Power plant operation enhancement

1. A power plant life cycle cost enhancing system for a power plant comprising:

a power plant arranged to generate electricity by burning fuel; and

a power plant control system including a computing device operationally coupled to the power plant, the computing device being configured to:

monitor a first parameter of the power plant;

receive a target load representing a desired power output of the power plant;

employ a first model of the power plant to simulate operation of the power plant and determine output of the first model including at least a performance indicator of the power plant, an initial set point for an operating parameter of the power plant, and an estimated life cycle cost of the power plant responsive to at least the monitored parameter of the power plant;

augment the operating parameter using the output of the first model, wherein the augmenting is responsive to a life cycle cost based objective function such that the life cycle cost based objective function is solved for reduced life cycle cost, thereby producing an augmented set point for the operating parameter; and

generate at least one offer curve including a cost of power production versus power output of the power plant using the augmented set point.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first model includes a controls model of the power plant configured to determine the initial set point based on at least a physical detail of the power plant responsive to the target load.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the power plant includes a gas turbine and the initial set point is for a firing temperature of the power plant.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first model includes a performance model of the power plant configured to determine a value of a performance indicator responsive to the monitored parameter of the power plant and based on at least a physical detail of the power plant.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the performance indicator is an efficiency of the power plant.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first model includes a life cycle cost model of the power plant configured to determine the estimated life cycle cost of the power plant based on at least cost information about the power plant.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the cost information includes maintenance cost information.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to iterate employing the first model and augmenting by employing the first model with output of the augmenting.

9. A computer program product for enabling enhanced offer curve generation of a power plant by a power plant control system, the power plant control system including a computing device and a non-transitory storage device arranged to store the computer program product, the computing device being configured to execute the computer program product, and the computer program product comprising instructions in the form of computer executable program code that when executed configures the power plant control system to: generate an offer curve of the power plant, the offer curve representing an estimated cost of operation versus power output of the power plant, in response to an augmented value of an operating parameter of the power plant wherein the augmented value is based at least in part on a life cycle cost based objective function for the power plant, the life cycle cost based objective function being responsive to at least a life cycle cost model of the power plant and an initial set point of the operating parameter.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the power plant includes a thermal generator.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further configure the power plant control system to provide a controls model of the power plant, the controls model being configured to determine the initial set point of the operating parameter.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the power plant is part of a power system, and the controls model is configured to determine the initial set point responsive to a target load received from a power system controller.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further configure the power plant control system to augment the operating parameter responsive to a performance model of the power plant configured to determine a value of a performance characteristic of the power plant.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further configure the power plant control system to simulate operation of the power plant with an offline model over a predefined prediction horizon, and wherein the offer curve is based at least in part on output of the offline model.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the instructions further configure the power plant control system to adjust the offline model responsive to observed information.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the offline model is further configured to be responsive to the augmented value of the operating parameter.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the offline model is configured to be responsive to information received from a database including information from at least a startup of the power plant to a current operation of the power plant.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the database includes information from at least an earliest startup of the power plant to a current operation of the power plant.

19. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the offline model is configured to be responsive to at least one of an ambient conditions forecast or a market forecast.