test set, making it superior to other traditional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2 emissions into the atmosphere in the electricity sector in 2022 exceeded 12.4 billion t, which is 1.8 times more than in 2000. The reasons for this growth are analyzed. It is noted that a significant contribution to these emissions (75%) is made by electricity generation using coal as fuel. It has been shown that it cannot be expected that CO2 emissions will decrease in the near future as a result of the reduction in coal capacity; there is a steady increase in the world. In the 21st century, the total capacity of coal-fired thermal power plants increased approximately 1.9 times. Alternative ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are being considered, primarily through the construction of new, highly efficient power units with increased steam parameters and the decommissioning of obsolete equipment. Thanks to this, the structure of coal generation in the world is changing significantly: Thermal power plants with power units for super-supercritical (SSCP) steam parameters and supercritical pressure (SCP) already account for more than 47% of the total capacity of coal-fired thermal power plants. Such changes contributed to a reduction in specific greenhouse gas emissions from 466 g CO2/(kW h) in 2000 to 436 g CO2/(kW h) in 2022. In the Russian electricity sector, CO2 emissions in 2022 amounted to approximately 410 million t. Since 2000, they have grown by only 22%. The share of CO2 emissions from coal thermal power plants in Russia are estimated at 35–45% of the total amount of greenhouse gases associated with electricity production and does not exceed 0.5% of the global total due to the use of fossil fuels. Due to the low contribution of CO2 emissions by Russian coal-fired thermal power plants, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power generation is not so relevant in the global problem and are solved mainly by replacing coal with natural gas. The need to introduce highly efficient but expensive equipment (for example, SSCP power units) at coal-fired thermal power plants to reduce emissions greenhouse gases is not as obvious as abroad, and its implementation requires a detailed feasibility study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the important parameters in power system stability is frequency. The importance and difficulty of frequency control in a multi-area power system increases with the integration of several power generation sources. One of the important tasks of frequency load control is to eliminate frequency deviation error. The analysis of small signal stability using linearized model of single-area power system with different power sources is presented in this study. Power system area includes three steam turbine power plants with reheater, hydro turbine power plant with transient compensator and gas turbine power plant. To eliminate the frequency deviation that occurs due to small disturbances in the system, a load frequency controller is used. The simulation results along with the analysis of the system modes (eigenvalues analysis) show the dynamic behavior of the system due to the changes in the parameters and the participation coefficients of the power plants. The dynamic behavior of the power system is simulated using MATLAB software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research is aimed at substantiating the technical use of natural gas combustion in an environment with a high oxygen content and, in the long-run objective - in pure oxygen in a steam turbine power unit. To achieve this aim, the following problems were solved: the development of a mathematical model of a steam turbine power unit for operation when burning natural gas in pure oxygen, a numerical study of the power unit operation when replacing air with oxygen from 0 to 100%, and an assessment of the efficiency of the equipment in these modes. The most important result is an increase in the efficiency of the steam turbine power unit when switching to burning natural gas in an environment with a high oxygen content. The significance of the results obtained is to ensure the efficiency of CO2 capture from flue gases without a complete reconstruction of the facility. The object of the study was the Krasnodar Thermal Power Plant. In the study, the previously verified mathematical model of the power unit was modified. The model was created using the Boiler Designer software product. The mathematical model was modified by zeroing air leaks into the boiler gas path, replacing the regenerative air heater with a tubular one, and bypassing the air heater along the flue gases when operating on an oxygen-air mixture. The maximum increase in the boiler unit efficiency is 0.6% and is in the range of air substitution with oxygen from 40 to 60%.

