Application of Power Electronic Technology

in Optimizing the Operation of Thermal Power Plants

Wensheng Zhao, Tao Zhang, and Xuefeng Tang

North China Electric Power University, 071003 Baoding, China

452134234@qq.com, zhaowens@sina.com

Abstract. Rationally fixing operation optimization target values of thermal

power units is the precondition and also forms the basis for effectuating
performance evaluation and operation optimization. It therefore is vital for
optimizing the operation of power plants. Actual states of operation of thermal
power units can often not be correctly reflected by optimization target values
determined with traditional methods. A way of operation optimization of thermal
power units is proposed by applying power electronic technology for making full
use of the large amount of historical data stored in power plants. The
optimization target of thermal power units operation is found by applying power
electronic technology mining algorithm. As a practical example optimal values
for all modes of operation of a certain 300MW power set are found which may be
used for guiding targets of fossil fired power plants can raise the power sets
efficiency and reduce the emission of contaminants.

Keywords: data mining, power electronic technology, fuzzy association rules,

operation optimization target, energy saving.

1 Introduction

With the development of information technology, power enterprises have

accumulated a lot of historical data from the thermal power units of thermal system
operating data to find the knowledge and means to improve system operation and
optimize the production process. It is of great significance and value. Electricity
production volume, high-dimensional and strong coupling is the essential features of
production data. So traditional methods is difficult to find and summarize the
knowledge implied in these data. In this paper, data mining techniques to introduce
thermal power plant optimization process, the optimization target value method based
on fuzzy association rules. Using data mining technology is a powerful data analysis
and knowledge discovery capabilities, through the analysis of deep-seated historical
data to determine the power plant operation to optimize the target to guide the
operation. The optimization of data mining technique to determine the target value in
the actual operation on the basis of the existing equipment. It can be achieved by
operation adjustment . Compared with traditional method, it is reasonable accuracy
and operability.

D. Jin and S. Lin (Eds.): Advances in Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, LNEE 177, pp. 409413.
springerlink.com Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012
410 W. Zhao,T. Zhang, and X. Tang

2 The Data Mining Algorithm

Association rule mining in data mining is a very important research topic, and its focus
on the association among the different data. In 1993 R.Agrawal was put forward based
on the two phase frequency set theory of recursive method Boolean type algorithm for
mining association rules---Apriori algorithm. It can be seen as a numeric association
rules mining based and a special case. This paper will fuzzy association rules mining
into power station optimization process, is put forward based on fuzzy association rules
mining coal plants operation optimization method to determine the target, avoid the
traditional numeric association rules mining border demarcation of excellent
shortcomings. Specific mining algorithm are described below:
Affairs databases is showed as table 1:

Table 1.

a1 a2 am
t1 d11 d12 d1m

t2 d21 d22 d2m

tn dn1 dn2 dnm

Table 1 shows is that a typical affairs database D = {t1, t2,... , tn}, including ti (1in)
means that it is i-th in the database of D; Database attribute sets A = {a1, a2,... , am},
including attribute ak (1km.) means that it is k-th attribute; di,k for data item means
that it is the k-th attribute value of the i-th affairs.
Introducing the concept of fuzzy sets ak(1km) attribute from A = {a1, a2,... , am}is
divided into several fuzzy sets according toexpert knowledge:ak={ak1,ak2,,akp} (p>0),
and its appropriate membership function is Fak = {fak1, fak2,... , fakp}. Therefore, convert
affairs databases in the table 1 into the dispersed database with fuzzy attribute, as is
shown in the table 2:
Table 2.

a11a12a13a1p a21a22a23a2p am1am2amp

t1 d11 d12 d1m
t2 d21 d22 ... d2m

tn dn1 dn2 dnm

Calculating data items dij in the affair ti , dijh is considered as membership of the
fuzzy attribute ajh (j stands for the j-th fuzzy attribute set, which is the first j column; h
 Application of Power Electronic Technology in Optimizing the Operation 411

stands for the h-th attribute of this attribute set) .And dijh=fajh(dij), the results is shown in
the table 3:

Table 3. The calculation of the data membership

a11a12a13a1p a21a22a23a2p am1am2amp

t1 d111d112d11p d121d122d12p d1m1d1m2d1mp

t2 d211d212d21p d221d222d22p d2m1d2m2d2mp

tn dn11dn12dn1p dn21dn22dn2p dnm1dnm2dnmp

For a certain attribute ajh, after adding this property membership in all affairs and
divided by the total number of affairs, that is all the affairs of support for this attribute.
For example: sup. a11 = (d111 + d211 +... dn11) / n, namely to be support of the a11 for all
affairs.
Behind of the steps is the same as Apriori mining association rules mining
algorithm. Linking with frequent k-itemsets Lk (k1), it leads to be candidate (k +
1)-itemsets Ck + 1. After the calculation of support-S of every item set in the itemsets Ck
+1. Ck+1 should be sheared. Pruning includes deleting Ck+1 itemsets for support that is
less than the min_sup, deleting Ck+1 containing the infrequent subset, deleting Ck+1
itemsets including the same fuzzy attributes .
Repeating the above steps until the Lk + 1 = . And it lead to be all the frequent item
sets. Then all frequent item sets used to generate all possible association rules. Still the
rules are filtered by a standard of degree of confidence.

