Read the following texts about renewable energy sources.

Make the summary of the texts in English.

Electricity from Landfill Gas: New Technologies for an Industrial Approach

The production of electricity from landfill' gas can make a signifi­cant contribution to both reducing consumption of fossil fuels and re­ducing the emissions of greenhouse gases, in this case methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (C0₂). Operational reliability² can often be a prob­lem with innovative renewable energy technologies so the aim of this project is not only to produce electricity, but to generate it to meet the same conditions required of conventional power plants; to guaran­tee to supply 10 MWe, over a period often years, with an operational availability of 95%. The new power plant will be installed at a very large landfill site in the suburbs³of Paris.

With an annual waste input to the site of more than 350,000 tonnes, the plant is designed to use gas extracted from the landfill, at about 9,200 cubic metres an hour. The landfill gas, a mixture of C0₂ and CH₄ will be burned to raise steam in a boiler and the steam will then be fed to a high efficiency steam-turbine connected to an alternator⁴. About 11 MWe will be generated at the alternator terminals. The main aim of the project is to demonstrate 95% or more availability of the plant over ten year period. The minimum annual electricity production will therefore be 82,800 MWh. This will be fed to the local distribution network. The project incorporates several technical innovations designed to increase reliability. An innova­tive burner system allows constant steam production despite fluctuations⁵ in the low-rate and calorific value of the landfill gas. This is possible because a sophisticated monitoring and control system can allow the addition of heavy fuel oil to the burner's fuel supply as required, although this should constitute less than 5% of the fuel supply. By demonstrating levels of oper­ational availability comparable to that of conventional power stations, this project will help to break down technical barriers to the greater use of re­newable energy technologies.

1 - мусорная свалка; 2 - надежность; 3 — пригород; 4 - генератор переменно­го тока; 5 — колебания

 

В. Renewables

Combination of a Waste Incineration Plant with a Combined Cycle Power Plant in Netherlands

This innovative project linked a waste incineration furnace' with a combined cycle power plant. Three incinerator units were built, re­quiring some 80 t/h waste, with an average energy content of 10.45 MJ/ kg. The gross capacity of the integrated operation — the incinerator and the combined cycle unit — is some 73 MWe.

Recent analysis of the plant's performance indicates a 7% increase in the net efficiency of the integrated plant compared to a convention­al stand-alone waste incinerator. Nearly 70 GWh/y of extra electricity is generated as a result of this system, with a payback relative to the investment costs and extra operating/maintenance charges², of only three years.

Renewables Unite

Several renewable energy trade groups banded³together to promote renewable energy policy in the course of electricity deregulation: the Geothermal Resources Association, the California Biomass Energy Alliance, the National Biolndustries Association, the Solar Energy In­dustries Association and the American Wind Energy Producers Alliance. Members will be working to ensure future legislation to support renew­ables and commercialization programs for emerging technologies.

1 - печь для сжигания; 2 - расходы; 3 - соединились

Floating Nuclear Plant to Be Built in Russia

Barge-mounted power plants based on diesel engines, gas turbines, or oil-fired boilers are already a reality in many parts of the world. Developers in Russia hope to expand the concept to build the world's first floating nuclear heat and power station.

Many naval and marine engineers migrate to jobs in the electric pow­er industry when their seagoing days are over. It seems appropriate then, that floating power plants are beginning to follow the same migratory path, shifting from shipboard propulsion' duty to land-connected pow­er-generation applications.

Section II. Supplementary Reading

Over the past few years, numerous such barge-mounted power plants have entered commercial service around the globe, based on diesel engines, gas turbines, or oil-fired boilers. Now one of the most ambitious²projects is slated³to be developed: the world's first floating nuclear heat and power station.

Construction of the floating station is scheduled to begin this year to provide power by 2006 to Russia's Sevmashpredpriyatiye. Design­ers are envisioning⁴ a barge of 20,000-ton displacement, equipped with two nuclear reactors and two electric generators.

1 - двигатель; 2 - претенциозный, амбициозный; 3 - планируется; 4 - пред­ставляют

^^^ С. WAVEENERGY^^^

1. Read the following texts about wave energy without a dictionary and answer the given questions.

I

COUNTRY NOTES

Denmark • What is a new approach intended to? Wave research has been carried out' in Denmark since 1978, prima­rily on a system in which a heaving buoy operates a pump in a concrete²base. This was developed by Danish Wave Power Aps (now Ramboll). Following testing of a 1 kW experimental design, a 45 kW prototype was tested in 1989—1990. The experience gained³in those tests led to the design of a smaller system, which included short-term energy storage built into the base. This was tested at various periods throughout 1994—1995. Danish Wave Power has also coordinated work sponsored by the European Commission, such as a technical evalua­tion of all wave energy converters.

