Optimization of a CHP Plant
Tomas Öberg
NAmiICS Newsletter #17, April 1998.

Abstract
An environmental charge on emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) has created a strong incentive for optimization of many combustion plants in Sweden. We have successfully used experimental designs, sequential and simultaneous, as tools in this work. This assignment was to optimize a 100 MW combined heat and power (CHP) plant burning a mixture of bio fuel and oil. The CHP plant was equipped with low-NO_x burners and the emission level of NO_x was 85-95 mg/MJ. The effects of 9 control variables were evaluated with linear screening designs and four variables were selected for further optimization. We calculated the optimization trials using the modified simplex method. 16 trials were required to cut the NOx-emission down to 60-65 mg/MJ while maintaining good combustion conditions.