THERMAL ANALYSIS OF THE ISCC POWER PLANT IN KURAYMAT, EGYPT

Abstract

Integrated Solar Combined-Cycle (ISCC) technology combines the benefits of solar energy with the benefits of a combined cycle. The solar resource partially substitutes the fossil fuel. In this paper, a thermodynamic exergy analysis of the integrated solar combined cycle power plant in Egypt was implemented. The data is taken from the design documentations of the plant as well as the plant records. Exergy-based performance analysis based on the second law of thermodynamics overcomes the limit of studying the system based on the first law of thermodynamics. It assesses the magnitude of exergy destruction in each part of the system. The plant is a 135 MWe hybrid power plant composed of a combined cycle and a 20 MWe solar thermal plant. Exergy destruction throughout the plant is quantified and illustrated using an exergy flow diagram. The exergitic efficiency of each component of the ISCC is calculated. The results showed that the overall thermal efficiency and the 2 nd law efficiency of the ISCC accounted for 32% and 40.8%, respectively. Also, it was revealed that the combustion chamber and the solar field represent the sites of the highest exergy destruction in the ISCC (34 % and 42.1% respectively). The sources of the exergy destruction in the combustion chamber and the solar field are discussed in order to identify the possibility to enhance the performance of the components of major exergy destruction.