More recently, publicity and attention has been given to the Wave Plane, an invention of Erik Skarup who has formed the company Wave Plane International and raised 6 million Danish Kroner from private investors. This is a new approach, which is intended to act somewhat like a floating Tapchan.

During 2004-2005, 20 million Danish Kroner will be made avail­able by the Danish government for wave energy research. This will be used to develop new devices, as well as optimization and model testing of more advanced ideas. An advisory group⁴ is about to be set up to put together a strategy for this program.

1 - выполнены; 2 - бетонный; 3 - полученный; 4 - консультативная группа

India

• When and where was a 150 kW prototype OWC with harbour walls built?

The Indian wave energy program started in 1983 at the Institute of Technology, Madras and has concentrated almost exclusively on the OWC concept. A 150 kW prototype OWC with harbour walls was

Section II. Supplementary Reading

С. Wave Energy 121

 

built onto the breakwater of the Vizhinjam Fisheries Harbour, near Trivandrum on the south-west coast of India, in 1991. This scheme has functioned well, producing data that have been used to design and build an improved demonstration scheme at the same site. This will have sev­eral new features, including a superior generator and turbine. Following the successful testing of this new scheme, it is proposed to build a com­mercial scheme of 10 caissons (опоры), each 21 m wide, at Thangas-sery, on the west coast of India. Each caisson will have two power mod­ules, both with a 55 kWe rating leading to an overall rating of 1.1 MWe. These caissons will be spaced at an optimum distance apart, in order to increase their overall capture efficiency to above that of a single caisson.

Ireland • What invitation has the Irish Department of Public Enterprise issued?

Considerable wave energy research has been carried out in Ireland. Much of this work — on evaluating wave resource, modelling the hydrodynamics of wave energy devices, model testing and device design (primarily OWC's) — has been carried out at University College Cork. The College also co-ordinates the Wave Energy Research Net­work for the European Commission and has played a role in develop­ing the European wave energy atlas (see Portugal).

As part of its third Alternative Energy Requirement (AER III), the Irish Department of Public Enterprise has issued an invitation to tender' for wave energy schemes to operate in Irish waters. In addition to receiving a capital grant of Ecu² 930,000, the successful scheme will be paid a premium price for its output for a fixed period of time (~15 years). The successful device will be installed and operating in 2004.

The McCabe Wave Pump (MWP) is a hinged-raft wave energy con­version system, which has been studied both theoretically and experi­mentally. In August 1996, Hydam Technology deployed a 40 m long prototype off the coast of Kilbanna, County Clare, Ireland, where it is still undergoing tests. The device is particularly suited to swell³ condi­tions and is primarily intended for desalination: several Pacific islands have already expressed an interest.

1 — оплатить; 2 — экю (валюта ЕС); 3 — возвышенный

Japan

• What are the results of extensive wave energy research undertaken in Japan?

Extensive wave energy research has been undertaken in Japan, with particular emphasis on the construction and deployment of prototype devices (primarily OWC's).

A five-chambered OWC was built as part of the harbour wall at Sakata Port in Japan. The device became operational in 1989 but, after a test program, only three air chambers were used for energy production. A turbogenerator module of 60 kW has been installed and is being used as a power generator unit for demonstration and monitoring purposes. This is expected to be replaced later by a larger and more powerful turbine (possibly 200 kW).

In 1983, a 40 kW steel and concrete OWC was deployed on the shoreline structure at Sanze, for research purposes. This functioned for several years and was then decommissioned and examined to in­vestigate its resistance to corrosion and fatigue'.

A scheme comprising 10 OWC's was installed in front of an existing breakwater at Kujukuri-Cho. The air emitted from each OWC was manifolded² into a pressurised reservoir and used to drive a 30 kW turbine.

A prototype 130 kW OWC was deployed at Haramachi in 1996. This uses rectifying valves to control the flow of air to and from the turbine, in order to produce a steady power output.

A floating OWC known as the Backward Bent Duct Buoy was de­ployed in Japan. This is similar to a conventional OWC but the opening faces towards the shoreline. Another, more conventional floating OWC (the Mighty Whale) is also being developed.

1 - усталость металлов; 2 - пропущен по трубе

Korea (Republic)

• What are novel features of the Shim wind-wave energy scheme?

