ANNUAL REPORT

ANSALDO ENERGIA FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2009
37
During 2009 some significant results were
delivered by the process to reorganise and
reinforce these activities, which was launched
following the Company's abandonment of all the
product licences it held in the past, culminating in
late 2008 in the establishment of a Product
Innovation and Development Management Office.
The Office brings together all legacy resources and
development laboratories both in Ansaldo Energia
and in Ansaldo Ricerche, which was incorporated
during the year.
In detail, in the framework of Ansaldo technology
gas turbine development, the programme to evolve
the class F AE94.3A unit received a further boost,
with the aim of optimising and improving
performance in terms of both power and efficiency.
These improvements will also lead to similar
increases in the performance of combined gassteam
cycles.
An important result in 2009 was the completion of
development work on and the commercial release
of the AE94.3A4+, with a further improvement of
the combustion system as a result of VeLoNox
(Very Low Nitrogen Oxide) technology and a further
increase in the turbine inlet temperature.
A new development programme was also launched
for the AE94.2 turbine, with the aim of increasing
power and efficiency performance.
Once again in relation to Ansaldo technology gas
turbines, development programmes have been
launched regarding the flexibility of use of new
fuels (LNG, gases with low calorific power or a high
pollutant content).
The evolution of customer demand for plant
operation in variable conditions, to satisfy the new
requirements of the electric power market, led in
2009 to the expansion of development projects on
the flexibility of both turbines and the entire
combined cycle.
In the Service segment, new programmes have
been launched to extend the range of products for
work on third party technology machinery, with
special reference to Ansaldo Thomassen and
Ansaldo Esg.
Developments mainly refer to the re-engineering of
both combustion systems and gas turbine blades.
Development work on the innovative continuous
electrostatic purification system and on remote
lubrication oil monitoring have been completed.
In connection with the Original Service Provider
(OSP) line, work has begun with Elsag Datamat to
develop a new control system for steam turbines,
gas turbines and control systems.
In the framework of steam turbine development
projects launched in 2008, work continued on the
characterisation and application of special
materials (super high temperature steels and
superalloys) for “ultrasupercritical” turbines.
Significant turbine generator developments are also
in progress, in connection with the extension of the
power range offered by air-cooled machines to 400
MVA, with innovative design methods using finite
element 3D calculations, and with experimentation
on new insulating materials.
The development work in 2009 on molten
carbonate fuel cells at the subsidiary Ansaldo Fuel
Cells was mainly focused on the application of this
technology to separate CO 2
from flue gas in
thermo-electric power stations (CCS - Carbon
Capture and Sequestration).
Research work also continues at the subsidiary
Ansaldo Nucleare, most importantly on 4th
generation fast nuclear reactors.
Nearing completion in this area is the ELSY project,
financed by the European Union in the framework of
the 6th Framework Programme and led by Ansaldo
Energia, to develop the reference configuration of a
molten lead cooled critical reactor for power
generation and to burn minor actinoids.
In 2009 Ansaldo Nucleare was assigned a new
project in the 7th Framework Programme, to begin
detailed planning work on a prototype of this
reactor.
Finally, in parallel with the creation of the
“Renewable and Distributed Energy” business line,
in 2009 work began to analyse existing thermodynamic,
biomass gassification and urban solid
waste technology.
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION