Abstracts - VGB PowerTech Journal 6/2010

How to Develop a Maintenance Programme for the New Magnum Power Plant - The Nuon Energy Approach

J.A. Verwilligen

This paper explains how a new maintenance programme is being developed for Nuon Energy's largest power plant currently under construction at Eems-haven in the Netherlands. The programme development started with the "Invitation To Tender (ITT)" phase and will be finalised during the "Engineering Procurement and Construction" (EPC) phase. The programme was set up on the basis of Nuon's experiences and know-how, and in close co-operation with the Dutch energy consultant N.V. KEMA. The principle of the defined programme is risk-based maintenance and includes several methodologies to assess an effective preventive maintenance programme.

Condition-based Service Life Forecasting

Frank Kirschnick and Heinz Giovanelli

Established approaches to condition monitoring provide important insights into the current and expected future condition of critical equipment in power plants. The consolidation and prioritisation of these insights is a rather challenging task. Different condition monitoring technologies target different technical aspects of equipment operation, address distinct malfunction modes, and support diverse prognostic horizons. A new computational approach to the integration of different condition monitoring technologies will be presented. This approach is being applied and validated through pilot projects with power plant operators world-wide. First results demonstrate the significant benefits of the approach.

Maintenance and Improvements at Fluidised Bed Boilers

Rolf Jürgensen and Hans Schäfer

Since 1981 and 1991 two fluidised bed boilers have been in operation for supplying the Leverkusen side with process steam and electricity. Two of the most important requirements to be met by the new boilers were high availability and flexibility to handle different coal grades. These objectives are being met through improvements to the plants and changes to operating parameters in more than 20 years of operation.

Harmonising Risk-based Inspection and Maintenance Practises in Europe

Aleksandar Jovanovic, Daniel Balos, Jörg M. Bareiß and Michael Renner

The paper presents results of the effort conducted by a group of European partners to create an overview of practices in the area of inspection and maintenance in Europe and, in particular, contribute to the harmonisation in the area of risk-based inspection and maintenance (RBIM). Two main results are presented in the paper: (a) creation of a web-based information system providing information about in-service inspections and (b) joint work on CEN. One of the main goals of the whole work, and in particular of the CWA, has been to contribute to the harmonisation of the EU national regulatory requirements related to the inspection and maintenance programmes in the industrial plants and make them more cost-efficient and simultaneously improving the performance in the field of safety, health and environment.

Corrosion and Optimisation of Maintenance for Lignite fired Power Plants with Low CO2 Emissions under Modified Process Conditions and Parameters

Ulrich Aha, Alexander Findeisen, Hans Joachim Krautz and Joachim Kahlert

The establishment of low carbon power plant equipment is connected to new single components and changed process parameters which affect plant failures and maintenance strategies. Within the framework of an ongoing research project the Chair of Power Plant Technology (BTU) Cottbus will conduct investigations to determine the corrosion behaviour of various materials as well as optimised maintenance strategies for low CO2 emitting power plant units. The focus will be on the Oxyfuel process.

Elastic Elements for Optimum Bearing of Drive Trains

Franz Mitsch

The rated power of wind turbines has made a quantum jump in the last years. More precisely the average power was multiplied tenfold in the last 15 years and is today higher than 2 MW. As a result of higher power and simultaneously lower rotor speed the torques and forces on the rotor and on the drive train are increasing disproportionately. Due to economical and technical reasons the supporting structures of the drive train of large wind turbines may not be built as rigidly as necessary. This means higher deformations of the supporting structures must be accepted. Furthermore, no additional loads may be transferred to the components in the drive train like gearbox, generator, bearings and couplings. In the paper the different possibilities of elastic support of components in the drive train are described. Particularly the new rubber-hydraulic support from ESM, with which a four point support of the gearbox-free of constraint loads is possible, is presented.

Application of Carbon Ceramics in Power Plants

Ulrich Ringleb and Gert Wahl

Modern ceramic materials are manufactured from fine grained raw materials with additional organic binders. Due to its extraordinary properties carbon ceramic is highly rated within modern materials. In power plants carbon components guarantee safe electricity transfer and trouble-free operation. For protection of the generator high-class earthing brushes are in use. Regular maintenance is necessary for safe operation. Excellent tribological properties predestine carbon as material for mechanical seals and bearings.

Quality Assurance through Fire Protection Documentation

Franz Spitzer and Harald Winter

Legal and organisational requirements regarding fire protection have become more and more stringent. In doing so owners must take account of public law and insurance law. A specialised fire protection management system - FiProMan - can assist in meeting these requirements quickly and efficiently by ensuring quality, carrying out subsequent installation work, repair work and making maintenance planable. In addition, the legal requirements of continuance are met.

Using an HSE Management System to Avoid Accidents

Walter Sucrow and Frank Plümacher

The wind power business has developed extremely fast all over the world and in Germany. The legal and economic importance of one particular topic - occupational health and safety - has been dramatically underestimated in this development. Accidents are avoidable, especially in the wind business, if a company deliberately includes the subject of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) in its organisation. It not only protects the company's own staff and those of its contractors, but also avoids extra financial burdens and damage to reputation.

State of the Technology for Noise Abatement in Lignite Open-cast Mining

Jens Sachs and Wilhelm Kurtz

The assessment of plants according to the state of the art is very significant in pollution control approval procedures. It is also important for approvals following mining law related to open cast mining and its dedicated facilities. Against this background three lignite open-cast mines in the region of Lusatia were surveyed according to the state of the art for noise abatement. The findings were converted into effective measures.

Noise at the Workplace - Implementation of the Noise and Vibration Regulation in the Risk Assessment in Respect of Noise at the Workplace

Lothar Schmidt and Robert Tischtau

In Germany the EU-Directive 2003/10/EC on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (noise) had been implemented through the national Noise and Vibration Regulation. It will be described how risk assessment in respect of noise at the workplace can be carried out. The major steps comprise work analysis, collection of information (e.g. measurement) and determination of necessary measures.

Economic Viability Analysis of Geothermal Power and Heat Production in Stuttgart

Christoph Kruck, Ludger Eltrop, Rosa Lo, Simone Walker-Hertkorn, Thomas Kölbel, Pia Orywall and Wolfram Münch

Currently there are four geothermal power plants in operation in Germany and further geothermal projects are either in the planning or development stage. If there are no natural thermal water resources available, then there is the possibility of applying "Enhanced Geothermal Systems" (EGS). In this case an artificial heat exchanger (reservoir) is built up in the underground. Taking the Campus Vaihingen, University of Stuttgart, as an example, the current electricity, heating and cooling load profiles were collected for an EGS plant configuration.