Abstract The challenge of providing water, energy, and managing the environment is widely recognized as a significant barrier to global advancement in light of the increasing population. Based on projections, it is anticipated that the global community will encounter crises pertaining to water, energy and the environment in the foreseeable future. In this research, the application of the hybrid renewable system in a thermal power plant has been assessed based on the approach of analyzing the link between energy, water, and environment. The design of the solar system and the assessment of carbon balance during the power plant lifetime have been conducted in PVsyst application in 2022. Moreover, ReCipe environmental model has been used for assessing the effect of decrease in carbon emission on the ecosystem. The findings of the research indicate that the replacement of at least 2% of the nominal capacity of the fossil fuel power plant with the renewable one, prevents the emission of 1340.37 tons of carbon dioxide yearly. This amount equals to 371.25 m3 of reserve in fossil fuel consumption and 382.64 tons of crude oil. The results also showed that in addition to preserving natural resources, the hybrid cycle design leads to significant water demand reduction which equals to 3751 m3 with the capacity to supply underground water sources. Due to the interests of preserving water and energy resources and decreasing carbon emission in power plant industry, within the framework of nexus approach, management of energy supply by replacing resources and using water and heat recovery technologies and application of energy demand management policies based on energy efficiency and environmental implications is recommended.

Abstract The impacts of climate change, combined with the depletion of fossil fuel reserves, are forcing human civilizations to reconsider the design of electricity generation systems to gradually and extensively incorporate renewable energies. This study aims to investigate the technical and economic aspects of replacing all heavy fuel oil (HFO) and light fuel oil (LFO) thermal power plants connected to the electricity grid in southern Cameroon. The proposed renewable energy system consists of a solar photovoltaic (PV) field, a pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES) system, and an ultra-capacitor energy storage system. The economic and technical performance of the new renewable energy system was assessed using metrics such as total annualized project cost (TAC), loss of load probability (LOLP), and loss of power supply probability (LPSP). The Multi-Objective Bonobo Optimizer (MOBO) was used to both size the components of the new renewable energy system and choose the best location for the solar PV array. The results achieved using MOBO were superior to those obtained from other known optimization techniques. Using metaheuristics for renewable energy system sizing necessitated the creation of mathematical models of renewable energy system components and techno-economic decision criteria under MATLAB software. Based on the results for the deficit rate (LPSP) of zero, the installation of the photovoltaic field in Bafoussam had the lowest TAC of around 52.78 × 106€ when compared to the results for Yaoundé, Bamenda, Douala, and Limbe. Finally, the project profitability analysis determined that the project is financially viable when the energy produced by the renewable energy systems is sold at an average price of 0.12 €/kWh.

The challenge of providing water, energy, and managing the environment is widely recognized as a significant barrier to global advancement in light of the increasing population. Based on projections, it is anticipated that the global community will encounter crises pertaining to water, energy and the environment in the foreseeable future. In this research, the application of the hybrid renewable system in a thermal power plant has been assessed based on the approach of analyzing the link between energy, water, and environment. The design of the solar system and the assessment of carbon balance during the power plant lifetime have been conducted in PVsyst application in 2022. Moreover, ReCipe environmental model has been used for assessing the effect of decrease in carbon emission on the ecosystem. The findings of the research indicate that the replacement of at least 2% of the nominal capacity of the fossil fuel power plant with the renewable one, prevents the emission of 1340.37 tons of carbon dioxide yearly. This amount equals to 371.25 m3 of reserve in fossil fuel consumption and 382.64 tons of crude oil. The results also showed that in addition to preserving natural resources, the hybrid cycle design leads to significant water demand reduction which equals to 3751 m3 with the capacity to supply underground water sources. Due to the interests of preserving water and energy resources and decreasing carbon emission in power plant industry, within the framework of nexus approach, management of energy supply by replacing resources and using water and heat recovery technologies and application of energy demand management policies based on energy efficiency and environmental implications is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Pulp & Paper is the property of China Pulp & Paper Magazines Publisher and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Cuban crude oil has a high content of ash, sulfur, asphaltenes and a high