Mid Sweden University

This project has been executed as an assignment by Sundsvall Energi AB with the purpose of increasing the efficiency of the flue gas condenser by cooling the incoming district heating return before the flue gas condensing exchanger. The flue gas condenser is part of the heat production. The first production unit is the waste boiler where the steam can be distributed between production of electricity and heat production, depending on how large the costumers needs of electricity and heat are. When the customers’ needs are less than Korstaverkets maximum production, an addition of heat from the flue gas condenser means that a larger portion of the steam can go to the turbine and increase the production of electricity. When the customer’s needs are larger than Korstaverkets maximum capacity, a contribution from the flue gas condenser means that Korstaverket can purchase less heat from SCA (Ostrand and Ortviken). The benefit of cooling the district heating return is that more heat and electricity can be produced.

In the early stages of the project, literature and the Internet were used to get a basic understanding of the assignment. The supervisor and the staff at Korsta have given drawings and data of the power plant process, and also given advice regarding the process. Product data sheets from suppliers have been used for doing calculations and for getting information about the construction. Scientific articles and literature were used to get facts and formulas. The study has shown that the additional cooling of the district heating return has contributed to an increased efficiency of the flue gas condenser, from 0.9 % with an average flow of the deionized water to 17.2 % with a maximum flow of the deionized water. 

The exam work has shown how complicated an energy system can be. The process can be more complicated then what the drawings show, because a profitable solution in one part of the process can lead to deterioration in another part of the process. The calculations show that the major factor that’s influencing the cooling is the deionized waters flow into the new heat exchanger. The repayment period can get short. High flows generate a profit after only a couple of months, while low flows of 1 liter/second take up to 3.5 years with KE Therms brazed heat exchangers and 2.5 years with Tranters gasketed heat exchangers.