Power plant picks digital architecture

Emerson Process Management has received a contract to modernise the instrumentation and control systems for Unit 3 of the Karlshamn power plant in Sweden.

Emerson Process Management has received a contract to modernise the instrumentation and control systems for Unit 3 of the Karlshamn power plant in Sweden.

The contract, which calls for the installation of Emerson's PlantWeb digital plant architecture with the Ovation expert control system, was awarded by Karlshamn Kraft, a company within E.ON Nordic and partly owned also by Fortum Generation.

The Karlshamn power plant - the largest oil-fired power station in Scandinavia - consists of three oil-fired units, each generating 340MW of power.

The power plant, initially commissioned from 1969-1973 as a peak and reserve power station, is used when hydro and nuclear generating facilities cannot provide sufficient power due to high electricity consumption, operating disturbances or lack of water.

When Karlshamn is not producing electricity, it is frequently kept in a state of alert so generation can begin shortly after a start order.

The plant features a high degree of automation to allow the units to start up and shut down quickly and efficiently with minimal manual assistance.

The control equipment at Unit 3 has exceeded its 30-year life, and spare parts are difficult to obtain.

The complete modernisation of the instrumentation and control systems will allow the plant to continue to serve the region for the remainder of its expected design life.

Emerson's Ovation system, which will replace disparate legacy controls at Karlshamn Unit 3, will provide monitoring and automatic sequence control for the boiler, main turbine and feed pump turbine.

Under the contract, Emerson will also upgrade the existing sootblower controls, burner management system, hydraulic equipment, vibration monitoring system, and turbine governor and protection system.

Unit startup is scheduled for fall 2007.

"Emerson offered a comprehensive solution that addressed the full scope of instrumentation and control technologies required to modernise this unit", said Bengt Norman, Managing Director, Karlshamn Kraft.

"We expect utilisation of digital technologies, coupled with a common, integrated control platform, will result in multiple operational efficiencies and improvements, including reducing the time needed for unit startup and load changes, which is critical for a peaking unit".

Ovation was designed specifically to meet the challenges of the power generation industry and boasts a number of industry-leading advanced technologies.

These include the incorporation of embedded advanced control algorithms; a mission-critical, Fast Ethernet network for high-speed communication of plant information; the industry's most powerful controller with the fastest duty cycle available to optimise plant performance; and a full line of analogue, digital and special-purpose turbine and boiler I/O modules; among others.

For the Karlshamn unit, Emerson's comprehensive PlantWeb digital automation solution will also include deployment of Hart intelligent field devices and Emerson's AMS Suite: Intelligent Device Manager software.

AMS Device Manager streamlines device configuration, enabling savings and increased efficiency of plant startup.

It supports proactive maintenance by providing online access to instrument and valve process information, and diagnostic status information.

AMS Device Manager also delivers predictive health information and corrective guidelines as needed to plant personnel, and automatically documents all field device maintenance information.

The predictive intelligence of Emerson's AMS Suite helps customers optimise plant operations and maintenance activities, and avoid costly unplanned outages.

With decades of power generation industry experience, Emerson is uniquely qualified to deliver control solutions relating to boilers, turbines and overall unit/plant operation.

Emerson's ability to manage the entire controls upgrade for this project is advantageous, as fully co-ordinated boiler/turbine control offers such benefits as unit-wide compatibility, improved unit stability, responsiveness and thermal efficiencies; tighter overall control of plant operations; and a concise view of key plant and turbine parameters.

"The modernisation of Unit 3 will ensure that the Karlshamn power plant continues to play a vital role in meeting Sweden's electricity needs", said Bob Yeager, President of Emerson's Power and Water Solutions division.

"We're pleased we were able to address all of Karlshamn Kraft's requirements, providing a comprehensive, integrated, digitally automated control solution that will increase the unit's reliability and availability, improve diagnostic capabilities and provide more precise control".

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