PLANT EQUIPMENT DESIGN

(MCB4623)
ANALYSIS OF TRIGENERATION SYSTEM WITH GAS
TURBINE GENERATOR, HRSG AND ABSORPTION CHILLER
PREPARED BY:
AFTHAB AFRATHIM - 17741
ARMAN TALE 17718
MOHAMED AYOUB MOHAMED BAHI EL DIN - 12278
SUPERVISOR:
IR. DR. MOHD AMIN BIN ABD MAJID
SEMESTER:
MAY 2015

Universiti Technologi PETRONAS

Bandar Seri Iskandar
31750 Tronoh
Perak Darul Ridzuan

ABSTRACT
Analysis of a trigeneration system that has a gas turbine generator, a HRSG and
an absorption chiller is carried out in this project. The trigeneration system is
based on the one that is located in Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. All the
analysis performed neglected irreversibilities which play an important role in
lowering the efficiency of any given system. However, this form of analysis is
sufficient for preliminary decision making with regards to system design.

TABLE OF CONTENT
ABSTRACT ................................................................................... i
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background ................................................................................................ 1
1.1 Problem Statement ..................................................................................... 3
1.2 Objective .................................................................................................... 3

CHAPTER TWO: THEORY & METHADOLOGY

2.0 Gas Turbine Theory ................................................................................... 4
2.1 HRSG Theory ............................................................................................ 9
2.2 Absorption Chiller Theory ......................................................................... 14

CHAPTER THREE: CALCULATION

3.0 Gas Turbine Generator Calculations .......................................................... 15
3.1 HRSG Calculations .................................................................................... 21
3.2 Lithium Bromide Absorption Chiller Calculations .................................... 27

CHAPTER FOUR: DISCUSSION

4.0 Gas Turbine Generator Discussion ............................................................ 30
4.1 HRSG Discussion ...................................................................................... 31
4.2 Lithium Bromide Absorption Chiller Discussion ...................................... 32

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION

5.0 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 33

6.0 REFERENCES ........................................................................ 22

ii

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.1: The power output ranges for each of the gas turbine generators (Willis,
2000, p.176). ..............................................................................................................1
Figure 2.1: Schematic of gas turbine with HRSG ......................................................4
Figure 2.2: The pressure-specific volume and temperature-entropy diagrams for
idealized Joule-Brayton cycle... .................................................................................5
Figure 2.3: Thermodynamic model of the compressor ..............................................6
Figure 2.4: Thermodynamic model of the combustion chamber ...............................7
Figure 2.5: Thermodynamic model of the turbine. ....................................................8
Figure 2.6: Typical temperature profile of single pressure HRSG... .........................10
Figure 3.1: Thermal efficiency of the ideal Joule-Brayton cycle as a function of the
pressure ratio. .............................................................................................................16
Figure 3.2: Temperature profile of the HRSG. ..........................................................26
Figure 3.3: Single effect lithium bromide cycle.........................................................27

LIST OF TABLES
Table 3.1: Ideal Gas Properties of Air .......................................................................15
Table 3.2: Properties of Substances ...........................................................................23
Table 3.4: Specific Heat Capacity of Gasses at 480K ...............................................24

iii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.0

Background

Cogeneration is the use of waste heat from power generation or heat engines for
various purposes such as space heating, drying or for HRSG. Trigeneration is the
combined production of electricity, heat and cooling. A trigeneration plant is
analysed in this project in which a gas turbine generator produces electrical energy
and waste heat; the latter is subsequently used in a HRSG to produce high pressure
(and temperature) steam. This steam is then used in the generator of an absorption
chiller to produce chilled water. A brief overview of a gas turbine generator, a HRSG,
and an absorption chiller will be described below.
A gas turbine generator produces mechanical shaft work through the use of a turbine
that is rotated by high pressure combustion gases. The turbine shaft work is then used
to drive the compressor and an electric generator that generates power for distributed
generation. The redundant energy that is not used for shaft work comes out as
exhaust gasses that are of high temperature. An air compressor, combustion chamber,
expansion turbine, and an exhaust outlet are vital components in a typical gas turbine
generator. There are three classes of gas turbine generators and each has its own
unique capacity, design and operating characteristics (e.g. rotational speed); they
however work on the same principle. The three classes are micro, mini, and utility; in
ascending order of power output. The power output ranges for each of the classes
are shown below in figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1: The power output ranges for each of the gas turbine generators (Willis,
2000, p.176).
1

Only utility gas turbine generators are catered specifically for electric power
generation, while mini and micro gas turbine generators are modified version of gas
turbines originally designed for other applications (Willis, 2000). Furthermore, mini
gas turbine generators are based gas turbines used in designs for small aircraft,
coastal and military patrol ships; while micro gas turbine generators are based on gas
turbines that are used for vehicular application.
Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) uses the exhaust gas flow of gas turbine
generator in order to produce steam. HRSG are common equipment in chemical
plants, refineries, power plants, and process systems. Heat Recovery Steam
Generators classifies as follow:

