Special Report: ABB in China · PDF fileSpecial Report: ABB in China ... described. A brief...

Special Report:ABB in ChinaInfrastructure challenge page 6

Productivity challenge page 40

Manufacturing challenge page 62

Research in China page 77

The corporate technical journal of the ABB Group

www.abb.com/abbreview

ABBReview

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The phenomenal rise of China onto the stage of the worldeconomy has created a growing middle class in the country –people with the taste and the means to improve their livingstandards. This desire has spawned a continuously increasingdemand for goods and services, which are being suppliedthrough domestic businesses in partnership with foreign com-panies. To satisfy these needs creates business opportunitiesand drives the economy forward. Comfortable and modernhousing, more convenient transportation and expanding in-dustry are all putting pressure on energy supply, which is nowfalling behind the demand curve. The result is brown outs andblack outs in some of the major cities.

From its huge base of talented and driven people, combinedwith relatively cheap labor, China has in a record time built aglobal manufacturing hub producing goods for both domesticconsumption and export. This global role has moved 300 mil-lion people out of poverty in the last two decades. The fastgrowth has created pressure on raw materials, industrial safe-ty, the environment, and even on the labor force, which cur-rently is showing a shortage of skilled people in some areas.The Chinese government is aware of the consequences of fastgrowth and is searching for ways of controlling it withouthampering the country’s vast potential.

This special issue of ABB Review, called ABB in China, out-lines ABB’s position in the Chinese economy – our capacity tosupply many of the products, technical solutions and servicesdemanded. Our operations are an integral part of the Chineseeconomic miracle, and we are assisting in overcoming some ofthe challenges resulting from this rapid change. Our technolo-gies supply the market with electrical equipment for industrialas well as domestic use, in buildings and transportation.Through partner channels we ship 100,000 products per day,which find their way into many applications improving com-fort, safety and productivity. We have solutions to safely reme-dy the energy shortage in the big eastern provinces by build-ing transmission lines with our HVDC technology, distributionnetworks in the local regions and energy efficient automationto boost industrial productivity and safety.

The Infrastructure challenge section features an overview arti-cle describing the plans for expanding energy supply. We talkabout our involvement in transmitting green power fromThree Gorges to the Eastern provinces to keep the city lightsshining. Technologies to boost grid capacity are reviewed and

we discuss ABB’s involvement in connecting the differentprovincial networks into a future Chinese grid. An experimentwith energy trading using sophisticated software from ABB isdescribed. A brief review of our transformer and switchgeartechnologies are also included.

The next section – called Productivity challenge – describessolutions to industrial automation issues. The lead overviewstory reviews the productivity and energy demand for thedifferent sectors of the economy with emphasis on the indus-trial sector and its sub sectors. The benchmarking of energyefficiency in the Chinese industry with that of leading interna-tional industries reveals great potential for improvement. Thissets the stage for the ensuing articles, covering many industryapplications from steel and paper to harbors and ships, androbotized welding. CO2 reduction using modern drives tech-nology is depicted with a smorgasbord of strong examples.

The Manufacturing challenge section presents some of ourmany factories in China. Our successful decade in low-voltage(LV) motors manufacturing is highlighted, world quality trans-former manufacturing is described and we take a look at a cal-ibration lab for flow meters. LV products such a switches andbreakers and installation material is briefly presented.

Finally we introduce our latest Corporate Research lab, whichwas opened in March in Beijing with a focus on China’s futureelectricity supply and network infrastructure.

With almost a century of involvement in this remarkable coun-try, ABB is proud to be part of China’s success and to be sup-porting its ongoing sustainable growth.

Wylie RogersCorporate CommunicationsABB in China

ABB in China

Editorial

2 Special Report ABB in ChinaABB Review

3Special Report ABB in ChinaABB Review

On a visit to China last year, ABB’s chairman, Jürgen Dormanntogether with the Board of directors, outlined a 5-point strate-gy for the company’s profitable growth in this country. Thisstrategy further underlined our continuous long-term commit-ment to the Chinese economy, which began almost a centuryago with the delivery of a steam boiler. Since then ABB hasdelivered small and large projects to the power and industrialsectors that have resulted in significant modernization andproductivity improvements. ABB’s largest endeavor to date isour successful engagement with Chinese partners in the ThreeGorges transmission project.

In early 2005 ABB had the privilege of welcoming vice pre-mier Huang Ju and his delegation to our high-tech semicon-ductors factory in Switzerland. The technology produced atthis factory makes possible our high-voltage direct currentlinks that transmit power from the East to the West of China.

In late February, ABB reported $2.6 billion in orders in Chinafor 2004, a 62% increase compared with 2003, reflecting thestrength of our technologies and of the vitality of China’sgrowing economy.

To emphasize our long-term commitment to China, we have,during the past year, strengthened our management team andare in the process of adding several new manufacturing facto-ries. In addition, we opened a global Corporate Researchfacility in Beijing in March 2005.

A look back in time suggests that what we are now seeing isthe reemergence, and not the emergence, of China as a majorworld economy: in the 1820s China represented 30% of theglobal economy, while the U.S. provided less than 2%. By the1950s, however, the U.S. was the dominant economy andChina had shrunk to a mere 4%. Today that figure has climbedto 10% with its global share forecast to reach 20% of theworld economy by 2030. ABB is committed to supportingthese ambitious goals, but we are, at the same time, fullyaware of the challenges ahead. China’s unparalleled growth isthreatened by power shortages, lack of industrial energy effi-ciency and environmental issues. The Chinese government is,however, properly addressing these challenges: Premier WenJiabao’s recent remarks at the third session of the 10th Nation-al People’s Congress underscored the fundamental improve-ments that are required to tackle these concerns. Premier Wenaddressed five major focus areas, rightly attaching great impor-

tance to the enforcement of energy saving measures and thecreation of new power capacity, primarily through a largenumber of new power plants, and through greater reliance onrenewable energy.

ABB’s products, systems and services minimize losses in thetransformation, transmission and the distribution of electricalpower. Our HVDC technology, for example, is already achiev-ing the highest power transmission efficiency in China. Energyefficient equipment such as drives and motors help reduce thedemand for electricity, and indirectly, CO2 emissions. Produc-tivity is enhanced with our automation systems, and our elec-trical breakers and switches provide improved safety in build-ings and factories.

This ABB Review special report is dedicated to ABB in China.We review our technologies in the light of the priorities estab-lished by the Chinese government. We present projects andsolutions to many issues on both the power supply and thepower demand – particularly energy efficiency – side of thecountry’s energy balance.

ABB is a strong supporter of the “Go West” initiative and thisis illustrated with our single largest investment in Chongqingand new offices in far-flung places such as Hohhot andUrumqi. The manufacturing segment in this special reportprovides an insight into some of our high quality factorieslocated throughout this vast country.

We are greatly encouraged by China’s progress on the imple-mentation of its WTO commitment. ABB looks forward toworking alongside China to help this process along. Weremain committed to helping China achieve its goal to be awell-off society, in an all-around way by 2020.

Sincerely,Peter LeuppChairman and PresidentABB in China

A century of commitments to China

Foreword


ABB Special ReportABB in China

Contents

Infrastructure challenge

6Powering the economyThe thirst for power of China’s booming economy must

be met by huge generation and transmission investment.

11Three gorgesThe dam that will generate enough power to meet three

percent of China’s need.

15HVDC transmits green energy in ChinaMoving green energy from the dams to the cities.

19More power to the citiesThyristor controlled compensation is helping transmit

more power.

22Grids unitedA joint venture by Tsinghua University and ABB is

interconnecting China’s regional grids.

25Drilling throughABB switchgear is contributing to the reliability of

a major refinery.

27Advanced diagnostics of turbine vibrationsOptimizing performance and reliability through diagnosis.

32Power reformABB paves the way for regional electricity trading.

36Propeller powerHarnessing the winds with ABB drives.

38Piped heatA district heating project in northern China.

Productivity challenge

40The Chinese CenturyThe infrastructure vision behind China´s phenomenal

growth.

46Roll modelPresenting two steel rolling mills that are benefitting from

ABB´s reliable and highly dynamic drives.

48Lifted productivityCranes with ABB techology are lifting business at

Quindao port.

50In total controlPrecise positioning boost the productivity of ships.

52Ancient traditions, modern toolsReviving the ancient Chinese art of papermaking.

54Robots confine hazardsPainting and welding mad safe, precise and reliable.

Special Report ABB in ChinaABB Review

6

40

62

77

57Energy efficiencyInnovative tecnnology from ABB is contributing to energy

efficiency. Nine hands-on examples are presented.

Manufacturing challenge

62Manufacturing challengeWhat it means to be part of China´s booming economy.

64TransformedChongqing’s advanced transformer factory.

68ABB intelligent power distribution system

70Calibrating precisionDelivering accurate calibration to flow measurement.

72Motors power efficiency

74Low voltage equipmentDistribution-side reliablility and efficiency.

Corporate research

77Committed to ChinaInnovation is the lifeblood of ABB: a new corporate

research center opens in China.

Poweringthe economyThe infrastructure challengeAlia Malik

China is emerging as one of thelargest global energy consumers,second only to the US. Since 1980,rapid economic growth has stimu-lated an equally remarkable growth inenergy production and consumption.According to forecasts by CERA(Cambridge Energy Research Associ-ates), China’s demand for primaryenergy is likely to double between2004 and 2020.

The power industry has recently haddifficulty satisfying demand – growthin energy demand has outpacedsupply growth. This represents a shiftcompared to the late 1990s, whenproblems were with oversupply.China’s rapid development, changingdemographics, and economicrestructuring have driven a relentlessgrowth in energy consumption andpresent new challenges for powersuppliers.




China’s main source of energy byfar is coal. Such heavy reliance on

a “dirty” source has been costly; thegovernment is planning to diversifythe industry through increased use ofcleaner sources such as nuclear,hydroelectric, and natural gas. Chinais rich in many of the resources need-ed for energy production, but theregions where these are concentratedare far away from the main centers ofconsumption. The further growth ofindustry and commerce thus calls forheavy investment in both generationand transmission infrastructure.

The government is committed to suchgoals as diversifying energy sources,improving efficiency, expanding cov-erage, and limiting the human andenvironmental costs of the rapidgrowth.

Soaring energy demand: trends andforecastsSince the late 1990s, when oversupplyin the energy industry led to a mora-torium on the approval of new coal-fired plants, supply and demand haveshifted radically .

During the summers of 2003 and 2004supply shortages led to about twothirds of Chinese provinces imposingbrownouts and rationing energy. TheEIA (Energy Information Administra-tion) predicts that Chinese electricityconsumption will grow twice as fastas the world average between 2001and 2025.

This rapid growth is positioning Chinaamong the giants in energy consump-tion – a trend that will continue forthe next five, ten, or even twentyyears.

What is driving energy demand?Increasing living standards, especiallyin Eastern China, have substantiallychanged consumption patterns to in-clude modern goods and services.This, combined with China’s positionin global export manufacturing, havein turn created opportunities of whichthe most important is rapid industrialgrowth – around 10% a year since1980. Over the last three years in par-ticular, following heavy focus on areassuch as construction and infrastruc-ture, industrial energy demand hasbeen very high. The scale of fixedasset investment in buildings, roads,and factories has been huge in thelast few years, and is by nature highly

1

energy-intensive. The constructionboom and – by international standards– still poor energy efficiency in Chinahelp explain the scale of the energydemand increase.

Though industrial consumption ac-counts for roughly two thirds of the

growing energy needs in China, do-mestic consumption is also an impor-tant force to consider. This has grownsteadily, a trend that is likely to con-tinue through the coming decades.The rise of the middle class in Chinais only starting to impact energyneeds. As China becomes increasingly

China’s energy production and consumption (source: EIA ).1

45,000

40,000

35,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000Q

uad

rillio

n B

tu1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002

Year

Consumption Production



wealthy, factors such as demand forcars and more electricity in biggerhouses will continue to increase. Like-wise oil and electricity demand willrise. Urbanization also has a huge roleto play in this equation. Only 37% ofthe Chinese population currently livesin urban areas, which is well underthe global average of about 50% andfar below the developed world aver-age of over 70%. As the country liber-alizes and develops, this balance islikely to shift towards heavier urban-ization.

Consumption reflects the rural – urban divideIn China, there are significant differ-ences between urban and rural energyconsumption. Presently rural residentsuse below 40% of that of their city-dwelling counterparts. Due to highcosts and poor access to commercialenergy, this population currently sup-plements its commercial consumptionwith biomass and direct coal burning.If this inefficient and polluting non-commercial energy use is included inthe energy balance, rural residents areusing one third more energy thantheir urban peers . In order to cutback on the current waste, pollution,and health hazards of biomass andcoal burning, rural provision of com-mercial energy is a government target.Growing urbanization will also con-tribute to this shift. The scale of theChinese population means that chang-ing demographics such as urbaniza-tion, rural electrification, and rise ofthe middle class are likely to have a

2

huge impact on the Chinese and glob-al energy market.

Demand side changes are being facili-tated through fundamental shifts in theenergy supply. Rising energy needsare being accommodated through avariety of government efforts and pri-vate sector developments. There hasbeen rather slow progress in deregu-lating and privatizing the energy in-dustry. As part of the transition to amarket economy, incentive structureshave to be changed, distorting subsi-dies lessened or removed, price con-trols lifted and more active competi-tion encouraged. Efficiency improve-ments will come as a direct result ofChina’s shift towards market-basedpricing.

During the 1990s, oilproduction in Chinadoubled but still failed to keep up with risingdemand – currently thefastest in the world.

