Vol 53, No 3 (2019)

Problems of evaluating the parameters of the state of concrete dams at the stage of long-term operation are examined. The use of the indirect measurement method is demonstrated by the example of typical sections of the concrete gravity dam of the Krasnoyarsk HPP. It is shown that the use of the proposed method allows reliable evaluation of the parameters of the stress-strain state of a structure under conditions of metrological failure of embedded means of operational instrument monitoring.

A method is proposed for determining the elevations of industrial sites of NPPs and other high-risk facilities located near water channels and water bodies, and is based on constructing a curve that associates water level with the probability of reaching these levels in a broad range of variation of probabilities. This makes it possible to enhance the reliability of determining the elevation of flooding for an assumed probability, ensure invariance to the standards of project design, and evaluate the effectiveness of the magnitude of the required reserve. A description of the method of constructing such a curve is presented using the example of the Rooppur NPP under project on the Ganges River (Republic of Bangladesh). The calculations employ both the method of extrapolation of field data and numerical hydrodynamic modeling of a combination of several hydrometeorological phenomena of rare repeatability, in order to determine the maximum levels of high waters, including taking into account possible climate changes. An evaluation of the risks of flooding of the industrial site was conducted, and an optimum elevation from the point of view of risk minimization was obtained.

The managerial and technological aspects of using diamond-cutting technologies for underwater operations in hydraulic engineering and engineering solutions for repair and retrofit of hydraulic structures are considered.

Consideration is given to the possibilities of using the flexibility characteristics of hydroelectric power plants (HPP) and pumped-storage power plants (PSPP) and their reservoirs for the storage and distribution of energy and the improvement of the operational reliability of the electric power system (EPS). This is especially important nowadays, when the share of wind (WPP) and solar (SPP) power plants is increasing. The curves of equipment parameters, flow and wind conditions, and reservoir storages are analyzed using the HPP-WPP and PSPP-WPP power-generating complexes as examples. The mechanism of water flow redistribution by regulating the power output of HPP and PSPP so that the reservoir is an energy accumulator is shown.

This article is directed to the development of a methodology for analysis of the dynamics of the interaction of ice fields with Arctic marine hydrotechnic structures. A dynamic method is presented for calculation of the strain and motion of ice fields during their interaction with floating or stationary structures with inclined profile. The proposed methodology can be used in research or design work associated with dynamic analysis of ice loads and their statistical handling, as well as research on the behavior of structures under the action of an ice load.

The augmented volume of existing and anticipated hydropower installations may prove insufficient for transforming a design flood when there is an increase in the extremal flood discharges of water under the conditions of climate change. Amethod of sharing flood-control capacity between multipurpose hydropower installations provided with hydroelectric power plants on a mainstream and a system of constricting hydropower installations with self-regulated reservoirs on side tributaries is proposed to achieve the required conditions in the headrace and tailrace channels of hydropower installations. Results of simulation of the management of flood discharges in a river basin by a system of hydropower installations under the conditions of climate change are analyzed in the article. The use of geological information systems for assessing the effect of floodcontrol hydropower installations on the environment accompanied by an evaluation of their parameters is considered.

Studies of petroleum coke from different batches were carried out under the laboratory and UralVTI coal-fired test bench conditions. Poor handleability and substantial difference in the reactivity properties of the studied samples were noted. Petroleum coke is rated as a material with high slagging and fouling properties. The fraction of the elements converting to volatile and heating value of the volatile matter do not significantly differ from these parameters for power coals with the same volatile yield.

The design of a new single-cylinder steam turbine for powers up to 100 MWwith an axial exhaust pipe is discussed. The turbine belongs to turbine class A.3. It can operate in steam power and steam-gas cycles. It is intended for operation at newly commissioned power plants, including those with air condenser systems (ACS). A.3 class turbines are single-shaft single-cylinder machines with loop-type steam circulation in the flow path, and can be used both for radial and axial exhaust hood arrangements. In this paper, an axial exhaust version with an air condenser system is described. The turbine cylinder consists of four major parts: steam intake path made from two cast housings– inner and outer– along with intermediate and exhaust welded parts. The flow-through part is organized as follows: on passing through the left flow stages, steam is diverted by 180° and is directed along the inter-housing space to the right flow stages. The full design cycle for this single-cylinder turbine with an axial exhaust pipe was completed in less than 9 months. The design documentation for this steam turbine consists entirely of 3D-models (100% of component parts and assemblies).

The results are described for experimental studies of interference originating in high-frequency paths of overhead power transmission lines of voltage of 35 kV and above, with location monitoring of the OHLs for the purpose of detecting damage and ice on the wires. The types of interference caused by weather conditions are discussed, and the features of electrical interference and methods of eliminating them are examined. Crosstalk caused to the location sensing by equipment of high-frequency technological communication is analyzed during transmission of signals of relay protection, automated equipment, telemetry, and telephony, and measures for decreasing their effect are discussed. A method is examined for extracting the reflected location pulses against the background of asynchronous fluctuational interference using coherent averaging of reflectograms, and its effectiveness is assessed.

When monitoring the temperature of insulated wires, the temperature is measured on the surface of the insulation rather than the conductor. The insulation is made of cross-linked polyethylene with low heat conductivity, which leads to a significant temperature difference between the conductor and the insulation surface. A method of calculating the temperature of the conductor from the temperature measured on the insulation surface is described. The permissible surface temperatures of 20 and 35 kV SIP-3 wires that allow controlling the line loading are determined.

The present article considers the changing role of coal-fired power plants in the world’s largest national energy systems in the context of rapid development of the competitive environment and active transition to a low-carbon energy system. It also discusses approaches to technological adaptation to new economic and ecological challenges. Special attention is devoted to the characteristics of the developmental conditions of coal-fired thermal power plants in the Unified Power System of Russia in light of amplified inter-fuel competition with gas-fired and nuclear power plants. The problem of creating incentives for the development of coal-fired power plants as a constituent element in the effort to satisfy the requirements of energy security of Russia and its individual regions is discussed.

Subsystems of Russian automatic excitation regulators that ensure the maximum dynamic stability and effective damping of oscillations in an electric power system are described. They are compared to stabilizers included in international and national standards of other countries. It is shown that the Russian system stabilizer PSS2RU is effective in oscillation damping in various circuits and modes.