Dynamic characterization and predictive control of the steam-molten salt heat exchanger in charging process

The integration of molten salt heat storage offers a promising solution for enhancing the operational flexibility of coal-fired power plants. In this study, a predictive control system was developed for the molten salt charging process. The aim of the control system was to adapt promptly to variations in unit load while maintaining precise control of the molten salt temperature. The research begins with the design of heat transfer equipment specifically tailored to meet the requirements of peak load regulation. Subsequently, a dynamic model of a thermal power unit integrated with a molten salt heat storage system is established to analyze the transient characteristics of the charging process. To optimize system performance, a multi-model dynamic matrix predictive control strategy is proposed, facilitating the coordinated regulation of heat storage extraction steam and molten salt flow rates. Performance evaluations indicate maximum control deviations of 0.64 MW in load and 0.85 °C in molten salt temperature, alongside a 27.56-s reduction in load regulation time. These findings highlight that the proposed control system significantly enhances system stability and response speed, demonstrating its potential for practical engineering applications.