Grammar: The Present Progressive Tense

Word List:

1. series reactor	сглаживающий дроссель
2. power transformer	трансформатор питания
3. fault current limiter	ограничитель аварийного тока
4. device impedance	полное входное сопротивление устройства
5. the superconducting to resistive state transition	переход из сверхпроводящего состояния в резистивное состояние
6. the low inductance air core reactor	воздушный (без железного сердечника) дроссель, имеющий низкую индуктивность
7. the composite reaction textured material	материал, полученный в результате сложной реакции
8. air core	воздушный сердечник
9. HTSC high-temperature superconductivity	высокотемпературная сверхпроводимость
10. system efficiency	эффективность использования системы
11. system performance	показатели работы системы
12. triggering	пуск, запуск, инициирование

High Temperature Superconducting Current Limiting Series Reactor

Modern Power Generators and Electric Utilities are facing a changing environment characterized with continual demand for increasing loads and emphasis on better utilization of existing assets. Increasing environmental concerns present powerful opposition to building large centralized generation plants and new transmission lines.

In order to utilize existing assets better, we are witnessing very intensive development efforts in the area of the plant or system performance monitoring, life management and new FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission System) technology. Both technologies are already offering very effective algorithms, techniques and concepts to work the existing equipment harder. These technologies have limitations in terms of being based on conventional conducting, magnetic and insulation materials.

Further radical improvement of the already optimized equipment and system efficiency can only be based on new materials.

A new design concept of Superconducting Current Limiting Series Reactor has been developed utilizing the characteristics of the composite reaction textured Bi-2212 HTSC material. The current limiting effect has been achieved by the almost instantaneous increase in the device impedance due to the superconducting to resistive state transition of the HTSC material, triggered by combined effect of magnetic field and fault current in excess of the critical levels for selected material. The concept is hybrid (inductive/resistive) with the SC elements placed inside the low inductance air cored reactor which is used to generate an external triggering magnetic field. The device was designed to provide a magnetic field in a way to assist uniform quenching of SC material and minimize electromagnetic forces on SC elements.

Experience gained during this development work is generally applicable for other power engineering equipment, in particular SC POWER transformers which may inherently incorporate the fault current limiting function.

The present practice for limiting fault currents, based on conventional technology, is costly and reduces the reliability and flexibility of power system operation.

At this point, superconductors offer an attractive potential as the basis for a SCCL SR, due to their intrinsic characteristics of transition from superconducting to resistive states.

Focused Practice

I. Answer the following questions:

1. What are Modern Power Generation and Electric Utilities facing?

2. What do increasing environmental concerns present powerful opposition to?

3. Where are we witnessing very intensive development efforts?

4. Does new FACTS technology have any limitations?

5. How has the current limiting effect been achieved?

6. What is experience gained during this development work applicable for?

II. Analyse the grammar structures underlined in the above text.

III. Speak on: Modern Power Generators and Electric Utilities.

Unit 38

Grammar: The Participle

Word List:

1. electric power systems (EPS) expansion	расширение/развитие энергосистем
2. to simulate	моделировать
3. complex,n	совокупность, группа
4. criterion (pl. criteria)	критерий
5. decision analysis	анализ решений
6. grid	энергетическая система, энергосеть
7. multicriteria	многокритериальный
8. utility theory	теория полезности, использования

Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Techniques in Electric Power Systems Expansion Planning

The general approach to multi-criteria decision analysis on electric power system (EPS) expansion is a combination of several multi-criteria analysis techniques in terms of different preference relations in the analysis of decision. The approach is based on the fundamental concepts of the utility theory and development of concrete multi-criteria analysis techniques.

Expansion of large electric power systems (EPSs) embracing vast territories is very difficult to simulate due to a great number of significant factors. Internal structure of large power systems is complicated because of different types of generation units with different technical and economic characteristics, constraints on transmission capacities of the main grid in some directions, importance of requirements to reliability of EPS operation and security of power supply to consumers, etc. The problem of expansion of large EPSs is rather sophisticated due to uncertainty of future development conditions and other important factors.

