Optimization of the heating load operation of large co-generation units in thermal power plant

The optimization of the heating load operation of large co-generation units in thermal power plant was described, and the evaluation method of maximizing total relative economic benefit for thermal power plant was put forward. It is shown that this method can provide objective economic benefit of district heating operation conditions, and the benefit has no relationship with the concrete energy allocation method used for heating and electricity. It is shown that under the condition of boilers full load operation the optimized heating load scheme is related to the electric power response characteristics with change of the heating steam supply for the individual cogeneration unit. An example of heating load optimization for 2 existing 330MW cogeneration units was put forward in detail. It is shown that, the electric power response characteristics with change of the heating steam supply for the individual cogeneration unit, especially the slope of the characteristic curve determines the heating load optimization results. The cogeneration unit with lower changing slope should be dispatched in higher priority.