Generator sets for power plants

Maximum engineering and performance demands

Introduction
Why are generator sets necessary in this kind of applications?
What must generator sets offer?
Generator set characteristics
Safety evaluations
Genesal Energy can help you

INTRODUCTION

When we talk about power generation plants, we’re talking about critical or strategic facilities inside the energy system of a certain country or region.

A power generation plant is a great engineering creation capable of facing extremely demanding situations. It must have a reliable, robust, efficient and effective system, capable of guaranteeing safe operation at all times, and this reliability and safety is achieved with generator sets designed to respond to emergency situations such as power outages, so that the power plant can remain operating safely.

A power generation plant is a great engineering creation capable of facing extremely demanding situations.

WHY ARE GENERATOR SETS NECESSARY IN THIS KIND OF APPLICATIONS?

Power generation plants can be of many different types. There are thermal, wind, nuclear, hydroelectric plants… and each one of them, depending on their size, can be considered critical when it comes to the general operation of a country’s power infrastructure. In reality, power is critical for a country’s operation, and even for the survival of its inhabitants.

All of these infrastructures are capable of generating great quantities of power in a controlled manner: from the water contained in a dam, to the fuel of a thermal plant, without of course forgetting about the fuel of a nuclear power plant. In these installations, it’s absolutely essential to never lose control, so as to never generate highly destructive energy.

Black-start generator sets are also quite frequent features in this kind of installations, in order to restore the operation and startup of a power plant after a mains failure.

Maximum control

As they are great engineering projects, in power plants each detail must be taken into consideration for a safe and reliable operation of the facility. Because of this, it’s so important to be able to control them to the point of being able to shut them down safely in some extreme cases. In order to be able to do this, it’s necessary to have a stable, high quality and above all reliable power source, which guarantees the operation and safety of the installation at all times.

And this is where generator sets come into play, as they have to be able to power all critical systems: the control system and all those which are required to ensure the safety of the facility and people. And they must be ready to do so in any situation. This way, if ever there is a critical situation, the generator sets’ power must reach every critical component, as these ensure, for example, that a hydraulic power station doesn’t empty uncontrollably or shuts until it spills over, or that a thermal plant shuts down and its fuel stays stored safely, or that a nuclear plant is able to shut down its reactor and its fuel stays neutralized and stored safely. And this type of extreme control is absolutely vital, in any power generation plant.

But, where are generator sets located in these facilities? The entire process, from their design to production, demands an extremely detailed engineering effort, which begins with a meticulous study of the project, the master plan which will define the genset system’s technical requirements to be designed, manufactured ad installed, always with the maximum garantuees and without ever forgetting the subsequent maintenance of the units, which is essential for their correct operation.

WHAT MUST GENERATOR SETS PROVIDE?

All installations must be able to respond correctly to extreme situations, generating reliable electrical power. They must be able to operate in extreme situations in the safest way, and must be able to be integrated into the maintenance process of the plant in such a way that it never fails as the years go by.

In power generation plants, normally we’re not looking at just one, but a whole system of generator sets. It’s true that it can be formed by just one unit, but depending on criticality and other variables, the system tends to be made up of one or various units in parallel or redundant operation. There are facilities which require more simple or more complex systems, hence the need for an engineering team to participate in the safety evaluation of the installation and, in accordance with this, to carry out the design of the generator sets to adapt to the particular needs of each plant and which must be integrated in the power plant’s emergency power system.

Because of this, its design must be coordinated with the rest of the installation, and must respond to the power safety needs of the facility, its critical services, and people. Furthermore, it must be able to operate in a difficult situation in the safest way possible.

GENERATOR SET CHARACTERISTICS

There are a set of characteristics which make a generator set unique:

They must always guarantee the necessary power supply for the installation. Whether it be an emergency backup system for the facility or part of a permanent system.

This can be done with one or various gensets.

The fuel must be able to be easily stored, durable, and its supply must be ensured even in the most complex situations.

They must be robust and highly reliable systems, and must be correctly maintained because they are designed and manufactured to respond in critical situations or for permanent or quasi-permanent operation.

They must be highly autonomous and capable of supplying electricity during prolonged periods of time.

They need a control and automatic startup system. A genset system must be able to start up and regulate load quickly, in a dynamic way.

The management of the emergency network’s power will be responsibility of the control system.

They must be capable of providing power almost instantly.

They must be dimensioned to operate in the project’s environmental conditions, providing the required power.

In this type of gensets, the sound level is an important factor. They must be soundproofed to achieve the required sound levels.

In order to cooperate in the safety evaluation, carrying out the design of a generator set system incuding all of these characteristics, as well as those additional features that may be required, Genesal Energy has its own team of engineers and technicians to study each individual case in order to carry out these complex developments and adapt them to the needs of the installation.

SAFETY EVALUATIONS

In a power generation plant, it is vital to evaluate reliability, maintenance and safety. These evaluations can contain aspects such as the following:

Failure mode and effect and criticality analysis.
Failure pattern analysis, proposal and implementation of corrective actions.
Maintenance centered around reliability.
Zonal analysis of new/improved systems.
Programmed and non-programmed maintenance.

Centralized Maintenance Plan.
System safety assessment.
Hazard and Operability Study.
Functional Hazard Analysis.

Reliability, availability, maintenance and security evaluations are widespread in the critical sectors. These engineering studies provide very valuable information for the power generation plants. The prognosis tools provide numerous benefits to the plant operators and the benefits from these analyses also include the design for a better product quality. This, without a doubt, is an advantage for the operators as well. How? Hazards and dangers are reduced during the operation, there’s a reduced maintenance cost and greater production, an optimized investment and reduction of company downtime.

Genesal Energy colaborates with the client in these studies to optimize the design and production, installation and maintenance of its generator sets during the whole life cycle of the installation.

GENESAL ENERGY CAN HELP YOU

A specialized and experienced company is absolutely essential in order to obtain highly efficient generator sets adapted to installations as complex as power generation plants. With over 26 years’ experience and a high degree of innovation, Genesal Energy features its own R&D center, the CETED, with which it has become a cutting-edge brand in this field.

Behind the Genesal Energy brand is a solid team of highly qualified engineers and technicians who study each installation in detail and design a bespoke solution. The installation, commissioning and maintenance works are also part of this process and the company will accompany you during the whole life cycle of the generator set. Always with Genesal Energy’s ultra quality, which guarantees top quality, reliability and service.

Genesal Energy is always ready to provide the most efficient solution. A bespoke generator set adapted to each client. You can find us at consultas@genesal.com.

Generator sets for power plants

Maximum engineering and performance demands

INTRODUCTION

When we talk about power generation plants, we’re talking about critical or strategic facilities inside the energy system of a certain country or region.

A power generation plant is a great engineering creation capable of facing extremely demanding situations.

WHY ARE GENERATOR SETS NECESSARY IN THIS KIND OF APPLICATIONS?

Maximum control

WHAT MUST GENERATOR SETS PROVIDE?

Because of this, its design must be coordinated with the rest of the installation, and must respond to the power safety needs of the facility, its critical services, and people. Furthermore, it must be able to operate in a difficult situation in the safest way possible.

GENERATOR SET CHARACTERISTICS

There are a set of characteristics which make a generator set unique:

SAFETY EVALUATIONS

In a power generation plant, it is vital to evaluate reliability, maintenance and safety. These evaluations can contain aspects such as the following:

GENESAL ENERGY CAN HELP YOU

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