Innovative Research Development & Challenges in Engineering Technology

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A Review on Power generation by Ultra-Supercritical Technology

Anurag Pandey
Department of Electrical Engineering, JK Lakshmipat University
anuragpandey.aec@gmail.com

Abstract Environment friendly and economical power

generation is of paramount importance to cope with the
challenges imposed by an increasing demand of energy
throughout the world. Main contributions to the cost of
electricity are investment cost and fuel cost. The efficiency of the
power plant as one key value affects both the fuel costs and CO 2
emitted to the environment. As coal is more generous in many
parts of the world, coal prices are less volatile and more stable
than natural gas prices. But larger CO2 emissions increase the
need for more efficient coal-based power generation. Ultra
supercritical (USC) steam power plants meet notably the
requirements for high efficiencies to reduce both fuel costs and
emissions as well as for a reliable supply of electrical energy at
low cost. Performance enhancing technology is being applied to
turbine buckets, nozzles and seals.

I. INTRODUCTION
A thermal power station is a power plant in which the
prime mover is steam driven. Water is heated, turns into
steam and rotates a steam turbine which drives an electrical
generator. After it passes through the turbine, the steam is
condensed in a condenser and recycled to where it was
heated; this is known as a Rankine cycle. The energy
efficiency of a conventional thermal power station,
considered as salable energy as a percent of the heating
value of the fuel consumed, is typically 33% to 48%. This
efficiency is limited as all heat engines are governed by the
laws of thermodynamics. The rest of the energy must leave
the plant in the form of heat. This waste heat can go
through a condenser and be disposed of with cooling water
or in cooling towers. If the waste heat is instead utilized for
district heating, it is called co-generation.

Figure 1: Layout of thermal power plant

Since the Efficiency of the plant is fundamentally limited by
the ratio of the absolute temperatures of the steam at turbine
input and output, efficiency improvements require use of a
higher fossil fuel steam generator includes an economizer, a
steam drum, and the furnace with its steam generating tubes
and super heater coils. Necessary safety valves are located at
suitable points to avoid excessive boiler pressure. The air and
flue gas path equipment include: forced draft (FD) fan, Air
Preheater (AP), boiler furnace, induced draft (ID) fan, fly ash
collectors (electrostatic precipitator or bag house) and the flue
gas stack.
(A) Ultra-supercritical generation:Ultra-supercritical (USC) steam generation represents an
increase in steam cycle efficiency. A USC unit operates above
supercritical pressure and at advanced steam temperatures
above 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (593Error: Reference source
not found), resulting in a more efficient steam cycle. This
increase efficiency reduces fuel consumption, reagent
consumption, solid waste, water use and operating costs.
(B) Supercritical technology:A subcritical steam generation unit operates at pressures such
that water boils first and then is converted to superheated
steam. At supercritical pressures, water is heated to produce
superheated steam without boiling. Due to the improve
thermodynamics of expanding higher pressure and
temperature steam through the turbine, a supercritical steam
generating unit is more efficient than a subcritical unit.
II. LATEST TECH. IN THERMAL POWER PLANT
Super thermal power plant: Supercritical technology
adopted, Supercritical is a thermodynamic expression
describing the state of a substance where there is no
clear Distinction between the liquid and the gaseous
phase (i.e. They are a homogenous fluid).

Innovative Research Development & Challenges in Engineering Technology

Organized by Jaipur Institute of Tchnology Group of Institutions
Near Mahindra SEZ, Kalwara, Ajmer Road Jaipur
Figure 2: Supercritical parameters
IV. Steam Generation in Natural Circulation and
Water reaches this state at a pressure above around 220 Kg
once through boiler
2
Bar (225.56 Kg / cm ) and Temperature = 374.15 C. In
Addition, there is no surface tension in a supercritical fluid,
as there is no liquid/gas phase boundary.
New material support USE technology:
Today, recently-developed chrome and nickel-based super
alloys are used in the components of the steam generator,
turbine and piping system that are exposed to high
temperature steam. The new metals can perform under these
prolonged high temperature operating conditions, rendering
USE no longer a goal, but a practical design basis.
III. Evaluation

of Ultra Super Critical Technology

The history of steam turbine development is an evolutionary

advancement toward greater power density and efficiency.
Improvements in the power density of steam turbines have
been driven largely by the development of improved rotor
and bucket alloys as well as improvements in the design and
analysis of the attachment devices for the vanes. This has
increased the allowable stresses and enabling the construction
of longer last stage buckets for increased exhaust area per
exhaust flow.
Increases in efficiency have been achieved largely through
two kinds of advancements: (1) improving expansion
efficiency by reducing aerodynamic and leakage losses as the
steam expands through the turbine; and (2) improving the
thermodynamic efficiency by increasing the temperature and
pressure at which heat is added to the power cycle. The latter
improvement is the core of USC technology. The design of
the Ultra Super Critical steam turbine for the present
development will incorporate the new technologies, which
consist of:
(i) Improvement of in the power density of steam turbines
such as;
Increased number of stages
Decreased inner ring diameter
Optimized stage reaction levels
Optimized Stage energy levels

