Scientific Advisory Board of the VGB:
Combined heat and power technologies (CHP) offer a highly efficient way to use fuels in the energy sector. They can therefore help to decrease CO₂-emissions and to save resources

• The beneficial effect of the combined heat and power technology is always influenced by case specific boundary conditions, so that CHP can be the most promising option depending on the use case
• CHP and the other technology options need a level playing field to reach maximum benefit for the society as well as the environment

The potential and the current state of CHP were analysed and assessed by the Scientific Advisory Board of the VGB on basis of the study “Long term prospects of CHP” (Kakaras et al.) of the National Technical University of Athens, Greece.

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VGB PowerTech: Technical competence centre for wind power at the NRW booth of HUSUM Wind 2017

VGB PowerTech, the international technical association for generation and storage of power and heat, presents its objectives at the NRW booth of the HUSUM Wind 2017. VGB’s mission is to support the co-operation on all technical topics and tasks for wind power plants. The focus points are the exchange and transfer of experiences and information in VGB committees, standardisation (best practice), and the representation of interests of wind power plant owners in several User Groups.

The experiences pave the way for VGB-Standards for build and operation of power plants. The RDS-PP® – Reference Designation System for Power Plants with the special edition Wind Power Plants, the VGB-Standard Provision of Technical Documentation (Technical Plant Data, Documents) for Energy Supply Units and the common VGB/BAW Standard Corrosion protection for offshore wind structures and wind park components are three landmark publications for efficient and cost-optimised on- and offshore wind power plants.

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PowerJobs: Current Vacancies

The VGB Job Market is offering prospective persons the possibility to develop their career in the range of power and heat generation. You can find current vacancies on our homepage.

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Commission decision on the LCP BREF published

On 17 August 2017 the European Commission published the commission implementing decision on establishing best available techniques (BAT) conclusions for large combustion plants (LCP). This date marks the end of the revision process that was launched in Seville in autumn 2011.

This date officially highlights the start of the implementation phase: member states competent authorities will have 4 years to implement the decision.

The whole implementing decision including the new BAT conclusions (BAT-AEL) can be found following the link below.

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Expert discussions for exclusion of risks through sub-synchronous resonances

New technologies in the transmission grid, e.g. the increasing use of frequency converter, are changing the usual system interactions between power plant and grid and can have a negative impact on the power plant components. Specifically the question arises, if feed-in stations of HVDC connections (HVDC: High Voltage Direct Current) from offshore wind parks or the planned main terminals of HVDC transmission lines can have a direct impact on the turbo sets of power plants nearby located.

The dangers caused by sub-synchronous resonances are real and require communication with the transmission system operators about the interface between power plant and grit, a monitoring of network activities and a coordination of the VGB members' interest.

The topic “Sub-Synchrnous Torsional Interaction (SSTI) was discussed in several expert discussions together with transmission system operators, power plant operators, universities and manufacturers. Currently, the research demand is analysed, concrete actions are aligned and appropriate working groups are set up.

A guideline summarising alignment process and common understanding of power plant operators, system operators and HVDC operators is planned.

Contact: Jörg Kaiser

New power plants in Europe: Update August 2017

The survey on new power plants in Europe comprises plants in planning and under construction covering different energy sources. Based on this excel sheet, the planned total output (MW) and the portions of the sources of energy (MW) can be determined.

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Abstracts of Minutes

• Materials and Quality Assurance - 17 May 2017
• Gas Turbines - 3/4 May 2017

Biomass storage monitoring

A continuous and comprehensive monitoring of biomass storages under consideration of the requirements of daily power plant operation is needed, but currently appropriate measuring systems are not available on the market.

Therefore a market survey has been done by the Fraunhofer UMSICHT Innovation cluster Bioenergy regarding available technology for biomass storage monitoring taking into account former studies on this topic. The main focus lay on the European market as the US and UK markets have already been investigated. Subsequently a field study, financed by VGB, has been done. A profile of requirements based on expert interviews with plant operators has been created and used for evaluation of the available systems. The final results are summarized in a data sheet compilation.

The project has been supervised by the VGB Technical Group Biomass and is finalized by now.

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“GORE test facility” in the Schkopau power station

One possibility for the further reduction of mercury from coal-fired power plants could be provided by a sorbent-polymer-catalyst.

Within the framework of a VGB joint research project a test facility with 6 modules is installed and tested at the Schkopau site.

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Analysis and modelling of the initial self-heating in woodchip piles

The project approaches self-heating by a chain of experiments stretching over different scales. Experimental investigations will be accompanied by detailed microbiological and chemical analysis. Within the project numerical models will be developed and validated by the experimental results. At the end of the project a predictive tool shall be provided which allows quantifying the ongoing processes during self-heating in wood piles in dependence of environmental conditions and the type of wood.

The research project is funded by the German Ministry of Economics. From January 2017 to June 2019 it is jointly carried out at the following institutes:

• Ruhr University of Bochum, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Energy Plant Technology,
• University of Hohenheim, Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Engineering in the Tropics and Subtropics,
• Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Plant and Wood Chemistry.

The VGB technically supports the investigations via the Technical Group Biomass.

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VGB PowerTech Journal 6 (2017): Steam generators and Power plant by-products

Editorial

Erland Christensen

VGB Congress 2017 – Generation in Competition

Some topics:

• Environmental testing of fly ash for concrete in Germany – a really new approach? (Udo Wiens and Hans-Joachim Feuerborn) Download ...
• Sensor technology on existent and temporary used components in steam generators with difficult fuels (Joos Brell, Marie Kaiser, Dominik Schneider, Sabine Hohmuth and Stephan Taubner)
• Implementation and certification of IT security management systems according to ISO 27001 in the energy industry (Stefan Loubichi) Download ...
• General overhaul of a Stoeckicht planetary gear train of a steam turbine during the annual revision (Thorsten Pasz)

Issue PT Journal 6/2017

VGB-S-002-03-2016-08-DE - Technical and commercial indicators for power plants - Now available as free of charge eBook!

Apart from investment cost, fuel and O&M cost also determine the economic success of power plants. In this respect, availability is playing a very important role. It is an indicator for assessing the technical and economic potential and capacity as well as the reliability of a plant and is reflecting the advances in technology and engineering.

The guideline at hand contains the terms, definitions, technical profile as well as recording and calculations guides necessary for determining availability.

A continuous revision of this standard is provided by the international ‘Performance Indicators’ technical group. The English version as well as the exercise booklet are published.

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VGB PowerTech Journal 7 (2017): Maintenance of wind power plants; Environmental engineering

Editorial

Dr Claudia Weise

Flexible coal fired power plants – Experiences from Germany appreciated in China

Some topics:

• Improving operating behaviour of wind turbine generators via rotor blade condition monitoring (John Reimers and Daniel Brenner) Download ...
• 512 MW in 10 minutes – New York City peaking plant solution applicable for Europe (Shawn Picard and Tobias Aschoff)
• Energetically optimisation of the Offenbach waste fired power plant by a dry flue gas cleaning system and a new steam turbine (Günther Weiß, Dimitrios Fotakis, Mario Kuppinger, Tibor Füle, Helmut Peter and Markus Gegner)
• Material location of ammonia in SNCR processes in flue gas and residual material channels at German waste incineration plants (Sabine Weineck, Stefan Vodegel and Torsten Reindorf) Download ...

Current Issue

VGB-S-164-12-2016-10-EN-ebook - Avoidance of generator damage resulting from condensation on live parts - Now available as eBook!

The VGB-Standard is intended as a guideline on reducing the risk of generator damage as a consequence of condensation on live parts. It applies in particular to hydrogen- cooled generators with additional, directly water-cooled stator windings. The principles and damage mechanisms described here also apply accordingly to generators without directly water-cooled stator windings and to generators with air cooling.

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Call for Papers – KELI 2018

Every two years, VGB PowerTech organises the KELI – Technical Conference on Electrical Engineering, I&C and IT Technologies. Operators and planners of all types of generation plants like conventional, nuclear and hydro power as well as renewable, decentralized and industrial generation are addressed.

Current questions and solutions can be presented in lectures and can be discussed with international experts from operators, manufacturers, insurers, authorities and universities.

Please submit your propsal for paper until 8 September, 2017!

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Call for Papers – Steam Turbines and Operation of Steam Turbines

Aim of the conference is to ensure steam turbine operation on a high availability and efficiency level also in the future. Changes of the market and the reactions on the manufacturer and operator side as well as in the complete service sector make this experience exchange even more necessary yet.

Submit your proposal for paper online now!

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