Energy Performance Assessment Tools (Epat) Software

Energy Performance Assessment Tools (Epat) Software

1 Intelligent Well Technology: Status and Opportunities for Developing Marginal Reserves SPE

ENERGY PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT TOOLS (EPAT) SOFTWARE

Mostafa Khosravy, Reserch Institue of Petroleum Industry, +98(21) 44739540-60,

Qaren Dorosti, Reserch Institue of Petroleum Industry, +98(21) 44739540-60,

Davood Rahimyar Heris, Reserch Institue of Petroleum Industry, +98(21) 44739540-60,

Overview

Improvements in performance may come from more effective energy use in production, increased efficiency of energy supply and waste minimization. Generally, improvements can be found both in the way that people operate equipment and in the efficiency of equipment and technologies involved in a production process. It needs to be emphasized that energy management and pollution control starts with increasing the efficiency of existing operations and by minimizing waste. Various tools are used in carrying out an energy and environmental management audit but the most common are interviews, questionnaires and reviews by checklists or an energy management matrix [1-3].

Some of these tools are provided in EPAT. The focus here is on the using of world famous standards named “Performance Test Code” or “Acceptance Code” in evaluating the efficiency of main fossil energy consumer in utility cycle of industrial plants. EPAT contains a number of forms that may help in structuring the process of data collection, which can be used as checklists so that important information is not omitted and which can provide guidelines for personnel involved in an audit on the scope and the steps to be taken in the work ahead. Often, the existing metering systems will not be sufficient to provide all necessary data base on performance test codes, so implementation additional metering will be required. Every improvement process starts from a known performance level against which a clear target and time frame for improvement is given. EPAT software is a tool to get precise monitoring and targeting system in an industry energy conservation plan.

Methods

Available utility plant equipments EPAT are: Boiler, HRSG, Steam Turbine,Gas Turbine, Compressor, Pump, Fan, Cooling Tower and Air Cooled Condenser. The program is written in Microsoft .net platform based on C# programming language [4]. It is divided in two main sections, one for performance evaluations according to ASME performance test codes [5-17] and the other section named performance assessment. The assessment section try to propose the best available energy improvement scenarios for selected equipment. This sections is similar to software tools of U.S. DOE Industrial Technologies Program [18]. The DOE’s softwares are available free of charge but they are simple and quick, and requires only basic information about equipment. In the other word, they can be used to estimate the saving potential as a rule of tumb, but EPAT need more data and could performe more accurate saving potential.

Input data for the software is based on parameters which ASME-PTC recommends for an accurate test for power plant equipments. . The most key performance parameters are included in the software calculation such as heat rate, steam rate, efficiency of each sections of steam turbine, boiler efficiency, boiler heat losses, pump NPSH, suction specific speed and etc.

Results

A case study was carried out to validate the software by using data of existence steam turbine and boiler of a real power generation cycle. Nominal power generation at full load for the cycle is 24 MW which provided by three 8MW steam turbine. The required steam of cycle was supplied by three boilers. The cycle input fuel was natural gas. Table 1 shows the steam turbine test condition. For this condition EPAT calculated result shows that the steam rate or steam consumption per unit output is 4.291 kg/kW.hr and the isentropic efficiency is 78.04%.

Table1- required operational parameters for steam turbine performance evaluation

Parameter / Value
Throttle pressure (bar) / 43.3
Throttle temperature (C) / 419.8
Throttle mass flow rate (kg/hr) / 30460
Turbine exhaust pressure (bar) / 0.1
Generator output (kW) / 6570

Conclusions

A computer program was developed for the performance evaluation of thermal cycle equipment. Computing equations used for performance evaluation were drawn from ASME Performance Test Codes for power plant equipments. The result of the software to advise on how best to achieve the expected performance with optimum operating costs.

References

1- C. Carcasci and B. Facchini. A numerical method for power plant simulations. Journal of Energy Resources Technology,118:36–43, March 1996.

2- Marco Francesco Falcetta and Enrico Sciubba. A computational modular approach to the simulation of powerplants, Heat Recovery Systems and Combined Heat and Power Production, 15:131–145, 1995.

3-B. Funghtammsan. A Computer Program for Energy And Availability Analyses of Thermal Power Plants, International Conference on Energy and Environment, 1990.

4- .

5-ASME, Gas Turbine Heat Recovery Steam Generators, PTC 4.4, New York1981.

6-ASME,Performance Tests Code 6 on Steam Turbines, PTC 6, New York , 1996 .

7-ASME,Steam Turbines in Combined Cycles , PTC 6.2, New York , 2004.

8-ASME,PTC 6 on Steam Turbines — Interpretations , PTC 6, New York, 2000.

9-ASME,Procedures for Routine Performance Tests of Steam Turbines , PTC 6S, New York, 1988.

10-ASME,Centrifugal Pumps, PTC 8.2, New York , 1990.

11-ASME,Performance Test Code on Compressors and Exhausters , PTC 10, New York , 1997.

12-ASME,Fans, PTC 11, New York , 1984.

13-ASME,Closed Feedwater Heaters , PTC 12.1, New York , 2000.

14-ASME,Performance Test Code on Steam Surface Condensers , PTC 12.2, New York , 1998.

15-ASME,Performance Test Code on Deaerators, PTC 12.3, New York, 1997.

16-ASME,Single Phase Heat Exchangers, PTC 12.5, New York , 2000.

17-ASME,Performance Test Code on Gas Turbines, PTC 22, New York ,1997.

18- http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/software.html .