Patent Document ID: 7489990
Application ID: 11779139
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A system for calculating an incremental heat rate and a maximum capacity for at least one power generating unit, comprising: a current performance model, for performing a mass and energy balance for a power generating unit and calculating one or more performance characteristics for a first time period for the power generating unit, including at least a heat input value and an electrical output value, using at least one of data describing the unit's physical configuration, data describing the unit's operating parameters, and data describing the unit's fuel constituency; a database, for storing at least one of the performance characteristics; an incremental heat rate model, for calculating an incremental heat rate for the power generating unit for the first time period, using at least one of the performance characteristics, by determining a first point on an input/output curve by calculating a first heat input value at a first electrical output value, where the first electrical output value is less than the electrical output value for the first time period, determining a second point on the input/output curve by calculating a second heat input value at a second electrical output value, where the second electrical output value is greater than the electrical output value for the first time period, calculating a slope of a line connecting the first point and the second point on the input/output curve, where the slope of the line represents the incremental heat rate for the first time period; and a maximum capacity model, for performing an energy balance for the power generating unit and calculating a maximum capacity for the power generating unit for the first time period, using at least one of the performance characteristics.