Application

Type of boiler used

Cleanliness of the gas

Boiler configuration

Whether the flue gas is used for process or mainly energy recovery

The main classification is based on whether the HRSG is used for process or mainly
for energy recovery. Process waste heat boilers are used to cool down waste gas
streams from a given inlet temperature to a desired exit temperatures for further
processing purposes whereas in energy recovery applications, the gas is cooled as
much as possible while avoiding low temperature corrosion. More detail about
HRSG can be found in chapter 2.
Absorption chillers are a form of refrigeration system that is economical when there
a source of inexpensive thermal energy (i.e. heat from cogeneration). However, the
waste heat has to be within the range of 100 to 200 for it to be effective. The
absorption refrigeration system like its name suggest, involves the absorption of
a refrigerant by a transport medium. The absorption refrigeration system is
different from other refrigeration system due to the replacement of the
compressor with a pump, absorber, generator and heat exchanger. This is done
in order to increase efficiency.

The most widely used absorption refrigeration system is the ammonia-water system,
where ammonia serves as the refrigerant and water as the transport medium. This
type of system can be used to achieve much lower temperatures than compared to
water-lithium bromide system. The latter system is limited to applications such as
air conditioning due to water being the refrigerant and thus minimum temperature
has to be above the freezing point of water (engel & Boles, 2006). The workings of
the absorption chillers are as described in more detail in chapter 2.
1.1

Problem Statement

A trigeneration plant is to be analysed. The plant contains a gas turbine generator that
produces a net output of 5 MW of power with a thermal efficiency of 35%. The
waste heat from the exhaust of the turbine is then used in a HRSG to produce high
pressure steam of 1.4 MPa. The HRSG is without a superheater and thus only has an
economizer and evaporator. The high pressure steam generated is subsequently used
in the generator of a single effect lithium bromide absorption chiller. The cooling
medium is water and the ambient temperature, refrigerated space temperature and the
exit temperature of the cooling medium is known to be 30 , 13 and 7
respectively. The aforementioned data are based on the gas district cooling plant used
in Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP).
1.2

Objective

The objective of this project is to analyse a trigeneration plant with:

A gas turbine generator that produces a net output of 5 MW of power with a

thermal efficiency of 35%.

A HRSG (Heat Recovery Steam Generator) system that utilizes the exhaust
gas from the gas turbine generator to generate high pressure steam (1.4 MPa).

A single effect lithium bromide absorption chiller system that utilizes the heat
from the steam generated from the HRSG system to produce chilled water.
The ambient is known to be 30 and the refrigerated space is 13 with the
chilled water leaving at 7 .

CHAPTER 2: THEORY & METHADOLOGY

2.0

Gas Turbine Generators Theory

The schematic for a gas turbine generator with HRSG is as shown in figure 2.1
below. Ambient air is drawn in the inlet of the compressor and compressed. It is then
heated in a combustion chamber by the addition of fuel e.g. methane. The flue gas
(combustion exhaust gas) is subsequently, directed towards the turbine where it
converts the energy of the compressed gas into mechanical work. A portion of this
work is used to drive the compressor while the net mechanical work is used to drive
an electric generator.

Figure 2.1: Schematic of gas turbine with HRSG.

There are numerous methods that can be used to model a gas turbine, however only a
simplistic approach will be used for this project. A simplistic approach to analyze the
thermodynamic process in a gas turbine generator involves the use of air standard
assumption or cold air standard assumption (which is even greater in simplicity),
with the idealized Joule-Brayton cycle which is shown on the next page in figure 2.2.

Figure 2.2: The pressure-specific volume and temperature-entropy diagrams for

idealized Joule-Brayton cycle.
The Joule-Brayton cycle consists of four internally reversible processes:

Isentropic compression (in compressor)

Constant pressure heat addition

Isentropic expansion (in turbine)

Constant pressure heat rejection

However, in this project a variation of the simple air standard assumption (alongside
the Joule-Brayton cycle) is used in order to yield more accurate results. The
following general assumptions are used for the analysis of the gas turbine generator:

Air is considered as an ideal gas.

The pressure ratio is constant for both the compressor and the turbine.

All the processes in the power cycles are internally reversible (isentropic) and
adiabatic.

The flue gas mass flow rate is equivalent to the sum of the air mass flow rate
and the fuel mass flow rate.

The combustion process takes place with theoretical air and the water produced
is assumed to be in its vapor state.

The enthalpies at various temperatures of the flue gas are assumed to be the
same as the enthalpies of air at their respective temperatures. This is done as
the flue gas consists mainly of air.

