1) Fourth IPCC Assessment Report on Climate Change
2) Pre-Engineering Study for 700°C Power Plant
3) Further Development of NDT Methods for Materials of 700 °C Power Plants
The Summary for Policymakers of the fourth IPCC assessment report on climate change is available now. Core statements are that the globally averaged surface warming will be between 1.1 and 6.4 °C and the sea level rise will amount to 18 - 59 cm at the end of this century. This and other conclusions do not differ substantially from the statements of the third assessment report from 2001, but a higher probabibility however is attributed to the conclusions now.
http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf
The pre-engineering study project for a high-efficiency power plant with a live steam temperature of 700 °C (NRW PP700) represents the first stage for the construction of a low-emission power plant, which is to be erected once its technical and economic feasibility has been confirmed. The project has been conceived as a cross-border transnational project. To date, 10 European energy utilities (DONG Energy Generation A/S, E.ON Energie AG, Electrabel N. V., Electricité de France, EnBW Kraftwerke AG, EVN AG, RWE Power AG, STEAG GmbH, Vattenfall A/S Nordic Generation, Vattenfall Europe Mining & Generation AG & Co. KG) have joined together with the aim of developing this sustainable European concept for generating power on the basis of fossil fuels. In the context of the envisaged pre-engineering study the European energy utilities involved will determine viable technical and economic decision-making principles for power plants with a live steam condition of 700 °C.
http://www.vgb.org/research_project297.html
In the context of the development of a European coal fired power station with 700 °C steam temperature and at least 50 per cent efficiency the question appeared: "Which non-destructive test procedures (NDT) allow a comprehensive test of nickel-based materials welds in highly stressed components?" The known NDT methods don't provide any satisfactory and exact statement about the condition of the welds yet. The VGB research project 296 was therefore started under the coordination of VGB in the German COORETEC research program in September 2006. The project is starting from the NDT method for welds of austenite, ultrasonic testing, and shall further develop NDT methods for nickel-based materials to the technical use of maturity.
http://www.vgb.org/research_project296.html
The "Implementing Agreement for a Programme of Research, Development and Demonstration on Clean Coal Sciences" of the International Energy Agency provides the opportunity for co-operative investigations into advanced analytical techniques and basic and applied research in the field of clean coal sciences.
In order to understand fully the mechanisms which are involved in transforming coal and other fuels used in conjunction with coal into useful energy, it is necessary to be able to monitor, analyze and simulate the different chemical, physical and gas dynamic parameters involved in the combustion process. Similarly, to enable quantitative interpretation and prediction of combustion phenomena, computational models of these phenomena are required. Existing diagnostic techniques, analytical instrumentation and computational apparatus need to be evaluated and validated with respect to their use in analyzing and helping to simulate the complex issues of multiphase, particle laden and high temperature combustion.
Research into the selection of fuel options for Greenhouse Gas mitigation and the performance of such fuels in conventional and advanced combustion technologies is a priority issue.
Stakeholders are requested to send their proposal (about 2 pages) to VGB before March 15, 2007. After evaluation the stakeholder will be invited to present their proposal at the IEA/VGB Workshop taking place on April 19, 2007, in Essen.
Further information:
http://www.vgb.org/kraftwerkskonzepte_und_thermodynamik.html
Main topics of the March issue are: STEAG Projects in Germany and Abroad; Overview of Power Generation in South Africa; Fifty Years Radiochemistry - Laboratory Erlangen Service and Engineering for Nuclear Power Plants and VGB.
http://www.vgb.org/current_issue.html