From coal to “clean” energyThe most important source of Chineseenergy is coal . China possesses vastcoal reserves and is both the largestproducer and consumer of coal in theworld (China is, in fact a net coalexporter). The government is workingto decrease this heavy reliance oncoal relative to other fuels, but coalwill continue to grow in absolute

3

terms and will definitely remain thecountry’s largest energy sourcethrough 2025. The 10th five-year planincludes a 17% increase in coal sup-ply between 2000 and 2005 – belowthe growth targeted for other energysources, but still quite substantial.

Oil is the next biggest source. Duringthe 1990s, oil production in Chinadoubled but still failed to keep upwith rising demand – currently thefastest in the world. China has been anet oil importer for the past decade. It is forecast the country will import84% of its needs by 2030 (IEA).

The next most important source ofenergy for China is hydroelectric gen-eration. China possesses the largesthydroelectric resources in the world.This is a significant source of energygeneration and will be increased bynearly 50% during the 10th five-yearplan. The Three Gorges project isprobably the best known of China’sendeavors to develop its hydroelectricresources. This 18,200 MW facility ismeant to be completed by 2009 with a capacity to single-handedly supply3% of current demand. Apart from the Three Gorges, there are 25 smallerprojects underway along the YellowRiver (15,800 MW) and a 5,400 MWplant on the Hongshui River. Con-struction has also started on a 14,000 MW development at Xiluoduand 6,000 MW at Xiangjiaba.

Natural gas is currently a very smallpower source. Both western China

Sources of energy consumption in China 2002 (data source: NBS, 2003a).

3

Coal Oil Natural GasHydroelectricity

66%

23%

3% 8%

Rural and urban energy consumption (data source: State Statistical Bureau, 1998).

2

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

Per

cent

age

Valu

e

Rural Urban

Commercial Energy Use Total Energy Use



and neighboring countries, such asRussia, possess substantial natural gas reserves. Gas from areas such asXinjiang as well as imports will seeincreasing use in power generation.One clear advantage of natural gas isthat it burns much more cleanly thancoal. As part of Beijing’s preparationsfor a “green” 2008 Olympics, a sub-stantial part of the city’s power supplyis being switched to natural gas.

Nuclear energy, like natural gas, con-stitutes only a small fraction of presentenergy generation , but will expandat a furious pace in the coming years.The 10th five-year plan has targeted a266% growth in this sector. Forty newnuclear power plants will be built by2025.

Poor efficiencyThe Chinese power generation sectoris highly inefficient – a situation thatwill not be sustainable as the econo-my continues to develop and energyneeds continue to grow. A WorldBank study (1997) estimated that ifefficiency levels were increased toOECD levels, China would save theequivalent of one-sixth of current con-sumption. From an energy efficiencystandpoint, Chinese production is notcompetitive compared to most devel-oped countries. According to Li et al(2000), energy consumption in Chinaper unit of GDP produced is fourtimes that in the Japan . Efficiencyimprovements are an area where theChinese energy sector can boost prof-

4

itability while ensuring that energyneeds are met.

Moving the energy: power grids China’s vast energy resources are pre-dominately concentrated in areas faraway from the booming coastal andsoutheastern cities where consump-tion is greatest. One of the problemswith the current system is that it isregionally focused and has insufficientinterconnection. The government isplanning to establish a unified nation-al power grid by 2020, selling powerat market-determined rates. This is amajor factor in the efforts to bettermatch energy supply and demand inChina. One key part of this plan is the“West to East Plan”, with major linesin the north, center and south con-necting the production of the resourcerich West to the needs of the energy-hungry East. The 2020 strategy alsoenvisages connections to Russia in theNorth and Thailand in the South.

Nuclear energy, like natu-ral gas, constitutes only asmall fraction of presentenergy generation, but willexpand at a furious pacein the coming years.

Health and the environment: hidden costs of energy productionChina’s rapidly expanding energyindustry has caused some serious side

effects. In particular, rapid develop-ment of the power sector has taken asubstantial toll on public health andthe environment. Air quality is highlydegraded and there is a serious prob-lem with acid rain . For example, a1998 WHO (World Health Organiza-tion) study found that 7 out of theworld’s 10 most polluted cities in theworld are in China. Acid rain hascaused economic damages estimatedat $ 13 billion and factoring in effectsof air pollution reduces GDP figuresby 3%1).

The major culprit is coal, which is dif-ficult to burn cleanly and serves asthe biggest source of fuel for 1.3 bil-lion people. In rural areas particularly,where burning coal in homes is com-mon, indoor air pollution is severe.Factories subject to lax emissionsstandards cause bad outdoor air pollu-tion. According to a World Bank re-port, air pollution costs the Chineseeconomy $ 25 billion each year inhealth expenditure and lost labor pro-ductivity. Respiratory disease accountsfor a quarter of all premature deathsin China, a statistic that has jumpedby 25% over the past decade. In addi-tion, poor safety standards leading to coal mining accidents have costaround 6,000 lives a year. The 10th 5-year plan aims to increase the useof clean fuels, such as hydro, naturalgas, and nuclear from 26% of the totalto 31% between 2000 and 2005 andban the use of some of the worstquality coal.

5

Chinese nuclear development.4

NPP in operationNPP under constructionNPP being proposed

Beijing SHANDONGHaiyang 2x1,000 MW

JIANGSUTianwan (Lianyongang) 2 x1,000 MW

ZHEJIANGQinshan phase I 300 MWQinshan phase II 2 x 600 MWQinshan phase III 2 x700 MWQinshan phase IV 2 x1,000 MW

ZHEJIANGSanmen 2 x1,000 MW

FUJIANHui An 2 x1,000 MW

GUANGDONGDaya Bay 2 x 984 MWLing Ao 2 x 984 MW

GUANGDONGYangjiang 6 x1,000 MW

Acid rain frequency in China.5

>77.0-5.05.0-2.0

2.0-1.01.0-00

(source: University of Michigan's ChinaInformation Center )



The China Energy Technology Program

The increasing global need for elec-tricity – the largest part of which is

generated from primary energy sources– is having a significant impact on theenvironment by the emission of an-thropogenic greenhouse gases. Underthe auspices of the Alliance for GlobalSustainability, alternative strategies giv-ing greater consideration to renewableenergy sources have been the focus of

a study, the China Energy TechnologyProgram or CETP. The work was ledby ABB in co-operation with universi-ties of world renown and three Chi-nese research centers. The aim was to identify and analyze the cradle-to-grave impact of a range of powergeneration options for sustainablegrowth, focusing on the needs of Shan-dong, a rapidly developing coastalprovince located between Beijing andShanghai.

Some 70 scientists, engineers andacademics of electricity from threecontinents contributed to this compre-hensive three-year study, as did cus-tomers and consumers. The resultswere published in 2003 under the title“Integrated Assessment of SustainableEnergy Systems in China”.

In this publication, the CETP projectgroup presents an integrated viewconsidering not only the short-termtechno-economic parameters but alsothe long-term environmental aspectsof the available options. The encour-aging results for Shandong provincecan be summarized in a few bullets:

It is feasible economically and so-cially justifiable to generate moreelectricity with less air pollution.

Cost effective methods and tech-nologies exist which reduce airpollution and stabilize green housegas emission.

The technologies, the tools and themethodology developed within thisprogram are certainly aimed at beinguniversally applicable to situationssimilar to Shandong. Decision makers in China or elsewhere will be able tomake better and more informed deci-sions related to the selection of appro-priate technologies for electricity gen-eration. As the Secretary General fromthe Ministry of Science and Technolo-gy of the People’s Republic of China,Mr. Dinghuan Shi, expressed: “Thepolicy makers who read this book willmost certainly find it invaluable indeveloping a sustainable system ofenergy production that will supportChina’s development goals. I am veryglad to have been part of this success-ful project and look forward to contin-ued international co-operation as thefuture unfolds.”

The human and environmental costsof energy consumption and produc-tion in China are very serious, andhave contributed to directly calculableeconomic losses, which the Beijinggovernment is taking more and moreseriously.

Economic growth ispredicted to remain highfor decades to come,which in turn means thatthe energy sector willcontinue to expand.

ConclusionIn 2003 and 2004, China’s electricityconsumption increased by an aston-

ishing 15% per year. If added to the10.4% growth in 2002, this in itself ismore than the total power generationinstalled in Brazil. As Scott Roberts,chief representative in the Beijingoffice of Cambridge Energy ResearchAssociates, puts it “they are adding amiddle-sized country every two yearsin terms of energy consumption.”

Economic growth is predicted to re-main high for decades to come, whichin turn means that the energy sectorwill continue to expand. Given thescale of the Chinese energy industryand of its growth, efficiency in powergeneration and consumption is toolow and environmental and healthcosts too high. The stakes are verylarge, but efforts by the central gov-ernment to guide the energy indus-

try’s development are in the rightdirection. Diversifying energy sources,raising production standards, movingtowards market-based prices, and im-proving interregional connectivity willall help facilitate the healthy develop-ment of the Chinese energy industry.

Alia Malik

external writer

[email protected]

Footnotes:1) Zhang Jianyu, program manager, Beijing Office of

Environmental Defense.


Three Gorges18.2 GW of hydro power from the Yangtze riverPatrick Schmid

With a length of 6300km, China’sYangtze is the world’s third longestriver. It drains a basin of 1,683,500square km and provides irrigationand transport for tens of millions ofpeople along its banks. But theYangtze is also a liability: raging floodwaters have repeatedly killed thou-sands and destroyed homes andcrops. In 1993, the construction of a

dam began at Yichang. With a lengthof 2,309m and a crest elevation of185m, it will be the world’s largestdam.

The Three Gorges Project will notonly bring greater predictability to thewaters of this mighty river, but willgenerate huge amounts of electricity– equivalent to one ninth of China’s

total 1992 requirement. This environ-mentally clean supply will help satisfyChina’s growing demand while reduc-ing reliance on polluting coal-firedstations.

ABB is part of this exciting project,supplying gas-insulated switchgearfor the generating stations.



Adam project at Yichangwas first considered by

engineers and scientists inthe early 1900s. They pre-dicted that a regulation ofthe river could save thou-sands of lives by preventingfloods. In the 1930s newsreports described how hun-dreds of people died in theraging floodwaters. In 195433,000 died when theYangtze burst its banks.The argument for buildingthe dam became even morepressing. Over the pastyears (the dam has beenunder construction since1993) hundreds more havelost their lives.

The Chinese governmentsays the dam will control devastatingfloods, provide much-needed electri-cal power to China’s growing citiesand allow 10,000-ton freighters toenter the nation’s interior – which is currently limited to boats under3,000-tons. The dam’s hydro-powergeneration will replace 40–50 milliontons of coal combustion each yearand help reduce pollution and saveresources.

Geography of the Three Gorges ProjectThe Three Gorges Project (TGP) isvital in the development and harness-ing of the Yangtze river. A reservoir is being created by flooding the rivervalley along 600km of its length ,including the majestic Qutang, Wuxiaand Xiling gorges, which give the

1

project its name. The dam itself issituated in Sandouping near YichangCity, Hubei Province, about 40kmupstream of the existing GezhoubaProject.

Upon completion, theTGP will be the world’sbiggest hydroelectricpower station in terms oftotal installed capacity.

The TGP is the largest water conser-vancy project ever realized in China,or anywhere in the world. With a nor-mal pool level1) of 175m, the totalstorage capacity of the reservoir is

39.3 billion m3. The TGP isa multi-purpose develop-ment project producing com-prehensive benefits, themost important of which areflood control, power genera-tion and navigation improve-ment.

China’s second Great Wall –the world’s largest hydropower stationIn April 1992 the NationalPeople’s Congress voted infavor of the dam. Construc-tion started in 1993. Uponcompletion, the TGP will bethe world’s biggest hydro-electric power station interms of total installedcapacity.

The Three Gorges dam has a length of 2,309m and a crest elevation of185m . The dam has a two-wayfive-step ship-lock and a vertical ship-lift for ships up to 11,800 tons – an impressive sight.

The Three Gorges hydroelectric powerstation consists of two powerhouses at the toe of the dam2), separated bythe spillway section.

In total, twenty-six 700 MW Francis-type turbine generator units are in-stalled – 14 units in the left-bank and12 in the right-bank powerhouse. Theoverall installed capacity is 18.2 GWproducing an annual power of 84.7billion kWh , equivalent to one-ninth of China’s total in 1992 – ormore than the total consumption ofBelgium or Finland.

In August 2003 the first batch of fourgenerator units went into operation.In November, another two unitsjoined them. Until the completion ofthe project in 2009, four units will beadded every year.

The left bank powerhouse will becompleted in 2005 and the right bankpowerhouse in 2009.

On the right bank, room is reservedfor a future underground powerhouse

5

4

3

2

Footnotes:1) The normal pool level of reservoir is the maximum

level to which the water surface will rise during

normal operations.2) The toe of a dam is its junction with the ground

surface.

The location of the Three Gorges dam and reservoir on the mighty Yangtze river.

1

0 400 km

CHINA

CHINA

Jialing

Chongqing

Yichang

Wuhan

Three Gorges DamYellow Sea

Yangtze

Shanghai

400 miles

600 km

Beijing

Shanghai

Jialing River

Three Gorges Dam

Chongqing

Wu River

Yangzi RiverYichang

NanjingHan River

0

0

The reservoir has a storage capacity of 39.3 billion m3.2



– adding six further 700 MW genera-tors.