Compressor

Figure 2.3: Thermodynamic model of the compressor.

The thermodynamic model of the compressor is as shown in figure 2.3 above. The
Air is taken in and compressed in the compressor. The required input power of the
compressor is given by equation 1.1.
= (2 1 )

(1.1)

Where is the work input required by the compressor, is the mass

flow rate of air, and 1 and 2 are the enthalpies of the air before compression and
after compression respectively.
The enthalpy of the air after compression is found by using the pressure ratio relation
with relative pressure ratio shown below in equation 1.2.
2 2
=
=
1 1

(1.2)

Where1 , 1 and2 , 2 are the pressure and relative pressure of the air at inlet and
after compression respectively, and is the pressure ratio.

Combustion Chamber

Figure 2.4: Thermodynamic model of the combustion chamber.

The thermodynamic model of the combustion chamber is as shown in figure 2.4
above. At the combustion chamber, theoretical compressed air reacts with the fuel to
produce a temperature increase. The rest of the air is used to cool the temperature of
the combustion reaction to prevent damage to the turbine. The energy released by the
combustion of fuel with theoretical air is given by equation 1.3.
=

(1.3)

Where, is the energy released during the combustion process, is the

mass flow rate of the fuel and is the lower heating value. The total amount of
energy entering the turbine is equivalent to equation 1.4.
+ =

(1.4)

Where, is the air mass flow rate and is the mass flow rate of the flue gas. The
energy balance for the combustion chamber is shown in equation 1.5.
+ 2 = 3

(1.5)

Where, is the efficiency of the combustion process and 3 is the enthalpy of the
flue gas at the exit of the combustion chamber. The above formula is used to
calculate the temperature that the flue gas exits at.

Gas Turbine

Figure 2.5: Thermodynamic model of the turbine.

The thermodynamic model of the turbine is as shown in figure 2.5 above. The flue
gas enters the turbine and rotates the turbine blades producing mechanical work. The
work produced by the turbine is given by equation 1.6.
= (3 4 )

(1.6)

Where, is the work done by the turbine and 4 is the enthalpy of the flue
gas exiting the turbine. The enthalpy can then be used to find the temperature exiting
the turbine (TET). To find 4 , a variation of the pressure ratio and relative pressure
ratio relation that was used in the compressor section is used. Equation 1.7 shows the
pressure ratio relation.
3 3
=
=
4 4

(1.7)

The net work ( ) that is done by the gas turbine generator is found by using
equation 1.8.
=

(1.8)

The backward ratio, which is the ratio of the compressor work to the turbine work, is
found by using equation 1.9.
=

(1.9)

The thermal efficiency ( ) of the gas turbine generator is found by using equation
1.10.
=

(1.10)

The usage of the equation is highlighted in the calculation section (chapter 3)

2.1

HRSG Theory

Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) is commonly used in cogeneration plants.

Functionally they produce steam like any other boiler but with some differences.
According to Zactruba.J (2009), the water steam circuit of an HRSG consists of an
economizer, an evaporator, and a superheater placed in the flue gas duct. The
evaporator section consists of a drum to which the coils are connected to create the
circulation.
Common HRSG do not have any additional heat input. The performance and output
of the HRSG depends on the exhaust heat of the gas turbine generator. Since ambient
conditions affect the gas turbines performance, it could affect the downstream
process were the steam is used. To avoid this kind of issue fired HRSG should be
used where firing of oil or gas (which are supplementary fuels) takes place in the gas
duct at the HRSG inlet. Since the flue gas at exhaust of a gas turbine generator is
high in oxygen content, additional air is not required for combustion. Despite it not
being an efficient process, it avoids costly production disturbances.

Typical single pressure HRSG consists of an economizer and an evaporator. As

shown in figure 2.6, feed water enters the economizer with temperature Tw1 and
economizer increases the temperature to Tw2. The water enters the evaporator
afterwards where it becomes saturated water (Tsat). The evaporator evaporates the
saturated water into saturated steam. On the other side, the gas turbines exhaust flue
gas enters the HRSG at temperature Tg1 and it hits the evaporator. The temperature
drops to Tg2 where it reaches the economizer. The flue gas leaves the HRSG at
temperature Tg3.
Tg1

Temperature

Tg2
PP
Ts

Tg3
AP

Tw2
Evaporator

Economizer
Heat transfer

Tw1

Figure 2.6: Typical temperature profile of single pressure HRSG.

There are certain things that one needs to understand in order to analyze a HRSG,
these are described below.
Pinch and Approach Point
Two important heat transfer criteria regarding HRSG are approach point temperature
and pinch point temperature. The approach point temperature is the difference in
temperature between the economizer outlet and the boiler circuit that the economizer
serves. Bigger and more expensive economizer would have a tighter approach point
temperature.
= 2

(1.11)

The pinch point temperature is the difference between evaporator steam outlet
temperature and the exhaust gas temperature at that physical location in HRSG.
= 2

10

(1.12)

A common range for approach point and pinch point temperature is 8 to 15 C.

