Performance analysis of 200 MW solar coal hybrid power generation system for transitioning to a low carbon energy future

Many researchers related to the power engineering have studied different innovative approaches to increase the operating performance of the power plants with regard to coal consumption and environmental impacts reduction. Solar coal hybrid power generation (SCHPG) system is one of the good approaches for improving operating performance and ecological indices in the short and midterm. The operating performance and ecological indices of 200 MW coal-fired thermal power plant could be improved by integrating a parabolic trough collector (PTC) solar field. The numerical simulation is performed using IPSEpro software based on the heat balance method in the design and off-design mode. In this paper, the first high-pressure heater (HPH-1) is replaced by PTC solar field with an aperture area of 35970 m² in the aim of preheating the feedwater and achieving continuous and stable power generation. Simulated results show that the operating performance of SCHPG system achieved a design-point value in the summer season. Due to the DNI value and incidence angle, the low value of the operating performance occurred in the winter season. In the design-point condition, a decline in fuel consumption of 4.15 tons per hour and an increase in power output of 7.4 MW per hour are caused by fuel-saving and power-boosting operating modes. Moreover, specific equivalent coal consumption was reduced by 2.91% compared to the reference power plant. The annual reduction of coal consumption and CO₂ emission was estimated at 9910 and 11,000 tons, respectively. This paper revealed that the SCHPG system can significantly contribute to the protection of the environment and the reduction of the mitigation of climate change.