Emerson's PlantWeb® Digital Plant Architecture Contributes To Operation of New Generating Unit Nine Months Ahead Of Schedule
PlantWeb with Ovation® expert control system supports record-setting timeframe for construction and commissioning of one of China's first 1,000-MW Ultra-Supercritical Power Generating Units
Pittsburgh, PA - Emerson Process Management announced that its Ovation® expert control system has been successfully implemented at Zouxian Power Plant Unit 7. In early 2006 Emerson won a contract to install its PlantWeb digital plant architecture with the Ovation® expert control system and FOUNDATION™ fieldbus technology at two new 1,000-MW ultra-supercritical units at the Zouxian Power Plant. The Zouxian Phase IV project, awarded by China Huadian Group Corp., represents the first installation of FOUNDATION fieldbus device technology for monitoring and controlling processes at a power generation facility in China.
Unit 7 of the Zouxian facility successfully completed the 168-hour performance test – a significant milestone for new plants coming online – on Dec. 4, 2006 – roughly nine months ahead of schedule. Unit 8, still under commission, is expected to complete this milestone in June 2007.
When Phase IV is completed, Zouxian Power Plant is expected to be the largest coal-fired plant in China, with eight units having a total generating capacity of 4,540 megawatts. Located in the Shandong Province, the plant is a critical component of China Huadian Group's efforts to meet the increasing demand for power in the region. Emerson's comprehensive control solution for Phase IV includes a total of 64 redundant controllers, 24 Ovation workstations, AMS™ Suite asset management software and more than 130 Foundation fieldbus intelligent devices such as Rosemount® 848T 8-input temperature transmitters, and flow, level and pressure transmitters. The Ovation system, which will manage nearly 30,000 I/O points, will provide data acquisition as well as control and monitoring of the boilers and balance of plant processes.
The new Zouxian units are among the first ultra-supercritical units in China to have a 1,000-megawatt output rating. Ultra-supercritical plants use new advanced clean coal technology that allows operation at elevated steam temperatures and pressures. Ultra-supercritical technologies are expected to become more prevalent in China because they typically boost the efficiency of coal-based electricity generation by more than 50 percent, while maintaining superior environmental performance.
With a thermal efficiency of more than 45 percent (compared with a typical subcritical plant thermal efficiency of 30-38 percent), a fuel conversion rate of less than 272.9 grams/KWh (0.60 lbs./KWh), and a Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) effective rate of more than 95 percent, Zouxian Unit 7 is among the cleanest, most efficient and most advanced ultra-supercritical units in the world.
"The Emerson system performed extremely well during the 168-hour test," said Hua Zhang, senior I&C engineer, China Huadian Group. "In fact, the smooth startup and performance of the Ovation system contributed to a record-setting timeframe of 22.6 months for unit construction and a mere 23 days for commissioning."
"We've seen time and time again in other industries how the early adoption of PlantWeb digital plant architecture not only reduces construction and engineering costs, but also translates into ongoing operational efficiencies," said Bob Yeager, president of Emerson's Power & Water Solutions division. "Not surprisingly, the power industry is increasingly recognizing the benefits of these bus-enabled technologies. We're pleased that China Huadian Group selected Emerson's digital automation solution and we are gratified that our technologies could play a role in the achievement of the unit's record-breaking milestones."
SOURCE: Emerson Process Management, Power & Water Solutions