Steam is the typical working fluid to drive turbo-generators in coal-fired power plants. It is an effective working fluid, but some of its energy is extracted in an unusable form when condensed. A Power Recovery Cycle (PRC) using a more volatile Secondary Working Fluid (SWF) added to the steam cycle could improve energy efficiency. PRCs have been applied to the flue gas and for combined cycle systems but not to traditional plant steam cycles. This paper details an analysis of adding a steam cycle PRC to a 500 MW lignite coal-fired power plant. A validated model of the plant was developed and PRCs using the three most attractive SWFs, benzene, methanol and hydrazine, were then added to the model. Adding a benzene, methanol, or hydrazine steam cycle PRC will produce an additional 59, 34, and 49 MW, respectively. An AACE Class 4 factored broad capital cost estimate and comparable operating costs and revenue estimates were developed to evaluate PRC feasibility. The benzene, methanol, and hydrazine processes had 2019 Net Present Values
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.