viscosity, among others, which, when subjected to the combustion process, results in corrosive effects in the heat transfer zones, reducing the useful life of the equipment. Objective: To design a procedure for the introduction of additives, which will increase the useful life of the equipment by improving the energy efficiency of the combustion process. Materials and Methods: It starts from the analysis of the composition and physical-chemical properties of Cuban crude oil and the characterization of the additive. The effectiveness of the additive is evaluated on a laboratory, pilot and industrial scale. The combustion parameters are adjusted and the efficiency of the steam generator is analyzed, with the aim of establishing the required dosage. The corresponding profit/economic cost analysis is carried out. Finally, the procedure is designed to compare with another additive if it exists. Results and Discussion: The procedure includes the determination of the chemical composition and physical-chemical properties of the crude oil used, the effect of the additive and the combustion efficiency. It contemplates not only the analysis of the use of an additive in use, but also the introduction of a new one and the comparison with it. It can be implemented in any industry that uses crude oil as fuel in the combustion process. Conclusions: The procedure provides the methodological indications for the introduction of additives that allow the improvement of the steam generator combustion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the negative impacts of fly ash pollution near coal-fired thermal power plants in Chhattisgarh, India. It explores the effects of fly ash on vegetation and methods for controlling its spreading and disposal. The article also discusses the physico-chemical properties of fly ash and its effects on soil and plants in the vicinity of thermal power plants. It emphasizes the importance of effective management of fly ash for the environment and the role of plants in mitigating its adverse effects. The provided document consists of three research articles related to environmental pollution and its impact on plant biomass, element accumulations, and soil microbiological communities. These articles provide valuable insights into the relationship between environmental pollution and plant and soil health. [Extracted from the article]

Thermal power generation is economical in the current scenario, but it is a water-intensive process, resulting in a high-water footprint. In this research, life cycle water use (LCWU) was assessed for three coal-based thermal power plant in India. The LCWU was found to be in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 L-kWh−1. The results of the LCWU of coal-based thermal power plants in India are higher than the global average of 1.75 L-kWh−1. In order to reduce the dependency on water, air-cooled condenser (ACC) with a novel approach of reducing temperature of air before entering into condenser is purposed using vapour absorption chillers. A 300 MW thermal power plant located in the South India region is chosen to illustrate the application of the proposed system. Initially, waste heat from flue gas is used to run a vapour absorption chiller, and finally a solar-assisted vapour compression chiller is used. Also, in order to utilize large coastal lines in India, an alternate approach of sea water cooling-based thermal power generation is investigated. A 2 MW steam turbine plant utilizing deep sea water is designed and analysed. In seawater cooling system the condenser temperature is reduced, increasing efficiency by 1.9% and power output by 133 kW. It resulted in power generation with multiple benefits, including cooling, desalinated water, and increased plant efficiency. The outcomes of this study provide information on water use in Indian thermal power plants along with its comparative assessment. A study of ACCs and seawater-cooled condensers is also an opportunity to reduce the life-cycle water use in thermal power plants in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a data‐driven model for online fault pre‐warning in thermal power plants using incremental Gaussian mixture regression. To tackle the issue of outdated parameters in existing fault pre‐warning models, this study puts forth an incremental Gaussian mixture regression that leverages the merging of Gaussian components to reconstruct the model and enable online modelling. Due to its criticality, a forgetting factor is introduced during the merging process to efficiently manage the weight allocation between present and historical patterns, thereby guaranteeing the model's accuracy. The results of the sine function case demonstrate that the incremental Gaussian mixture regression (IGMR) model exhibits excellent pattern control performance and modelling efficiency. Furthermore, the IGMR model is employed to forecast parameter alterations in pulverizer blockages with mode switching, and experimental validation indicates that IGMR precisely anticipates parameter changes following mode switching. Compared to on‐site solutions, the pre‐warning of coal blockage has a clear advantage in advance warning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Electronic Components & Materials is the property of Electronic Components & Materials and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The adverse effects of thermal power plants on crop yield have not received