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@article{208698,
        author = {Vijayan Gopalsamy and Arul V and Joshua Anand A and Rajesh R and Inbatamizhan P},
        title = {PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS AND OPTIMIZATION OF THE REGENERATIVE AIR PREHEATER (RAPH) IN A 210 MW LIGNITE-FIRED THERMAL POWER PLANT},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {13},
        number = {4},
        pages = {2570-2578},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=208698},
        abstract = {The Regenerative Air Preheater (RAPH) is a critical component in fossil fuel-fired thermal power plants, responsible for recovering waste heat from flue gases. This study presents a comprehensive performance analysis of a RAPH system operating in a 210 MW lignite-fired thermal power plant over a 12-month period. The investigation covers thermal efficiency, pressure drop, air-to-gas leakage, cold-end corrosion, fouling deposition, and heat-transfer effectiveness, and develops an integrated optimization and economic framework. Results demonstrate that the RAPH recovered an average of 23.8 MW of thermal energy, contributing approximately 3.2% to overall plant efficiency. A composite Performance Index, sensitivity analysis, and five-year cost-benefit model are used to identify optimal operating parameters and a condition-based maintenance protocol. Implementation of the proposed strategies is projected to raise annual efficiency by 6.4%, avoid 52,400 tons of CO2 emissions annually, and yield a five-year net economic benefit of Rs. 50.20 crores.},
        keywords = {},
        month = {September},
        }