Full67d 700564
Full67d 700564
Full67d 700564
1. Introduction
The energy market development and the green energy have an important
impact on the hydro development. For European countries the objective for 2020
is to reduce the amount of Carbon emissions by 20% and integrate at minimum
20% of renewable power production. New network developments are planned
combining nuclear energy with green energy sources (like wind, solar, tidal
stream, waves, etc.). In this network, an important issue is the stability of the grid
and the generation of peak energy.
As example in the Danemark power network the evolution of wind energy
is presented in Fig. 1. Not only the power average is about 30% of the installed
power, but the intermittency of the provided power request balancing from other
type of energy production that needs high flexibility: to compensate the sudden
stop of production in peak regime and to valorise the production in the not
charged periods. The same for the stabilisation of the grid frequency.
Wind Production in Denmark in 2009
MW
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000 actual
1500
1000
500 average
(765 MW)
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
extended related to the normal operation – see Fig. 3. This is a key advantage
with respect to fixed speed units that can only regulate their power in
generation mode and operate at fixed power in pumping mode.
M
St
ax
H max
im
Head
nsync
um
Variation
In
ΔH
pu
t
1.25 nmax
1 operating
ion
H min point
t
vita
Ca
H min
H min
nmin Discharge
Discharge variation
Power adjustment
Fig. 3 Operating domain for fix speed – red and variable speed – blue: grid frequency regulation
• For fixed operational speed, the top of the efficiency hill charts in turbines is
generally not within the operating range. The variable speed permit to have
the optimal efficiency level at operating points in both turbine and pump
modes – see Fig. 4. Moreover higher individual efficiency are achieved
compared with the fixed speed, in particular at partial loads;
Efficiency Hill Chart Fixed Speed
Operating
range
P11 (KW)
Best Efficiency Line
Variable Speed
Operating points
Dn/ n = ± 7% ♥
Fig. 4 Operating points in turbine regime for fix speed – red and variable speed – blue: efficiency
optimization
Variable speed pump turbines technology 37
400 MW +0 / -30 %
300 MW +0 / -30 %
200 MW +0 / -30 %
100 MW +0 / -30 %
0 6 12 18 24
4 fixed speed Units Time
of 100 MW
Less Additional energy
starts & stops stored
Fig. 5 Operation of fix speed – red and variable speed – blue power plant
• The variable speed permit a fine tune of the operating regime to the power
adjustment with the grid request. In this way the energetic balance of the
power plant is improved – by improving the network balancing and the
storage of power excess in hydraulic energy, the number of machines start and
stop is reduced – see Fig. 5.
Besides, variable speed technology offer technical and economic
advantages like extension of the operating range increased cycling efficiencies
and therefore higher operation flexibility towards the grid - see Teller et al. [5].
1200
798 m Regulated
800
Single
600
623 m Stage
400
200
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
140 MW 258 MW 408 400
MW 450
winding overhang for the first two solutions, because the cooling airflow
cannot pass through the winding overhang in radial direction.
• The third concept consists in a set of retaining bolts that fix the winding
overhang to an auxiliary rim mounted on the rotor rim. Cooling air can
directly pass through the winding overhang in radial direction. Furthermore it
is possible to dismantle individual bars if required. A strict quality process
defining individual checking of each bolt is required due to the huge
mechanical solicitation of these bolts.
Rotor rim: similar to the winding overhang retaining system, the rotor rim
is also exposed to mechanical cycling. Since the rotor rim consists of a highly
inhomogeneous stack of varnished steel laminations, it is advisable to cross check
the calculation by practical tests. In contrast to the rotor rim of a salient pole
machine, the rim of an induction machine is carrying an alternating magnetic
field. To reduce the iron losses created by eddy currents and hysteresis effect
materials with low loss coefficients can be used. Generally materials with high
yield strengths have relatively high magnetic loss coefficients. The right
compromise is to be found between the mechanical and magnetic proprieties of
the material.