adequate attention. Thus, this study aims to evaluate these effects systematically to fill the gap by utilizing county-level wheat yield data from North China spanning from 2005 to 2016. Our findings indicate that the presence of an additional upwind thermal power plant is associated with a 1.4% decline in wheat yield. Notably, these yield losses are more pronounced in regions characterized by lenient environmental regulations or a high density of large-scale thermal power plants. Reduced wheat yield due to thermal power plants results in a decline in social welfare. Furthermore, we confirm that air pollution emitted from thermal power plants is the primary driver behind the decline in wheat yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the proposed research article, the grey wolf optimization (GWO) technique is utilized to optimize the proportional (P) integral (I) derivative (D) (PID) controller/regulator gain parameters in three-area grid-connected power networks. The interconnected power plant covers thermal plants, hydro plants, and nuclear power plants. The proposed controller is used as a secondary controller in the power system to perform load frequency control (LFC). Under unforeseen load conditions, the system frequency deviates from the norm. To control and stabilize this oscillation, the LFC system is used. During the investigation, a step load perturbation of one percent (SLP 1%) is applied for the analysis of the thermal power plant. The response of the suggested optimization technique-designed regulator performance is equated with the genetic algorithm (GA)-tuned, particle swarm optimization (PSO)-tuned, and ant colony optimization (ACO) technique-tuned PID regulator response. The performance response is evidence that the GWO-based PID regulator provides a regulated response with minimal time-domain specification parameters (settling time, peak shoots) over other tuning methods. The effectiveness and robustness of the improved response of the suggested technique-optimized controller are verified with various load values (1%, 2%, and 10% SLP) and nominal parameter (R, Tp, and Tij) variations (± 25% & ± 50%) from its nominal value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emissions from thermal power plants have always been the central consideration for environmental protection. Existing optical sensors in thermal power plants usually measure the total mass concentration of the particulate matter (PM) by a single-wavelength laser, bearing intrinsic errors owing to the variation in particle size distribution (PSD). However, the total mass concentration alone cannot characterize all the harmful effects of the air pollution caused by the power plant. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the mass concentration and PSD simultaneously, based on which we can obtain multi-particle-size channel mass concentration. To achieve this, we designed an optical sensor based on the three-wavelength technique and tested its performance in a practical environment. Results showed that the prototype cannot only correctly measure the mass concentration of the emitted PM but also determine the mean diameter and standard deviation of the PSDs. Hence, the mass concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 are calculated, and the air pollutants emission by a thermal power plant can be estimated comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies when and under what conditions the actions undertaken by the power plants involved in China's emission trading scheme (ETS) pilot became cost effective. Based on unique plant-level panel data and the difference-in-differences strategy, we identify that an insignificant initial reduction in cost efficiency occurred at the announcement stage for power plants in the pilot provinces; however, the cost efficiency of the pilot plants increased significantly following formal policy implementation. Additionally, the by-stage treatment effects differed across the pilot provinces due to localized market and non-market variations. Localized conditions of higher marketization, stricter policy enforcement, and lower carbon dependence enhanced this positive effect. The synthetic control results confirmed this variation in the policy effects. The carbon trading pilots resulted in improved efficiency in power plants in Shanghai, Guangdong, and Tianjin during the period 2013--2017, with an associated total cost saving of approximately 29.75 million RMB. To enhance the efficacy of the ETS policy, our findings suggest that the design of the policy should consider localized external factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of radon and thoron concentrations were taken at 70 locations in and around Gandhinagar Gujarat, India. The radon concentration varied between 175 and 14,807 Bq/m3, whereas, thoron varied between 28 and 15,033 Bq/m3. Maximum concentration of radon and thoron is observed in northern and eastern part of Gandhinagar due to fly ash content of the soil discharged from the Gandhinagar thermal power station. The annual dose rate due to inhalation varied between 0.0013 and 0.1337 mSv/year, below the ICRP recommendation. High radon concentrations are also observed in dumping areas and geological structures with high seismic risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A concept has been proposed for the creation of regional liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel complexes on the basis of thermal power plants, ensuring the expansion and reliable functioning of the gas fuel market. The concept provides for the transfer of fuel reserve systems for electric power facilities to LNG, which is produced directly at power plants, as well as the supply of LNG from power plants to regional consumers. A description of a foreign installation for extinguishing gas consumption peaks is given: the closest analogue of a power plant with an LNG fuel backup system. A comparative technical and economic analysis of projects for the construction of a fuel oil facility and an LNG backup fuel system for CHPP-22 of PAO Mosenergo showed that, with comparable capital costs, backup using LNG can provide an economic effect of up to 654 million rubles per year at 2023 prices. If there are large volumes of LNG storage, peak fuel shipments to consumers can be ensured, and the standard reserve will be restored using a liquefaction unit. Data are provided for calculating the costs and investments required to create complexes that guarantee the maintenance of standard emergency fuel reserves in the form of LNG for the CCGT-220 power unit (1778 million rubles excluding VAT). A methodology has been proposed for allocating the costs of a complex of emergency fuels, attributable to the cost of electric power and LNG sold to third-party consumers. It is shown that the relative increase in capital costs for the construction of CCGT-220 with emergency fuel in the form of LNG in relation to similar costs for a power unit with emergency diesel fuel is 1%. The cost of in-house LNG production has been assessed. Savings during the initial formation of standard emergency reserves for the power unit amounted to 72.45 million rubles. The advantage of creating a network of LNG complexes is formulated: reserve and emergency fuel reserves at thermal power plants provide a reliable fuel supply to regional markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the proposal of ''Carbon peaking and carbon neutrality'', Adiabatic Compressed Air Energy Storage (A-CAES) has emerged as a significant component within China's energy storage infrastructure. But its thermodynamic efficiency and economical return need yet to be raised. The present paper proposed a modified system coupling with thermal power plant to utilize the excess compression heat. Utilizing advanced transient modeling software, an A-CAES plant is modeled and validated. The operation performance of the coupled system is compared with non-coupled system, which shows that the system efficiency is raised from 54.8 % to 76.7 % and the investment return rate is improved from 9.18 % to 10.43 %.

The CO2 emissions of China power industry is the main source of CO2 emissions. The CO2 emissions of thermal power plants account for the largest proportion in the power industry. Under the goal of “double carbon”, CO2 accounting technology can realize the intuitive judgment of CO2 emissions in thermal power plants, provide important support for CO2 emission reduction in thermal power plants, promote thermal power plants to participate in carbon trading, and drive regional economic development. Combined with domestic and foreign policies, the implementation progress of the current general CO2 accounting methods was discussed. The problems existing in the CO2 accounting methods of thermal power plants based on carbon accounting and supplemented by carbon monitoring were summarized. The key and difficult points of the application of CO2 accounting technology in thermal power plants were analyzed. Finally, the development and application of CO2 accounting technology in thermal power plants were prospected.

The output of power unit No 2 of the Belarusian NPP to the level of neutron power development of 100 % of the nominal level has changed the structure of generation of the Unified Energy System (UES) of Belarus. At the current loads of the inter-heating period of 2023, the share of a nuclear power plant with two power units operating at full capacity in the daily generation structure of the Republic is about 50 %. In order to balance the UES of Belarus during the operation of two power units of a nuclear power plant at night, the application of adjustment regulatory measures that exceed the available capabilities is required. The almost complete use of the adjusting range of the CHP will forcibly cause, on a larger scale, to the shutdown of the blocks during the load failures at night, followed by the start-up from the non-cooled and hot statuses. These operating modes of generating equipment are inevitable in the current conditions of the electricity market, which has led to the emergence of most complex tasks to assess the economic and technical efficiency of involving or another equipment of power plants in such modes. The paper proposes an approach to solving the problem of achieving an effective combination of reliability and efficiency of energy systems on the example of gas turbines and CCGT power units. A generalized desirability function has been obtained, which includes a number of parameters for choosing a rational relationship and mutual influence between the reliability and efficiency of electricity production with the participation of thermal power plant equipment in regulating the daily load schedule. The proposed mathematical model is an effective means of analyzing the suitability of equipment for use in the required operating modes.

