The energy company, Compagnia Valdostana delle Acque (CVA), based in the Italian Aosta Valley, generates electricity from renewable sources by harnessing the power of water. The energy is generated mainly in the region’s 32 hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of over 900 MW, to which more than 800 MW of wind and photovoltaic capacity will be added by 2027. To ensure reliable operation of all remote-controlled power plants, the company relies on sensors and software from the automation specialist, ifm.
Since its foundation in 2001, CVA has generated an average of around three billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year. The Valpelline power plant is fed by the Place Moulin reservoir. A 155 metre high dam closes the lake, which has a usable capacity of 93 million cubic metres of water. Due to the 1000 metre difference in altitude between the dam and the power plant, the water reaches the turbines through the pipeline at a pressure of 100 bar. The hydroelectric power generated in this way is sufficient to drive two 65 megawatt turbines that produce up to 330 gigawatt hours per year.
No possible malfunction must go undetected
CVA’s engineers therefore have to guarantee the functionality of this and other CVA power plants at all times. As Antonino Sannolo, who is the engineer in charge of the electromechanical engineering division of the operations department, points out, “Among other things, our department is responsible for the maintenance of around 70 hydroelectric power generators. To be able to plan maintenance work accurately, we need to know the condition of the plants at all times. For this purpose, we carry out non-destructive tests on the main mechanical components, as well as thermal inspections, electrical protection measures, electrical checks on the generators, and vibration tests on the turbine supports. Any developing fault going undetected could lead to machine failure and therefore economic loss.”
Control and monitoring system standardization
The main challenge of these tests lies in the geographical location of the hydroelectric power plants, which cover an area of around 3200 square kilometres. The existing control and monitoring systems of 22 hydroelectric power plants are to be upgraded in a standardised way and made centrally available at IT level. In line with this goal, the Valpelline power plant has already been equipped with vibration sensors from ifm in order to keep a close eye on the maintenance requirements of the turbines and power generators at all times. Additional sensors monitor the pressure and temperature of the coolant.
The cooling circuit and water supply are also monitored
CVA is also already using state-of-the-art digitalisation solutions in several of its plants. At the Covalou site, for example, many important plant data are recorded by ifm sensors and transmitted to the IT level in order to ensure the operation of the 41 megawatt hydroelectric power plant built in 1926. In addition to temperature and pressure, the coolant flow is also monitored, and combined with the data from the vibration sensors, a precise overview of the plant’s condition can be obtained.
IIoT platform for centralised data analysis and alarms
CVA also relies on state-of-the-art systems at the IT level. One example of this is moneo, ifm’s IIoT platform. It enables central parameter setting of IO-Link infrastructures and the use of transmitted sensor data for process optimisation. In addition, it evaluates the data from the vibration sensors and alerts the plant operator if pre-set thresholds are exceeded.
Reliable sensors even in challenging environments
“The sensors work perfectly in humid environments, such as those found in our hydroelectric power plants, and also in the very low temperatures that often prevail in Alpine winters. The solutions from ifm enable us to monitor our systems increasingly better. Moreover, we have also been able to standardise the sensor technology used in all our hydroelectric power plants, which has significantly reduced the number and variance of spare parts in stock. This relieves our budget and makes maintenance planning much easier for our maintenance department,” says Sannolo. “At first we only bought components from ifm. When we realised that we could also obtain a turnkey system from them, as well as the expertise for IT-based vibration analysis, we decided to work even more closely with ifm and to carry out the installation and commissioning on site together. The fact that we can still rely on their expertise and support even after all the systems have been implemented, is something that not every system supplier can offer.”
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