The current technology for large EPS expansion planning includes several groups of problems, which specify the structure and operating conditions of EPS stage by stage. For example, the first stage is determination of the necessary number and types of generation units, the second is selection of new transmission lines of the main grid, the third stage is the study of reliability and operating conditions of EPS options, the last is determination of the principles and structure of the EPS control. There is a complex of criteria, models, and simulation techniques at each stage (level). A lot of concrete results in this area have been achieved in recent years.

The EPS expansion options can be estimated by several, as a rule, conflicting criteria (economic, technical, ecological, social, etc.). Decision-making is reduced to choice of such a possible option, which will have a maximum value taking into account the applied estimation criteria.

The problem of decision-making in the energy sector under conditions of availability of many criteria is far from being investigated. To make a final choice different informal (in terms of mathematics) procedures should be applied. For this purpose expert estimates, interactive procedures, experience and intuition of researches, and particularly of a decision maker, are widely used.

Focused Practice

I. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the general approach to multi-criteria decision analysis on EPS expansion?

2. What is it based on?

3. Why is expansion of large EPSs very difficult to simulate?

4. How many stages specify the structure and operating conditions
of EPS?

5. Is there a complex of criteria, models, and simulation techniques at each stage?

6. Have there been any concrete results achieved in this area in recent years? (Have any concrete results in this area been achieved in recent years?)

7. What informal procedures should be applied in more complicated cases?

II. Analyse the grammar structures underlined in the above text.

III. Speak on: Expansion of large EPSs.

Unit 39

Grammar: The ing- and ed- forms as Parts of Speech.
Their Functions in a Sentence

Word List:

1. cogeneration	совместное вырабатывание тепла и электроэнергии (на одной станции)
2. on-site	на месте, на единой территории
3. on-site engineering	совместные инженерные работы
4. CHP (combined heat and power) system	единая теплоэнергетическая система
5. «plug and play»	«подсоедини к сети и играй», т.е. полностью готовое устройство, не требующее никаких усилий
6. gains in energy efficiency	повышение КПД использования энергии
7. grid	энергетическая система
8. dehumidification	уменьшение влажности
9. power suppy	энергоснабжение
10. carbon dioxide	двуокись углерода СО2
11. to meet a load	удовлетворять требованиям по нагрузке
12. greenhouse gas emission	выброс парникового газа
13. to meet goal	достичь цели
14. US Department of Energy	департамент по делам энергетики США (министерство)
15. IEQ	качество среды (климата) в помещении
16. desiccant	высушивающий
17. mould	плесень

Cogeneration and On-Site Production

The potential benefits of CHP in commercial building applications could be more fully realized if manufacturers learn to make ‘plug-and-play’ systems that make on-site engineering less costly and time-consuming. To understand what it takes for CHP systems to become fully integrated into a building’s existing energy systems, US researches are testing ‘integrated energy systems’ at a major university and are ready to pass on some early lessons learned.

Many energy experts and building owners understand the potential benefits of CHP for buildings – including the tremendous gains in energy efficiency. In the US, roughly 67 % of the energy contained in the fuel for electricity generation is rejected as waste heat into the environment. Further losses occur in electrical power transmission. When this waste heat is made available at higher temperatures, then it can be utilized for dehumidification, air conditioning, or heating with advanced Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems. By doing so, energy efficiency can increase from 33% to as high as 80% for a CHP system, although the efficiency of electricity generation is reduced.

CHP can also increase the reliability of a building’s power supply – a substantial advantage in today’s changing electricity market. A highly reliable power supply is vital to some companies’ computing, manufacturing and research functions.

