Design and Performance Analysis of Main Steam Coupled with Electric Heating Molten Salt Energy Storage System for Coal-Fired Power Plant

This study tackles the challenge posed by the substantial growth of renewable energy installations in China's energy mix, which still predominantly relies on coal power for electricity load balancing. The study presents an innovative molten salt peak-shaving system that, when integrated with main steam and electrical heating processes, boosts the adaptability and operational performance of coal-fired power plants. Employing EBSILON software for simulation purposes, the research focuses on a 630MW supercritical power plant. The system proposed achieves decoupling between the boiler and the steam turbine, thereby increasing the flexibility and efficiency of power generation. By optimizing the steam extraction ratio and the electricity extraction ratio, the research outlines a configuration scheme that realizes the highest efficiency for the energy storage system. In summary, the study contributes by proposing a feasible solution for the integration of a high proportion of renewable energy into the power grid while ensuring the reliability of coal-fired power plants.