Power Plant
Thermal Power Plant Estimator
Estimates for units from 25 MW to 1000 MW. Every result is derived from the assumptions shown — override them with actual design data for site-specific accuracy.
Estimation / reference tool
Mode 1: MW → Parameters
Mode 2: Fuel → Generation
Mode 3: Flexible Estimator (partial inputs)
Mode 4: Flow Calculator
Mode 5: Boiler Efficiency (Indirect)
Enter inputs and calculate to see results.
About This Calculation
This estimator builds a first-pass heat balance for a coal- or gas-fired thermal power plant from a handful of high-level inputs — plant type (subcritical/supercritical/ultra-supercritical), unit rating, and fuel properties — and works out steam conditions, boiler duty, turbine cycle efficiency, and net heat rate using real IAPWS-IF97 steam properties rather than a simplified textbook approximation. It exists to answer the question every early-stage project asks: “what heat rate and fuel consumption should we expect from a plant of this size and this steam class?” before a full thermal design study exists. It is a planning-stage estimator, not a substitute for the OEM's guaranteed heat balance diagram — real plants add feedwater heater trains, reheat cycles, and auxiliary loads that shift the final number meaningfully from this baseline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does raising steam pressure and temperature improve heat rate?
Higher steam parameters raise the average temperature at which heat is added in the boiler relative to the temperature at which it is rejected in the condenser — by the Carnot argument, a bigger temperature spread between heat addition and heat rejection means more of the heat input can theoretically become work, which is exactly why supercritical and ultra-supercritical plants exist.
What is the difference between gross and net heat rate?
Gross heat rate is based on the generator’s total electrical output; net heat rate subtracts the plant’s own auxiliary power consumption (fans, pumps, mills, coal handling) first. Net heat rate is always the higher (worse) number, and it is the one that actually determines fuel cost per unit of power sold.
Why does condenser pressure matter so much to efficiency?
Condenser pressure sets the temperature at which heat is rejected from the cycle — the lower it is, the more work the turbine can extract from the same steam before it condenses. This is why cooling water temperature (which sets achievable condenser vacuum) has a real, measurable effect on a plant’s heat rate, independent of anything happening in the boiler.
How much does boiler efficiency alone affect the final result?
Directly and linearly on fuel consumption for a given output — a boiler running at 88% instead of 90% efficiency needs roughly 2.3% more fuel for the same steam output, since efficiency is simply useful heat output divided by fuel heat input.