Oxy-fuel combustion technology is a critical pathway for achieving near-zero emission from coal-fired power generation
yet its high energy consumption from auxiliary systems constrains economic viability. Integrating an S-CO
2
Brayton cycle can improve efficiency
but existing optimization studies predominantly rely on single-factor analyses
failing to capture complex parameter interactions. This study addresses this gap by developing a thermodynamic model and employing a multi-factor optimization framework to quantitatively analyze the individual and interactive effects of key parameters
thereby optimizing system performance. [Methods
]
A detailed thermodynamic model of an S-CO
2
Brayton cycle integrated with an
oxy-fuel coal-fired power plant was developed. To systematically investigate the multi-parameter design space
response surface methodology(RSM) was employed. Using a central composite design(CCD) within the Design-Expert software platform
a structured simulation plan was executed. Four key operational parameters were selected as independent variables: the economizer bypass ratio
the primary dry cycle flue gas proportion
the high-pressure turbine inlet pressure
and the cold primary air temperature. The system's net electrical efficiency and exergy efficiency were defined as the primary performance responses. Based on the simulation data
multi-factor quadratic regression models were constructed. These explicit mathematical models enabled a rigorous quantitative analysis to determine the main effect(individual influence) of each parameter and
crucially
to evaluate the significance and nature of the twofactor interaction effects between them. [Results
]
The analysis yielded clear quantitative insights. The hierarchy of influence for the four parameters on both net electrical efficiency and exergy efficiency was definitively established as: primary dry cycle flue gas proportion cold primary air temperature economizer bypass ratio high-pressure turbine inlet pressure. More importantly
the interaction effect analysis revealed significant coupling between parameters. For optimizing net electrical efficiency
the most pronounced interactions were between the economizer bypass ratio and the primary dry cycle flue gas proportion
and between the high-pressure turbine inlet pressure and the cold primary air temperature. For exergy efficiency
the interaction between the high-pressure turbine inlet pressure and the cold primary air temperature was identified as the most significant. [Conclusion
]
This research confirms that the S-CO
2
Brayton cycle can effectively mitigate the efficiency penalty associated with oxy-fuel carbon capture. By moving beyond conventional single-factor analysis
the application of R
esponse Surface Methodology successfully quantified the complex interdependencies governing system performance. The study thus delivers a clear
multi-stage optimization pathway and robust theoretical support for the design of high-efficiency S-CO