The energy transition and the resulting significant interventions in the national power generation market are resulting in an expanded range of applications with new and additional challenges for turbomachinery compressors.
Highly flexible gas turbines in the power class up to approx. 50 MW are suitable for short-term load balancing (residual load to renewable power generation capacities), if necessary in a regional network. However, compared to current operating profiles, this results in further requirements for the compressor, particularly in the area of operating flexibility and increased service life with short operating cycles.
The renewable electricity generation capacities have been and are being installed without special consideration of the existing power plant portfolio. The existing infrastructure is not designed for fluctuating operation, or only to a very limited extent. The methods and models for determining operation-specific service life must therefore be expanded and efficient technologies for measures to increase service life must be developed on this basis.
Compressors for alternative applications for temporary energy and exhaust gas storage will become increasingly important in the medium term. The specific system sizes and operating requirements give rise to technological challenges for such new types of compressors.
The technological challenges in the compressor system are focussed on further increasing efficiency, whereby partial load operation in particular must become more relevant. The projects in this joint project address the challenges in three work packages.
Work packages
WP 1: Flexibility and partial load operation
Stable and efficient operating behaviour at partial load and with rapid load changes as well as extended operating ranges for high flexibility in energy supply
WP 2: Service life and operational customisation
Improved assessment of damage mechanisms and extended service life models, as well as a significant increase in the permissible number of cycles for existing power plants and future highly flexible gas turbines
WP 3: Interdisciplinary optimisation and probabilistic design
Improved simulation of service life and operating behaviour as well as robust design methods
