Optimization of turbogenerator performance by means of steam expansion adiabatic efficiency analysis

Increasing the efficiency of energy production by optimization of energetic sets is current interest of all energy producing companies. There are several ways how to perform analysis of such sets, with exergetic analysis being the most popular and most frequently used. For the purpose of investigation of steam expansion in a turbogenerator, the exergetic analysis transforms in steam expansion adiabatic efficiency study. However, this analysis is omitted very frequently and steam consumption diagram together with specific energy production per unit of mass of steam are used by engineers instead. In this paper we demonstrate, how important the steam expansion adiabatic efficiency analysis is in evaluation of energy transformation in a turbogenerator. Furthermore, we show that only by combining those tools one can examine the steam expansion correctly in order to optimise the energy output of the whole set. To test this approach, an energetic set in an industrial company in Slovakia has been subjected to steam expansion adiabatic efficiency study. This paper sums up its description, analysis and discussion of results in the light of verification of our approach to optimization.