The Evaluation of the Power Output of a Locally-Developed Micro Thermal Power Plant in Nigeria
Abstract
The erratic supply of electricity has been a fundamental problem confronting industrial development in Nigeria. Hence, the development of off-grid indigenous thermal power plant (TPP) using local content approach has become necessary. A new prototype TPP was developed, installed, and evaluated by considering three independent factors, biomass utility (20, 25, 30 kg), steam inlet pressure (5, 7.5, 10 bar), and flow-rate (120, 195, 270 cm3/sec). The Box-Behnken design was adopted to generate seventeen runs of experiment. The experimental data were optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and validated using Desirability contour plots. The results showed that TPP generated electrical power of 1.2 kW with thermal efficiency of 51.25%. The experimental results and predicted RSM plots postulate run 9 as the optimum, with corresponding factors and responses of 25 kg, 10 bar, and 270cms-1 producing 245.5 V and 4.72 A for biomass utility, steam inlet pressure, flow-rate and voltage and current, respectively. The desirability model and plots validated RSM having variables of 25.04 kg, 10 bar, and 270 cm3/sec; 244.90 V and 4.60 A for biomass utility, steam inlet pressure, and flow rate; voltage and current, respectively at the desirability of 1.0. Thus the study establishes the possibility of developing off-grid TPP in Nigeria.
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