At the forefront of the Solar Thermal sector since 2006
Engineering & Consultancy in CSP Plants

Thermosolar and renewables

Activities and Capacities

Solar thermal generation technology (Concentrated Solar Power – CSP) is where all of CADE’s capabilities clearly materialize from the beginning of the sector, as a strong and reliable partner throughout the entire project life cycle, ranging from I + D to operating plants.

CADE develops new technology and engineering concepts around improving the efficiency and availability of existing CSP plants, as well as new concepts of solar thermal technology applied to the heat consuming industry.

CSP Projects

Property Engineering

Permitting. Ready-to-Build

Basic and Detail Engineering

Procurement

Construction Supervision

Commissioning

Plants in Operation

Process Solutions

Integrity and Performance Consulting

Comprehensive Modification and Improvement

Engineering

Adequacy to Level C Inspections

Technology

solidTES – Thermal Storage

processCSP – Industrial Heat

ZeroLD – Water Recovery

MSLoop – Salts CSP Plants like HTF

Digitalization

Digital Twin

InCycle

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Owner’s Engineering

FEED Engineering (Front-and-End-Engineering Design)
Selection and evaluation of main equipment and systems
Technical-Economic Feasibility Studies (CAPEX-OPEX)
Generation EPC Sheets and Specifications
EPC project execution control

Permitting / Ready-to-Build

Basic Project
Project Applications and Authorizations
Processing with the Administration
(Municipal/Regional/National)

Basic and detail Engineering

Multidisciplinary engineering for conceptual and detailed development of CSP >50MW plants:

Solar Field- HTF
Steam Generation
TES – Thermal storage system in molten salts
Power Block

Procurement

Equipment, Package Units, Contractors
Specifications of purchase and technical tabulation of offers
Manufacturing and supply monitoring and monitoring
Workshop inspection and equipment reception

Construction Supervision

Civil, Mechanical Systems, I&C, Electricity

Commissioning

Definition of protocols, manuals and PEM tests

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Process Solutions

Solar Field:

Hydraulic Balancing
Performance analysis
Tube status analysis: replacement strategies.
HTF thermal degradation risk analysiss.

TES: Improved storage system

Loading/unloading strategies
Hot drainage systems
Leak Management
Systems (HTF / Salts)
Simulation of salt tanks.
HTF / Salts Exchanger Train Analysis

TGV: Exchanger Train Analysis

Feeding water system / Steam

Desgasificator
Power pumps
PSV networks
Improvements in dosing and sampling system.
Steam turbine performance analysis
Operating strategies to avoid operational problems (steaming, corrosion, fouling, thermal shocks)

Integrity and Performance Consulting

Condition assessment of main systems and equipment. Determination of accumulated damage, remaining life and probability of failure.

Definition and implementation of Improvement Strategies for the operation, availability and reliability of equipment and main systems (CS / HTF / TES / GV).

Integrity consulting and root cause analysis of failure in service of equipment and main systems.

Technical Consulting (owner’s advisor) for the evaluation and resolution of disputes with suppliers in relation to guarantees, performance and / or reliability of equipment and systems.

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solidTES – Thermal Storage

Concrete and aggregate-based thermal storage technology

R&D
Evaluation of the Dispatchability of a Parabolic Trough Collector System with Concrete Storage – EDITOR

Feed and conceptual engineering
Integration with:

existing processes (steam, hot water, thermal oil, air, electricity)
existing energy sources (residual heat, PV, thermal or electrical discharges)
Basic and detail engineering
Turnkey Projects

processCSP – Industrial Heat

Solution for thermal contribution to the industry based on concentration plot with parabolic cylinder or Fresnel technology and with thermal storage.

