TY - JOUR TI - Themoeconomic optimization of triple pressure heat recovery steam generator operating parameters for combined cycle plants AU - Mohammd Mohammed S AU - Petrović Milan V JN - Thermal Science PY - 2015 VL - 19 IS - 2 SP - 447 EP - 460 PT - Article AB - The aim of this work is to develop a method for optimization of operating parameters of a triple pressure heat recovery steam generator. Two types of optimization: (a) thermodynamic and (b) thermoeconomic were preformed. The purpose of the thermodynamic optimization is to maximize the efficiency of the plant. The selected objective for this purpose is minimization of the exergy destruction in the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The purpose of the thermoeconomic optimization is to decrease the production cost of electricity. Here, the total annual cost of HRSG, defined as a sum of annual values of the capital costs and the cost of the exergy destruction, is selected as the objective function. The optimal values of the most influencing variables are obtained by minimizing the objective function while satisfying a group of constraints. The optimization algorithm is developed and tested on a case of CCGT plant with complex configuration. Six operating parameters were subject of optimization: pressures and pinch point temperatures of every three (high, intermediate and low pressure) steam stream in the HRSG. The influence of these variables on the objective function and production cost are investigated in detail. The differences between results of thermodynamic and the thermoeconomic optimization are discussed.