Bilancio Ansaldo - Ansaldo Energia

In 2011 Ansaldo Energia’s product innovation and
development activities focused on innovative
solutions for fossil fuel fired power plants and the
relative service activities, with a special focus on
the needs expressed by customers regarding
projects under way.
A significant commitment has been retained in the
nuclear sector and in diversified renewable
resources too.
Specifically, in the framework of Ansaldo technology
gas turbine development, work continued on the
evolution programme for the class F AE94.3A unit,
with the aim both of improving performance in
terms of power and efficiency and of increasing
operating flexibility and the range of fuels used.
These improvements will be seen in both single
cycle installations and combined gas-steam cycle
plants, aiming at efficiency levels higher than 59%.
Specifically, testing was completed at a customer’s
site of the improved version of the AE94.3A4, fitted
with a combustion system based on the latest
developments in the Company’s proprietary
VeLoNox® technology (very low emission of nitrogen
oxides) and incorporating further significant
innovations affecting the mechanical structure of
the machine and turbine blade cooling.
The results of the test were particularly interesting
and provided the technical information needed to
look in more detail at issues relating specifically to
combustion, identifying and performing trials in a
full pressure test rig on new burner configurations
with innovative geometries, with the aim of
selecting the ones that will be installed in the field
during 2012.
Once again in relation to Ansaldo Energia
technology gas turbines, the construction project
was completed for the advanced version of the
AE94.2, with several solutions already included in
construction projects underway.
They include turbine blades with an advanced
design in terms of aerodynamics and the use of
cooling air, for which micro casting qualification
activities have begun.
Development projects continued in 2011 on the
operating flexibility of combined cycle plants in
response to new electricity market needs in both
Italy and Europe. The focus on these issues is
ANSALDO ENERGIA ANNUAL REPORT 2011
41
demonstrated by the Company’s active participation
in the European Turbine Association (EUT) working
group which contributes to the preparation of new
network codes at European level.
A major development effort was also addressed to
service activities on gas turbines using both
Ansaldo Energia and third party technology, through
the Original Service Provider (OSP) business line
which includes subsidiary company Ansaldo
Thomassen.
The programmes under way are addressed on one
hand to providing Ansaldo Energia with advanced
tools to assess the residual life cycle of critical
forged parts in its own technology products (based
on appropriate non-destructive inspection
techniques), and on the other hand on extending
the scope of the service offering for work on
machinery based on third party technology, with the
development of turbine blades that have optimised
maintenance intervals and low emission
combustion systems.
In 2011, the qualification was completed of micro
casting equipment to produce the first blades,
which represents an important step towards
completing the programme.
In the field of steam turbines, the USC machine
basic development programme was completed and
work was also performed on defining the optimum
parameters for CSP plant steam turbines.
Work also continued, with the support of the latest
three-dimensional electro magneto thermal
calculation tools and using increasingly high
performance insulation materials, on the
development of electric generators of an optimum
size to exploit developments in gas and steam
turbines. Specifically, in the field of air-cooled
machines, the top-rated 400 MW model is now
ready for construction.
Turning to plant and machinery automation, work
continued on the development of the new Ansaldo
Energia branded steam turbine control system,
based on the AC800 platform (including the SIL3
protection system), in the framework of the
agreement with ABB signed the previous year.
Further, following the introduction in 2011 by ABB
of the Symphony Plus control platform,
development work began on new gas turbine
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION