Steady-state and Dynamic Heat Transfer in Steam Drums of Combined Cycle Power Plants: Mathematical and Simulation Model

This chapter is focused on the simulation of the heat transfer in steam drums belonging to the heat recovery steam generator of combined cycle power plants; a mathematical model, based on the discretisation of the Fourier’s heat conduction equation, and a Matlab/Simulink simulator have been developed in order to study the heat transfer through the metal and the insulation parts of the steam drum. The simulator is characterised by short runtimes and it can be coupled with the whole plant real-time simulation model, used as observer of the actual behaviour of the power plant; then, since the main output of the simulation model is the temperature and the thermo-mechanical stress distribution in the metal part of the steam drum, the simulator can be connected with the life consumption real-time evaluation model of the combined cycle power plant.