Larger heating surfaces lead to lower pinch point temperature; hence the economic
balance between efficiency and equipment cost defines the best pinch point
temperature.
Specific Heat Capacity (CP)
Specific heat capacity (CP) is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of a
certain mass 1 degree kelvin. The specific heat capacity of gas turbines flue gas
differs at evaporator and economizer of the HRSG due to the temperature difference.
The first step in determining the specific heat capacity is finding the amount of
different substances in the flue gas.
The specific heat capacity of the flue gas containing different substances is the
summation heat capacity of each products substance multiplied by its mass fraction,
hence
, = ( )

(1.13)

The mass fraction of each substance is calculated by multiplying the molar mass by
number of moles of each substance divided by the total mass of the chemical product:

= =

(1.14)

The total mass of the reactions product is the summation of molar mass multiplied
by number of moles for each substance, therefore:
= ( )

11

(1.15)

Steam Generation
The mass of the steam generated in HRSG is calculated by finding the evaporators
duty divided by the absorbed enthalpy by the steam:

(1.16)

Evaporator duty is basically the amount of heat transfer from evaporator to the water
and it can be calculated by using equation 1.17. The amount of enthalpy absorbed by
the steam in evaporator is shown in equation 1.18.
= , (1 2 )( )

(1.17)

( 2 ) + [ ( 2 )] (1.18)
HRSG Flue Gas
In order to be able to depict the temperature profile of HRSG, the flue gas
temperature of the system (Tg3) should be determined. The heat transfer equation at
economizer (economizer duty) can be written as follow:
, (2 3 ) ( )

(1.19)

The economizer duty can be obtained by another equation which is illustrated below:
(1 + ) (2 1 )

(1.20)

As it can be observed, equations 1.19 and 1.20 are equivalent. By substituting

equation 1.20 into equation 1.19, the temperature difference of the gas entering the
economizer and leaving the system can be evaluated.
2 3 =

(1 + ) (2 1 )
, ( )

12

(1.21)

The temperature difference of the gas entering the economizer and leaving the
system can be referred as Tg 2-3. Hence the flue gas temperature can be computed as
below followed by constructing the temperature profile of the HRSG.
3 = 2 23

13

(1.22)

2.2

Absorption Chiller Theory

In a water-lithium bromide absorption chilling system, water acts as the refrigerant

while lithium bromide acts as the absorbent. The lithium bromide absorbs the water
refrigerant creating a water-lithium bromide solution inside the absorber. Next, the
pump forces the solution to the generator where the solution is heated. The
refrigerant (water) vaporizes due to its lower boiling point, and moves to the
condenser where it is chilled. The chilled water is than used to lower the temperature
of the cooling medium. During the vaporization process, the lithium bromide in the
generator flows back to the absorber to absorb more water coming from the
evaporator.
The absorption chiller can be analysed based mass flow rate and energy or based on
temperature; the latter is the simpler method of analysing the absorption chiller. As
insufficient information is available for mass/energy analysis, a simple temperature
based analysis will be used for this project. This analysis assumes that there are no
irreversibilities. The maximum coefficient of performance (COP) for a given system
can be found using:
=

(1 2 )
1 (2 )

(1.23)

Where is the temperature of the space that has been refrigerated, 1 is the
temperature of the generated steam, and 2 is the ambient temperature. The COP can
also be written as:
=

( )
=
( )

(1.24)

Where the mass flow rate of the steam from the HRSG and is the
enthalpy of that steam. is the mass flow rate of the cooling medium
and is the inlet enthalpy of the cooling medium while is the outlet
enthalpy of the cooling medium. is the energy lost by the cooling
medium and is the energy lost by the steam. Various parameters can be
found by rearranging equation 1.23 and 1.24. It should be noted that all the
temperatures should be converted from degrees Celsius to Kelvin in order to do any
of the calculations.
14

CHAPTER 3: CALCULATION
3.0

Gas Turbine Generator Calculations

The required net power output of the gas turbine generator is to be 5 MW under the
assumptions stated in the chapter 1 (under problem statement). In addition, the
thermal efficiency is stated to be 35%. Below are some additional data that were
assumed in order to analyse the gas turbine generator.
I.

Enthalpies used for calculation purposes at various temperatures are from

table 3.1 shown below. This is due to the majority of the flue gas being air.
Table 3.1: Ideal Gas Properties of Air

Note. From Thermodynamics An Engineering Approach, p. 930, by engel & Boles,

2006.

15

II.

