Power plant products |
Reliable compressors help Malaysian hydro station achieve flexible operation
The Ulu Jelai hydroelectric power station in Malaysia successfully contributes to peak load coverage and power supply stabilisation. High-performance compressors play a key role in achieving flexible operation
The 372 MW Ulu Jelai power station entered service in 2016. It is operated by Tenaga Nasional Berhad, the only energy supplier in Malaysia and one of the largest in all of Asia. The power plant is located about 94 miles north Kuala Lumpur in the district of Cameron Highlands. A 460 m long and 88 m high dam impounds the water which is brought in by three different rivers. In case of increased energy demand, the water is released from the reservoir and directed to the plant’s two Francis turbines.
Their particular task is to drive the generators as synchronously as possible. Otherwise, the unwanted reactive power increases up to a point where the plant’s output drops down to zero. To avoid this, the turbines are put into a “shift modification mode” during periods of low energy consumption.
The shift modification mode requires the turbines to spin freely, therefore the water level has to fall to a level about one meter below the turbines. For this purpose, the water in the turbines is forced out by means of compressed air, which takes less than one minute. The power plant needs its own independent compressed air supply from compressors for this process. These compressors are usually sized to refill the air storage vessels within one hour after lowering
Above: The Ulu Jelai hydroelectric power station in Malaysia (Photo © Sika AG)
the water level. “In the past, compressors with a pressure of up to 80 barg were commonly used, but today the trend is toward compressors with an even higher final pressure”, says Lars Effinger, Sauer Compressors.
Sauer Compressors offers compressors particularly designed for this field of application, as several hydropower stations all over the world testify. Their flow rate and pressure range are tailor-made for the specific requirements of hydro plant operators.
Sauer Compressors in Singapore supplied the Ulu Jelai power station with two WP3100 piston compressors from the Sauer Typhoon series. With a power of up to 55 kW, these machines can generate a flow rate of 245 m³/h at a final pressure of up to 100 barg.
In 2019, Sauer Compressors supplied the Ulu Jelai power station with another compressor, a Sauer Breeze WP221LM Basic, the first of these new medium pressure models to be used in a hydro station. This air-cooled compressor can produce a flow rate of 420 m³/h at a final pressure of up to 40 barg. In case of a malfunction it acts as a backup to ensure reliable dewatering of the turbines. The Breeze series is based on a newly developed compressor platform designed to offer both ease of operation and maximum reliability.
Above: The Sauer Breeze WP221LM at Ulu Jelai acts as a backup for dewatering the turbines, in case of malfunction. The Breeze is based on a newly developed compressor platform and the Ulai Jelai application is its first use in a hydro plant (Photo © Sauer Compressors)
38 | September 2022 |
www.modernpowersystems.com
“With this order, we have once again proven our special competence and know-how as a supplier of equipment for hydroelectric power stations”, comments Lars Effinger.
For further information:
www.sauercompressors.com
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