CCGT Power Plant Response Analysis and Mission Planning for Deregulated Electricity Market

Due to the penetration of renewable sources of energy, Combined Cycle Gas Turbines (CCGTs) have to be operated more flexibly in a deregulated electricity market where generation, transmission, and distribution are managed by different entities. It is crucial to keep the operation and maintenance costs of the CCGTs to a minimum in order to maximize profit. A trade-off study was performed with different weather scenarios to see which operational variable of the plant had the major impact on the overall profit. Results show that base load and heat rate has the most significant effect on maximizing profit. An interactive parametric environment was created to support visualizing the trade study results. This tool can help the operator decide how to operate the plant efficiently in order to gain the maximum profit.