A serious concentrated solar energy (CSP) undertaking in China has chosen Sulzer, a world fluid engineering firm, to produce cold and hot molten salts pumps for set up.
The deliberate 100-MW photo voltaic undertaking options expertise designed to ship electrical energy from photo voltaic power 24 hours a day.
Molten salts have been used within the nuclear business for practically 70 years, and Sulzer has been concerned within the design and manufacture of pumps that transfer high-temperature fluids round cooling circuits. The firm was concerned in pioneering expertise to be used within the photo voltaic business greater than 15 years in the past, which allows thermal power to be saved in a single day.
The molten salt is pumped into photo voltaic collectors (towers or parabolic mirror fields) the place its temperature rises from 300C to 600C. The excessive temperature salt is then saved in a tank and transferred to a warmth exchanger, the place the thermal power is used to create steam that generates energy utilizing a turbine/generator. This circuit acts as a thermal battery, enabling photo voltaic crops to ship energy across the clock in good photo voltaic situations.
Sulzer has a observe report of delivering cold and hot molten salt pumps to photo voltaic installations around the globe, together with latest initiatives in China. The 100-MW CSP Tower undertaking is the primary of its sort to make use of Sulzer pumps for each cold and hot circuits. The three chilly molten salt pumps will likely be outfitted with 2.6-MW motors, and can prolong 18 meters beneath the bottom plate into the chilly molten salt tank. It will likely be paired with two warmth pumps, with all pumps manufactured at Sulzer’s Suzhou, China, plant, positioned in Jiangsu Province.
The most vital problem of this undertaking is the elevated working stress required by the molten salt circuits. Areas with small outputs often function at round 50 bar, however this undertaking required a 100-bar provide stress from the pumps.
Each pump is made to order and this undertaking needed to be engineered to satisfy the elevated stress and the low energy necessities. Compared to extra widespread, low stress pumps, there are numerous vital factors, equivalent to throttle bushing and bush bearing design, which should be rigorously checked, correctly engineered and examined earlier than beginning. the manufacturing course of.
In this case, the end-user needs to attain particular goals within the supply of this undertaking. They need worldwide manufacturers to produce key gear, which is greatest made in China and value efficient in comparison with the competitors.
Sulzer mentioned the engineering of the bare-shaft pump will likely be accomplished in Europe and the manufacturing will likely be an in depth collaboration between amenities in Belgium and China. In addition, the corporate will provide a complete assist package deal for merchandise delivered by an area service middle. By selecting Sulzer for cold and hot pumps, the tip consumer may also streamline its spare elements stock.
As a part of the contract native Sulzer engineers are readily available to assist the set up and commissioning of the gear. Because of their top, the pumps will likely be assembled on web site earlier than being put in in storage tanks.
This set up follows a number of different profitable initiatives in China for Sulzer, together with three scorching pumps for an additional 100-MW CSP, in addition to six scorching, and 5 chilly, pump for a 42-MW parabolic trough set up.
—energy This content material was edited, contributed by Sulzer and DMA Europethe corporate’s advertising and marketing company.
