Performance Analysis of BTPS (NTPC) Thermal Power Plant

Current scenario depicts that the rate at which the demand for power is increasing, is significantly higher than the rate at which it is being generated. The increasing demand for power has made the area of power plants of prime concern. Boiler is the lifeline of a thermal power plant, as the chemical energy of fuel (content in coal) is converted into heat energy in a boiler, so the efficiency of boiler directly affects the overall efficiency of the plant. Gradually with the passage of time, performance of boilers deteriorate due to several factors like fouling, poor operation, maintenance etc. So it becomes necessary to calculate the boiler's performance from time to time, to improve the overall plant performance.This paper is concerned with calculating the efficiency of boiler as one of the most prominent types of performance measurement in any steam power plant. The heat rate of a conventional coal fired power plant is a measure of how efficiently the plant is able to convert the chemical energy contained in the fuel into electrical energy. Heat rate is expressed in terms of Kcal/KWh. The objective of monitoring the performance of a boiler is to control the heat rate of the plant. This paper deals with the calculation of operating efficiency of Boiler and its major losses to evaluate the overall performance of BadarpurThermal Power Station (NTPC) Badarpur 210 MW unit in India.