The Three Gorges hydropower stationwill be connected to thermal powerand hydroelectric grids in central andeastern China, serving the power-hun-gry and booming economy and boost-ing the reliability of electricity supplies.

Compact switchgearThe gas-insulated switchgear (GIS)design allows the substation to besignificantly smaller than a conven-tional installation – while its highreliability and efficiency help increasethe availability of power from the TGPpower station.

Three elevation levels (EL) of thedownstream powerhouse are impor-tant for the 550 kV GIS:

EL 82m where the main transform-ers, the 550kV shunt reactors andother auxiliary equipment are in-stalled.

6

EL 93.6m where the 550kV gas-in-sulated switchgear and its accessoryequipment are located, andEL 107m, being the roof of thepowerhouse, where the 550kVoutgoing bushings of the GIS andother 550kV conventional outdoorequipment, such as wave traps,voltage transformers and surgearresters are arranged.

The GIS hall (left bank) is 581.5mlong and 15m wide.

Technology TransferIn line with China’s strategy for in-creasing self-sufficiency in key areasof power generation, ABB is sharingits 550kV GIS technology with twoChinese partners.

For the TGP about 25% of the Left BankGIS has been produced in China byNew Northeast Electric (Shenyang) HighVoltage Switchgear Co. Ltd. And Xi’anShiky High Voltage Electric Co. Ltd.

The Three Gorges Project will be the world’s largest SF6 gas-insulatedswitchgear (GIS)

The construction of the Right Bank started in 2003 and will takesix years.

Presently, the GIS for the ItaipúProject in Brazil/Paraguay, with 54 type ELK-3 circuit-breaker bays(also supplied by ABB Switzerland)– is the biggest ever built. Chosenas the principal supplier of theRight Bank GIS, ABB is proud to be supplying the entire GIS for theThree Gorges Project. After comple-tion in 2009, this will become thelargest SF6 gas-insulated switchgearinstallation worldwide – featuring73 type ELK-3 circuit-breaker bays.

The Future:

The dam will be 2,309 m long and 185 m high.3

spillw

ay

shiplift

shiplock

power plant

Yangtze River

The dam will supply 84.7 kWh per year – equivalent to 11% of China’s 1992 consumption.

5 Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS ) installed in the powerhouse.

6

Cross section of one of the two powerhouses.4

185.00

180.40

145.00 1:072

82.0082.00

83.10

62.00

108.00

175.00



To achieve this goal, a technologytransfer arrangement was implement-ed, comprising submittal of the entiretechnical documentation, training ofpersonnel at all levels, and support inimplementing the new technology atboth Chinese factories. The Technolo-gy Transfer focused on high qualitystandards and timely delivery of theproducts in order to meet the chal-lenging project schedule.

On 15 July 2003, a mile-stone was achieved whenthe 550 kV gas-insulatedswitchgear of Left Bank 1went into service.

GIS on the left bankThe 550kV gas-insulated switchgearconsists of two stations: Left Bank 1with 5 outgoing lines and Left Bank 2with 3 outgoing lines.

Extensive overvoltage calculationswere performed by ABB with thelatest software to simulate switchingoperations in the future network.These calculations showed that it wasnecessary to equip only the circuit-breaker of the two outgoing lines toWanxian with closing resistors.

The assembly of the 550kV GIS onsite was carried out by Baju Hydro-power Construction Group as subcon-tractor under supervision of ABB.

On 15 July 2003, a milestone wasachieved when the 550kV gas-insulat-ed switchgear of Left Bank 1 wentinto service.

Another important milestone wasreached on 7 February 2004 when theGIS equipment of Left Bank 2 passedthe high-voltage on-site tests success-fully long before the contractual com-pletion time. Left Bank 2 went intoservice on 30 April 2004.

Characteristics of the GIS arrange-ment are:

One-and-a-half breaker arrange-ment (a configuration in whichthree breakers are used to con-nect two lines to two busbars).One generator is paired to onetransformer. Two such trans-former units are then combinedinto a common incoming 550kVbranch. A 550kV circuit-breakerbay is installed on the high-volt-age side of each transformer.Left Bank 1 and 2 can be sepa-rated by busbar sectionalizingbreaker bays.

Left Bank 1 comprises:Four one-and-a-half breakerdiameters connected to fourcombined units.One two-breaker string.

Left Bank 2 comprises:three one-and-a-half breakerdiameters connected to threecombined units.

The arrangement as employed inthe TGP (Left Bank) results in atotal of 39 three-phase circuit-breaker bays.

TGP GIS switchgearThe Wuhan High Voltage Test Instituteperformed the high-voltage on-sitetests, consisting of the standard AC-tests plus an additional impulse volt-age test.

Good performance thanks to GISThe use of compact-sized gas-insulat-ed switchgear (GIS) made its installa-tion possible directly above therespective transformers, in the spacebetween the generator hall and thedam, at almost no additional cost.Furthermore it results in an optimalarrangement with regard to functionand operation of the electromecha-nical chain, comprising the genera-tors, step-up transformers, switchgearand overhead power lines. As a result,an almost ideal configuration of allcontrol and protection equipment isprovided, which in itself makes avaluable contribution to the reliabilityof the station and reduces costs.

Although the large distances betweenthe generators result in rather longbusbar sections, this is inherently astrength as all components are easilyaccessible.

Installation of all high voltage switch-gear in the powerhouse represents aperfect concept for hydroelectricprojects.

Patrick Schmid

ABB High Voltage Technology

Zürich, Switzerland

[email protected]


The continuously growing demandfor electricity calls not only for heavyinvestment in power plants, but alsoin the transmission grid that bringsthis power to where it is needed. An important transmission technolo-gy is High Voltage DC (HVDC). HVDCis cheaper and more energy efficientover long distances than its ACequivalent.

ABB has recently completed twomajor 3000 MW ±500 kV links tobring electricity from the new ThreeGorges hydro plant to major loadcenters – a third such project is inprogress.

HVDC transmitsgreen energy in ChinaGunnar Flisberg, Leif Englund and Abhay Kumar



Electrical energy is considered oneof the major assets in expanding

the GDP of a nation, hence its supplybecomes crucial to economic growth.Similarly, the consumption of electri-cal energy is central in the improve-ment of quality of life all over theworld. The People’s Republic of Chinais no exception. ABB’s reliable HVDCtransmission systems in China arebringing electrical energy from centersof generation to areas of consump-tion; efficiently, effectively and eco-nomically.

Following commencement of trans-mission of power in November 2002,a rated power of 3000 MW was trans-mitted for the first time on 31 October2003 from Longquan to Zhenging –when a sufficient number of genera-tors had been synchronized at theThree Gorges power station – one ofthe largest hydro power projects inthe world. Since then, the ThreeGorges to Changzhou ±500kV DCTransmission Project (3GC) [1] hasbeen transmitting close to its rated3000 MW continuously, bringinggreen power to the Shanghai area.The 3GC transmission has run at itsoverload capacity of 3300 MW quitefrequently during the summer of 2004.

Following on from this success, anotherABB 3000 MW HVDC project went livebetween Jingzhou and Huizhou on 1st April 2004. Since then, the ThreeGorges to Guangdong ±500 kV DCTransmission Project (3GG) [1] hasbeen transmitting additional powerfrom the Three Gorges Hydro PowerStation, thereby meeting the increasingpower demand of the Guangdong area.

The next major project will be com-pleted in 2007, when ABB’s third 3000 MW HVDC link will start transmit-ting power over 1060km from the sec-

ond phase generators of Three Gorges(Right Bank). ABB was also awardedthe Three Gorges to Shanghai ± 500kVDC Transmission Project (3GS) on June14, 2004 by the State Grid Corporationof China (SGCC) – China's largest pow-er grid operator and supplier of elec-tricity to more than half the economy.This new project will further enhancethe power supply situation in theShanghai area. ABB will execute thisproject in co-operation with its consor-tium partners – XB for converter Trans-formers & Smoothing Reactors, XPR forthyristors valves, PERI for thyristors,NARI-Relays for control and protectionsystem and BDCC/XIHARI for systemdesign/studies.

Focal points and principal parametersof 3GSThe normal sending (rectifier) stationof the Three Gorges to Shanghai linkwill be located at Yidu, close to thecity of Yichang (Hubei Province) andwill be connected to the Three GorgesPower station by three 58 km long500kV AC lines.

The normal receiving (inverter) stationis located at Huaxin in Qingpu closeto Shanghai and will be connected bya pair of five km long 500kV AC linesto Huangdu station – part of the500kV AC ring around Shanghai city.

What sets the 3GS project apart?The basic design parameters of thistransmission link are similar to the3GC and 3GG projects. They are sum-marized in .

The transmission distance of the 3GSHVDC project is almost 200km longer

table 1

than that of the 3GC project. The princi-pal features setting 3GS apart include:

New transformer design.Box-in of transformers to limitacoustic emissions.500kV AC Gas Insulated Switchgear(GIS) in both converter stations.New DC filter solution.New building-block arrangement ofcontrol and protection functions.Stand alone AC protections ofconverter transformers.Factory System Test (FST) forcontrol/protection equipmentperformed in China.New design of chemical treatmentplant for water cooling system.Changed rating of some AC filters.

The use of different suppliers for thenew project has meant that someinterfaces have had to be redesigned.The closer integration with the own-er’s own products also leads to differ-ent interface requirements.

Audible noise – a critical issueBeing located close to built-up areas in Shanghai, audible noise reduction at the inverter facility has been an im-portant design parameter. A target of 45dB(A) was set. Several noise-reducingmeasures have been combined at Huaxin station, including the follow-ing:

The arrangement of converters andfilters at the station was acousticallyoptimized.Similarly, single filter layouts wereoptimized.All filter components were designedto be as silent as possible. Attenua-tion measures include the dividing offilter capacitor stacks to limit their

Four HVDC links will carry hydroelectricity from the Three Gorges power plant to industrial region of Shanghai and Guangdong.

2

East China

Guangdong

Left bank

Three Gorges

±500 kV, 3,000 MW

±500 kV, 1,200 MW

±500 kV, 3,000 MW

±500 kV, 3,000 MW

Three Gorges – Changzhou

Gezouba – Shanghai

Three Gorges – Shanghai

Three Gorges – Guangdong

Right bank

Central China

14x700 MW

12x700 MW

3 x 3000 MW HVDC Links.1

Three Gorges

Changzhou

Shanghai

Guangdong



height. Some capacitors were fittedwith damping elements.Transformers have been boxed in.Transformer and smoothing reactortanks have beams to be filled withsand on site.All cooling fans are acoustically opti-mized and noise dampers used whereappropriate.The station perimeter wall is designedas an acoustical screen.Filter reactors have built-in noisescreens.Space is set aside for future soundscreens for filter areas and for free-standing screens.

Securing SuccessIn order to secure the success of thenew project, a thorough review ofoperating experience from previousprojects was compiled and evaluated.A brief summary of this review ispresented below:

Thyristor valve operation performance3GC and 3GG use a combined countof 8352 thyristors. Since being takeninto commercial operation, there havebeen no thyristor failures in any of thefour converter stations. No other dis-turbances have occurred.

Converter transformers and smoothingreactor operation performance36 converter transformers and 6 smoothing reactors of ABB designare in operation at Longquan,Jingzhou and Huizhou converter sta-tions. A small number of false trip-pings has occurred due to moisture inthe gas relays. The relay covers havesince been modified to allow betterair circulation. Furthermore, rain pro-tection has been provided and theinput boards for tripping de-sensitizedby adding parallel resistors acrosschannels. Locally manufactured trans-formers have suffered from some gasgeneration. A loose contact has beenfound and corrected.

Outdoor insulation performanceThere has been one flashover on a DC voltage divider in Jingzhou underextreme fog conditions. The cause ofthis is now under investigation. At themoment an insulator batch problem isthought to be the cause.

Control equipment operationperformanceThere was, at first, some irregularbehavior from control/protectionequipment in the 3GC project. The

Main parameters Yidu/Huaxin

Nominal power rating, MW 3000Nominal dc voltage, kV ±500Transmission distance, km 1060

Power overloads at max ambient temperatures

with redundant cooling in service, MW:

Continuous 31502 hour 339010 seconds 42305 seconds 4500

Converter transformers:

Type of thyristor 1-phase, 2-windingPower rating, MVA 297.5/283.7

Smoothing reactors:

Type Oil-insulatedValue, mH 290

Thyristor valves:

Type YST-90Arrangement Double valve, suspended from ceilingNo of thyristors per valve 90/84

DC filter type Passive, DT6/12 and DT24/36AC filter:

Type PassiveYidu, no x type; MVar 3 ×HP11/13, 3 ×HP24/36, 2 ×HP3, 1 ×SC; 1371Huaxin, no x type; MVar 5 ×HP12/24, 4 ×SC; 1890AC system voltage, kV 535/500AC system frequency, Hz 50

Losses:

Converter station, % 1.3DC Line, % 5.8

cause was traced to both hardwareand software in the control and pro-tection equipment – resulting in acrash of the active computer system.When this occurred, the system auto-matically switched to the redundantcontrol and protection system and allfunctionality of the power transmis-sion was maintained.

Several software changes were suc-cessfully implemented. To master thehardware problems, the computermain boards were replaced by a new-er and more reliable type. Currentoperational statistics suggest thatthese efforts have been fruitful andthat the problems are not recurring.