The pressure ratio ( ) is 5 and is found using figure 3.1 at 35% efficiency.

Figure 3.1: Thermal efficiency of the ideal Joule-Brayton cycle as a function

of the pressure ratio.
III.

Turbine, compressor and combustion process is adiabatic and thus no heat is

lost ( = 1).

IV.

Methane is assumed to be the fuel with a LHV value of 50,050 KJ/Kg

(engel & Boles, 2006).

V.
VI.

Inlet temperature of the compressor is 25 C at 1 atmospheric pressure.

Typical air-fuel ratio of gas turbines are much greater than 50 (engel &
Boles, 2006). Hence an air-fuel ratio of 70 is arbitrarily chosen within a
justified range.

The analysis begins by determining the required heat input which is .

This can be found by rearranging equation 1.10 as shown below.
=

= 0.35

=
= .

It is known from equation 1.3 that is also equivalent to the mass flow
rate of the fuel multiplied by the lower heating value. Hence the mass flow rate of the
fuel can be found by rearranging equation 1.3.
16

 =
=

14.29
=

50050
= .

Since, the fuel supplied is around 0.2855 kg/s and as stated in the assumptions above,
an air fuel ratio of 70 is used. Thus, mass flow rate of air is calculated as shown
below.
= . = .

Once the mass flow rate of the air has been established, the compressor can be
analysed. The following parameters are known based the pressure ratio and relative
pressure ratio relation (equation 1.2).
P1 = 1 atm

P2= 5 atm

T1 = 298 K

= 20 /

Rp = 5

The work input required for the compressor can be found by using equation 1.1.
= (2 1 )
However, 1 and 2 requires to be found.
At T1 = 298 K the following parameters can be found from table 3.1 above.
1 = 298.18 KJ/Kg
1 = 1.3543
Using pressure ratio relation with relative pressure ratio,
2 2
=
=
1 1
2
=5
1.3543
2 = 6.7715
17

From table 3.1 above, at Pr2= 6.7715, the following parameters can be found via
interpolation.
2 = 472.81 KJ/Kg
T2 = 470.56 K
Thus, the work input required to run the compressor is calculated as shown below.
= (. . ) = .
Once the compressor work input has been identified, the combustion chamber is
analysed next.
The total amount of gas exiting the combustion chamber is found by using equation
1.4.
+ =
20 + 0.2855 = 20.2855

The total amount of energy that is added during the combustion process is
determined as shown below.
= 0.2855(50050)(1) = 14.29
Thus, in order to find the temperature of the flue gas exiting the combustion chamber,
a rearranged version of equation 1.5 is used to find the enthalpy (3 ).
+ 2 = 3
Rearranging and solving for h3,
3 =

3 =

+ 2

1429 + (20 472.81)

= 1170.56
20.2855

18

Due to the majority of the gas being air, the following parameters (including the
temperature) can be found from table 3.1 at 3 = 1170.56 KJ/kg, via interpolation.
T3 = 1108.18 K
3 = 172.25
The work done by the turbine can be found by using equation 1.6 as shown below;
however, the enthalpy of the flue gas at the turbine exhaust exit is required.
= (3 4 )
Hence, by using pressure ratio relation with relative pressure ratio (equation 1.7), 4
can be determined.
3 3
=
=
4 4
172.25
=5
4
4 = 34.45
From table 3.1 above, at 4 = 34.45, 4 and the temperature exiting the turbine can
be found via interpolation.
4 = 750.06 KJ/Kg
TET (Temperature Exiting Turbine) = 744.10 K
Thus, the work done by the turbine is found as shown below.
= (3 4 )
= . (. . ) = .
The net work is found by using equation 1.8.
=
= 8.53 3.49 = 5.04

19

As the net work is almost the same as the one that was originally specified, the
analysis done is acceptable. The back work ratio of the gas turbine generator can be
determined by using equation 1.9.
=

.
=
= . %
.

Below is the summary of important parameters that were found by analysing the gas
turbine generator.

. %

20

3.1

HRSG Calculations

The assumptions and given parameters that are required in order to analyze the
HRSG are as follows:

As pinch point and approach point temperature are between 8 ~ 15 K

A pinch point temperature of 12 K is selected.

An approach point temperature of 8 K is selected.