3 Applying Instance

Stable operating condition of historical data from the 300 MW thermal power unit is
analyzed. Considered the power supplying minimum coal consumption as the goal of
data mining, applying the fuzzy association rules mining algorithm for determining unit
operation optimization target value of important parameters to guide optimizing
operation. That is to say in each feature load interval choosing relevant with excellent
performance index of the operation parameters interval as the parameters in the
operating condition of the optimal interval, on condition that the units are operated
stably. And the rules that determine the parameters of the optimal value are obtained.
Then the experience of quantitative association rules effective certificate is used for
consumption poor analysis and guiding optimizing operation.
By analyzing the unit historical operation data of nearly three months closely related
with the power supply coal consumption rates, the data selection and data test were
used to obtain 4136 groups operation data association which used to extract rules of
extraction unit steady-state. Each sample includes each main steam pressure, main
412 W. Zhao,T. Zhang, and X. Tang

steam temperature, the reheated steam temperature, the overheating

desuperheated-water flow, and hot desuperheated-water flow, condenser water
temperature and vacuum, exhaust temperature, excess air coefficient and so on. The
characteristic parameters reflect the unit operation conditions and operating conditions.
All attributes of data set are normalized to [0, 1]. Parameter attributes are blurred, and
its membership functions are shown in the figure 1.Tthe triangular gradient and
distribution are determined by the vector domain combining with actual the
characteristics of the system. After basic data from data-set is blurred , it is considered
as input vector of fuzzy association rules mining. Provided with the minimum support
Smin = 0.3 and the minimum confidence Cmin = 0.75, the use of fuzzy association rules
mining determines unit operation optimization target value of important parameters to
guide optimizing operation.

Fig. 1. Membership function

Taking under 100% load optimization target value of excess air ratio and exhaust gas
temperature for example, it should be analyzed in detail. Blurring unit operation the
unit loads of data for (298~300MW) stable operation of the working conditions of the
recording as fuzzy association rules mining object. By means of fuzzy association rules
mining, it abtains the following strong association rules:

<Me 1> <bg,0.20,0.30> ==> <a,0.30 0.32>
0.68> (S=46C=81)
<Tg 0.64
Me stands for load, bg stands for the power supply coal consumption rate, a is excess air
coefficient and Tg is exhaust gas temperature. Its support is 46%, and its confidence is
81%. Because it meets conditions of the minimum support and minimum confidence
(SSmin; and CCmin), it is the strong association rules. This defuzzification interval is
followed:
<Me298300><b ,326,330> ==> <a,1.290,1.296>
<T 145.6147.2>(S=46,C=81)
g

The above association rule indicates that under 100% load (298~300MW) and the
power supply coal consumption is a little low (less than 328 g/kWh) condition, the
optimal value interval of excess air coefficient is 1.290 ~ 1.296, the optimal interval of
exhaust gas temperature is 145.6~147.2. The operation optimization target should be
selected in such optimal interval. And this paper takes the optimal interval center value
 Application of Power Electronic Technology in Optimizing the Operation 413

as a optimization target. So it obtains optimal value of the excess air coefficient is

1.293, the optimal value of exhaust gas temperature is 146.4 under 100% load excess.
According to the above steps, we can excavate important controlled and adjusted
parameter in the 70%, 90%, 100% and other typical load condition by means of fuzzy
association rules mining algorithm. We will obtain a group of the optimal operation
value in different conditions.

4 Conclusion

Reasonably fixing operation optimization target values of fossil fired power sets is the
precondition and also forms the basis for effectuating performance evaluation and
operation optimization. Actual states of operation of power sets can often not be
correctly coincident with optimization target values determined with traditional
methods. The application can be largely restricted. Based on the large amount of
historical data stored in power plants, the new method that application of power
electronic technology determine the optimization operation target of the fossil fired
power plant is proposed. By analyzing actual plants operation data of a certain
300MW power set, we find operation optimization target values of important
controllable parameters. And we makes use of operation optimization target values
which is confirmed to be effective to guide operation. The conclusion of experiment
indicates that based on power electronic technology of optimization target of operation
method, it can raise the power sets efficiency and reduce the supplying electric of the
coal consumption and the emission of contaminants. So it can guide optimal operation

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