In optimizing the vibrodiagnostics of thermal power plants, a mathematical model was developed and used to increase the power plants’ safety and operational characteristics. The choice of diagnostic condition parameters of the components was made based on optimization characteristics that affect the accuracy of the solution and operational readiness of the thermal power plant. The research aimed to develop a universal model by analyzing more optimized vibrodiagnostics of the turbogenerator, which achieves high operational reliability, high safety, an extension of service life, an extension of working life, a reduction of overhaul time, etc. The application of the model represents the concept of optimization with the checking of condition parameters, which is applied to turbogenerator assemblies that have a continuous change of condition parameters as a function of the monitoring time, for which the functional dependence between the intensity of the parameter change and the operating time can be determined.

The approach to solving the applied problem of modernization of the 300 MW series power units produced by JSC "Ukrainian Energy Machines" by converting them from supercritical to ultra-supercritical steam parameters, provided that regenerative feed water heating system is preserved as much as possible, which will lead to an increase in the energy efficiency of the TPP with minimal conversion, is analyzed in the paper. The conversion of the K-300-240-2 power unit to the parameters of fresh steam 650 °C/30 MPa and intermediate superheated steam 650 °C/7 MPa, determined as optimal as a result of previous studies, can be carried out by completely replacing the high-pressure cylinder of the existing unit for a new high-pressure cylinder with ultra-supercritical steam parameters and superstructure with an additional intermediate-pressure cylinder while fully preserving the parameters and designs of the intermediate- and low-pressure output parts. Two options for modernization of the 300 MW series power unit thermal circuit structure were considered, and the scale of conversion of the regenerative feed water heating system was evaluated. In the first option of the thermal scheme, the 1st steam selection is organized from the cold threads of the modernized high-pressure cylinder with ultra-supercritical steam parameters, and the 2nd one – from the cold threads of the additional intermediate-pressure cylinder. In this case, two high-pressure heaters and a turbo drive of the feed pump are subject to replacement. The disadvantage of this option is that due to a significant increase in steam parameters, it is impossible to choose high-pressure heaters from the existing model range, and a new design must be developed. The electrical efficiency for this modernization option increases from 36.5% (the initial thermal circuit of the K-300-240-2 turbine) to 42.5%. In the second option, it is proposed to install an additional turbine with a capacity of 3 MW, to the input of which a steam from cold threads of the high-pressure cylinder with ultra-supercritical steam parameters is supplied with a loss equal to the sum of the 1st and 2nd selections of the original version of the turbine, on the same shaft with a turbo drive of the feed pump for the sake of preserving the existing high-pressure heater. The steam from the additional turbine selections goes to high-pressure heaters HPH9 and HPH8 with parameters corresponding to the output data of the existing turbine. Taking this into account, high-pressure heaters will not be replaceable. In addition, the power of the additional turbine is sufficient to ensure the operation of the feed pump together with the turbo drive of the feed pump to obtain a water pressure of 34 MPa. In view of this, the turbo drive of the feed pump also remains unchanged, except for the additional turbine installation. The electrical efficiency for the second option of the modernization scheme of the K-300-240-2 power unit is 42.4%. It was determined that the payback period of the modernization according to the first option is 5 years, taking into account the modernization of the boiler unit, and according to the second one – 4.5 years. It is proposed to choose the option of the thermal scheme with an additional turbine, since in this case it is possible to modernize the K-300-240-2 power unit with the maximum possible preservation of the regenerative feed water heating system while increasing its energy efficiency by almost 14%.

AbstractThe lifespan of the European hare (Lepus europaeus P.) is affected by a number of negative factors, including pollutants. In this paper, the individual and joint influence of age and habitat (elevation and distance from the thermal power plant - TPP) on pathomorphological findings of hares shot during three hunting seasons was investigated. Pathomorphological changes were found in 95.12% of hares. In hares up to 1 year of age, the changes were predominant in the lungs, and in older hares, in the kidneys. Degenerative changes in kidneys and liver and inflammatory changes in kidneys and lungs were considered important most in discussing the influence of chemical pollution. The proximity of TPP influenced the type of changes in the liver. A significant joint effect of age and elevation on the type of changes in the lungs of adult hares and on the heart of young hares was found. Elevation and distance from TPP had a joint effect on the occurrence of changes in the lungs, intestines, and heart in hares from the field farther from TPP. The results indicate that the hares were highly exposed to chemical pollutants that may affect their immunity, and lifespan.