Thyristor Valves at Huizhou.3

Jingzhou converter station.5

Control Room, Longquan.4

Three Gorges to Shanghai HVDC link (3GS) project characterics.table 1



Date Duration Outage Category Event (Counter-measure)

5th March 2004 0.42 Monopole DC Control &Protection Computer in standby mode when restarted / Supervision software bug

15th March 2004 1.82 Monopole AC and AUX Transformer Guard malfunctionEquipment

26th July 2004 0.53 Monopole AC and AUX Manual fire call point mis-operation Equipment (replaced faulty component)

8th Aug 2004 0.29 Monopole DC Control & Protection Computer changing to standby mode after replacement / Software bug

23rd Nov 2004 4.81 Monopole DC Control & Protection False trip from transformer saturation protection

Figures of equivalent outage hours under column ‘Duration’ are approximate only and not confirmed.

Date Duration Outage Category Event (Counter-measure)

5th July 2004 1.56 Monopole Other Human error (Improved site procedures) 17th July 2004 3 Monopole AC and AUX Mal-operation of OLTC gas relay

Equipment7th Nov 2004 9.23 Monopole Primary DC Flashover over DC voltage divider

Equipment22th Dec 2004 13.45 One pole followed later by other pole DC Control & Protection LAN network disturbance

Figures of equivalent outage hours under column ‘Duration’ are approximate only and not confirmed.

Reliability and AvailabilityA summary of operatingexperience from the twoprojects already in commer-cial operation is presentedbelow:

Three Gorges to Changzhou± 500kV DC TransmissionProjectThis link went into com-mercial operation on 16thJune 2003. Operating expe-rience has been excellentwith an availability againstforced outages of over99.9%. In 2004, very fewoutages caused by ABB equipmenthave occurred. The monopolar out-ages are listed in . No bipolaroutage has occurred.

In all there have been 5 monopolaroutages against a design target of 12 outages per year. As the equipmentburning-in period is still ongoing, thisperformance is seen as excellent.Similarly, an outage time of less than8 hours (including administrativetime) represents a good record againsta design target of 44 hours (excludingadministrative time).

Three Gorges to Guangdong ±500kV DC Transmission ProjectOperating experience from 3GG hasalso been excellent. Since the start ofcommercial operation on 27th May2004, the availability against forcedoutages has been over 99.8%. The

table 2

forced outages due to ABB equipmentduring the second half of 2004 (Julyto December) are listed in .

Four monopolar outages in these sixmonths against a design target of 10per year is equally a good record fora new system.

Learning from experienceIn planning the Three Gorges toShanghai project, this experience wasevaluated in detail and measures weretaken to further improve on this trackrecord.

ExecutionThe execution of the Three Gorges toShanghai ± 500kV DC TransmissionProject is advancing according toschedule. The first converter trans-former was type tested on March 17,2005, just 9 months after the contract

table 3

was signed. Judging by cur-rent progress, the projectcould be completed severalmonths early.

The commissioning of theThree Gorges to Shanghailine in 2007 will enhance thecross-region electricity trans-mission capacity consider-ably and go some way to-wards balancing the powergeneration disparities in thedifferent regions of China.

The new HVDC link willenhance the capacity of the

network over long distances, while atthe same time reducing transmissionlosses. Wang Xiaohui, power industryanalyst with CITIC Securities says, “Thesoaring demands of power consump-tion and fast-growing power plant con-struction – a result of the country’s ro-bust economic development – has putmuch pressure on China’s overloadedpower grid system”. The Three Gorgesto Shanghai link is a great step towardseasing this pressure.

Gunnar Flisberg

Leif Englund

Abhay Kumar

ABB Power Technologies

Ludvika, Sweden

[email protected]

References:

[1] Leif Englund et. al., “HVDC Superhighways for

China”, ABB Review issue 4/2003

First Converter transformer for Huaxin at ABB’s test lab in Ludvika –After successful completion of type tests.

6

Outages on Three Gorges to Changzhou (3GC) in 2004.table 2

Outages on Three Gorges to Guangdong (3GG), July to December 2004.table 3


More power to the citiesImproved utilization of transmission systems through thyristor controlled series compensationRolf Grünbaum

Global electricity consumption is continuously rising, increasing pressure on existing infrastructure. To alleviate this,power grids are being interconnected, assuring the stability of supply and facilitating trading. This is leading to a rapidlygrowing demand for transmission capacity. It is not always practicable to meet this demand by building new lines:Planning and construction takes time and is expensive; environmental concerns and the intensification of land use meannew lines are not always acceptable.

The raising of capacity on existing lines is an alternative. Many technologies exist that can contribute to this enhance-ment. One approach lies in the compensation of line reactance. The use of Thyristor Controlled Series Compensation(TCSC) provides a variable compensation mechanism permitting a raising of transmission stability – freeing line capacityfor active power.



From a technical point of view,limitations of the power transmis-

sion capacity of a grid can be easedby adding new transmission lines. In reality, however, this may not bepracticable or desirable for a varietyof reasons: Adding new lines and/orextending existing substations is oftentoo costly and time-consuming. Con-cessions for new rights-of-way may be difficult or impossible to obtain.Aspects of environmental impact aretoday much more important than theywere in the past and need to be prop-erly considered when dealing withtransmission development procedures.Techniques to improve the steady-state and dynamic stability of the line,permitting more power to be transmit-ted, provide an attractive alternativeto the construction of new lines.Thyristor-Controlled Series Compensa-tion (TCSC) is one such option thatoffers technical, economic and envi-ronmental advantages.

In long distance AC power transmis-sion, care is taken to maintain syn-chronization as well as voltage stabili-ty, particularly in conjunction withsystem faults. Series compensationmakes safe bulk AC power transmis-sion a reality over distances of morethan 1,000km. The advent of thyristor-controlled series compensation hasadded further capability as well asflexibility to AC power transmission.Consequently, this technology is ap-plied across the globe to strengthenlong transmission corridors, wherecapacity limitations due to dynamicstability issues were previously faced.The impact of TCSC on power trans-mission systems can be summarizedas follows:

Balancing of load flows. Increasing first swing stability,power oscillation damping, andvoltage stability.Mitigation of subsynchronousresonance risks.

Controllable series compensationA series capacitor in a grid introducesreactance of opposite sign to that ofthe inductive line reactance. Throughthis mechanism, the effective trans-mission reactance of the grid is de-creased, and the power transmissioncapability increased under stable con-ditions.

With the reactance of the series ca-pacitor equal to XC and the inductivereactance of the line equal to XL, we

can introduce a measure of the degreeof series compensation introducedinto the grid, k:

k = XC / XL

Using TCSC, the degree of compensa-tion k can be varied at mains frequen-cy (50 Hz) at a speed limited only bythe speed of response of the electron-ic scheme. This makes TCSC suitablefor applications where series compen-sation was not previously used, forexamples, post-contingency powerflow control and damping of activepower oscillations.

Active power oscillations are frequent-ly a limiting factor on the power trans-mission capacity of radial intercon-necting ties. The TCSC concept is veryuseful for extending the possibilitiesfor AC power interconnection betweenregions, both for increasing geographi-cal distance and transmitted power.

TCSC configurations comprise con-trolled reactors in parallel with sectionsof a capacitor bank . This combina-tion allows smooth control of the fun-damental frequency capacitive reac-tance over a wide range. The capacitorbank of each phase is mounted on aplatform to ensure full insulation toground. The thyristor valve contains astring of high power thyristors con-nected in series. The inductor is of air-core design. A metal-oxide varistor(MOV) is connected across the capaci-tor to prevent overvoltages.

If the thyristor valve is triggered justbefore the zero crossing of the capaci-tor voltage, a capacitor dischargecurrent pulse will flow in the parallelinductive branch . The discharge cur-rent pulse (iV) is added to the line cur-rent (iL). The capacitor voltage is thusincreased in proportion to the chargepassing through the thyristor branch.This is interpreted by the powersystem as an increased or boostedreactance of the series capacitor.

By varying the conduction angle ofthe thyristor valve, the boost level ofthe series capacitor can be controlledcontinuously. The boost factor of theTCSC, kB, is defined as equal to theratio between the apparent reactance(Xapp) and the physical reactance(XC) of the series capacitor.

shows TCSC waveforms for thesteady-state condition.

2

2

1

A patented control strategy calledPhasor Estimation Technique is ap-plied to enhance TCSC damping per-formance compared to conventionalpower oscillation damping controlalgoritms.

Power oscillation damping in IndiaIn India, two TCSC have recently beeninstalled on the Rourkela-Raipur dou-ble circuit 400kV power transmissioninterconnector – between the easternand western regions of the grid .The main purpose of this major412km long AC interconnector is thetransfer of surplus energy from theeastern to the western regions ofIndia under normal operating condi-tions, and also during contingencies.The TCSC are located at the Raipurend of the lines.

The TCSC enables damping of inter-area power oscillations between theregions, which would otherwise limitpower transfer over the interconnec-

3

Thyristor-Controlled series capacitor.1

TCSC in steady-state.2

circuit

waveforms

xv

iL

iv

uc

xc

+ -

iL

iv

uc



tor. Dynamic simulations performedduring the design stage, and subse-quently confirmed at the commission-ing and testing stage, have proved theeffectiveness of the Raipur TCSC aspower oscillation dampers.

Main circuit designStudies performed on the power sys-tem have traced the poorly dampeddynamics of the grid to low frequencyinter-area oscillations between the east-ern and western regions. As a counter-measure the studies recommended theinstallation of two fixed series capaci-tors, each rated at a compensationdegree of 40%, and two thyristor-con-trolled series capacitors, each rated at 5% degree of compensation. Thismeasure has been implemented .

For power oscillation damping (POD),by means of the boost factor, theTCSCs introduce a modulation of theeffective reactance of the power lines.During power swings the insertedTCSC reactance can be varied be-tween 20.5 Ω capacitive (correspon-ding to a boost factor of 3.0), and 1.3 Ω inductive (corresponding toTCSC bypass). With suitable systemcontrol, this reactance modulationcounteracts the active power oscilla-tion, thereby damping it quickly.

4

Control and protectionThe control system is based on theABB MACH 2 concept, which is ahardware and software system specifi-cally developed for power applica-tions. The MACH 2 system is builtaround an industrial PC with add-inboards and I/O racks connectedthrough standard type field busessuch as CAN and TDM. This has facili-tated very high performance and smallhardware dimensions.

The TCSC can be controlled from twodifferent locations. The local controlroom is equipped with an OperatorWork Station (OWS), based on a per-sonal computer. The TCSC can also beremotely controlled via a RemoteWork Station (RWS) from the substa-tion control room.

Current measurements for the controland protection functions are attainedby use of Optical Current Transform-ers (OCT). An OCT consists of a cur-rent transducer in the high voltagebusbar and an optical interface mod-ule in the control room. Signal trans-mission between transducer and inter-face is carried out by means of anoptical fiber system including platformlinks, high voltage signal columns andfiber optic cables.

The purpose of the TCSC at Raipur isto actively damp power oscillationson the interconnection betweenRaipur and Rourkela. The TCSC con-trol functions can be divided into fourtasks:

Firing control, to calculate the valvefiring instants.Monitoring functions.Superiour controls such as reactancelimiting and sequence control.Power oscillation damper (POD).

When power oscillations are detected,the POD control function changes thereactance reference in such a way thatthe power oscillations are damped out.

Thyristor valveFor controlled series capacitors, athyristor valve is used to vary theapparent reactance of the capacitor.This is done by adding charge to thecapacitor through the thyristor valve(ie, boosting the capacitor voltage).

The valve, located on platform level,is water-cooled and equipped withtwo vertically mounted, antiparallelstacks of thyristors. Each valve stringconsists of 14 thyristors in series, eachwith a wafer diameter of four inches.All communication between valve andthe ground mounted control system isvia fiber optics.

The thyristor valve is rated for a con-tinuous current of 1850 A. It is fur-thermore rated to withstand short-cir-cuit currents up to 55 kApeak, safelyabove any plausible fault situationthat the valve may have to endure inoperation. A site view of the RaipurTCSC is shown on page 19.

ConclusionWith its rapidly growing power use,China will be facing heavy investmentin its transmission infrastructure foryears to come. Variable series com-pensation, as provided by TCSC,could play an increasing role instabilizing grids and enhancing thecapacity of existing lines.

Rolf Grünbaum

Regional Marketing Responsible, FACTS

Västerås, Sweden

[email protected]

The Raipur-Rourkela series compensated400 kV power transmission corridor.

3

Raipur Rourkela

Single-line diagram of one of the TCSCs.4

400 kV

Grids unitedABB and Tsinghua University are helping interconnect China’s gridsQianjin Liu, Qiang Lu, Christian Rehtanz

Rapidly growing industries in Chinarely heavily on a stable and continu-ous power supply. This means China’spower grids are coming under in-creasing pressure. Because the cen-ters of power consumption are oftenfar from the principal generatingareas, the interconnection of regionalgrids and the development of long-

distance transmission infrastructureare now priorities for China’s utilitysector.

There is much more to interconnec-tion than just joining wires. Numerousplanning, implementation, monitoringand protection measures must ac-company the interconnection if insta-

bility and unpredictability are to beavoided.

In coordination with Tsinghua Univer-sity, ABB is addressing these issuesand is helping China’s electricity gridsinterconnect. Thanks to this program,the nationwide exchange of power isfast becoming a reality.




As part of ABB’s new corporate re-search center in Beijing, China, a

group has been formed to conductresearch and development in the areaof power systems engineering. Thisgroup has, as its mission, to “con-tribute to the development of thepower technology market through so-lutions to power systems issues andresearch on future systems require-ments.” Initial discussions with ABBcustomers in China indicated that vari-ous system performance shortfalls hadbeen faced regarding the interconnec-tion of the regional power grids. Tobetter understand and alleviate the is-sues involved, ABB Corporate Re-search in China has initiated a projectwith Tsinghua University under the ti-tle “Interconnection of China’s region-al Grids”.