Saturated Steam Pressure = Psaturated steam = 1.4 MPa

Feed Water Temperature = TW1 = 380 K

Blow Down Factor = 5% (assumed)

Heat Loss Factor = 99% or 1% heat loss (assumed)

As the flu gas of the gas turbine is the input to the HRSG at atmospheric pressure, its
temperature and mass flow rate was obtained:
1 = 1
1 = 744.101
= 20.2855 /
Since the saturated steam pressure is 1.4 MPa, the saturated temperature of the steam
is:
= @ 1.4 = 195 = 468
According to pinch point and approach point temperatures (equations 1.11 and 1.12
respectively), the gas temperature leaving evaporator and water temperature entering
evaporator is obtained.
2 = = 468 8 = 460
2 = + = 468 + 12 = 480

21

As the air-fuel ratio of the combustion was found to be approximately 70 (see gas
turbine generator calculation), there will be 8 moles of air during the combustion
process. Hence the chemical reaction will be:
4 + 8(2 + 3.762 ) 2 + 2 + 2 + 2
Equating the chemical reaction:
C:

1==1

H:

4 = 2 = 2

O:

16 = 2 + + 2 = 6

N2:

8(3.76) = = 30.08

Substituting values:
4 + 8(2 + 3.762 ) 2 + 22 + 62 + 30.08 2
From the above chemical equation, it can be observed that there are 4 different
substances in the flue gas (CO2, H2O, O2 and N2) mixed with (excess) air. The molar
mass of each substance is shown in table 3.2 on the next page. The total mass of
product substances was computed by using equation 1.15.
= ( )

) (1 ) + (18.01
) (2 )

+ (32
) (6 ) + (28.02
) (30.08 )

= (44.01

= .
The mass fraction of each substance was calculated by equation 1.14 and tabulated in
mass fraction column of table 3.2.

22

Table 3.2: Properties of Substances

Substance

Molar Mass

Number of moles

Mass Fraction

(Kg/Kmol)

(Kmol)

CO2

44.01

0.0395

H2 O

18.01

0.0323

O2

32

0.1722

N2

28.02

30.08

0.756

Evaporator Specific Heat Capacity (CPevaporator)

As the flue gas hits the evaporator at 744 K, the specific heat capacity of every single
substance is at the evaporators temperature (744 K) with its respective mass fraction;
this is tabulated in table 3.3 below.
Table 3.3: Specific Heat Capacity of Gasses at 755K
Substance

Mass Fraction

CP @ 744 K (kJ/kgK)

mf Cp

CO2

0.0395

1.145

0.0452

H2 O

0.0323

2.109

0.0681

O2

0.1722

1.041

0.1793

N2

0.756

1.108

0.8376

23

According to equation 1.13, the specific heat capacity at the evaporator is calculated
as follow:
, = ( ) = 0.0452 + 0.0681 + 0.1793 + 0.8376
, = . /
Economizer Specific Heat Capacity (CPeconomizer)
The flue gas reaches the economizer at 480 K, hence the specific heat capacity of
each substance at economizers temperature (480 K) with the mass fraction is
tabulated in table 3.4.
Table 3.4: Specific Heat Capacity of Gasses at 480K
Substance

Mass Fraction

CP @ 480 K (kJ/kgK)

mf Cp

CO2

0.0395

0.0395

H2 O

0.0323

1.943

0.0628

O2

0.1722

0.965

0.1662

N2

0.756

1.053

0.7961

According to equation 1.13, the specific heat capacity at economizer can be

calculated:
, = ( ) = 0.0395 + 0.0628 + 0.1662 + 0.7961
, = . /

In order to find the amount of steam generated in HRSG, the evaporators duty
should be calculated according to equation 1.17:

24

 = , (1 2 )( )
. = (20.2855

) (1.1303
) (744.101 480 ) (0.99)

= .
According to equation 1.18 for finding the enthalpy absorbed the steam in the
evaporator, there are some enthalpy values which are interpolated and obtained from
the table 3.1. The values are as follow:
= @468 = 2788.8

2 = @460 = 794.086

= @468 = 829.78

By using equation 1.18, the enthalpy absorbed by the steam in evaporator is

computed:
= (2788.8 794.086) + [0.05 (829.78 794.086)]
= 1996.5

Equation 1.16 gives the amount of steam generated in HRSG

=

=
= .

25

According to equation 1.21, the difference in gas temperature leaving the evaporator
and leaving the economizer is computed. In this equation, the enthalpy of feed water
is required which is interpolated and obtained from saturated steam table (table 3.1)
as follow:
1 = @380 = 448.736

23

(3.003 ) (1 + 0,05) (794.086

448.736 )

=
= .

(20.2855 ) (1.0645
) (0.99)

Flue gas temperature leaving the HRSG would be the subtraction of temperature
difference of gas temperature leaving the evaporator and leaving the economizer
from the temperature of gas leaving the evaporator; equation 1.22:
3 = 2 23 = 480 50.94 = .
The temperature profile of the HRSG that was obtained by the analysis can be
constructed according to the obtained temperatures of feed water and gas turbine flue
gas. The temperature profile of the system is illustrated in figure 3.2.
Tg1= 744.101 K

Temperature

Tg2= 480 K

Tg3= 429.06 K
Tsat = 468 K
Tw2= 4600 K

Tw1= 380 K
Economizer

Evaporator
Heat transfer

Figure 3.2: Temperature profile of the HRSG.

