Esbjerg Test Rig

Project Number 260

The Esbjerg Test Rig constitutes a part of phase 3 of the Advanced 700 °C PF Power Plant project (AD 700) the aim of which is to develop a coal fired power plant with efficiencies up to 55 % by increasing the steam temperature to 700 °C. During phase 1 new materials were developed and there is a need for these to be tested in real working conditions in a coal fired boiler.

The Esbjerg Test Rig consists of a single loop of superheater tubes inserted in the superheater area in the boiler of Esbjerg unit 3, a USC unit with steam temperature 560 °C and steam pressure 275 bar. The steam is taken from the outlet of super heater 1 and superheated to 720 °C. It is then cooled in a mixing piece down to 560 °C. The test rig is manufactured by Alstom Power Boilers, Stuttgart, and was installed during the 2004 summer revision. It reached full temperature on 19 October 2004 and is intended to operate for 4 years. The test rig is the fourth in a series of test rigs where materials have been tested in the unit 3 boiler.

It is mainly the flue gas side corrosion and the steam side oxidation behaviour which will be tested but also the manufacturing experience is valuable.

The following materials are tested in the test rig:

  • TP347HFG,
  • S304Hcu,
  • TP310N,
  • HR3C,
  • Sanicro 25 (developed in AD 700 phase 1),
  • HR6W,
  • Inconel 740 (developed in AD 700 phase 1).

The Esbjerg Test Rig is 100 % financed by generators from the Emax-group. These are:

  • DONG Energy A/S
  • Electricité de France
  • EnBW Kraftwerke AG
  • E.ON Energie AG
  • RWE Power AG
  • Vattenfall A/S, Nordic Generation
  • Vattenfall Europe Generation AG & Co. KG

The companies responsible for the realisation of the test rig and the subsequent evaluation are:

  • Alstom Power Boiler GmbH
  • Hitachi-Power Europe GmbH
  • VGB Power Tech e. V. (representing the generators)
  • Elsam Engineering A/S (co-ordinator)

Elsam Kraft A/S is responsible for the operation.

The other and major part of phase 3 is the COMTES700-Component Test Facility to be installed in the E.ON power plant Scholven unit F.