Power plant products | dead tank breaker delivered China’s first SF6
Hitachi Energy is to deliver China’s first SF6-free 420 kV dead tank breaker (DTB) to the State Grid Corporation of China. This is believed to mark a significant step in decarbonising the power grid and aligns with China’s ambitious target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. SGCC is the world’s largest utility company, serving over 1.1 billion people across 88 % of China’s national territory, and has made a strong commitment to sustainability and developed an ambitious action plan for carbon neutrality. The SF6-free 420 kV DTB is part of the EconiQ
portfolio, Hitachi Energy’s eco-efficient range for sustainability where products, services, and solutions are proven to deliver exceptional environmental performance. By using sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) with a sustainable gas mixture, the breaker eliminates the greenhouse gas emissions caused by SF6 while maintaining the same reliable performance and compact design as the conventional solutions.
The EconiQ high-voltage series includes SF6- free live tank breakers for 72.5 kV, 145 kV and 420 kV voltages, gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) for
72.5 kV, 145 kV, 420 kV and 550 kV, gas-insulated lines (GIL) for 420 kV, DTB for 420 kV and 550 kV, and GIL retrofill for 420 kV. As of now, Hitachi Energy has deployed over 1000 EconiQ high- voltage units in 26 countries.
AI-ready automation platform for the power industry
Automation specialist Emerson is updating its well proven Ovation automation platform to include a software-defined architecture that will help utilities better leverage data, new technologies and artificial intelligence and improve operational excellence.
Emerson is proceeding from the recognition that current progress towards energy transition, global sustainability targets and ‘electrification of everything’ is transforming the power and water industries. These complex challenges require modern, adaptive technologies that interconnect previously siloed data and provide a holistic operational view to improve performance and availability.
The Ovation 4.0 automation platform builds on the company’s ‘Boundless automation’ vision to integrate and deliver data across enterprises to optimise operations. The software-defined
platform enhancements include advanced automation, simulation and AI capabilities. “Our next-generation platform will help modernise power and water operations, unlocking predictive strategies to help utilities meet the evolving pressures of the industries,” said Bob Yeager, president of Emerson’s power and water business. “Ovation 4.0 offers a single automation platform with real-time data, enabling customers to keep pace with rapidly changing markets, providing the insights they need to work smarter, better and faster.”
Ovation 4.0’s ‘grid edge ecosystem’ is made to manage real-time, bidirectional inputs and deliver distributed data across an entire network. Grid edge controllers provide a more granular view of the grid through high-speed, localised computing environments across distributed energy sources, putting rich data closer to operators to improve
load and demand management.
Innovations include a full suite of advanced pattern recognition and machine learning technologies to monitor, control and optimise assets. These technologies can be used in local or remote operation control centres, while the new Ovation View human machine interface and integration of Ovation Green renewable supervisory control and data acquisition software provide a clear view of operations, advanced analytics and forecasting tools. The platform also offers generative AI models trained on a foundation of secure knowledge-based data that will offer prescriptive guidance on operational and maintenance practices.
All Ovation 4.0 technologies will be supported through the Guardian ‘digital customer’, a single point of access to real-time monitoring, in-depth analytics and actionable insights.
Biogas engine upgrade delivers 20% improvement
A recent engine and control panel upgrade by CHP support specialist Gen-C to Avocet Renewables’ 500 kW biogas plant at Coston Hall Farm in Norfolk has delivered a 20% increase in power generation and enabled 24/7 remote monitoring and management of the system. The Avocet anaerobic digestion plant uses agricultural feedstocks such as energy crops to generate biomethane and electricity, which is exported to the grid, as well as heat, which is used locally on the farm for crop drying. The 500 kW V12 MAN E3262 engine was installed in 2017 to provide heat and generate electricity. Following a technical issue, Peterborough-based GenV Ltd were brought in to service and support the engine. However, issues such as a locked control panel meant that GenV were limited in their
ability to optimise CHP performance, and brought in support partners Gen-C for a solution. “The control system was old, and because it was locked to the original supplier we had no access to change key aspects of how the engine ran, and we couldn’t access anything remotely,” commented Warren Vessey, MD of GenV. “After struggling for 18 months with failing engine performance, we performed a full R3 service and agreed with the client to undertake a number of upgrades, including a new open-access control system, with the help of our partner Gen-C.” Gen-C was also asked to upgrade the engine. “The engine was underperforming – producing only around 400 kW – misfiring and vibrating badly, so the client was losing considerable revenue” says James Thompson, MD of Gen-C.
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www.modernpowersystems.com
“The engine consisted of a mixture of equipment from varying brands – the ignition controller, actuator, fuel mixer, pick-ups etc were from different manufacturers, which was impacting performance.”
To improve overall performance, key components such as the mixer and throttle speed control were upgraded. And because everything installed came from one manufacturer (Motortech), the client now has a single point of contact for all servicing. The existing controllers and screen in the control panel were replaced with a new touch screen, controllers and expansion cards. The system also features smart diagnostics, with alerts based on user-defined parameters, and is backed by a free remote technical support.
-free 420 kV
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