• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.161-172
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• 2023

Coal-fired power plants handle large quantities of coal, one of the most prominent NORM, and the coal ash produced after the coal is burned can be tens of times more radioactive than the coal. Workers in these industries may be exposed to internal exposure by inhalation of particles while handling NORM. This study evaluated the size, concentration, particle shape and density, and radioactivity concentrations of airborne suspended particles in the main processes of a coal-fired power plant. Finally, the internal radiation dose to workers from particle inhalation was evaluated. For this purpose, airborne particles were collected by size using a multi-stage particle collector to determine the size, shape, and concentration of particles. Samples of coal and coal ash were collected to measure the density and radioactivity of particles. The dose conversion factor and annual radionuclide inhalation amount were derived based on the characteristics of the particles. Finally, the internal radiation dose due to particle inhalation was evaluated. Overall, the internal radiation dose to workers in the main processes of coalfired power plants A and B ranged from 1.47×10^-5~1.12×10^-3 mSv y^-1. Due to the effect of dust generated during loading operations, the internal radiation dose of fly ash loading processes in both coal-fired power plants A and B was higher than that of other processes. In the case of workers in the coal storage yard at power plants A and B, the characteristic values such as particle size, airborne concentration, and working time were the same, but due to the difference in radioactivity concentration and density depending on the origin of the coal, the internal radiation dose by origin was different, and the highest was found when inhaling coal imported from Australia among the five origins. In addition, the main nuclide contributing the most to the internal radiation dose from the main processes in the coal-fired power plants was thorium due to differences in dose conversion factors. However, considering the external radiation dose of workers in coal-fired power plants presented in overseas research cases, the annual effective dose of workers in the main processes of power plants A and B does not exceed 1mSv y^-1, which is the dose limit for the general public notified by the Nuclear Safety Act. The results of this study can be utilized to identify the internal exposure levels of workers in domestic coal-fired power plants and will contribute to the establishment of a data base for a differential safety management system for NORM-handling industries in the future.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.270-279
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• 2000

Recently, according to increase in the requirement of electric power, a thermoelectric power plant equipped with pulverized coal combustion system is highly valued, because coal has abundant deposits and a low price compared with others. For efficient use of coal fuel, most of plant makers are studying to improve combustion performance and flame stability, and reduce pollutants emission. One of these studies is how to control the profile of particle injection and velocity dependant on coal nozzle configuration. Basically, nozzle which has mixed flow of gas and particle is required to have the balanced coal concentration at exit, but it is very difficult to obtain that by itself without help of other device. In this study, coal distribution and pressure drop in gas-solid flow are calculated by numerical method in nozzle with various shapes of venturi diffuser as a means to get even coal particle distribution. The tentative correlations of pressure drop and exit coal distribution are deduced as function of the height, length and reducing angle of venturi from the calculated results. When coal hurner nozzle is designed, these equations are very useful to optimize the shape of venturi which minimize uneven particle distribution and pressure drop within coal nozzle.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2022

In korea, 500MW standard coal fired power plants were designed and operated for the initial base load, so facility stability was prioritized from facility problem to treatment, but now we needed to research for minimizing greehouse gas emissions at the operation of coal fired power plants. research on various facilities and technologies was actively conducted to reduce environment pollutants was drastically reduced, but research and attempts on coping measures in the event of a reduction facility problem were in sufficient. this study considered investigated ways to minimized pollutants by quickly responding to logic development and application of the load runback concept in case of serious problems with environmental pollutant reduction facilities such as NOx reduction selective catalytic reduction facilities, SOx reduction wet flue gas desulpherisation facilities, and TSP(Total Suspended Particles) collection low temperature electric precipitator.

• KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.121-125
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• 2015

Distribution of rare earth metals (REMs) and rare valuable metals (RVMs) contents in coal ashes (fly ash, bottom ash, and pond ash) and leachate from 11 coal-fired power plants in Korea were investigated. Coal ashes and leachates were found to contain important REMs and RVMs such as Yttrium (Y) and Neodymium (Nd), which was in the range of 23~75 mg/kg. However, it still requires developing effective recovery and separation methods in order to utilize REMs and RVMs in ash and leachate. Recovery of valuable elements (Y and Nd) from various and extensive ash sources (8.21 million tons/year in 2013) can provide the existing power plants with additional profit; therefore, it can significantly improve economics of the power plants.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.18-31
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• 1989

To analyze the impact of air pollution control on electricity generation cost, a computer program was developed. POGEN calculates levelized discounted power generation cost including additional air pollution control cost for coal power plant. Pollution subprogram calculates total capital and variable costs using governing equations for flue gas control. The costs are used as additional input for levelized discounted power generation cost subprogram. Pollution output for Rue Gas Desulphurization direct cost was verified using published cost data of well experienced industrialized countries. The power generation costs for the year 2001 were estimated by POGEN for three different regulatory scenarios imposed on coal power plant, and by levelized discounted power generation cost subprogram for nuclear power. Because of uncertainty expected in input variables for future plants, sensitivity and uncertainty analysis were made to check the importance and uncertainty propagation of the input variables using Latin Hypercube Sampling and Multiple Least Square method. Most sensitive parameter for levelized discounted power generation cost is discount rate for both nuclear and coal. The control cost for flue gas alone reaches additional 9-11 mills/kWh with standard deviation less than 1.3 mills/kWh. This cost will be nearly 20% of power generation cost and 40% of one GW capacity coal power plant investment cost. With 90% confidence, the generation cost of nuclear power plant will be 32.6-51.9 mills/kWh, and for the coal power plant it will be 45.5-50.5 mills/kWh. Nuclear is favorable with 95% confidence under stringent future regulatory requirement in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.65-73
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• 2004

The bolier systems of coal fired power plants are large, non-linear systems with numerous interactions between its component parts. In the analysis of such complex systems, dynamic simulation is recognized as a powerful method of keeping track of the myriad of interactions. The boiler system consists of air/gas system and water/steam system. Due to recent reinforcement of environmental regulation on pollutant discharge and requirements of design validation on properites of boiler, the commercial programs are used for the analysis of boiler system. This paper addressed to the development of model using MMS(Modular Modeling System) developed by EPRI(Electric Power Research Institute) as the simulation tool. The developed model using MMS is tested for the design and local data on boiler combustion system of korea standard coal fired power plant boiler. The simulation results show that the developed model well reproduces responses of the combustion system with less than ${\pm}$5% error under steady state and transient state conditions. The developed model for analysis of the combustion system in this paper is general and applicable to any type of coal fired power plant.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.68-74
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• 2012

Sub-bituminous coals have been used increasingly in coal-fired power plants with a proportion of over 50% in the blend with bituminous coals. As a result, the unburned material in fly ash has increased and is causing problems in utilizing the fly ash as an additive for concrete production. In this study, analysis of fly ash obtained from a 500 MWe power plant was carried out and unburned material in the fly ash found to be soot. The coals used in the plant were analyzed with CPD model to investigate the sooting potential depending on the coal type and blending ratio.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society for Energy Engineering kosee Conference
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• 1994.11a
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• pp.68-77
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• 1994

The Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle(IGCC) power plant is one of Clean Coal Technology to meet the demand for clean and efficient electric power for the 21st century. This study is to investigate the impacts of changes in coal quality to the performances of gasification processes and IGCC plants. The selection of the most economic coal is an important attribute for the IGCC power generation technology. The performances of gasification processes was predicted, and compared with the results of Shell coal gasification demonstrantions. The IGCC performances with bituminous and sub-bituminous coal were predicted as well. It is obtained that the bituminous coal is superior to the sub-bituminous coal for IGCC power generation.

• Plant Journal
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.58-66
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• 2011

The power plant companies reached the culmination for growth in the domestic market. Besides, we have faced many challenges such as an electricity opening market trend for overseas, banning the use of coal due to the United nations framework convention on climate change, and the meticulous attention regarding the government's electricity charge plan. On the other hand, the overseas business has been a critical issue since China and many other developing countries expanded their projects abroad. Another factor is that power plant industry is being privatized, and it made the market regulation a bit loose. Thus, the market environment became favorable toward those companies which planned many overseas businesses. In this research, the power plant company's current condition for construction and operation as well as its technical competitiveness were analyzed, and an alternative plan using SWOT analysis for entering an oversea market was made. It dealt with both internal and external factors. Also, examined was the current situation under the power plant industry dealing with restructure for electric industry, lack of fossil fuel, and the United nations framework convention on climate change. From the research, it was suggested that many successful strategies to enter the overseas business by using the market trend I researched.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2008.07a
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• pp.1817-1818
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• 2008

Even though efficiency of coal-fired power plant is proportional to operating temperature, increasement of operating temperature is limited by a technological level of each power plant components. It is an alternative plan to increase operating pressure up to ultra super critical point for efficiency enhancement. It is difficult to control in that pressure within safety guideline that many unexpected phenomena are happen because that region is highly nonlinear region. In this paper, Advanced process control algorithm, ARX and Fuzzifier, is introduced. Then power plant control logics applied Unit Step Optimizer, which is combination of ARX and Fuzzifier are proposed. Its performance is tested and analyzed with design guide line.