Feed Engineering, Conceptual and Technology Assessment
Integration with existing processes (steam, hot water, thermal oil, air, cold systems)
Basic and Detail Engineering
Turnkey Projects

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Digital CSP plant

Digitalization portfolio and industry 4.0 focused on solar thermal plants
Improved asset management and O&M under paradigm 4.0, from specific equipment or asset, units or systems, to complete plants

Intelligent 3D plant model:

LASER 3D SCAN: Point clouds generation and photorealistic plant models for improved management
SMART 3D mockups: 3d model generation including asset data and information and operation and maintenance

Digital twin: real-time critical asset monitoring and analysis for decision-making and prediction:

Condition-based and predictive maintenance
ANALYSIS-MONITORING of status, integrity, life and failure prevention of critical equipment
Complete DIGITAL TWIN of equipment or systems with sensorization, monitoring, intelligent analysis, simulation and experimentation capability, to improve the performance and efficiency of the equipment or system.

InCycle

Methodology for the analysis and optimization of renewable steam cycles.
Water Quality Analysis vs Industry Standards and Regulations

Review of the sampling system
Review of the dosing system
Analysis of the current status of computers:
- Corrosion (pitting, FAC, low tank, …)
  Fouling, performance, by-passes, etc).
  Accumulated damage from current operation (fatigue, thermal shocks)
Identification of operational improvements to avoid detected deviations (increased service life, improved performance)
Cycle performance analysis
Reduction of leaks (PSVs, drains, purgers)

Plants we serve

Currently, 25 CSP plants operating around the world count on CADE to evaluate, optimize and improve the main systems and critical equipment of the plant

Executed Type Projects

Technical Audit of Existing Plants. Critical Equipment

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Static Equipment: Steam Generation Train, Train Salt Exchangers, Salt Storage Tanks

Evaluation of partial nominal and actual loads vs. project
Thermal shock analysis
Fatigue Assessment
Vibration analysis

Dynamic Equipment: Main Pumps, Feed Water Pumps, Molten Salt Pumps

Analysis of operation points vs design curves(Q min, Q max, BEP)
Vibration analysis
Analysis O&M vs operation

Main Results:

-Assessment of accumulated damage and determination of remaining life
Identification of operating limits (thermal shocks, heating ramps, flow rates)
Identification of operational improvements, maintenance improvements and mechanical improvements
Optimizing pump consumption
Identification of thermal losses
Status of general plant maintenance or plant systems

Operational analysis of the Salts Train

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Thermal and hydraulic simulation of HTF/ Salts exchangers

Simulation of heat exchangers according to manufacturer’s documentation
Operating data analysis according to DCS

Main Results:

Energy delivery optimization and load/discharge curve: Exchanged energy curves based on operating flow rates
Influence and identification of ratio Q HTF / Q SALTS Vs. Tube temperature: Integration of safeties in DCS to avoid reaching the limits set by the manufacturer
Operational limits due to vibrations

Simulation of failure events: Operation of the system with the rest of the exchangers

Main results

Power curve depending on the number of exchangers available
By-pass system design to operate in case of failure. Basic engineering and detail

Operational analysis of the Steam Generation Train

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Thermal and hydraulic simulation of the Steam Generation train

Simulation of heat exchangers according to manufacturer’s documentation
Operating data analysis according to DCS

Main results:

Equipment actual response Vs. Project
Performance analysis and power loss (heat)
Accelerated fouling identification: low performance, DeltaP increase
Identification of steaming and vaporization phenomena in
Preheater: fouling, erosion.
Identification of mechanical risks due to vibrations
Proposed operational improvements
Proposal and definition of DDs if required: boronscopy, thickness measurement, analysis of samples and residues (during operation, during stoppage)

Steam Generation Train Availability Analysis

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Analysis of the performance of the other equipment available under the hypothesis of failure of one of the train equipment
Analysis of the potential flow increase in all other available equipment for production reduction compensation for equipment that fails
By-pass system design (basic and detail engineering)

Salts Tanks

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Root cause analysis to determine the origin of cracks in the roofs of salt tanks and definition of proposals for improvement and solution of the problem.

