Abstracts - VGB PowerTech Journal 4/2013
Assessment of CCGT power plants - Comparison between new and repowering
Francois Giger and Jean Francois Lehougre
Since 2007, EDF has repowered the Martigues conventional oil-fired power plant and erected two 460 MWe combined cycle units with natural gas firing. The first unit went on line in 2012, the second is to be connected to the grid in 2013. A completely new 440 MWe combined cycle power plant was built at the Blénod site which went into operation in the autumn of 2011. Both projects were realised by EDF-in-house engineering teams. Post-building analysis confirmed the economic benefit anticipated at basic design stage of the repowering approach compared to a green field construction.
BoA 2&3 - Implementation of an innovative power plant concept and first operational experience
Reinold Elsen, Guido Schöddert and Manfred Hensel
Units F and G of RWE Power’s Neurath power plant have been in commercial operation since the summer of 2012. After Niederaussem K, they are the second and third units equipped with BoA technology (BoA = lignite-fired power plant with optimised plant technology). The BoA approach comprises e.g. optimisation measures in connection with the steam turbine, elevated steam parameters, “lean” design of thick-walled parts in the steam generator, improvements to the auxiliary power consumption, and heat recovery from the flue gases. With a gross rating of 1,100 MW (1,050 MW net) each has a net design efficiency of more than 43 %, they are the biggest and most modern lignite-fired power plants worldwide.
Advanced CFB technology in large-scale solid biomass fuel firing power plants
Timo Jäntti, Edgardo Coda Zabetta and Kalle Nuortimo
Worldwide the nations are taking initiatives to counteract global warming by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Efforts to increase boiler efficiency and the use of biomass and other solid renewable fuels are well in line with these objectives. Circulating fluidised bed boilers (CFB) are ideal for efficient power generation, capable to fire a broad variety of solid biomass fuels from small CHP plants to large utility power plants. Relevant boiler references in commercial operation are made for Finland and Poland.
Joint research for innovative turbo machines in power stations
Alexander Wiedermann, Peter Jeschke and Dirk Goldschmidt
AG Turbo, established about 25 years ago, is a platform where pre-competitive, application-oriented turbo machinery research in Germany is agreed and coordinated. Focus of the research is on turbo machines which are responsible for energy conversion in conventional fossil-fired or combined cycle power plants (CCGT), as well as compressor trains for capturing and transporting the greenhouse gas CO2. At all stages of the technical process - from gas compression through combustion in gas turbine combustors to expansion in the turbine - innovations are needed to actually meet the targets for efficiency, reliability, as well as protection of the climate and environment. Research results achieved will be presented using selected examples and an outlook at future activities will be given.
New experiences and developments at solar plants
Olaf Heil and Katja Winkler
Germany records a boom for installations of photovoltaic (PV) systems. In recent years, about 1.2 million installations have been completed. So far, market growth has mainly been driven by politically fixed subsidies. In comparison to PV, the CSP technology (concentrated solar power) develops much more slowly. In spring 2012, the commercial operation of Andasol 3 (50 MW, 200 GWh/a gross) was launched. RWE Innogy expects further growth potential for PV and CSP in the EU, the MENA region and other similar sunny regions.
The municipal platform for the generation of heat and power - Possibilities and limits
Ulrich Sigel
An important part of STEAG’s corporate strategy under the new majority shareholder Stadtwerke-Konsortium Rhein-Ruhr is to establish STEAG as the leading municipal “Generating, Trading and Service Platform” in Germany. Based on the experience of cooperation with more than 100 municipal companies and a 75-year history of energy-solutions for industrial customers, a wide range of products and services for a close collaboration with the German “Stadtwerke” was developed. The framework of the “energy turnaround” in Germany influences these partnerships and provides momentum as well as limitations for the cooperation.
Determining the maintenance budget transparently with key elements
Darius Filipczyk, Walter Hahn and Jochen Pracharz
Power plant operators are forced to optimise the relation between costs and benefits due to the energy turnaround, increasing raw material prices as well as intensified competition. Many companies respond to these challenges by making budget cuts based on the broad-brush approach. But of course the maintenance department has to contribute to the overall company success. However, in a long-term view, experiences in maintenance business at asset-intensive industries show that excessive cuts in maintenance budgets coupled with less maintenance activities lead into a negative development of the plant availability and maintenance costs. The power plant maintenance department of the Mainova AG was early in recognising the opportunities of a transparent determination of the maintenance budget. In order to lay the foundations for that goal, the department started the project “I-Pro” in cooperation with Dr. Kalaitzis & Partner GmbH. The paper exemplifies which key elements were successfully used to establish the transparent determination of the maintenance budget and which benefits can be realised by power plant operators.