26

3.2

Lithium Bromide Absorption Chiller Calculations

A simple diagram of a single effect lithium bromide (LiBr) cycle is shown in figure
3.3 below.

Figure 3.3: Single effect lithium bromide cycle.

The following assumptions and information given for the LiBr absorption chiller:

The temperature of the refrigerated space is 13 .

The cooling medium is water.

All processes are reversible.

The temperature and the properties of the steam used in the generator is the
same as the one that is generated in the HRSG, hence:

1 = 468

= 3

= 829.78

The ambient temperature is 30 (303K).

The inlet temperature of the cooling medium is 13 (286K) and the outlet
temperature is 7 (280K). This information is based on the absorption
chiller in Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS.

Enthalpy of water at 7 (found via interpolation) is 29.421 kJ/kg and at

13 (found via interpolation) is 54.598 kJ/kg
27

In order to analyse the effectiveness of the absorption chiller, the COP needs to be
found. This is done by using equation 1.23.
=

(1 2 )
1 (2 )

( )
= .
( )

The calculated value above is the maximum COP that the system can have; however
the actual COP is much lower. According to engel & Boles (2006), the nominal
COP of a single effect absorption chiller at an input temperature of 116 is 0.65 to
0.70. Thus for a system with 195, we use ratios to find the COP.
116 0.65
195
=

.
= .

Hence, the actual COP can be estimated to be 1.093 and thus the system has an
efficiency of 18.43%. In order to find the mass flow rate or rate of cooling, equation
1.24 is used.
=

( )
=
( )

Rearranging to find the energy yields:

= = 3(829.78) 1.093 = 2720.85
Thus, the energy that is transferred from the refrigerated space is 2720.85 kJ. The
mass flow rate of the cooling medium is found by once again rearranging equation
1.24.
=

( )
( )

(. ) .

= .
(. . )

28

Hence, the analysis of the lithium bromide absorption chiller yields the following
important parameters:

29

CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION
4.0

Gas Turbine Generator Discussion

The thermodynamic model that was used to analyse the gas turbine cycle was
adequate as the net work output that was achieved was approximately the same as the
required net work output. From the calculations, it can be seen that almost 41% of
the work done by the turbine is used to run the compressor. Thus, the back work ratio
is high for gas turbine cycles; however the opposite is true for steam power plants.
As liquid is compressed in steam power plants instead of a gas, and the steady-flow
work is proportional to the specific volume of the working fluid, the work input
required to run the compressor is much lower (engel & Boles, 2006).
A simplistic model (ideal Joule-Brayton cycle) was used to analyse the gas turbine
generator. In reality however, the actual gas turbine cycle varies from the ideal JouleBrayton cycle. Firstly, there are pressure drops during the heat addition process.
Secondly, the work input to the compressor is greater and the actual work output of
the turbine is lower; this is due to irreversibilities. In order to include irreversibilities
in the model, the isentropic efficiencies of the turbine and compressor is required.
Irreversibilities also contribute to increasing the back work ratio as more compressor
work is required while lower turbine work is produced. Finally, the heat addition
process is not adiabatic and hence some energy losses are to be expected in the
combustion chamber. These are other variations between the actual gas turbine cycle
and the idealized one; however, these are the main ones.
Gas turbines generators in general have low efficiencies; however there are various
approaches that can be used to improve the cycles efficiency. These approaches are
concentrated in three areas:
I.

Improvement of the efficiencies of the turbomachinery component to increase

isentropic efficiencies.

II.

Increasing the turbine inlet temperature (while air cooling is present) can be
done by increasing the combustion temperature to be higher to compensate
for the cooling effect of the cooling air. However, an increase in the
combustion temperature increases the amount of NO2 which is harmful to the
environment.
30

In lieu, steam can be used as a coolant instead of air, which allows for the
turbine inlet temperature to increase by 110 without an increase in the
combustion temperature (engel & Boles, 2006).
In addition, steam is also known to be a more effective heat transfer medium
than air. Other thoughts such as the maximum temperature that the turbine
blades can withstand should be taken into consideration.
III.

Adding modification such as intercooling, regeneration and reheating to the

basic cycle to increase the overall efficiency. However, the increased
efficiency comes at a higher financial cost.

