Energy Use Cases
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6 use cases
Hydropower
Coarse and fine screens
Energy
Mechanical cleaning removes entrained floating matter with screens or sieves. This protects the downstream process stages from buildup, clogging and abrasion. Solids with diameters greater than 25 mm are trapped in the coarse screens, compressed in a press and then disposed of. Finer secondary screens remove smaller residual materials. Measurement of the difference in water level between the front and the back of the screen determines the degree of contamination and initiates the cleaning of the screen when necessary.
Dam of the hydroelectric power plant
Energy
The seepage water in the dam of the hydroelectric plant is collected in pipes or channels. The quantity of seepage water provides information on the condition of the dam (another indicator of the condition of the dam is the clouding of the seepage water which is also assessed). The quantity of water flowing in an open channel is measured via water head height as it passes through a ‘V’ notch, flume or weir structure, which is then calculated into flow rate.
Pressure line in a hydroelectric power plant
Energy
In hydroelectric power plants, water is transported from the dam to the turbine via a pressure pipe. A partial or complete rupture of the pressure line leads to an increase in flow rate in the pipe that is higher than the maximum permissible flow expected. Undetected leaks lead to flooding and destruction of the power plant, resulting in a loss of energy production. For that reason it is important to measure the flow rate reliably in order to detect a pipe break and thus trigger the necessary remedial action, such as closing the pressure valve.
Reservoir at the pumped storage power plant
Energy
Pumped storage power plants store a large amount of energy and feed it into the grid very quickly when necessary. One important parameter is the height of the water level in the reservoir. It allows calculations to be made about the amount of energy available and the existing storage volume in pump operation mode. High reliability is required from the measurement technology deployed, because the sensors are often mounted at very remote locations.
Turbine building in the hydroelectric power plant
Energy
A large number of sensors are deployed to ensure reliable operation of the generators and turbines in the hydroelectric power plant. They monitor the pressure in the hydraulic lines, the lubricant supply for turbine bearings, vibration, temperatures and many other parameters. At the lowest point of the plant, cooling water from the generators and any leakage water from the Kaplan or Francis turbines is collected in a seepage water shaft, pit or sump. To prevent a flooding of the shaft and thus of the turbine building, with disastrous results for equipment, the sensors are often installed redundantly. As additional protection, the maximum water level is monitored with a point level switch.
Water inlet at the reservoir
Energy
If the natural flow of water into a reservoir is not sufficient for optimal energy production, additional water is fed into the reservoir via ducts or tunnels from water catchments that can be up to several kilometres distant. Coarse debris is held back by massive grids at the main water inlet. Smaller stones, grit and sand can accumulate in the transfer basin in front of the tunnel. Constant monitoring of the level of stones and sand in the basin ensures that no debris gets into the tunnel system.
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