Up to an operating pressure of around 190Kg Bar in the

Evaporator part of the boiler, the cycle is Sub-Critical. In this
case a drum-type boiler is used because the steam needs to be
separated from water in the drum of the boiler before it is
superheated and led into the turbine above an operating
pressure of 220Kg Bar in the evaporator part of the Boiler,
the cycle is Supercritical. The cycle medium is a single phase
fluid with homogeneous properties and there is no need to
separate steam from water in a drum.
Thus, the drum of the drum-type boiler which is very heavy
and located on the top of the boiler can be eliminated Once
through boilers are therefore used in supercritical cycles.
Advanced Steel types must be used for components such as
the boiler and the live steam and hot reheat steam piping that
are in direct contact with steam under elevated conditions.
V. Improved Efficiencies

and Environment
Performance

USE technology is the most efficient steam cycle available

today. With efficiencies in the 39-40 percent range
(approximately 39-40 percent of the thermal energy in the
fuel comes out as electric power), USC technology requires
less fuel than other coal-fired processes to produce the same
amount of electricity.
This efficiency touches many aspects of the plants
operations. Reduce fuel requirements also mean: Reduced
emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide(NOx),
mercury(Hg), carbon dioxide(CO2) and particulate (PM-10);
Reduced production of solid waste products such as fly ash;
and Reduced requirements for commodities used in
environmental control equipment such as activated carbon
and ammonia.
In addition to improved environmental performance due to
reduce coal use, USE technology, paired with state-of art
emission control technologies-selective catalytic reduction
system for NOx reduction, dry flue gas desulfurization
system for SO2 reduction, pulse jet fabric filter (baghouse)
technology for particulate removal and activated carbon
injection to reduce Hg emission in the world.

(ii) Mechanical design elements including:

Advanced sealing
Integral cover bucket (ICB)
Full Arc, hook diaphragm 1st stage
Advanced cooling scheme
(iii) Improved HP/IP/LP shell design
(iv) Advanced LP design

Table 1: - Emission Comparison SubBituminous Coal (Data taken from AEP

report)
Emission Ultra SC
SO2

0.91

Supercritical

IGCC

Subcritical

0.97 lb/MWh

0.55

0.99 lb/MWh

Innovative Research Development & Challenges in Engineering Technology

Organized by Jaipur Institute of Tchnology Group of Institutions
Near Mahindra SEZ, Kalwara, Ajmer Road Jaipur
lb/MWh

lb/MWh

NOx

0.64
lb/MWh

0.68 lb/MWh

0.65
lb/MWh

0.70 lb/MWh

PM-10

0.14
lb/MWh

0.15 lb/MWh

0.09
lb/MWh

0.15lb/MWh

CO2

0.97
T/MWh

1.03 T/MWh

0.99
T/MWh

1.06T/MWh

VI. Advantages

of Supercritical Technology

1. Techno-economic benefits along with its environment

friendly cleaner technology; more and new power plants are
coming-up with this state-of-the-art technology.
2. As environment legislations are becoming more stringent,
adopting this cleaner technology have benefited immensely in
all respect.
3. By raising the temperature from 580C to760C and the
pressure out of the high pressure feed-water pump from 33
MPa to 42 MPa, the thermal efficiency improves by about
4%.
4. LHV (lower heating value) is improved (from 40% to more
than 45%); One percent increase in efficiency reduces by two
percent, specific emissions such as CO2, NOx, SOx and
particulate matters.
Conclusion:Consuming less coal for generates or produce energy will
helpful for decreasing the cost of electricity. Generation of
electricity with ultra supercritical technology will help to
meet the maximum condition of fulfillment of electricity
because the bulk of power generation, about 75%, is by
thermal power stations, improvement in their performance
would lead to increased availability and large scale energy
conservation.

References:1. Hans H. Poulsen,Advantages of Ultra Super Critical

Technology in Power Generation, International Conference
on Clean Coal Technologies for our Future CCT2005,
Sardinia, Italy 10-12 May 2005

2. M. Boss, T. Gadoury, S. Feeny, M. Montgomery Recent

Advances in Ultra Super Critical Steam Turbine
Technology, GE Energy, Steam Turbine Technology 1 River
Road, Schenectady, NY 12345
3.
P.Srinivasarao, Dr. P. Ravinder Reddy,
Dr.K.Vijaya Kumar Reddy, Advance Power
Plant Technologies and Steam Cycle for
Super Critical Application, International
Journal
of
Scientific
and
Research
Publications, Volume 2, Issue 9, September
2012 1 ISSN 2250-3153 www.ijsrp.org
4. WILLIAML. SIGMON, The Lure of UltraSupercritical Exploring the Future of CoalBurning, American electric power energy
biz.

Material
available
www.energycentral.com
5.

on

site

6. Materials for Ultra Supercritical Fossil Power Plants TR114750 Final Report, March 2000
7. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercritical steam generator
8. Tim Riordan, Manager New Generation Design & Eng.,
New Generation Strategy Ultra-Supercritical Technology,
(AEP Report)