Major Milestone Achieved in the Development of Advanced Ultra-Supercritical Steam Power Plants

A major milestone in the development of Advanced Ultra-Supercritical Steam power plants (A-USC) was recently achieved with the successful completion of more than 17,000 hours of operation of the worlds highest operating-temperature steam loop at Plant Barry Unit 4.

The plant is located in Bucks, Alabama, and is operated by Southern Company subsidiary Alabama Power, which, together with the Southern Company research and development team, was instrumental in this achievement.

During the trials, the steam loop maintained operation at temperatures exceeding 1,400 degrees F (760 degrees C). The loop contained a unique combination of 94 specimens with eight different superalloys and three different surface coatings that enabled it to withstand the high A-USC temperatures within the coal-fired boiler. Upon removal, the components appeared in good condition and retained their original mechanical integrity. The components are now undergoing an extensive corrosion, oxidation and material properties examination at Alstoms Material Technology Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

This successful trial is an important contribution in the development and verification of A-USC power plants and improves the confidence in commercial deployment of these higher operating temperature plants that are 25 percent more efficient than todays fleet average and 10 percent more efficient than the most advanced current state-of-the-art steam plants.

The steam loop was designed and overseen by Alstoms Boiler research and development group in Windsor, Connecticut. It was fabricated by Alstoms Factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee and installed at Plant Barry in December 2011. It is part of the U.S. Department of Energys National Energy Technology Laboratory and Ohio Coal Development Office A-USC Materials Consortium which is validating super alloy materials for use at the extreme conditions of A-USC plants.

About Alstom 

Alstom is a global leader in the world of power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure and sets the benchmark for innovative and environmentally friendly technologies. Alstom builds the fastest train and the highest capacity automated metro in the world, provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a wide variety of energy sources, including hydro, nuclear, gas, coal and wind, and it offers a wide range of solutions for power transmission, with a focus on smart grids. The Group employs 93,000 people in around 100 countries. It had sales of over 20 billion and booked 21.5 billion in orders in 2013/14. 

Website www.alstom.com