The Shim wind-wave energy scheme has been developed in cooper­ation with Baek Jae Engineering of Seoul. It has many novel features, including a floating, lattice structure fabricated from plastics and com­posites, as well as incorporating an array of small wind turbines.

Section II. Supplementary Reading

C. Wave Energy

 

The design is at an early stage of development and, as such, there are several aspects that need further development. However, an indepen­dent assessment has been carried out which indicated that, if research in these areas is successful and the device lives up to its early promise, it is likely to be economically competitive with a range of electricity generation technologies, if deployed in energetic wave climates such as those of Western Europe. Baek Jae Engineering are continuing to develop the design and are intending to progress to testing a prototype in the near future.

Netherlands • What can you say about the Archimedes Wave Swing?

Teamwork Technology bv and a consortium of Dutch companies have been working to develop the Archimedes Wave Swing over the last four years. It is a heaving buoy device consisting of an array of three or more point absorbers. These are like hollowed-out "mushrooms", which contain air to achieve neutral buoyancy and are tethered' below the surface of the sea. As waves pass over the top of the mushroom, they alter the pressure of the air inside the mushroom and hence its buoyancy. This causes the system to move up and down, which acti­vates heave² compensators connected between the mushroom and its sea bed mounting. These pump oil to an hydraulic motor to supply mechanical power to an electric generator. All the mechanical and elec­trical equipment is contained within a single detachable³ unit sealed from sea water. The system is undergoing modification prior to begin­ning installation of a pilot plant in the waters off Portugal.

1 - связаны; 2 — набегание, накатывание волн на берег; 3 — отделяемый

Norway

• What is a centre of excellence for research into wave energy in Norway?

In the 1980's Norway deployed two of the largest, commercial wave energy schemes: a 350 kWe Tapchan and a 500 kWe OWC. Following a prolonged period of successful operation, both these schemes have ceased to function. However, opportunities for exporting the Tapchan

system have been pursued first by Norwave AS and now Groner AS (see Indonesia). Trondheim University remains a centre of excellence for research into wave energy.

Portugal

• What has most of the research on wave energy conversion been devoted to?

Since 1978 Portugal has played a significant role in wave energy R&D. This has concentrated mainly on developing OWC's and has been undertaken at the Instituto Superior Tecnico (1ST) of the Tech­nical University of Lisbon and the National Institute of Engineering and Industrial Technology (INETI) of the Portuguese Ministry of Economy. Most of the research on wave energy conversion has been devoted to OWC's. Early work concentrated on theoretical and exper­imental studies of the device hydrodynamics and the behaviour of Wells turbines (including monoplane and biplane rotors, as well as contra-rotating and variable-pitch designs). This has produced design codes for these turbines and plant control strategies.

Spain

• What is the scheme of an OWC in Spain?

Since 1990, Union Electrica Fenosa has been conducting research on a novel wave energy scheme. The scheme is an OWC where the power is extracted, not by an air-driven turbine but mechanically, using a float atop the water column. An experimental plant has been tested in a wave flume (подводящий канал), allowing its behaviour to be modelled. More testing is being carried out but plans are being made for installa­tion of a prototype in a breakwater.

Sweden

• What are the plans of a new company (Eurowave Energy AB) to promote commer­
cial schemes?

Two main devices have been under development in Sweden: the Hosepump and the IPS buoy technology. The latter contains a long, open-ended tube, with a piston' in the tube attached to hydraulic cyl-

124 Section II. Supplementary Reading

inders. The inertia of water in the tube leads to relative motion between the piston and the buoy which can be damped²to produce energy. A new company (Eurowave Energy AB) is to be formed to promote com­mercial schemes based on these technologies. It has plans to install a demonstration system west of Gothenburg in the near future, followed by other demonstration schemes near Athens (Greece) and New Jer­sey (USA). They also have plans for a 1.5 MW commercial scheme off the west coast of Ireland.

1 — поршень; 2 - уменьшен

United Kingdom

• What has proved to be a valuable test facility, enabling study of the various compo­nents of the system under in-service conditions?

The UK has had one of the largest government-sponsored R&D programs on wave energy, covering a wide range of devices. However, this was greatly reduced in the early 1980's and most recent work has centered on a shoreline OWC system at Queen's University, Belfast (QUB).

Over the past few years, QUB have been monitoring and improving a 75 kWe shoreline gully OWC on the island of Islay, with support from the UK Department of Trade and Industry. It has proved to be a valu­able test facility, enabling study of the various components of the system under in-service conditions. Valuable lessons have been learned on all aspects of the scheme, leading to significant developments in several areas (e. g. device installation, turbine performance, system control and grid integration).