Abstracts - VGB PowerTech Journal 5/2004
Nuclear Power and the Continuity of Supply in the Enlarged European Union
G. Maichel
The EU expansion in 2004 will completely change the face of the European community of states. For Germany, it is imperative that an energy consensus be worked out and put into effect across all party lines in an effort to create reliable framework conditions for the next twenty or thirty years. The goal must be a balanced energy mix also ensuring the competitiveness of Germany as an industrialized country. In the field of nuclear research, Germany must not be separated from international developments. Nuclear competence must be preserved and promoted. The future power supply situation in Europe is characterized by the need for a considerable addition of generating capacity. As is demonstrated by the project of the new nuclear power plant to be built in Finland, nuclear power is going to play an important role in meeting this need.
"Exchange of Operating Experience" (ABE): Operating Experience with NPPs 2003
VGB Technical Committee
For over 30 years now the VGB TC "Exchange of Operating Experience (ABE)" has been exchanging experience made with nuclear reactors. Nuclear power plants from Germany, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain and Hungary are participating in this exchange of experience. The operating results obtained in 2003 and the safety-relevant incidents, major repair work, special modifications and annual dose rates are outlined.
Reference Power Plant North Rhine-Westphalia (RPP NRW)
H.-J. Meier, M. Alf, M. Fischedick, B. Hillebrand, H. Lichte, J. Meier, N. Neubronner, D. Schmitt, W. Victor and M. Wagner
More than ever before, assuring a reliable power supply, economical and efficient distribution of electricity and the sustainable use of existing resources is the central challenge to plant engineers and the power industry. The objective of the research project "Reference Power Plant North Rhine-Westphalia" (RPP NRW) is to develop a sustainable reference design for a coal-fired power plant that will meet these challenges. Essentially, its intent is to study the feasibility of an ultra-modern reference power plant with substantially reduced environmental impact while taking into account the prevailing economic conditions in the liberalised energy market. Many innovative ideas, selected according to criteria of economics and practicability, have gone into the plant design using materials and technology that are commercially available.
Emax/AD - A Key Technology for Europe: A Technology Path for a Balanced Energy Mix
F. Bauer, S. Kjaer, R. Elsen and S. Pasini
It is necessary to secure a balanced supply of energy-mixes in Europe, which can be realised only on the basis of a balanced fuel portfolio. For representing a technology path on the basis of an technology development program, which has to guarantee that the necessary compatibility with the political intention, the financial and human resources and the realistic, i.e. achievable technical solutions, can be obtained. Example for this is the development of materials, which permit steam parameters of 700 °C. These materials are practically necessary in each technology, are its burning or gasification, are it with high temperature gas cell processes, but high temperature solar concepts.
Experiences with the Start-up of the FGD system at Nideraußem Power Plant
B. Heiting, H.W. Breuer und K. Bärnthaler
The FGD system of the Niederaußem Power Plant, consisting of two flue gas scrubbers, was taken into service for the first time in mid-2002 when the 950 MW unit K of the BoA plant (lignite-fired power plant with optimised technology) was commissioned. The FGD system has been designed in such a way that its supply and disposal of limestone suspension fits in completely with the existing FGD systems, consisting of nine absorbers in the 2850 MW Niederaußem power plant. Since the FGD scrubbers had not been equipped with an oxidation air system, backfitting was required. Operating experience with this system before and after retrofitting will also be covered in the report.
The Cryo-Thermo Power Plant Process - A Step Towards Increased Efficiency?
H. Fahlenkamp
The ongoing developments of power plants are focussed to higher operational peak temperatures, and peak pressures so far. An alternative approach has become recommended: Why not use and integrate an air separation plant ("air splitter") in a power station process (as it is intended for coal gasification, and/or CO' sequestration)? Advantages are obvious, namely increased boiler efficiency (due to the avoided heat loss by the N2-fraction of the flue gas), use of the air splitter products to cool and condense the working fluids of the RANKINE cycles, and as the most important feature a power output increase by use of the compression heat of the air splitter. The outcome of this recommended, new approach is a multiple-RANKINE-cycle, abbreviated by CT-KW-process, which has to be supposed to show a better efficiency performance.
Self-excited Pressure Pulsations in Combustion Chambers of Steam Generators
C.-Ch. Hantschk
Self-excited combustion oscillations in industrial combustion systems can cause pressure pulsations with high amplitudes that lead to substantial noise and violent vibrations. In some cases the associated mechanical and thermal loads can severely damage the system concerned. The oscillations are generated by interactions between the sound pressure field in the system, the flow, and the heat released by the flame. This work explains how the involved effects are acting together in a closed loop. The chronological correlations that characterize the interactions and are crucial for the self-excitation mechanism are described, an abstract of existing approaches to model the oscillations is given, and possible counter measures are briefly outlined.
Safety Management of the Ordinance on Events
R. Wieder
According to the 12th Ordinance on the Implementation of the Federal Immission Control Act (event ordinance), certain plants have had to introduce safety management since 2nd May 2000. Based on the findings that in Europe more than 85 % of the severe accidents of the last decades are due to deficits in management and organisation, the government had decided - within the scope of the implementation of the Seveso II Directive - to introduce a concept for the avoidance of events and to set up safety management. The paper is providing an overview on the concept and on safety management.
Synchronous Condensers as an Alternative to the Deactivation of Power Stations
J. Taborda und W. Neudörfler
The recent and on-going liberalization of the European energy market is leading to the shut down of several old hydro and coal fired power stations. The reasons for such de-activation are mainly based on economic or environmental aspects. The energy import from distant areas is the favoured strategy being adopted to supply current and future power demands with competitive prices. However, this tendency will have a significant impact on the European power system reliability. The conversion of the de-activated generators into synchronous condensers may, in many cases, represent a suitable and interesting solution to maintain or even improve the reliability of critical areas of the continental European power system.
Managing the Bolting of Split Lines Confidently
N. Schneider
The bolting of split lines is subject to high mechanical and thermal loads. Despite tight spaces large bolting elements are required. Multi-jackbolt tensioners do not require much space. They can be used to tighten even largest diameter fasteners easily and confidently, therefore, offering the best capabilities for controlling the bolting of split lines.
Waste Incineration on its Way to Power Plants
J. Reich und B. Neukirchen
Looking at the year 2005 and the end of disposal of untreated domestic waste the politic hopes that the prognosticated lack of waste treatment capacity is remedied by coal-fired power plants. The classical municipal waste incinerators by contrast want to get recognition as energetic recycler in comparison with power stations. The decision of the European Court of Justice concerning recycling and disposal of domestic waste by incineration has started the discussion and competition on fuel-rich commercial waste. Are municipal waste incineration plants power stations or must power plants be regarded as incinerators? These questions are still open.
Labour Safety, Health Protection and Environmental Protection - Service-safetymanagement (SeSaM)
P. Schlusnus und S. Klug
The reduction of staff at the production facilities and the concentration of staff on the core business lead to the secondment of external personnel. The system SeSaM is to enable the energy industry to evaluate and check within the scope of an "at-the-side check" how reliable external companies are with respect to the requirements of the energy industry. In this connection VGB PowerTech e.V. developed jointly with experts from the energy industry the SeSaM system, and will check together with suitable auditors the commitment of the companies to be entrusted. However, participation in SeSaM is voluntary in any case. After successful certification the company will be entered into the list that is kept at VGB PowerTech e.V. in Essen. This entry will document that the company meets the requirements.