As the leading technical university inChina, Tsinghua is deeply involved intechnical issues connected with theoperation and planning of the nation-al power system grid. Tsinghua Uni-versity is also the site of China’s StateKey Lab of Power Systems led by Pro-fessor Qiang Lu , a member of Chi-na’s National Academy of Sciences.Professor Lu has worked extensivelywith China’s power system and it washe who orchestrated the co-operationwith ABB.

The Tsinghua project will identify thekey technical issues and then developthe required systems solutions. Theinitial phase of the project has alreadybeen completed and it provides asummary of the historical develop-ment of China’s transmission grid, anda summary of the problems that haveaccured as well as a database of thetransmission system configuration.

China’s power grid1)

At present, China has seven inter-provincial networks , namely: theNorth China Grid (NCG); NortheastChina Grid (NECG); Central ChinaGrid (CCG); East China Grid (ECG);Northwest China Grid (NWCG); SouthChina Grid (SCG) and Sichuan andChongqing power networks (CYG) aswell as four independent provincialgrids in Shandong, Xinjiang, Hainanand Tibet. 500kV has become thebackbone structure in most regionsexcept in the northwest, which relieson 330kV networks.

In China, the major energy sourcesare located in the west (hydro) and

2

1

the north (coal). The major load cen-ters are in the east and south. Inter-connecting the regional grids is there-fore a natural step in the developmentof China’s power systems. Grid plan-ners intend to realize “west to eastpower transmission, north and southpower exchange and nationwide in-terconnection”.

The interconnection of China’s regional gridsInterconnecting the regional grids be-gan in 1989 when a 500kV 1,200 MWHVDC tie line, connecting the CentralChina Grid with the East China Grid,went live. In 2003 a second 500kVHVDC transmission line went into op-eration, increasing the transmissioncapacity between East and CentralChina to 4,200 MW. In May 2001, theNECG and NCG achieved synchronousinterconnection through a 500kV ACline, as did Fujian Province and EastChina in December 2001. The Sichuanand Chongqing power networks andCentral China were similarly intercon-nected in April 2002, and Central andNorth China in September 2003. In2004, a 3,000 MW HVDC transmissionlink was completed between theThree Gorges power plant in CentralChina and Guangdong in the SouthChina Grid. Numerous other intercon-nections, both AC and DC, are cur-rently being studied and planned.

Issues encountered In the area of system security, if theamount of power exchange betweenregional grids is large, any distur-bances on the interconnecting linessignificantly affect the frequency andvoltage stability of the connectedpower systems. For example, once theSichuan and Chongqing Grid (namedChuanYu Grid, CYG), the CCG andthe ECG are interconnected, largeamounts of power will be transmittedfrom the CYG to the ECG through theCCG . The intertie line between theCCG and the ECG, the Genan DC line,will carry up to 1,200 MW of power. If the Genan DC link is interruptedwhile the CYG is sending power tothe CCG through the Wanlong lineintertie , the CCG will have surpluspower and the frequency will rise. In2001, the Genan DC link experiencedthis problem four times when sendinglarge quantities of power to the ECG.Each interruption caused the frequen-cy of the CCG to exceed the upperlimit of 50.2 Hz. The most seriousincident occurred on June 4, 2001:

4

3

while the Wanlong line was transmit-ting 550 MW to the CCG and theGenan DC link was sending 1,040 MWto the ECG, a DC interruption drovethe frequency of the CCG to 50.31 Hz.To limit such rises, generator trippingequipment was installed in theGezhouba hydro plant in 2004 – themain source and starting point of theGenan DC link.

As for voltage stability, the CCG hasbeen encountering low voltage prob-lems in the rainy season when thehydro units are running at full capac-

Professor Qiang Lu of Tsinghua University.1

NCG=The North China GridNECG=Northeast China GridCCG=Central China GridECG=East China GridNWCG=Northwest China GridSCG=South China GridCYG=Sichuan and Chongqing power networks

Interconnection of China’s regional grids.2

AC link in operationDC link in operationDC link under construction

NCG

NECG

CCGECG

NWCG

SCG

CYG

Xinjiang

Tibet

Hainan

Shandong

Footnote:1) The following paragraphs are summarized from a

Tsinghua University report from April 2005.



ity. After interconnection with theCYG, the problem worsened due tothe large power being “wheeled –through” the system. The voltages ofmany critical 500kV buses need reac-tive power support from generatorslocated in load centers.

The weak interconnection of regionalgrids also causes low frequency oscil-lations between areas. For example,following the interconnection of theNCG and the NECG, a low frequencyoscillation was observed on occa-sions. This was triggered under spe-cial conditions when certain importantelements in the NCG were out of op-eration. Similar problems happened tothe CYG and the CCG after they wereinterconnected: the Wanlong line con-necting the two regional grids is mostvulnerable and sometimes experiencesa low frequency oscillation. The mostcritical situation occurred after theNECG, NCG and CCG were intercon-nected. According to a report by thestate power company, a low frequen-cy oscillation was measured by pri-mary metering units (PMUs) installedat a substation in the CCG. Althoughmany generators are equipped withpower system stabilizers – followingthe interconnection of the NECG andthe NCG, more than 60 large capacitygenerators were fitted – this low

frequency oscillation can still beobserved.

The transient stability of China’s re-gional grids is also affected by theinterconnections. These modify thetransient stability limits of many trans-mission lines. For example, the limitof the Dafang double-circuit line inNCG decreased from 1,580 MW to1,450 MW. If this line fails, powersystems covering Beijing, Tianjin andTangshan will have to handle up to1,500 MW of excess power. This un-balanced power will cause a loss ofsynchronization between the NECGand the NCG. Some studies show thatthe transient stability of the NECGdeteriorated after it was interconnect-ed with the NCG. Temporary remediesare now in place to limit power trans-mission on the tie lines, and to trip tie lines in emergencies, in order tomaintain the transient stability ofthese two regional grids. In the longterm, however, the interconnectionbackbone will have to be strength-ened.

Potential system solutionsHVDC is playing an important role inthe interconnection of China’s region-al grids because of its ability to asyn-chronously link systems with differentnominal frequencies, and its ability to

transmit large amounts of power overlong distances more economically. Asmore and more DC transmission proj-ects are installed, the coordination ofcontrols between DC and AC systemsgrows in importance. In fact becauseof their ability to rapidly control thetransmitted power, HVDC systems canbe used to enhance the stability of theAC system, and provide damping forpower system oscillations.

FACTS (Flexible AC TransmissionSystems) play the principal role inenhancing the controllability andpower transfer capability in AC sys-tems. Since the interconnections ofChina’s power networks are relativelyweak, this situation is likely to last forsome time. It is foreseeable thatFACTS controls will play a more im-portant role in China’s power net-works, increasing the transfer capabil-ity and enhancing system security.

Qianjin Liu

Power Systems

ABB China, Corporate Research Center

[email protected]

Prof. Qiang Lu

Tsinghua University

Christian Rehtanz

ABB China, Corporate Research Center

[email protected]

FACTS covers a number of tech-nologies that enhance the securi-ty, capacity and flexibility ofpower transmission systems.FACTS solutions enable powergrid owners to increase existingtransmission network capacitywhile maintaining or improvingthe operating margin necessaryfor grid stability.

See also: ABB Review 4/2003 pp 21–26 and ABB Review 1/2005pp 22–25.

FACTS

The Sichuan and Chongqing Grid (CYG).3 Power transfer in the CYG, CCG and ECG.4

Wanlong line

CYG CCG ECG

Genan line

AC link in operation DC link in operation

Chengdu

ChongqingNetworks

Hydro

Tsinghua University?


When ABB Xiamen Switchgear Co.Ltd. was awarded its first order for 16 UniGear type ZS1 medium voltageswitchgear panels by Zhenhai Refin-ing & Chemical Co., Ltd. (ZRCC) in1999, no one ever thought that theABB joint venture with 350-staff couldexpand its share of ZRCC’s wallet to95% in three years.

During 2002, ABB received sevenorders amounting to US$ 3.4 millionto supply 227 panels of UniGear typeZS1 and 12 panels of UniGear typeZS3.2 for expansion and renovation at ZRCC.

ZRCC is one of the most profitablecompanies in the SINOPEC (China

Petroleum and Chemical Corporation)family. The corporation has an annualrefining capacity of 20 million tons.ZRCC had previously purchased medi-um voltage switchgear from local state-owned manufacturers or other joint ven-ture companies. ABB worked hard toget into this market. These efforts borefirst fruit in 1999, when a very smallpiece of the cake could be clinched: A contract was awarded for 16 UniGeartype ZS1 panels for the smallest substa-tion among six renovation projects.ZRCC was identified as a key customerdue to its strong market position andadvanced management. Resources wereallocated quickly to take advantage ofthis opportunity. A sales strategy wasdeveloped based on establishing a goodrelationship to the customer.

A customer as big as ZRCC must beapproached on many levels, each re-

Drilling throughThe petrochemical market in ChinaJessica Wu

quiring different sets of informationfrom overviews of ABB in China todetailed product information. ABBXiamen Switchgear Co. formed a salesteam including the company presidentand technical expertise. All with thetask of winning the customer to ABB’sproduct portfolio by building trustthru having constant contact withZRCC and their design institutes. Inaddition, numerous technical trainingsessions were held both at ZRCC andat ABB Xiamen Switchgear: ABB’s firstjoint venture in China and one of thelargest manufacturers of medium volt-age primary switchgear and circuitbreakers both within the ABB Groupand in China.

In May 2001, an incident occurred in a fertilizer project involving aREF542plus – the new switchgear con-trol and protection unit supplied toZRCC. It was the first application ofthis new product in China, and ABB

was facing some quality issues. Cus-tomer dissatisfaction was obvious.With fast response and constructiveideas the situation was solved to thesatisfaction of the customer.

Using ZRCC as pilot, ABB’s commit-ment to the petrochemical industrywas fully demonstrated and rewarded.It resulted in rapid development inorders received from both the localindustry and new “mega projects”developed with international partners.In a US$ 4 billion petrochemical plantbuilt and operated by the joint ventureCSPC (see inset article), ABB has sup-plied all power distribution productsfor the project under a Multi FacilityPurchase Agreement concluded with avalue of US$ 12 to 16 million.

In 2005, CSPC will market its productsin Guangdong and the other high con-sumption areas along China's coastaleconomic zones. Some products will



be exported. In total, this world scalepetrochemicals complex will produceabout 2.3 million tons of products,aiming to generate USD 1.7 billion inproducts sales each year. It is beingdesigned to the latest technologicalstandards and will be the most ad-vanced petrochemicals complex inwhich Shell and CNOOC has partici-pated, with commitment to internation-al best practices for environmental andsocial standards (see inset articleÿ).

Agreements such as this are not easyto conclude. A small but very commit-ted team worked on this frame agree-ment for two years before successcame its way. To ensure intense com-petition CSPC invited six local suppli-ers and joint venture companies tobid each of three packages. ABB wasassessed as number one based ontechnology, quality, service and price.

In the fall of 2004, ABB XiamenSwitchgear Co., Limited was award-ed a “Project Appreciation Certifi-cate” by the petrochemicals com-pany CSPC and its engineeringsubcontractor JGC in recognitionof ABB’s excellent performance inthe realization of CSPC’s LowerOlefins Plant (LOP).

CSPC (CNOOC and Shell Petro-chemicals Company Limited) is ajoint venture of CNOOC (ChinaNational Offshore Oil Corporation)and Shell Nanhai BV.

The US$ 4.3 billion petrochemicalplant is being built and operatedby CSPC in Daya Bay, HuizhouMunicipality, Guangdong province.It represents the largest capital in-vestment in a petrochemical indus-try by a Sino-foreign joint ventureto date. In July 2003, ABB signed aframe agreement to supply all 6 kVswitchgears – a contract valued ataround US$ 8.5 million.

JGC (Japan Gasoline Co.) was thelargest EPC (engineering, procure-ment and construction) contractorin CSPC’s project. JGC is alsoJapan’s largest engineering compa-ny – its main business areas arepetrochemicals and medicine. Thepart of LOP contracted to JGC re-quired more than 80 units of 6 kVswitchgear, amounting to one fifthof ABB’s frame agreement.

ABB Xiamen Switchgear receives award from Shell

The adoption of frame agreement isincreasing in China especially in pro-curement for integrated productionfacilities. The trend is also gainingpopularity among power distributioncompanies as the benefits of commontechnology and common communica-tion systems are recognized. The ex-perience gained allows ABB in Chinato provide real support to customers,who are interested in developinglong-term relations. This supportincludes assistance in the conceptdevelopment, common terms andconditions, as well as training andstandardized documentation.

Jessica Wu

ABB Xiamen Switchgear Co., Ltd.

[email protected]

Advanced diagnosticsof turbine vibrationsWilliam H Fornuff, Steven J Johnson, Gang Fu

Rotating masses – such as turbines – are often subject to vibrations. Correctdiagnosis of these vibrations leads to the early recognition of tendencies andtrends. Such information is used to optimize performance and availability.

Maximum availability is an important characteristic in the world power market.This is especially critical in demand driven markets such as China. TurbineSupervisory Instrumentation (TSI) is an important element of enhanced recog-nition and diagnosis.




