Renewable Energy Engineering

• Mechanical analysis of static equipment and heat exchangers
• Failure analysis of molten salt tank (bottom)
• Analysis and evaluation of failure in  ball joint assembly system (parabolic trough)
• Feasibility study of flexible hoses as substitutive of ball joints
• Evaluation of cracks in 30” HTF collector piping
• Feasibility study of  line-stop installation
• Evaluation of cracks in molten tanks nozzles
• Evaluation of vibration phenomena in pumps of molten salt tanks
• Evaluation of cracks in molten salt piping in creep range operation
• Failure root cause analysis (RCA) in heat exchangers (SG, MS)

• Drainage piping system of HTF Main and freeze protection systems to reduce equipment shut down time and improving of safety requirements
• Design of drainage system of molten salts and HTF-Molten Salts separation system (heat exchangers failure)
• Solar field by-pass. Solar field/power block independization
• By-pass SGT: Availability upgrade
• By-pass Molten Salts – HTF Heat exchangers: Availability upgrade
• By-pass BP Preheaters: Maintenance upgrade
• Definition of control valves for HTF boilers (surface temperature control in boiler tubes).
• Optimization of the HTF level in expansion system to avoid nitrogen trapping.
• Plant suitability for regulatory tests (steam side and HTF side).
• Design of HTF / N2 condensing and cooling system in PSV shots: Quench tank design.

Static equipment: SG Train, preheaters, storage tanks, Molten Salt Train: 

• Evaluation of nominal and partial real loads vs, proyect
• Analysis of termal shocks
•  Fatigue Evaluation
• Vibration analysis. 

Dynamic equipment: Main Pumps, BFW pumps, Molten Salts Pumps

• Analysis of operational points vs pump curve (Q min, Q max, BEP)
• Vibration analysis
• Analysis of O&M vs operation
• Installation inspection and loads on nozzles

Results obtained:

• Evaluation of operational accumulated damage and remaining life assessment.
• Identification of operational limits (termal shocks, ramps, flows)
• Evaluation of operational, maintenance and mechanical upgrades,
• Optimization of pumping comsumption.

• Thermal and hydraulic simulation of SGTrain:
  • Heat Exchanger simulation according to supplier’s drawings.
  • Analysis of DCS operation data

Results obtained:

• Actual response of HEXs vs. project Performance analysis and heat losses
• Identification of accerated fouling: low performance, DeltaP increase
• Identification of mechanical failures: by passes, pores Identification of steaming and vaporization (in PH): fouling, erosion.
• Identification of mechanical risk due to vibrations.
• Proposal for operational improvement measures
• Proposals for NDTs if required: boroscopy, thickness measurement, analysis of remains (during operation, during shut down)

Thermal and hydraulic simulation of molten salt /HTF Heat Exchangers:

• Heat Exchanger simulation according to supplier’s drawings
• Analysis of DCS operation data

Results obtained:

• Power output opitmization and charge/discharge time: curves of exchanged power as a function of operating flows.
• Influence Identification of ratio Q HTF / Q Molten Salts on tubes temperature: Integration of safeties in DCS in order not to reach limits defined by supplier
• Operational limits due to vibrations

Simulations of failure event: operation with the rest of available heat exchangers

Results obtained:

• Power curve as a function of number of available heat exchangers
• Design of by-pass system in order to operate during failure event. Basic and detailed engineering

• Analysis of performance of rest of available equipment as a function of equipment failure hypothesis.
• Analysis of potential flow increase in available equipment to compensate power output reduction.
• Design of by-pass systems (basic and detail engineering).

• Analysis of boroscopic tests
• Analysis of thickness measurements
• Analysis of samples (analysis of elements, analysis of compounds

Results obtained:

• Analysis of causative mechanisms: steaming, vaporization, corrosion mechanisms, etc.
• Influence over thermal performance
• Influence over remaining life expectance
• Proposal of monitoring and improvement measures

• Water quality: revision of operation conditions (DCS and plant’s analytics) Vs recommendable values.
• Effect/impact of water quality over main equipment.
  • Heat exchangers: corrosion, depositions, performance loss
  • Steam turbine: fouling (Na, Si, metallic oxides) and performance loss
• Mechanical carryover analysis in Steam Generator (fouling of SH and steam turbine).
• Revision of sampling procedure along continuous operation.
• Definition of monitoring procedures.

• Renewable Energy Engineering tool to fouling monitoring of steam turbine.
  • Calculation of fouling rate
  • Time estimation until next shut-down for cleaning maintenance

• Identification of susceptible points to present N2 accumulation and calculation of accumulated N2
• Evaluation of N2 carryover velocity in each point
• Evaluation of venting requirement as a function of its influence on downstream equipment
• Venting system design and enginnering