Abstract - VGB PowerTech Journal 4/2019
Innovation in Power Generation – VGB Congress 2019
Christopher Weßelmann
Innovations have always been an important driver of change in power generation. Higher efficiency, optimised protection of the environment and improved economic efficiency are some of the well-known fundamental basics.[more...]
Predicting maintenance needs through failure models
Sabine Stock, Frank Klose, Daniel Schlecht and Thomas Frost
Companies in the power generation industry have been slow to benefit from the technological innovations collectively known as “Industry 4.0.” This is due in part because the processes on which power companies depend are already highly automated and extensively monitored, and its supply chain is simple, especially when compared to manufacturing industries. Asset maintenance is one area of operations where new big data and analytics technologies offer real gains in predicting asset failure and extending maintenance cycles. Technologies such as big data and analytics can be invaluable tools in helping power companies improve operational efficiency.
Optimizing plant operation – digital ways to generate revenue with data
Ute Messmer
Big Data is not a new buzz word when it comes to the power industry. But now the new task is to make use of the information coming from digital systems such as I&C – not only for the sake of “good to know” but for the purpose of optimizing a plant’s operation and maintenance. With the aid of cloud based analytics and intelligent, digitally interconnected systems digitization provides the means to do so. Only by establishing a link between digital data, a plant’s components and their relevance to the business does the true value of digitization come into effect.
Innovative system service: extended island operation capability using thermal power plants
Gunnar Löhning, Florian Wenzel, Dietmar Haake and Frank Mehlow
The ongoing installation of renewable generation capacity, increasing cross-border exchange of electricity and accelerated decommissioning of thermal power plants significantly increase the probability of critical situations in the transmission networks. Technical failures of grid equipment or power-generating facilities may cause cascade-like failures or, in extreme cases, even result in a total disruption of the power supply (blackout). The formation of larger, pre-defined island networks around thermal power plants may enable an extended and more flexible island operation. On one hand media supply and waste disposal of the plant can be secured, while on the other hand critical infrastructure or larger cities inside the island may be supplied with electricity. Thus, a complete blackout may be avoided and the burden on the TSO during system restoration can be considerably reduced.
The rotational storage device – A kinetic mass storage device for grid control in the new energy world
José Gomes
The new energy world, which not only amounts to an “all electric” world due to the sector coupling, but also to a basic supply of this world with approx. 80 % of electricity from wind and solar energy plants, requires fast and grid-connected control storage devices in order to significantly increase the inertia of the electricity grid and thus the resistance to undesired frequency changes, as they result from power imbalances from electricity generation and the applied demand. In order to restore the mains frequency to a high inertia against frequency changes due to power imbalances, the omitted rotating masses should be replaced by other energy storage devices. These can be either batteries and/or rotational mass accumulators or a combination of both, depending on the requirements of the network.
Potentials of thermal energy storages integrated into steam power plants
Thomas Loeper, Michael Krüger, Marcel Richter, Freerk Klasing, Philipp Knödler and Christian Mielke
For conventional power plants, the integration of thermal energy storage opens up a promising option for meeting future technical requirements in terms of flexibility while improving economic efficiency. In the joint project FLEXI-TES, the flexibilization of coal-fired steam power plants by the integration of thermal energy storage into the power plant process is investigated. During the concept phase at the beginning of the research project, different storage integration concepts were developed and evaluated. Finally, three lead concepts with different storage technologies and integration points in the power plant were identified.
Compressed air energy storage – New plant layouts and storage applications
Marcus Budt and Markus Hadam
Traditionally, compressed air energy storage (CAES) devices are natural gas-fired units in power plant scale, e.g. the commercially operated CAES plant in Huntorf. Process optimization of these plant layouts as well as R&D on so-called adiabatic CAES concepts are carried out for several years. Adiabatic CAES prevents using fossil fuels by storing the thermal energy arising from air compression while charging and reusing it to pre-heat the pressurized air before the expansion in the discharge process. Besides the intermediate storage of electricity, CAES devices could be designed to couple the electricity and the heat sector. In this context, synergies are offered by integrating CAES with other energy technologies.
Additive manufacturing for industrial gas turbines
Sebastian Piegert, Christoph Haberland, Wentao Fu and David Rule
Metal-based additive manufacturing (AM) technologies such as laser posed bed fusion (L-PBF) have seen successful applications in the gas turbine industry over the past years, even though full adoption throughout the industry is still missing. The growing demand in AM requires in-depth knowledge of the process, materials, the design for additive manufacturing (DFAM) as well as the implementation in manufacturing lines. Siemens gas turbine applications are utilized to demonstrate the development and industrialization of AM using the frameworks. The benefits in reducing cost, expediting time to market, improving component performance and enabling new design freedom will be highlighted.
Using dynamic visual replay of process events to improve incident and operational analysis for power plants
Uwe Siebert and Olaf Ries
ME-Automation Projects GmbH, part of the Mitsubishi Electric Group, has further developed its proven PMSX®pro power plant distributed control system (DCS) by adding the ability to replay historic process events. The main benefit of this new development for power plant control – included in PMSX®pro V3.5 - is the ability to use live incidents to derive improved strategies for handling similar issues in the future. This is enabled by the capability to run, stop and rewind a process picture like a film and see all controls at the same time, to provide an easy way to find out what exactly happened and when.
Modernisation of a bubbling fluidised bed boiler to reduce NOx-emissions
Robert Schatzl, Ulrich Hohenwarter, Lorenz and Peter Frömmrich
Due to continuing decreasing emission limit values (17. BImSchV) and changes of available combustible fuels it is necessary to modify and adopt existing firing systems. In the course of modernization projects many parameters need to be considered. Investment costs, available space and already implemented technologies play an important role. The current project comprised the modernization of a bubbling fluidized bed boiler for waste fuel. After the modernization which aimed at primary NOx-reduction masures only, the daily averaged NOx-emission values were clearly below the required emission limit values of the 17.BImSchV.
German grid code goes EU
Dieter Rosenwirth
The revised and amended grid code forms the basis of free electricity trading in the EU and ensures stable networks. For the first time, the rules take all voltage levels into consideration and cover not only power generation plants, but also power-storage systems and combined systems. Computer simulation can now be used in verification for the type C plant certificate.
Solutions for coal silo problems – Coal blockage and coal shed
Zhelin Liu, Yiang Zheng, Feng Zhao, Guoqing Feng and Baozhu Hu
The raw coal silo plays an important role in coal loading and storage in the thermal power generation system. It can regulate the imbalance state between production and transportation. It is also very important to ensure the manufacture continuity, safety and stability. At present, the instability of coal silos condition in thermal power plants diminishes the safety performance of coal silos’ performance. The application of a coal silo surveillance system can guarantee the safe and stable operation of the unit effectively.