Traditionally, turbine manufacturershave provided the TSI system to

match their turbines. Most manufac-turers purchased this from supplierssuch as Bently Nevada or Philips.Such a diagnostic system is essentiallystandalone but permits vibration sig-nals and other outputs to be fed tothe Distributed Control System (DCS)for indication and trending. In a mod-ern plant-wide DCS, a critical systemsuch as TSI should not be standalone,but be fully integrated with the DCS,which should access the process sig-nals directly.

This article presents an integrated TSIin China, and discusses additionalsoftware for turbine vibration analysisand condition based maintenance –providing a total condition assessmentsolution for the user.

Total condition assessment Li Gang Power Plant Units 1 and 2have two coal-fired boilers with early1990s Ansaldo steam turbines rated at350 MW each. The original TSI for thesteam turbines and boiler feed waterpump turbines were supplied with themain equipment.

In 2004, Li Gang decided to retrofitthe main steam turbine control andboiler feed water pump turbine con-trol systems, and integrate them intothe plant DCS. Li Gang chose ABB toprovide new Symphony control sys-tems for the main steam turbine andboiler feed pump turbine of bothpower units. ABB recommended anintegrated turbine control and TSIsolution based on the advantages ofthe condition monitoring module(CMM). This approach has successfulreferences abroad, but has not previ-ously been applied in China. The cus-tomer accepted this solution.

At the same time, the power plantchose to purchase all new TSI probesfrom Bently Nevada separately.

ABB provided the following solutionsfor Li Gang’s main steam turbine andboiler feed water pump turbine TSIsystem:

Main steam turbine TSI systemhardware mounted in the turbinecontrol system cabinet: One pair ofBRC100 controllers and nine CMMmodules provided to measure sixbearing (X and Y) and case vibra-tion signals, two high pressurechamber differential expansion and

two low pressure chamber differen-tial expansion signals, a shaft posi-tion signal, an eccentricity signal, acase expansion LVDT signal and anevent marker input.Boiler feed water pump turbine TSIsystem hardware mounted in theboiler feed water pump turbinecontrol system cabinet: Two pairsof BRC100 controllers and threeCMM modules separately measuringfront and rear bearing (X and Y)vibration signals, two shaft positionsignals, eccentricity signal and anevent marker input on each turbine.Four measurement channel CMM’s.Each channel can be configured forany type of measurement. Since theCMM accepts any combination ofindustry standard transducers in-cluding proximity probes, ac-celerometers, velocity probes andDC LVDT inputs, integration of theBently Nevada probes posed noproblem. For vibration measure-ments, the CMM calculates overallvibration for machinery protectionand operator information. Eachchannel can be configured to meas-ure relative, seismic or absolutevibration. A once per revolutionevent marker provides a speed out-put and phase information forvibration and eccentricity measure-ments. The CMM can also provideGap, Not1x, 1x, 2x, and 3x orders

for the machinery diagnostic infor-mation system. DCS integrated machinery protec-tion function and all information forthe operator. The CMM and logic inthe DCS provide flexible, sophisti-cated alarming for improved turbineprotection. Turbine vibration infor-mation is implemented as additionalgraphics on the DCS operator con-soles. All alarms and alarm lists aregenerated by the DCS and include atime tag synchronized to the DCSsystem clock. There is seamlesscommunication between the DCSand the TSI system. All plantprocess variables are available forcorrelation with vibration data.

Li Gang Unit 2 was shut down in late2004. Li Gang engineers and ABB engi-neers from China and the USA were on site to support the unit outage andmodification work. Close cooperationand planning of the configuration, in-stallation, commissioning and final start-up between Li Gang and ABB led to thefirst integrated TSI in China. Unit 1 willreceive similar modifications in 2005.

Machinery diagnostic informationsystem: AnalystAnalyst compiles historical data andprovides graphical presentations forthe vibration expert. The visual natureof the Analyst program helps the user

Li Gang Units 1 and 2 TSI overview. The boxes with darker color depict additional software and hardware not implemented at the plant but discussed in this article.

1

• Analyst• Expert

Data Server

Local Area Network

DCS Consoles• Alarms• Operator

Graphics

Symphony DCS

HBC

CMM

CMM

CMM

CMM

Switch

Unit 1

Junction Boxes

Infi-Net

Data Server

DCS Consoles• Alarms• Operator

Graphics

Symphony DCS

HBC

CMM

CMM

CMM

CMM

Switch

Unit 2

Junction Boxes

Infi-Net



to quickly recognize patterns andtrends in the data. Extensive plantprocess and condition monitoring dataare collected for the rotating machin-ery. The correlation of vibration andprocess data leads to quicker andbetter conclusions.

The Analyst monitors the relevant ma-chinery points and process variables.Typically, 300 to 500 machine andprocess variables are monitored on alarge steam turbine. When an alarm, arun-up, a run-down or a plant trip oc-curs, the CMM sends time waveformsto the data server via an Ethernet con-nection. Time waveforms are savedfor each vibration measurement.

The Analyst program connects to anunlimited number of machine train sys-tems over a local area network. One ormore Analyst programs connect to adata server in the plant and retrievetheir data through Ethernet. The local

area network, a wide area network ora modem provides remote access toAnalyst and to the server data.

The Analyst monitors therelevant machinery pointsand process variables.Typically, 300 to 500machine and processvariables are monitoredon a large steam turbine.

Analyst is Windows 95 / 98 / WinNT /Win2000 / XP compliant. For addedflexibility, Analyst data can be trans-ferred to other Windows applicationsusing copy and paste commands. Topromote ease of use and to minimizelearning time, the user interface hasthe look and feel of current Microsoftapplications. Analyst uses a MicrosoftExcelTM style workbook view. The vi-

bration analyst constructs a workbookcontaining several sheets, where eachsheet holds combinations of any ofthe available types of plots.

The Analyst program supports ten plottypes. Each plot can compare datafrom the same or from different timeintervals; plots can be freely arrangedon the sheet. Each sheet has a tabwith a user-defined name. Individualplots can also be named. Navigatingfrom sheet to sheet is Excel-style (byclicking on the sheet’s tab). Analystcreates new sheets and plots quicklyby copying existing ones and makingadjustments. The user can also cus-tomize plots, add comments, and printthem for reports.

Plot Types Supported by AnalystX vs. Y – The X variable can betime or any other variable.Bode – a plot of amplitude andphase vs. speed.

Sample Analyst plots.2

Polar + Trend.a

Direct Orbit, Spectrum & Cascade.c

Filtered Orbits.b

Shaft Centerline.d



Polar – a plot of amplitude andphase in a polar coordinate form.Polar + Trend – a polar plot plustwo trend plots, one for amplitudeand one for phase .Filtered Orbit – a plot of thedynamic motion of the shaft center-line at an instant in time .Average Shaft Centerline – a plot ofthe average shaft centerline over atime period .Time Waveform – a plot of thesampled time waveform vs. time.Direct Orbit – a plot of the dynamicmotion of the shaft centerline overa short period of time.Spectrum – a time waveform fromone probe.Full Spectrum – time waveformsfrom X and Y probes are plotted asa spectrum .Cascade and Full Cascade – a seriesof spectra or full spectra at severalspeeds.Waterfall and Full Waterfall – aseries of spectra or full spectra atseveral different times are plotted.

Based on an expertsystem, the software canprocess hundreds ofmeasurements and pro-vide diagnosis and repairrecommendations in amatter of minutes.

Diagnostic and predictive maintenanceprogram – Expert AdvisorExpert Advisor is an automated diag-nostic system that assesses the condi-tion of rotating machinery. Expert Advi-sor accepts data from the CMM’s in theDCS. Based on an expert system, thesoftware can process hundreds of meas-urements and provide diagnosis andrepair recommendations in a matter ofminutes. The diagnostic engine is wellproven (the first version was introduced

2c

2d

2b

2a

in 1988); it uses an empirical rule basedlogic system to produce accurate ma-chine condition assessments. The diag-nostic tool uses over 4,500 rules andmore than 650 machine fault messages.Expert Advisor accurately predicts ma-chine faults along with the severity andprioritized repair recommendations.

Expert Advisor resides on a stand-alone computer or a full client / serv-

er environment. On a large system theExpert Advisor is installed on a dataserver with the capacity to handle twoto four main steam turbines, depend-ing on the number of installed sen-sors, and the large number of balanceof plant machines such as large fansand pumps. Expert Advisor results areviewed from the client located any-where on the network which is ableto retrieve data from the Expert Advi-

Automated diagnostic report.3

Possible Causes

Data Supporting

the Diagnosis

TG Unit #2Report generated on: 2/17/05 05:46 AMAcquired: 2/17/05 05:45 AM 1xT= 3.600 RPM Averages: 0

Amplitudes in mils pk-pk. (Value )=% amplitude to threshold.

Maximum level: 2.7 (55%) mils at 1x on 2 Forward Spectrum in low range

POSSIBLE CAUSES:

IMPROPER BEARING CLEARANCESWORN OR WIPED BEARING

DIAGNOSES:

DANGER: IRREGULAR SHAFT MOTION (HARMONIC) AT BEARING 80.5 (93%) mils at 3xT Brg# 8 Reverse Spectrum0.4 (75%) mils at 4xT Brg# 8 Reverse Spectrum0.2 (45%) mils at 3xT Brg# 8 Reverse Spectrum0.1 (27%) mils at 7xT Brg# 8 Reverse Spectrum0.1 (22%) mils at 6xT Brg# 8 Reverse Spectrum0.1 (21%) mils at 8xT Brg# 8 Reverse Spectrum0.1 (21%) mils at 7xT Brg# 8 Reverse Spectrum

0.07 (15%) mils at 5xT Brg# 8 Reverse Spectrum0.07 (14%) mils at 9xT Brg# 8 Reverse Spectrum0.07 (14%) mils at 5xT Brg# 8 Reverse Spectrum0.05 (11%) mils at 4xT Brg# 8 Reverse Spectrum0.03 (6.3%) mils at 8xT Brg# 8 Reverse Spectrum0.02 (3.6%) mils at 6xT Brg# 8 Reverse Spectrum

DANGER: RADIAL BEARING WEAR AT BEARING 8Bearing #8, Eccentricity Ratio=0.9 Shaft CL, travel/clearance(0.9 different from normal value).

EARLY WARNING: ABNORMAL SHAFT CL POSITION AT BEARING 8Bearing #8, Shaft CL, vector angle=58 deg cw from vert(45% rotation from expected angle).

Diagnoses

• Danger• Alert• Early Warning• Initial

Recognition



sor server. The software is Windows95 / 98 / WinNT / Win2000 / XP com-pliant. A variety of Setup Wizardsallow for fast and easy database andsystem set up.

On a large system theExpert Advisor is installedon a data server with thecapacity to handle two tofour main steam turbines.

The CMM provides waveforms for thefull spectrum calculation, the angle ofmaximum axis and aspect ratio of theorbit’s ellipse, shaft centerline, eccen-tricity ratio and other data. The ampli-tude ratio between the new data andthe threshold value at various fre-quencies is compared to each ruletemplate. If a rule template matches,Expert Advisor gathers the fault andsupporting evidence and calculatesthe severity. The diagnostic tool pro-vides an automated condition assess-ment of the machine that uses X-Yconfigured displacement and /or seis-mic data. This provides a powerfulscreening and decision advisory func-tion – reducing the data that must bereviewed for an accurate indication ofthe current condition of the machine.This functionality greatly improves theeffectiveness of specialists who areable to focus on overlying issues:Faults such as shaft rub, unbalance,fluid induced instability, mechanicallooseness, radial bearing wear, cou-pling misalignment and rotor crackare automatically detected.

shows an example of the automat-ed diagnostic report. This includes adiagnosis of the fault, the severity lev-el (initial recognition, early warning,alert and danger), supporting evi-dence and a data review. The report-ing function of Expert Advisor alsoproduces a trend of the machinerycondition. This allows the user toview trends of all previous faults. Theseverity of the fault is plotted versusdate and time. This is useful for long-term analysis and projection .

End user benefitsAt the Li Gang unit 2 project comple-tion meeting, the power plant engineersunderlined the following strengths ofthe integrated TSI:

Simple system structure.Stable and reliable TSI performance.

4

3

Familiar configuration (same asDCS).Distinctly higher measurement accu-racy than previous system.Easily obtained assessment of tur-bine condition through operatorstation graphic displays and sophis-ticated alarming.

Li Gang Chief Engineer Wang Dong-ping stated “This is the first time anintegrated TSI system is used in Chi-na. Although ABB provided specialiststo support the system, I had someconcerns before the system was putinto operation. Those concerns wereunfounded. I am grateful for ABB’ssupport and hope to continue to workwith ABB to further enhance the TSIsystem functionality and achieve thefull potential of this unit”.

The Analyst diagnostic software andExpert Advisor machine conditionassessment software provides addi-tional benefits to an end user:

Maximum run time and generation.Condition based maintenance toreduce maintenance costs.Investment protection for valuableassets.Insight into equipment’s conditionthrough diagnostic capabilities.Warning of impending problems.Improvement of overall operationof the machine.Shorten planned outages.Increased safety of plant personnel.

With the growing pressure on powerplants for reliable generation andimproved financial performance, anoperator must choose the right part-ner and the right tools. The operatorshould not have to endlessly manipu-late software, wrestle with data andstudy graphs. Instead, the priorityshould be to keep the plant runningat maximum generation. ABB, as asingle source for DCS and TSI, pro-vides that solution.