The study deals with the possibilities of using alternative types of fuels to produce electricity. Power Plant Vojany (PPV) is a thermal power plant (TPP) in eastern Slovakia, which is part of the company Slovenské elektrárne, a. s. (SE). PPV primarily used black coal to produce electricity, which had to be imported from abroad (the Russian Federation). This activity has become inefficient both economically and environmentally, due to the high price of CO2 permits and the high emission factor of this type of fuel. PPV decided to co-combust biomass and refuse-derived fuel (RDF), which resulted in much better economic conditions due to their price, economic efficiency, and partly closed CO2 cycle. The aim of the paper is to explore the possibilities related to the production of energy in the cleanest possible way and with the least possible damage to the environment in coal thermal power plants using the example of operating Power Plant Vojany located in eastern part of Slovakia and to inspire each other for the modern transformation. For the purposes of hypothesis verification, analytical methods focused on overview studies of average fuel prices, comparisons, and the balance of fuels in connection with eliminated CO2 emissions, as well as municipal waste (MW) management in the EU and V4 countries, were used. The authors also focused on the energy recovery and combustion of MW and tracking the achieved CO2 savings in connection with the development of fuel sources in PPV. The results point to the fact that PPV is one of the power plants that could use biomass and RDF as fuel, which confirms the economic advantages of this procedure. The results confirm that the potential of RDF production in Slovakia is sufficient to ensure the operation of PPV at planned, even higher volumes of electricity production. The transformation to cleaner operation of coal thermal power plants represents a significant contribution of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combustion heat measurement is a classic physical chemistry experiment. In this case, the combustion heat measurement is correlated with the electric power generation from the combustion of the agricultural and forestry waste. The contents of the classic experiment are modified appropriately. During performance of the newly designed experiment, students’ understanding of the significance of combustion heat measurements for the safety of the power plant operation, as well as the agricultural and forestry waste combustion power generation for serving “agriculture, rural area, and farmers”, rural revitalization and “dual carbon” strategy can be improved. The students’ ability to apply what they learn from physical chemistry and laboratory courses can be enhanced. It can stimulate students’ interest in learning, guides students to care more about national energy security, environmental protection, sustainable development and people’s life and health. The modified experiment can greatly improve the students’ ability and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the energy efficiency of thermal power plants operating according to the Rankine cycle is one of the priority tasks of the Russian energy sector. Despite a significant amount of scientific research, the efficiency of installations of this type still remains low. As a technological solution to increase their efficiency, the authors consider a modernized Rankine cycle in which an aqueous solution of lithium bromide is used as a working fluid, the condensation process of exhaust steam after the turbine is replaced by the process of its absorption, and the second working fluid is an absorbent. The features of the functioning of such a cycle are outlined, and the methodology for its calculation is presented. Studies have shown that the use of lithium bromide solution can reduce the steam pressure after the turbine and increase the useful heat drop as well as the degree of cycle filling. In addition, when the heat of the solution returned from the boiler is regenerated, the average temperature of the heat supply to the cycle increases, which also increases its thermal efficiency compared to the traditional circuit. The energy efficiency of the modernized cycle was analyzed and compared with the traditional Rankine cycle on water vapor. Calculations have shown that the use of a modernized cycle allows increasing thermal efficiency by an average of 1–2% compared to the traditional solution. The indicators characteristic of both steam power and absorption cycles were studied, and graphical dependences of efficiency on the main parameters were derived. The economic effect of using the modernized scheme is to reduce fuel consumption and emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere in proportion to the reduction in fuel consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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