In a major step in direction of renewable vitality, Sulzer has been chosen to produce cold and hot molten salts pumps for a serious concentrated solar energy (CSP) Tower mission in China.
The deliberate 100 MW web site is a part of an bold program pushed by the rising demand for sustainable vitality sources in China and around the globe. Sulzer’s experience on this sector has facilitated many profitable initiatives able to delivering 24-hour energy from photo voltaic vitality.
Molten salts, used within the nuclear business for nearly 70 years, noticed Sulzer concerned within the design and manufacture of pumps to maneuver high-temperature fluids round cooling circuits. The firm pioneered expertise for the photo voltaic business greater than 15 years in the past, enabling in a single day warmth vitality storage.
The course of entails pumping molten salt into photo voltaic collectors, the place its temperature rises from roughly 300 °C to 600 °C. The heated salt is then saved in a tank and transferred to a warmth exchanger, the place the thermal vitality creates steam to energy a turbine/generator. This circuit acts as a thermal battery, permitting the photo voltaic crops to offer vitality constantly in optimum photo voltaic circumstances.
Sulzer boasts a protracted historical past of supplying molten salt pumps to photo voltaic installations around the globe, together with current initiatives in China. The 100 MW CSP Tower mission marks the primary of its form to make use of Sulzer pumps for each cold and hot circuits. Three chilly molten salt pumps, geared up with 2.6 MW motors, lengthen 18 meters beneath the bottom plate to the chilly molten salt tank, which is supplemented by two sizzling pumps. All pumps will probably be manufactured at Sulzer’s Suzhou plant.
A major problem is the elevated working stress required in molten salt circuits. Small websites often function at round 50 bar, however this mission required a 100 bar provide stress. Each pump is custom-built to accommodate greater pressures and barely larger energy necessities. Key elements, such because the throttle bushing and bush bearing design, are fastidiously researched, engineered, and examined earlier than manufacturing begins.
The end-user seeks to realize a number of objectives, together with acquiring key gear from worldwide manufacturers, that are finest made in China, whereas remaining cost-effective. Sulzer completed all of those objectives, having accomplished the engineering of the bare-shaft pump in Europe and the joint manufacturing in Belgium and China. In addition, Sulzer provides a complete assist package deal via the native service middle, which streamlines the stock of spare components for the end-user.
Local Sulzer engineers will assist the set up and commissioning of the gear. Because of their size, the pumps will probably be assembled on-site earlier than being put in within the storage tanks.
This set up follows a number of different profitable initiatives in China for Sulzer, together with three sizzling pumps for an additional 100 MW CSP and 6 sizzling and 5 chilly pumps for a 42 MW parabolic trough set up.
The 100 MW CSP Tower mission is a testomony to Sulzer’s dedication to advancing renewable vitality expertise, making certain a sustainable and dependable vitality future.