William H. Fornuff

ABB Inc. Utilities

Wickliffe OH, USA

[email protected]

Steven J. Johnson

ABB Inc. Utilities

Natrona Heights PA, USA

[email protected]

Gang Fu

ABB China

Beijing, China

[email protected]

Machinery condition trend.4

Trend of all diagnoses:• Danger •Alert • Early Warning • Initial Recognition

Power reformABB technology is helping to liberalize China’s power market. Marina Öhrn, Peter Maltbaek

China has gone through a remarkable transformation in the last decade or soand the stress that this has created on the power sector is considerable.Power consumption in China is increasing at rates completely unheard of atany other time in any other part of the world.

In recognition of this, as well as for economic necessity, the Chinese cabinetofficially approved the “Power Industry Reform Program” in March 2002 withthe aim of fundamentally restructuring China’s power sector and dismantlingthe vertically integrated monopolistic structure of the industry. The principlemeasures of the reform promote the separation of administration from opera-tions, the separation of power generation from power transmission and fairand healthy competition among power producers.




As a consequence, the former StatePower Corporation of China was

split up in December 2002 to formtwo grid companies (China SouthernPower Grid Company and the StateGrid Corporation of China), five pow-er generation groups and four otheraffiliated companies. The State GridCorporation of China)is itself made upof five super-regional sub-grids andthree provincial grids. One of the pri-mary objectives of this break-up is thecreation of an industry that is moreresponsive to the booming demandfor power.

De-aggregation of the power industryis not an entirely new or unprovenconcept. It has been adopted exten-sively in the west and is commencingin other Asian countries. The objec-tives are to introduce competition intowholesale power generation and retailsupply, and to increase the efficiencyof production and optimize resourceallocation to reduce the overall cost of power to the consumer. These ben-efits have already been realized, tovarious degrees, in parts of Europeand the US as well as Australia andSingapore.

China is also rationalizing a powertariff system to stimulate the inde-pendent development of the powerindustry and to promote nationwidegrid interconnection. Initially, the aimis to open part of the generation mar-ket and implement a transparent coststructure in transmission and distribu-tion businesses. As the reform processcontinues, a consolidated power mar-ket will be created in which transmis-sion and distribution access will be-come available to independent pro-

ducers. The creation of entities tocontrol the dispatching of power andoperate a trading floor type of powerexchange is visualized for a secondphase. The new tariff will also allowfor the direct sale of electricity tolarge end-users, something which wasnot previously possible.

A clear legal structure is being estab-lished which will define the relation-ship between parent and subsidiarycompanies and between regional net-work and provincial operators. Theultimate goal is the realization of fullcompetition among all market partici-pants, and the establishment of powerrelated financial markets such aspower futures and power options.

Each of the eight regionsof China currently withinthe State Grid Corpora-tion has a closely meshedinternal high-voltagetransmission grid, but theelectrical interconnectioncapacity between theseregions is, in many cases,quite limited.

Regional power trading in ChinaBefore the benefits of effective powerderegulation can be seen, however,the necessary physical infrastructurehas to be in place. Obviously powercannot be traded between places thathave no physical interconnection.Each of the eight regions of Chinacurrently within the State Grid Corpo-ration has a closely meshed internalhigh-voltage transmission grid, but theelectrical interconnection capacity be-tween these regions is, in many cases,quite limited. Boosting the powertransfer capability between theseregions is now a priority and severalmajor projects are already under con-struction or in the final stages of plan-ning.

Even though the eight regions withinthe State Grid are not necessarilyaligned directly with the politicalboundaries of China’s Provinces, theyare candidates for “regional powermarkets” in much the same way asRegional Transmission Organizationsmay cover several states within theUS. One such region is in East China.

The East China Grid Company Limited(ECGC) is one of five state-ownedgroups that oversee provincial powercompanies. The utilities under thejurisdiction of ECGC serve nearly 200 million people in the city of Shang-hai and the provinces of Anhui, Jiang-su, Fujian and Zhejiang – the easternregion of the country that has enjoyedsteady economic growth over the pastdecade. That growth, however, hasbrought with it severe electricityshortages as the region’s generationand transmission capacity struggles tokeep pace with the booming econom-ic development.

To meet the increasing demand, ECGChas invested in new generating assets,such as nuclear projects and coal-firedplants, to take advantage of China’sextensive reserves. In addition, EastChina has recently started receivingpower from a 500kV DC transmissionline that connects the region to hydro-power facilities 800km to the west, in-cluding the Three Gorges project. Thishas provided some temporary relieffrom the generation shortage, but thechallenge of keeping up with demandremains.

Since East China is one of the coun-try’s most economically dynamic areasand one of the areas most in need ofa major shift in policy, the region waschosen to introduce the restructuringprocess under a pilot program. Thisprogram is intended to ensure thatinformation systems, market mecha-nisms and regulatory policies are test-ed and proven before the “experi-ment” is extended to the rest of thecountry.

It is expected that the pilot programwill do much more than simply boostgeneration and transmission capacityto support future growth. The pro-gram is intended to create and test the future of China’s electric powerindustry.

Early in 2003, ECGC signed a contractwith ABB to provide the critical ITsystems that will control the physicalgrid and the electricity markets it willsupport. ABB will provide a two tieredsolution: its Network Manager SCADA/EMS will deliver the SCADA and EMScapabilities and Network Manager BMS– SABLE will provide the frameworkfor the region's wholesale power mar-ket. The Network Manager SCADA/EMS system provides a complete set of

Shanghai

advanced power system applicationfunctions. Network Manager BMS com-prises ABB software solutions for inde-pendent system operators, regionaltransmission organizations, powerexchanges and other entities chargedwith managing competitive wholesalemarkets for electricity . The integrat-ed IT systems are scheduled for opera-tion in mid-2005.

Market participants canenter bids/schedules forthe real-time and forwardmarkets via a portal thatoffers both Web-basedand programmatic inter-faces.

Network Manager SCADA/EMS systemABB will install Network Manager atECGC’s power network dispatch cen-ter. This system will supervise andcontrol the power transmission net-work and optimize its operations.When complete, the East China Elec-tric Power Group Corporation(ECEPGC) facility will act as a nervecenter for 64 Remote Terminal Unit(RTU) links, hundreds of substationsand Inter-Control Center Communica-tions Protocol (ICCP) connections to the EMS systems of four adjacentregions . The system will be ac-cessed via fifteen operator consoles(the information will be displayed inChinese) and will be run on redun-dant servers to ensure reliability. The

3

1

applications can be tuned for real-time control and analysis as well as for optimization and planning pur-poses.

The Network Manager platform uses aweb-based full-graphics interface, areal-time relational database and amodern process communication sys-tem to provide uninterrupted real-timecommunications with field equipmentand neighboring control centers. Al-though it is an open and versatileplatform, it allows for easy integrationof utility information systems whilemaintaining IT security levels.

The Network Manager SCADA/EMS isequipped with a full complement ofplanning, scheduling, and predictiveand control software applications re-quired to ensure system reliabilitywhile minimizing long-term capitalexpenditure (see text box).

Network Manager BMS: wholesaleelectricity market administrationABB’s Network Manager BMS is anopen, multi-tiered, web-enabled systemthat includes a range of applications tomanage electricity market operationsand related communications. Marketparticipants can enter bids/schedulesfor the real-time and forward marketsvia a portal that offers both Web-basedand programmatic interfaces. They inturn they will receive awards, marketdata and other communications fromthe market operator. The softwareincludes:

Bid validation and verificationapplications.

Security-constrained economicdispatch application to performcongestion analysis and computemarket clearing prices.Components to provide interfacesfor settlement and accounting appli-cations.

The system also includes market par-ticipant registration, authentication andrelated transaction security features.

The system is configuredto flexibly accommodatechanges in market rulesas they evolve.

Systems implementationThe Network Manager BMS supportsenergy, ancillary services and con-gestion management markets in bothreal-time and forward modes. As an “early delivery” system, ABB pro-vided a day-ahead market system in January 2004 giving ECGC thenecessary components to run the day-ahead market. This enabled theorganization to begin preliminarymarket tests, evaluate proposedmarket rules, and train its staff andmarket participants in the process andmethods of managing the electricitymarket.

The system is configured to flexiblyaccommodate changes in market rulesas they evolve with the policies insti-tuted by the Chinese government inaccordance with its industry restruc-turing plan. ECGC’s goal is to achieve



Solution components.2

Power System Electricity Market

Network Manager

SCADA /EMS

• State Estimation• Dispatcher Power Flow• Security Assessment• Optimal Power Flow• Voltage Stability• Available Transfer Capacity• Interchange Scheduler• Outage Scheduler• Load Forecast

Network Manager BMS

Market Infrastructure

• Bidding• Schedule Management• Market Information Publishing• Contract Management• Dispatch Scheduler• Resource Dispatch• Message Exchange• Compliance Monitor• Transmission State Estimator



a fully operational marketwithin 12 to 18 months.

Integration testing betweenthe new EMS systems andthe day-ahead market sys-tems is currently being con-ducted in Santa Clara, to-gether with on-going mar-ket testing of the marketsystems. The complete mar-ket-ready system is slatedto go live in mid-2005. Thepurpose of getting this sys-tem ready for market trialsgoes well beyond workingout processes and identify-ing potential bugs. Indeed,the extent to which boththe market operators andmarket participants arecomfortable using thesenew tools will have atremendous impact on howsmooth a transition the EastChina market will makewhen it eventually opens its doors forbusiness.

Ensuring the user’s confidence with thenew systemAnother user of ABB’s market operationsystems, the Ontario IMO, undertookcomprehensive market trials, even ex-tending them beyond the originallyscheduled period. Because the IMO hadnot operated a deregulated power mar-ket before, one of the highest prioritiesin the project was to ensure that thepeople running the market and thoseparticipating in it had as much confi-dence as possible in the system beforeusing it as a real application.

By design, ECEPGC hasseparated the implemen-tation of the commercialsystems – billing, meteringand settlements – neces-sary to support the whole-sale market from theSCADA/EMS and marketmanagement systemsnow being developed.

The result was a decidedly uneventful– and therefore highly successful –market opening. The lesson hereappears to be that complex marketsystems must work as well with theirhuman counterparts as they do with

their electronic ones if the market isto function properly.

Flexibility is keyAnother benefit of a substantial mar-ket trial is the opportunity it affordspolicymakers to evaluate various mar-ket rule adjustments. By design,ECEPGC has separated the implemen-tation of the commercial systems –billing, metering and settlements –necessary to support the wholesalemarket from the SCADA/EMS andmarket management systems now

being developed. The earlydelivery of Network ManagerBMS will provide the organi-zation with a sort of eco-nomic laboratory in which totry out various market rulesand evaluate their impact ina controlled environment,before the other softwarerequired for the auxiliaryfunctions of “live” operation(real money changinghands) is configured to thefinal market rules and sub-sequently purchased and in-stalled.

Obviously, it is necessary forthe market administrationsoftware to be able to ac-commodate a steady flow ofchanges in order to supportthis process. However, thislevel of flexibility is alsoimportant after the marketopens. Unforeseen events

and changes in policy direction areinevitable, and the systems thatenable wholesale energy markets mustbe able to respond to the vagariesinherent to them.

This means changes must be imple-mented quickly and without signifi-cant reworking. To make this possi-ble, market systems in turn must beflexible and able to accommodatemarket rule changes through reconfig-uration rather than redefinition.

Industry pundits may be willing tocommit themselves to a particular tackwhen it comes to the path restructur-ing will take. However, when it comesto the IT systems that enable this re-structuring, pragmatism is the order ofthe day. By bringing a flexible, inte-grated solution to bear, ECGC is wellpositioned as China journeys towardsa competitive wholesale energy mar-ket.

Marina Öhrn

ABB Utilities GmbH

Mannheim, Germany

[email protected]

Peter Maltbaek

ABB Inc.

USA

[email protected]

In addition to the standard SCADAfunctions (eg, data acquisition, datahistorian, fault localization, etc.),these applications include:

Outage schedulingInterchange schedulingLoad forecastingUnit commitmentAutomatic generation controlEconomic dispatchReserve monitoringProduction costingNetwork analysisState estimationSecurity analysisDispatcher and optimal powerflowsOperator training simulator

Network Manager EMS

Typical control room.3

Propeller powerABB Drives supporting wind powerBingWen Ma

Wind power, once a futuristic dream,is fast becoming an important part ofthe electricity generation spectrum.In the coming years, installation ofnew generating facilities will increasedramatically. ABB is part of this,development supplying the frequen-cy converters that feed this cleanenergy into China’s grid.




China’s power crisis, whichstarted in the summer of 2002,

is set to last for some time yet.This summer, restrictions of vary-ing degrees were applied in 20provinces, autonomous regionsand municipalities. Facing theeconomy’s insatiable thirst forenergy, authorities are seeking toreduce their reliance on coal burn-ing – the traditional mainstay ofChina’s energy supply. Alternativesources are being promoted andgreat importance is attached towind power. China is implement-ing a new energy policy focusingon renewable energy; as a resultof this, the wind power sector isdeveloping rapidly. Energy expertsthink that wind power is the mostpractical and strategic choice inmeeting China’s energy demands.According to government blue-prints, wind turbine capacity will develop from the current567,000kW to 20,000,000kW in thecoming 15 years. The proportionof wind power in the energy struc-ture will increase rapidly.

