New power station concepts for higher performance

Munich / Amsterdam. Energy efficiency is the most important source of energy. By providing accompanying services for innovative power station concepts offering improved efficiency, TÜV SÜD supports resource-efficient coal-fired energy generation. The international company also offers services to further the advance of solar and wind-powered energy generation. At PowerGen, held in Amsterdam from 8 to 10 June 2010, the TÜV SÜD experts will present an integrated service package for manufacturers and operators (Hall 1, Stand F 70).

"Innovative plant concepts such as solar thermal power stations based on Fresnel technology supply increased performance at relatively low investment costs", says Hans Christian Schröder, Power Station Sector Manager at TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH. "However, for successful implementation in sunny countries, individual components often require special classifications to comply with national specifications." In some cases, says Schröder, alternative technical designs must be provided for specific plant elements to enable a project to be realised. With their arrays of large-area collectors and absorber tubes, solar thermal power plants have little in common with classic steam boilers. In many cases, existing directives and specific national requirements must be reinterpreted and implemented as integrated systems.

Sought-after partner for the construction of the world's first Fresnel power station

Fresnel reflector power plants, for example, use bevelled flat mirrors to focus solar rays on absorber tubes. The water in the tubes turns to steam which drives a conventional turbine with a generator. TÜV SÜD successfully provided accompanying services from planning to operation startup for the world's first Fresnel reflector power plant last year in Puerto Errado, Spain; since that time, the experience and expertise of the service provider have been highly sought after in the construction of the 30 MW follow-up plant. Scheduled for completion in two years, this new solar thermal plant will supply around 20,000 Spanish households with power. “

Wind energy: repowering delivers significant increase in output

Government-level promotion of the expansion of wind power is bringing the need for additional capacities in the domestic power sector and increased repowering of existing plants. State-of-the-art wind farms not only supply more energy; thanks to their higher masts, they also enable the potential of forested areas to be exploited. "Hub heights of up to 160 metres enable today's wind turbines to take advantage of the high wind speeds and low turbulence in air layers far above forest crowns", states Peter Herbert Meier, Head of Wind Cert Services at TÜV SÜD Industrie Service. "Even in southern inland areas, medium wind speeds of 5.8 to 6.7 metres per second can be found at a height of 120 metres." By opting for wind-farm due diligence plus certification of their wind farms, owners/operators and investors make sure that they exploit the full potential offered by their sites, and the same applies to repowering. As Peter Herbert Meier explains, "Our calculations show that up to 30 per cent more energy output can be achieved merely by increasing hub height" – and doubling rotor diameter can quadruple output in comparison to many existing plants to older designs.”

Increasing the energy from coal – at temperatures of 700 degrees

700-degree power plants are a further option of boosting the efficiency of power generation. By applying advanced process parameters, the efficiency of coal-fired power plants can be significantly increased, saving resources and reducing CO2 emissions. Steam in the boiler and turbine of the power plant is heated to over 700 degrees (at 350 bar) instead of the previous temperature of under 600 degrees (at 250 bar). However, the new technology places plant components under greater strain, reducing their life span in comparison to conventional power plant concepts. In addition, the new generation of power stations has considerably lower design reserves. "To manage the more complex challenges to efficiency and quality control which are involved here, integrated approaches to systems are moving into the spotlight", stresses TÜV SÜD's power plant expert, Hans Christian Schröder. "Comprehensive life cycle cost and risk analyses can identify scope for optimization." The aim is to align plant components to later operating conditions – in other words, to parameters such as mode of operation and construction - at a timely stage, and to develop improved control and drive concepts for the plant as a whole. Since tolerance levels for quality deviations are also reduced in high-temperature technology, quality control during construction becomes a focal theme – and Schröder states this is also the case with some new plants currently under construction.

In addition to services related to solar thermal power plants, 700-degree power plants and wind parks, the portfolio of services presented by TÜV SÜD Industrie Service at PowerGen 2010 will also include sustainable solutions for energy generation from biomass, deep geothermal sources and photovoltaic plants. TÜV SÜD Industrie Service has long-standing experience in power plant and plant technology.

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