Maintenance undergoing change - What flexible modes of operation demand of power plant sites
Hans Christian Schröder and Achim Foos
With the turnaround in energy supply and fluctuating feed-in of renewables-based electricity, large fossil-fired power plants must be operated more flexibly. Frequent starting and stopping as well as prolonged part load operation have an impact not only on efficiency and emissions, but also place more demands on materials and components than ever before. The operation of more flexible existing plants makes sense since, on the one hand, they are depreciated and on the other they are existing resources that can be utilised.
The renovation and modernisation of three boilers at the Bamberg waste incinerator plant
Arnd Externbrink, Karin Endrullat and Udo Hellwig
Within three years of construction, three boilers were reconstructed and modernised at the municipal waste incineration plant in Bamberg. A special feature of the boiler design uses vertical flue gas side heating surfaces, which provide effective cleaning possibilities and therefore reduce the tendency of fouling occurring on the surfaces. The combination of a new firing system and a modern power control allowed the optimum operation of the boiler system and compliance within the required boundary conditions for flue gas outlet temperature, thus limiting the draft loss and the flow of flue gas. A further advantage was to have the boiler design developed by a proven engineering firm and its fixation in the tender and subsequent awarding of the contract to only one contractor as the general contractor.
Innovative non-destructive testing in conventional boiler construction
Julian Mircea, Peter Mikitisin, Alfred Gaida and Hilmar Schinkel
The use of new materials with the known narrow welding process parameters in boiler construction requires an ensured and constant good weld quality by using optimised non-destructive testing (NDT) methods. The paper introduces new testing techniques that allow the parallel erection execution and the non-destructive testing of welds. For the first time the ultrasonic testing method “Phased-Array” and the “Digital Radiography” were applied in an industrial scale. Together with the plant operator, an independent inspection authority and the manufacturer qualified the NDT methods within an extensive qualification scenario. Both testing methods reduce the necessary time for the erection. Further advantages of these imaging testing methods are the quality improvement of the documentation and the test results.
Combining migration and optimisation of DCS in an existing scheduled maintenance - Use of simulator for a faultless DCS commissioning and start-up
Thomas Schröck, Ingo Albrecht and Horst-Günther Stürenburg
During outage for a scheduled maintenance, the existing SPPA-T2000 control system of unit K (BoA 1) at RWE Power AG’s Niederaußem power plant was to be replaced by the SPPA-T3000 control system. At the same time an increase in the unit’s flexibility with regard to primary and secondary control operation, a reduction of smallest exporting load as well as a reduction of start-up time were intended. In order to accomplish these goals, the SPPA-S3000 simulator 1100 MW block unit G (BoA 3) of RWE Power AG’s Neurath power plant owned by KWS supporting the new DCS was planned to be used for advance-commissioning and subsequent optimisation of the DCS. The operating personnel, which had already been trained on the SPPA-T3000 control system, actively assisted the commissioning of the real unit, successfully safeguarding plant operations.
Formation of abrasive hollow particles in lignite-fired fluidised- bed boilers
Uta Kappler, Bernhard Röper and Petra Voß
The formation of voluminous and highly abrasive hollow particles in raw-lignite-fired circulating fluidised-bed (CFB) boilers of RWE Power AG is a well-known phenomenon. Operational measures were taken to avoid particle formation and related damage. By the end of 2011 another boiler damage occurred. Within the scope of root cause analyses the hollow particles were investigated and a model for particle genesis was developed. Based on these results further measures for the avoidance of particle formation were shown. The formation probability of similar hollow particles in biomass-fired fluidised-bed plants was assessed theoretically.
New bilingual version of VGB abbreviation catalogue for power plant technology released
Jochen Hantschel, Jörg Seiffert and Jörg Fröhner
The objective of the VGB Standard for power plant technology VGB-S-891-00 (abbreviation catalogue) is to regulate the systematic creation of abbreviations. The determination of abbreviations for terms related to power plants provides a common basis for planners, erectors, and operators of power plants and their systems. In combination with VGB-B 108 ”Rules for the creation of denominations and their application for power plant engineering” the abbreviation catalogue is the basis for the creation of denominations.