Tank inspection (visual inspection, thickness measurement, identification of areas with internal corrosion using MRUT methodology, temperature control and measurement in hot areas of the tank)
Operating data analysis according to DCS
Thermal-structural simulation under standard operating conditions
Assessment against fatigue and thermal shocks
Tank simulation during the warm-up process
Assessment of foundation settlements in tank structural behavior
Vibration assessment in piping systems
Corrosion assessment due to air tank contamination.
Stress Corrosion
Cracking Assessment (SCC).
Chemical analysis of salts

Main results:

Identification of mechanical risk associated with vibrations in connections
Identification of mechanical risk in piping due to the effect of settlements
Identification of mechanical risk due to the preheating process
Identification of mechanical hazard due to vibrations

Water-Steam Cycle Analysis

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Water Quality: Operating Condition Review (DCS and Plant Analytics) Vs. Recommended Values
Effect/Impact of water quality on core equipment
Exchangers: corrosion, depositions, loss of performance
Steam turbine: Fouling (Na, Si, Metal oxides) and loss of performance
Mechanical carryover analysis in Steam Generator (SuperHeater fouling and Steam Turbine)
Review of the dosing system.
System review and sampling procedures.
Thermal analysis of exchangers: by-pass identification, fouling, steaming.
Mechanical analysis of TGV exchangers (accumulated damage per operation, operational limits)
Definition of commissioning and stop procedures for the reduction of steaming, corrosion and soiling in equipment.
Definition of operating strategies to increase the TGV’s lifespan.

Steam Turbine Fouling Monitoring

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Engineering tool for steam turbine fouling monitoring

Fouling rate calculation
Determining times until next stop for maintenance and cleaning

Identification of N2 bags and venting requirements

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Identification of points likely to present accumulation of N2 and cumulative N2 calculation
Evaluation of venting requirements based on their influence on downstream equipment
Design and engineering of venting system

Design of specific equipment CSP plants

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Thermal/hydraulic/mechanical design
Supplier selection
Supervision of manufacturer’s engineering documents
Manufacturer design review and recommendations
Workshop inspections

Steam Generator (Kettle Type) (HTF/Steam)(SalTs/Steam)
Steam Generator (Forced Circulation Type) (HTF/Steam)(Salts/Steam)
Economizer (HTF/Vapor)(Salts/Vapor)

Heat Exchanger Inspection

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Boronscope analysis
Analysis of thickness measurements
Sample analysis (analysis of elements and compounds)

Main results:

Failure mechanism analysis: steaming, vaporization, corrosion, thermal shock, freezing, buckling, SCC, etc.
Influence on thermal performance
Influence on remaining life
Proposal for monitoring and improvement measures

Evaluation of the condition of the pipes salt circuit

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Visual inspection
Measuring thicknesses
Identification of areas with widespread corrosion and local corrosion using MRUT methodology
Study DCS signals
Thermal-structural analysis against normal operating conditions and thermal shocks
Fatigue analysis
Performing metallography and metallographic replicas
Study of the operating logic of the tracing system.
Chemical analysis of salts
Corrosion analysis. Sample analysis (analysis of elements and compounds)

Main projects:

Analysis of mechanisms and causes of failure: overheating associated with tracing, corrosion due to salt degradation effect.
Proposal for monitoring and improvement measures
Defining optimal control logic
Definition of a predictive maintenance plan.

Solar field assessment

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Root cause analysis to determine the breakage origin of ball joints. Definition of corrective measures and improvement proposals. Definition of predictive maintenance plan

Plant inspection
Assessment of fault record
Standard definition of failure
Operating data analysis according to DCS
Thermal-structural simulation of the solar collector, ball joint system and receptor tubes
Assessment against fatigue and thermal shocks
Analysis of the detail of the kneecaps and simulation process of blocking them

Root cause analysis to determine the breaking origin of the receptor tubes

Plant inspection
Assessment of fault record
Standard definition of failure
Operating data analysis according to DCS
Thermal-structural simulation of the solar collector, receiver tubes and ball joints system
Assessment against fatigue and thermal shocks
Vacuum loss assessment in tubes
Radiation effect assessment