NextGenPower

Key takeaways

NextGenPower belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect NextGenPower to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NextGenPower from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NextGenPower is an integrated project which aims to demonstrate new alloys and coatings in boiler, turbine and interconnecting pipework. The concept of NextGenPower is to perform innovative demonstrations that will significantly contribute to the EU target to increase the efficiency in existing and new build pulverized coal power plants.

Background Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is envisaged to be the main transition technology to comply with the CO2 reduction targets set by the European Commission. However, CCS has the drawback that the electrical efficiency of the coal-fired power plant will drop significantly. The efficiency loss caused by CCS in coal-fired power plants will range from 4 to 12% points, depending on the CCS technology chosen. To overcome this drawback, one has to increase the plant efficiency or the share of biomass co-firing. Both options are limited due to the quality of the current available coatings and materials. Live steam temperatures well in excess of 700 °C are necessary to compensate the efficiency loss caused by CCS and to achieve a net efficiency of 45%. NextGenPower aims to develop and demonstrate coatings and materials that can be applied in ultra-supercritical (in excess of 700˚C) conditions.

Summary The NextGenPower project was due to start on 1 May 2010 and have a duration of 48 months. The budget is €10.3million, with an EU contribution making up €6million of the budget.

Objectives The following scientific and technological objectives have been defined for NextGenPower, leading to the following project activities:

Demonstrating the application of precipitation hardened Nickel-alloys for pulverized coal-fired boilers having allowable levels of creep and fatigue evolving from high temperatures envisaged with USC Demonstrating the application of cost-effective fireside coatings, compatible with affordable and available tube alloys, for coal-fired boilers capable of withstanding the corrosive conditions envisaged with USC and the environment of biomass co-firing under different conditions Demonstrating the application of cost-effective steam side coatings/protective layers to extend the life of boiler tube and interconnecting pipe work, and to facilitate the use of cheaper alternative materials without compromising component life or reliability Demonstrating the application of Ni-alloys for interconnecting pipe work between boiler and steam turbine withstanding high temperatures envisaged with USC and to explore alternative design options to allow for the use of cheaper, more available materials than Ni-alloys Demonstrating the capability to cast, forge and weld Ni-alloys for critical steam turbine components

Sub-projects There are also four sub-projects which will be focused on throughout the course of the NextGenPower project.

Sub Project 1 – boiler NextGenPower aims at overcoming fireside corrosion and steamside oxidation in high temperature parts through the application of suitable coatings. The main goal for Sub Project 1 is to demonstrate the benefits and limitations of materials and coatings for the fireside under biomass co-firing conditions as well as for the boiler and main steam pipework under USC and current steam conditions.

Sub Project 2 - steam turbine The main goals for Sub Project 2 are to select the best candidate alloys for the HP and ID steam turbines operating at high steam temperatures (≥720˚C). A number of nickel-base alloys have been developed whose properties have been proven at the laboratory scale and for small-scale components. The main uncertainty in the application of these alloys for steam turbine applications is the ability to manufacture, weld and inspect large components. The performance in service presents a much smaller risk since there is confidence that the mechanical behaviour can be modelled on the basis of the material properties. This philosophy follows the approach applied in the development, demonstration and exploitation of materials technology for 700-720˚C steam turbines in other projects (AD700, COMTES, EON 50plus) where the first commercial steam turbine will enter service without prior operation in a test loop. Following alloy selection, full-scale steam turbine casings and rotor forgings will be manufactured and materials properties demonstrated through implementation of a mechanical testing programme. Full-scale demonstration of the welding technology and the NDE capability required for welded rotor and casing manufacture will also be carried out.

Sub Project 3 – integration Sub Project 3 provides a framework for the testing and demonstration work in the overall project. It will review the expected operating parameters required for NGP plants, with and without CO2 capture technologies, and with and without biomass co-firing. The aim is to evaluate a series of NextGenPower plants with CCS systems in terms of their power generation efficiencies and CO2 emissions per unit of electricity generated.

Sub Project 4 – dissemination The main goal for Sub Project 4 is to ensure that the generic results and results from topical activities are actively disseminated. It promotes results and approaches and encourages the duplication in other, thereby contributing to EU objectives of the CO2 reduction, efficiency improvement and security of energy supply. Another objective is to facilitate the sharing of policies, approaches and knowledge between the participants.

Participants Aubert & Duval Cranfield University Doosan Babcock E.on Goodwin Steel Castings Ltd Kema Monitor Coatings Saarschmiede Skoda Power TUD VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland VUZ

References

External links NextGenPower NextGenPower Brochure

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NextGenPower

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NextGenPower claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to NextGenPower before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about NextGenPower ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of NextGenPower

In research: NextGenPower appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses NextGenPower in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: NextGenPower is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Energy engineering, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NextGenPower outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study NextGenPower in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NextGenPower means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain NextGenPower out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NextGenPower in simple terms?

NextGenPower is an integrated project which aims to demonstrate new alloys and coatings in boiler, turbine and interconnecting pipework. The concept of NextGenPower is to perform innovative demonstrations that will significantly contribute to the EU target to increase the efficiency in existing and…

Why does NextGenPower matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study NextGenPower?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on NextGenPower.