Emission of carbon dioxide and air pollutants can be substantially reduced with CHP. CHP can meet some or all of a building’s cooling, heating, or dehumidification load, reducing the need for electricity from the grid by an equivalent amount, thus leading to lower emissions. CHP systems are also more efficient and require less fuel than traditional systems. According to the US Department of Energy, CHP systems could reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25 million tones of carbon if the Government’s goal to double US installed capacity by 2010 were met.

CHP can also improve indoor environmental quality (IEQ). In combination with a desiccant dehumidifier, CHP systems can provide better humidity control than conventional systems, and reduce the potential for mould and bacteria growth.

Focused Practice

I. Answer the following questions:

1. How could the potential benefits of CHP in commercial building applications be more fully realized?

2. What are US researchers testing?

3. How much energy contained in the fuel for electricity generation is rejected as waste heat into the environment?

4. Where do further losses occur?

5. What can this waste heat be utilized for?

6. What efficiency can increase and what efficiency is reduced?

7. Can CHP also increase the reliability of a building’s power supply?

II. Analyse the grammar strutures underlined in the above text.

III. Speak on: CHP systems.

Unit 40

Grammar: The Attribute

Word List:

1. combined cycle power plant	ТЭЦ – теплоэлектроцентраль, одновременно вырабатывающая электроэнергию и тепло в виде горячей воды и пара
2. 150 MW=150 MegaWatts	150 мегаватт
3. trunk gas line	магистральный газопровод
4. cooling tower	градирня
5. ancillary	вспомогательный
6. to house	вмещать, содержать
7. water treatment plant	установка для подготовки воды
8. backup	резервный
9. joint venture	совместное предприятие

Petersburg Combined Cycle

Western companies saw an opportunity to cooperate with Russian industry through gas turbine technology transfer. Siemens led the way with the creation of Interturbo, a joint venture with LMZ in which the German company held 45 %. While the prime purpose was to establish a production line for their 150 MW Model in the Russian market, it would also be possible to take advantage of lower production costs to supply gas turbines in other markets. In fact, with the slow down in the Russian market, the production line has been sustained with contracts for projects in India and Southeast Asia.

The ultimate customer for the combined cycle power plant is Lenenergo, which supplies power and district heating to the city of
St Petersburg. They have 10,000 MW of capacity, including nine large stations coupled to the district heating networks. St Petersburg is the largest load centre in the northwestern regional grid of RAO EES, the State Power Board for whom Lenenergo operate the regional control centre controlling 30,000 MW of plant.

The main fuel for power generation in Russia today is natural gas, covering 70 % of the installed capacity, but the efficiency of condensing plant is no more than 40 %. The combined cycles will improve the energy efficiency.

The plant is built on a green field site at Primorskii on the coast and close to existing 330 kV transmission lines. The trunk gas line to Finland passes near to the site, and a spur line is being built from it to supply the new power station. The site was a coastal wetland which had first to be drained and then filled. Over 30,000 piles were driven to a depth of
12 metres to provide a stable foundation for the power plant and ancillary buildings.

All this had to be done for the consortium to gain access to the site.

In fact the consortium representing the non-Russian contribution, is responsible for slightly less than half of the total contract value. The building housing the two combined cycle blocks is a small part of the total site area, which includes a hyperbolic natural draft cooling tower for each block (of which only one has so far been built), a water treatment plant, and storage tanks for the backup liquid fuel.

Another important building, in view of the climate is a site boiler house. It will be used to heat the power plant building, the offices and apartments.

Northwest St Petersburg is the first of a series of combined cycles.

Focused Practice

I. Answer the following questions:

1. What opportunity did western countries see?

2. What did Siemens do?

3. Who is the ultimate customer for the combined cycle power plant?

4. Where is the combined cycle plant built?

5. What is the main fuel for power generation in Russia today?

6. What will the combined cycles improve?

II. Analyse the grammar structures underlined in the above text.

III. Speak on:

1. The Combined Cycle Plant.

2. The ways of international cooperation in power engineering.

Unit 41