On June 12, 2012, Siemens Energy presented two new developments in its industrial steam turbine portfolio at the POWER-GEN Europe 2012 exhibition and conference in Cologne: the new Enhanced Platform steam turbine design concept and the new Model SST-111 industrial steam turbine. The Enhanced Platform design will be deployed for Siemens industrial steam turbines with outputs between 15 and 250 megawatts (MW).

The design enhancements result in higher efficiency, faster startup, enhanced availability, a broader range of applications, and greater ease of maintenance. In addition, Siemens has added a new industrial steam turbine for outputs of up to 12 MW to its portfolio: the Model SST-111. Thanks to its multicasing design, this new turbine features a high degree of operational flexibility, making it especially ideal for small decentralized power generating facilities. Siemens has already received its first order for a SST-111 steam turbine from Devon County Council and Viridor Waste Management Ltd in the United Kingdom. The new turbine will be installed in a refuse incineration plant situated in Exeter.

The new Enhanced Platform design launched by Siemens will be applied with immediate effect to its SST-600 and SST-800 industrial steam turbines and will then be introduced step by step for the SST-300, SST-400 and SST-500 steam turbines. The improved design concept combines proven technologies from existing Siemens turbine families. It is based on individual standardized modules that are put together according to the particular application and the requisite steam parameters. Optimized blade geometries will increase efficiency, enabling the turbines to produce more power from the same amount of resources. The new industrial steam turbines based on the Enhanced Platform design can operate with main steam pressures of up to 165 bar in combination with main steam temperatures of up to 565°C.

"The Enhanced Platform design concept improves more than just the efficiency and output of our turbines and their ranges of applications. We have also made considerable advances in connection with startup times and availability. This new technology will enable us to carry on successfully defending our position as technology and market leader in the field of industrial steam turbines in the years to come", said Markus Tacke, CEO of the Industrial Power Business Unit at Siemens Energy.

With the new Model SST-111 industrial steam turbine, Siemens is extending its portfolio of compact steam turbines by adding a multistage machine for outputs of up to 12 MW. Important features of the new turbine are its high efficiency, fast startup capabilities, and low maintenance costs. The SST-111 combines the robustness and adaptability of a single-stage geared steam turbine with the higher efficiency of a multistage steam turbine. The multicasing design enables up to two controlled steam extractions to be provided for different industrial processes as well as for steam reheating. An additional steam admission is also possible. This makes for operational flexibility paired with high efficiency.

"With the SST-111 we have developed a product that is characterized by a low acquisition and low operating costs as well as high reliability and ease of maintenance. Our first order shows that our customers are impressed with this machine and its features", said Markus Tacke. "The specific design of this turbine makes it especially suitable for use in biomass and refuse incineration plants, in small combined cycle power generating units, and in solar-thermal plants. The machine is thus of interest to both municipal utilities and industrial power producers", added Tacke.

Source: Siemens Energy