4.1

HRSG Discussion

In HRSG system, the gas temperature leaving the system, determines the amount of
energy recovered from the flue gas stream, in other words, it indicates the efficiency
of the system. Hence a lot of effort is made in order to lower this temperature as
much as possible whilst taking into consideration, the cost effectiveness and low
temperature corrosion concerns.
Pinch point and approach point temperatures are two main criteria in HRSG
design. Having a lower pinch point and approach point temperature, increases the
efficiency due to the larger surface area exposed in the evaporator and economizer;
however this also increases the cost. On the other hand, a large value for the
aforesaid variables decreases the amount of energy recovered.
There are a few options to improve the efficiency of a HRSG. The ideal option varies
from case to case based on plant operating period, cost of fuel, electricity and initial
investment cost. These options are as follows:

Multiple pressure steam generation.

Optimizing arrangement of heating surfaces.

Auxiliary firing.

Use of secondary surfaces such as condensate heater, de-aerator or heat

exchanger.

Using low pinch and approach points for the HRSG evaporator.

31

4.2

Lithium Bromide Absorption Chiller Discussion

As only a simple temperature analysis was done on the lithium bromide absorption
chiller, the results may deviate a lot from the actual. This is especially true when
irreversibilities

are

taken

into

account.

When

comparing

the

of the absorption chiller to the one in UTP, the results are somewhat similar.
However, the aforesaid statement is based on the theoretical coefficient of
performance and hence does not include irreversibilities. More information about the
absorption chiller in UTP is required to carry out a thorough calculation to obtain
accurate results. In addition, the additional information can also be used to confirm
the validity of the results that was obtained by using ratios. Generally speaking, the
coefficient of performance should be less than unity.
Absorption chillers perform best when the heat source can supply heat at high
temperatures. The cooling capacity is decreases drastically with lower source
temperatures, about 12.5% for each 6 drop in the source temperature (engel &
Boles, 2006). To increase the efficiency of absorption chillers, a double effect or
a triple effect (under development) absorption chiller can be used. They double
effect chiller differs from the single effect chiller in that there are two
condensers and two generators to allow for greater refrigerant to vaporize from
the absorbent solution.

32

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION
5.0

Conclusion

In this project a trigeneration system, which includes a gas turbine generator, a

HRSG and an absorption chiller was analysed. The output (exhaust flue gas) of the 5
MW gas turbine generator was used in the HRSG to heat up the water. The output of
the HRSG, which is high pressure and high temperature steam, was subsequently
used in the generator of the absorption chiller to produce chill water.
The gas turbine generator produced 8.53 MW of which 40.91% is used to run the
compressor. Hence, the net work output was reduced to 5 MW. However, in reality
the net work output is even smaller due to irreversibilities, pressure drops, heat loss
and other factors. However, the efficiencies of the gas turbine generator can be
improved by increasing the isentropic efficiencies of the turbomachinery components,
increasing the inlet temperature of the turbine and adding modification to the cycle
such intercooling, reheating etc.
The HRSG of this project produced steam at 1.4 MPa at a rate of 3 kg/s. HRSG have
an important role in energy recovery in cogeneration systems and combined cycles.
When evaluating HRSG steam flow, the pinch and approach point temperatures
should be selected in the unfired mode. However, fired HRSGs are known to be
more efficient than unfired ones. Several options were suggested in order to improve
energy recovery in HRSG. Most of the mistakes in designing HRSG are based on
surface area alone because more surface area does not always mean greater heat
transfer in the system. Using extended surfaces with finned tubes is more desirable.
The other method to optimize the energy recovery is using the multiple pressure
steam generation particularly if high pressure steam is generated. And finally, HRSG
simulation would improve the design and enables an evaluation of plant operating
data which it would be comparable with design data.
The absorption chiller that was analyzed produced approximately 108 kg/s of chilled
water using the steam generated in the HRSG; however, not much else can be stated
without further information to validate the results. All in all, it can be stated that all
the objectives of the project were fulfilled.

33

6.0

REFERENCES

Buecker, B. (2002). In Basics of Boiler and HRSG Design. PennWell Books.

Ganapathy, V. (1996). Heat-Recovery Steam Generators: Understand the basics. In
Heat Transfer.
Ganapathy, V. (2001, December). Options for Improving the Efficiency of Heat
Recovery Steam Generators. Retrieved July 26, 2015, from Electric Energy Online:
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/show_article.php?article=14
Zactruba, J. (2009, July 13). How is the HRSG different from a fossil fuel fired
boiler?

Retrieved

July

24,

2015,

from

Bright

Hub

Engineering:

http://www.brighthubengineering.com/power-plants/42020-how-is-the-hrsgdifferent-from-a-fossil-fuel-fired-boiler/
Zactruba., J. (2010, September 20). What are the types of HRSG's? Retrieved July
25,

2015,

from

Bright

Hub

Engineering:

http://www.brighthubengineering.com/power-plants/42019-what-are-the-types-ofhrsgs/
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https://books.google.com.my/books?id=5-hSAAAAMAAJ
Willis, H. L. (2000). Distributed Power Generation: Planning and Evaluation. CRC
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34