SPMAX
Speed / Power Optimizer
VSI
Unit Control
Controller
Inverter
SPMAX
Power
Power
Governor
Turbine
Motors
Servo
Speed
Active Power
Head
Grid Frequency
Fig. 7 Command architecture for variable speed pump-turbines
attentions are to be pay of the mechanical calculation because the variable speed
or the runner generates more exciting frequencies for the mechanical structure.
Another aspect is related to the operating regimes. The normal request was limited
to 2-4 start/stops by day. For the new machines the exigencies becomes 10-12
start/stops by day and the fatigue calculation can be dimensioning.
600 meters deep in the mountain-inside will grow up a big size Power
Cavern: the new machines will be in a room with a wide of 30 Meter, 50 Meter
high and 120 Meter long. 2 in parallel led penstocks connect the Mut Lake with
the Power Plant and 2 about 500 meter long tailraces the Power plant with the
Limmern lake. The direct access to the Power Plant is guaranteed from the valley
Variable speed pump turbines technology 41
The new underground power station will be built between two existing
lakes Emosson and Vieux-Emosson – 11,4 Mio. m3 for a head of 250-390 m, see
Fig. 9.
By the developing the existing power plant, the Output will be 900
megawatts. 6 new pump-turbines operating with variable speed will be installed.
This project is a partnership between Alpiq, CFF and Forces Motrices Valaisannes
– see [9]. The project represent less than 1 billion € and will be operating in 2015-
2017.
42 Gabriel Dan Ciocan, Olivier Teller, Francois Czerwinski
The 6 new reversible pump turbines units will insure a rated output of 157
MW each with a variable speed motor-generator, rated at 428,6 rpm with a slip
range of +/- 7%. All the 6 machines will be manufactured and installed by
ALSTOM.
7. Conclusions
The new configuration of the electrical market impose more capacity for
grid regulation, more flexibility in power availability on network and high
volatility for the prices in peak period. The ecological raisons - CO2 emission
reduction - impose the development of green energy sources for production and
storage.
The variable speed technology in pump-turbines is a breakthrough
technology that responds to this need. In fact this technology permits the energy
storage and production with a fast reactivity (seconds), the grid frequency
regulation (in both regimes pump and turbine) and the optimization of the
efficiency of the hydraulic power plants.
ALSTOM is developing the variable speed pump turbines technology and
is leader in pump-storage power plants on the hydro-electrical market.
REFERENCES
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in a hydroelectric site“, Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, Vol.9, No.
11, 469 – 472, 2010
[2]. ****, 11e Inventaire Observ’ER – edition 2009
[3]. G. Caro, C. Jeroen, M. Hildmann, D. Dannacha, F. Herzog, “A quantitative analysis of the
electricity market in Switzeland“, 2008
[4]. A. Schwery, T. Kunz, “Variable Speed, Technology and Current Projects in Europe“,
Waterpower XVI Conference, Spokane, July 27-30, 2009
[5]. O. Teller, T. Kuntz, E. Goutard, L. Schmitt, “Renewable integration boost thanks to
pumped hydro storages upgrade into variable speed coupled with energy and market
management solutions”, Renewable Energy World Europe in Milano, Italy June 7-9, 2011
[6]. J.M. Henry, H. Marin, L. Melet, “Pumped Storage Technology For High Duty Water
Pumps: The 90 MW Beni Haroun Water Pumps”, AIRH Lyon 2009
[7]. J.B. Houdeline, D. Roulet, T. Kuntz, J. Liu, “Regulated and reversible pump turbine design:
the recent PSP achievement experience”, Hydropower Technology & Equipment, Beijing,
20-22 April 2009
[8]. ****, “Refurbishment of the Linthal-Limmern Power Station“,
http://www.axpo.ch/axpo/en/hydroenergie/wissen/kraftwerksprojekte/ausbauprojekte_linth-
limmern.html
[9]. ****, “Station de pompage turbinage Nant de Drance“, http://www.nant-de-
drance.ch/home.htm