SmartOP^SM Plant/Fleet Optimization

SmartBurn^® SmartOP^SM Plant/Fleet Optimization Services

SmartBurn has a practical, economic and proven approach to optimize combustion in coal-fired boilers. The SmartBurn approach integrates science and technology to analyze and re-engineer boilers to resolve issues that impact unit operation, thereby providing the necessary flexibility to improve boiler and unit performance. Our proprietary technology combined with our substantial operating experience provide the foundation necessary to support our clients in achieving sustained performance and emissions control across the load range.

We call this process SmartOP^SM.

What is SmartOP^SM?

SmartOP^SM is a service process to improve and sustain power plant operations. It is the fusion of data analytics, technical expertise and advanced CFD modeling, and intelligent process control and optimization.

The SmartOP^SM service includes a series of technical consulting and research tasks which improve combustion processes in the burners, furnace and boiler. SmartOP^SM integrates first-principle models, data analytics, unit testing and tuning and expert field experience (including plant engineers, experienced operators and SmartBurn experts) and other services to improve combustion processes in burners, furnaces and boilers. The process:

• Data analytics
• Baseline characterization testing and assessment
• Combustion tuning and optimization with existing equipment (which may also be used for MATS Tune-ups) Performance improvement
• Improve boiler efficiency and thermal performance across the load range
• Turndown improvement
• Ramp rate and regulation improvement
• Reduce LOI
• Reduce slagging and fouling
• Emission reduction with existing equipment
  • Improve compliance with emissions regulations
  • NOx emissions reduction while maintaining CO and steam temperature
  • RRI/SNCR or SCR performance optimization / modification to reduce urea or ammonia and catalyst costs
• Technical support for capital project planning when plant upgrades are required

The optimization and control algorithms and logic developed as part of SmartOP^SM can then be implemented in a robust, advanced real time platform.

Why Is SmartOP^SM Needed Now?

SmartOP^SM is intended to help power plants respond to a more challenging operating environment.

Changing Power Markets:

Many plants are expected to operate differently from their original design:

• Fuel switching from design to lower cost fuels
• Intermittent renewable energy & lower cost natural gas compresses dark spreads and incentivizes faster, more frequent ramping & deeper turndown
• Emissions regulations require units operated optimally with much less process tolerance than before. Back end air pollution control systems often restrict operations flexibility – sometimes to less economic ranges

Operational Complexity:

Power plants are often much more challenging to operate:

• Plant economics, supercritical design and air pollution control system complexity require optimization of multiple objectives in real time markets
• Maximum capacity, reliable turndown, ramp rate, steam temperatures, heat rate, slagging and fouling, environmental regulations (NOx, CO, mercury, opacity, cooling water)

Need for Intelligent Power Plant Process Control and Optimization:

Sophisticated power plant systems, power markets and reduced staffing increase the need for intelligent process control:

• Complex real-time process adjustments are needed to maintain a coal-fired boiler and sub-systems in desired ranges
• Difficult, at best, to manually implement economically and technically optimum process adjustments either by unit operators or by outside field experts
• Data analytics, advanced CFD modeling, machine learning or other control tools and human technical experience can be synthesized
• Power plant performance improvement can be automated through advanced intelligent process control & optimization

Benefits:

• Operating cost reduction
• Improved market response to increase revenue
• Preserve and systematize process knowledge and experience by integrating human and machine intelligence to achieve process performance beyond the capability of either alone
• Preserve best-in-class operating expertise when senior operators retire
• Provide ongoing life cycle support committed to performance improvement
• Adapt to significant process changes with logic programming