In order to deal with power output fluctuations caused by the increase in renewable energy, gas turbines for power generation are required to handle high ramp rates more than ever before. To enable high ramp rates, it is essential to achieve stable combustion under transient conditions and to improve controllability of the power output and turbine inlet temperature. In addition, keeping the turbine inlet temperature high even during transient conditions enables higher efficiency and lower CO2 emissions. To realize these goals, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has developed a next-generation gas turbine control that combines a turbine inlet temperature estimation method based on a physical model and model predictive control that performs anticipatory control. This report outlines this technology and describes its verification status at our power plant validation facility.