Fossil fuels are facing two crises:serious environmental pollutioncaused by the use of coal and oilas fuel, and the depletion of lim-ited fossil fuel reserves. In theface of these challenges, the de-velopment and utilization of newenergies has become an impor-tant aspect of the sustainabledevelopment strategy for worldenergy. Among these new ener-gies, wind power has the greatestelectricity generating potential.The main first-class pollutionsource in the world is coal, oiland natural gas guzzling powergeneration. The resulting emis-sion of carbon dioxide accountsfor 40% of total emissions – con-tributing significantly to thegreenhouse effect and globalwarming. Sulfur dioxide and NOx

from oil burning combine withthe water vapor in the atmos-phere to form acid rain. This pol-lutes the environment and harmspeople’s health. A wind turbinewith a capacity of 1000kW cansave 2000 tons of CO2, 10 tons ofSO2 and 6 tons of NO2 emissionsannually compared to a thermalpower generator with the samecapacity. Environmental protec-tion is increasingly gaining atten-tion and priority from China’s

national government. Environ-mental protection is now a basicnational policy.

The European Wind Energy Asso-ciation and Greenpeace jointlyproduced a report called WindForce 12 – a blueprint for achiev-ing 12% of the world’s electricityfrom wind power by 2020. Thisforesees global wind turbine ca-pacity reaching 1.231 billion kWin 2020 (38.4 times the worldwind turbine capacity of 2002).Annual installation capacity canreach 150 million kW. Wind pow-er has become an important andindispensable force in approach-ing the global energy issue. It hasdeveloped from am inessentialsupplementary source to a sophis-ticated technology and industrywith a promising commercial fu-ture. It is likely to be an importantreplacement energy as the world’seconomy shifts away from its inti-mate dependence on fossil fuels.

ABB is devoted to the researchand development of various ener-gy-saving and environmental in-dustrial products. The company’stransformers, generators, low-volt-age components and high-voltageswitchgear are widely used in thewind power industry. With thecontinuous development of windpower technology, ABB Drives in Finland has developed theACS867 frequency converter for the new generation of giantand highly effective doubly-fedwind power generators. In coop-eration with GE, ABB has becomethe first company to provide sucha product to China. It is used for1.5 MW generators. ABB is alsoworking with Chinese researchinstitutes, and is providing theACS867 and technical support forthe megawatt-class wind powergenerators being developed byShenyang Industrial University.

In combination with the growthof wind generation, ABB frequen-cy converters are feeding moreand more clean energy intoChina’s grid.

BingWen Ma

Beijing Drive Systems Co., Ltd

Beijing, China

[email protected]

1

The ACS867 frequency converter.1

Piped heatABB supplies district heating in HarbinMartin Broberg

The principle of district heating is old.A central plant heats water, which isthen piped into houses for heating.By applying new technologies, ener-gy losses can be cut considerably,thereby reducing primary consump-tion while protecting the environ-ment. ABB has won a district heatingproject in Harbin, bringing warmth tothe households of one of China’scoldest provinces.




The project scope comprises the fol-lowing:

90km of pre-insulated pipes to beinstalled underground. The pipedimensions range from 100cm (innerdiameter) for main branches down to20cm for the small side branches.156 turnkey substations. Here waterfrom the power plant (primary dis-tribution) exchanges heat withwater from the secondary network.The hot water in the secondary dis-tribution is then fed directly to theconsumers’ radiator installations.Water is not exchanged betweenthe primary and secondary systems.468 ABB frequency converters(ACS550), ranging from 75kWdownwards. The frequency convert-ers supply power to the pressureholding pumps and the secondarynetwork circulation pumps. Use ofthe frequency converters reducesmotor electricity consumption byup to 50%. In the long run thistranslates into significant economicand ecological benefits.1872 ABB instruments that super-vise and control the network andsubstations. This includes pressureand temperature control and super-vision and pH monitors.160 ABB KT97 type PLCs (program-mable logic controllers), each withabout 25 I/Os, plus MODBUScommunications to the frequencyconverters (about 12 signals). ThePLC’s main purpose is load controlof substations, but they also handlecommunications between the maincontrol center and the individualsubstations.110 butterfly valves to control andsection network branches. Thevalves are remotely controlled.1 Saturn SCADA system to controland supervise the whole installa-tion, including the 156 substationsand four production units, as wellas an additional 70 older substa-tions. The SCADA control centerconsists of four operator stationsand two engineering stations, oneof which has an output for a wallprojector in the control room. Aninternet connection permits staffand/or customers to access the on-line data, that the heating companychooses to make available to them.All communication between thecontrol center and the 230 or sosites is via a TCP/IP network, per-mitting fast response and the possi-bility to download PLC code fromthe control center.

Project Management, supervisionand commission. This is done in aclose cooperation between ABBChina and ABB Denmark. A Chi-nese project manager deals with alllocal and daily issues. Additionally,the Chinese staff handles supervi-sion and commissioning. Experi-ence from several similar projectshas shown that this work sharingmodel functions well.A complete training package for thecustomer with focus on daily useand maintenance. It is very impor-tant to ABB that the customers’ per-sonnel have the best tools at theirdisposal when the plant is handedover. Awareness of life cycle costsand investment protection are ofthe utmost importance: The choiceof equipment imported reflects thisphilosophy, as does the meticulouspreventive maintenance disciplinein which staff is being instructed.

The installation work is supervised byABB, but carried out by the customer.

ABB has been working on the projectfor more than three years. Throughoutthis period, intensive contacts havebeen maintained with the city, its localgovernment, the district heating utility,design offices and other involved par-ties. Through the Danish District Heat-ing Export Organization, two sympo-siums have been held in Harbin: Newdesign principles and ideas were pre-sented showing the end-user how tosave energy and how to evaluate lifecycle costs of such a plant.

The bidding procedure was a qualifi-cation round, where three companiespre-qualified. This process was anopen procedure, followed by a de-tailed evaluation phase. ABB won thecontract both in terms of price and ontechnical criteria.

ABB has realized several district heat-ing projects in China, but the Harbinproject is by far the biggest installa-tion realized so far. Harbin’s toughclimate makes a high availability ofthe system a must. ABB wishes tomake the Daoli system a model forChina, to be used as a reference forfuture installations.

Martin Broberg

ABB Denmark

[email protected]

In close cooperation between itsDenmark and China branches, ABB

has succeeded in winning a large Dis-trict Heating contract in the city ofHarbin, in one of China’s coldestprovinces. The total investment vol-ume is 130 MUS$, of which the ABBpart is 40 MUS$.

The contract was signed on the 18thof October 2004, and became effectiveat the end of December the sameyear. Design work, engineering andpurchase preparations began immedi-ately. The final handover of the proj-ect is planned for the end of the 2006.

Harbin is situated about 1000km north-east of Beijing and has about 9.5 millioninhabitants. Sub-zero temperatures typi-cally reign for more than six monthsevery year. No wonder Harbin is hometo a famous Ice-Festival: The sculpturescut out of the ice last for nearly sixmonths. Harbin’s Daoli district, whichthe district heating project serves, is oneof seven city districts.

With a production capacity of up to1000 MW, this system represents thelargest single district heating networkin the entire region. The purpose ofthe contract is to improve and opti-mize the heat supply to 900,000 citi-zens. At the same time, reduction ofpollution is a goal. With this in mind,the investment has been nominated as a Clean Development Mechanism(CDM) project. This means, that thereduction in greenhouse gases(GHG’s) realized through improve-ments in the combustion and opera-tional efficiency of the system, can becounted towards the Danish commit-ments to the Kyoto Protocol. TheDanish government will pay compen-sation to China for these savings.

The purchase of Emission ReductionCredits by the Danish Government is kept outside the ABB contract, butis an additional benefit for the localGovernment of Harbin as well as forthe District Heating Company.

The Chinese CenturyThe productivity challengePeter Lennhag

The Chinese economy is being driven forward bygrowth in exports, investment and private con-sumption. The resulting affluence is manifestedin the fast growth of such sectors as transporta-tion and residential development. Products andservices are being consumed at an increasingrate, putting pressure on productivity and energyefficiency.

China’s re-emergence as a significant participantin the world economy will define the global ener-gy balance for decades to come. Primary energyconsumption in China is projected to double inthe next 20 years from today’s level. This consid-erable thirst for energy must carefully bematched with supply and transmission capabili-ties in a sustainable and balanced manner toavoid blackouts and instabilities. Downside tothis economic expansion is the environmentalaspects associated with global warming and CO2

emissions.




At the beginning of 2004, econom-ic observers foresaw a slowdown

of China’s economic growth due tothe Government’s economic tighten-ing measures. However, at the begin-ning of 2005, they were surprised atthe 9.5 percent the GDP had grown in2004: an eight-year high. China hadmaintained its position as the world’sfastest growing economy despite theeconomic brakes the government im-plemented.

The three major engines propellinggrowth are private consumption, ex-ports and investments, especially for-eign direct investment (FDI). The lat-ter enters the country at a current rateof 1 billion per week. Foreign invest-ments are a major contributor to Chi-nese exports, which reached US$ 593 billion in 2004. Annual FDI mayincrease from US$ 60 billion to US$100 billion in the period 2006 to 2010(assuming no severe political oreconomic setback occurs).

We are now witnessing a re-emergingChina, open to the world since the

introduction of the Open-Door-Policyin 1978, re-allowing foreign invest-ments into the country. With its largepopulation, China’s economy is poten-tially ten times Japan’s. China’s impacton the world is likely to be enormous.

With respect to consumption, Chinahas surpassed the United States in theconsumption of grain, meat, coal,iron, and steel according to a recentreport by Washington’s Earth PolicyInstitute. According to the Internation-al Energy Agency, its GDP willaccount for 20% of the World’s GDPin 25 years time.

However, the rapid pace of growthhas led to a short supply of energyand raw materials.

Energy demand outlookAs the second largest energy con-sumer (behind the United States),China accounts for almost 12% of theworld’s total annual energy consump-tion. In 2004, total energy consump-tion in China reached 1.97 billions ofStandard Coal Equivalents (SCE), an

1

increase of 16% from 2003 [1]. Theongoing fast pace of industrialization,urbanization, and improving livingstandards will push China’s energydemand to a much higher level in thecoming years. The Chinese participa-tion in the global economy and shareof energy demand is depicted in .By 2020, for example, its electricityconsumption is forecast to be 15% ofworld generation; up a staggering50% from today’s level. It is estimatedthat the population of China will in-crease from 1.3 to 1.5 billion peopleby 2020, and the urbanization ratewill reach 58–60% in 2020, with anurban population of 800 to 900 mil-lion [2].

Economic growth is expected toaverage 8% from 2006 to 2010, and7% from 2010 to 2020 [3]. By 2030,China’s GDP is forecast to account for20% of the global economy.

China is heavily reliant on coal forenergy and is both the largest con-sumer and producer of coal in theworld. Coal represents more than 70%of China’s energy mix: This is muchhigher than the global average of25%. However, the geographic distri-bution of coal reserves and mining isunfavorable for the country’s energythirsty eastern coastal areas: 80% ofreserves are in the northernprovinces. As coal shipments saturatenorth-to-south rail traffic, new railwaydevelopment is vital. The Ministry ofRailways has announced plans toinvest more than US$ 12 billion in 58 new lines and 48 extension projectsin 2005 [4].

The coal industry is also sufferingfrom serious worker safety problems.With at least 6,000 people killed everyyear according to official statistics, thegovernment and owners are nowworking on improving technology andinvesting in more reliable equipmentand machines. China has becomemore open to FDI in the coal andmining sector and has expressedstrong interest in technology withenvironmental benefits, coal liquefac-tion, and coal bed methane produc-tion.

Productivity challenge by sectorRapidly increasing consumption opensopportunities in the process and man-ufacturing industry to supply requiredproducts and services. Improving liv-ing standards demand better housing

1

China’s share in the Global Economy and Energy Markets(Source: International Energy Agency – World Energy Outlook 2004).

1

25.00

20.00

15.00

10.00

5,.00

0.00

%

GDP Primary Energy Demand EI Consumption CO2 emission

1971 2002 2010 2020 2030



and transportation, better workingconditions and a safer environment.Modern production technologies incombination with energy efficientequipment will enhance productivity,improve product quality and reduceenergy demand per ton produced.These measures are all necessary inChina’s attempt to balance its growingdemand with its capability to supplyenergy in the form of heat and elec-tricity.

The leading sector in energy con-sumption is industry, representing68% of total energy consumption. It isfollowed by the residential and com-mercial sector with a share of 11%,and transportation at 8% . It is ex-pected that the industrial sector willcontinue to dominate energy con-sumption, though there will be atrend of rising transportation and resi-dential sector share by 2020.

The major energy consumption sub-sectors in the industrial sector arechemicals (including petrochemicals)at 24%, metals including smelting andpressing at 20%, and non-metals in-cluding cement, paper and pulp, food,and textile at 20%. The fertilizer, iron& steel, and cement industries are themajor users in each of the threelargest industrial sub-sectors.

China’s fertilizer industry.China’s largest industrial sub-sectorfrom the energy consumption point ofview is the chemicals industry. Fertil-

2

izer production is the largest energyuser (38%) within this sub-sector.

China’s low production efficiency forfertilizers is due to almost 1,000 smallplants and the use of coal as feed-stock for its ammonia synthesis.Whereas the feedstock used in theUnited States is almost exclusivelynatural gas, coal is still used as themain feedstock in China. The energyintensity for ammonium production is 970 kgoe (kg oil equivalent) pertonnage in China, while the interna-tional level in advanced countries is

664 kgoe – there is an improvementpotential of 24% [5]. Today, China’stransportation infrastructure is notsufficiently developed to provideeffective transport of fertilizer fromthe larger plants to rural China.

China has unveiled a 15-year blue-print for the country’s chemical in-dustry calling for the expansion ofchemical plants and increased foreigninvestment in the sector.

China’s iron and steel industry.The iron steel industry accounts for

Energy demand per sector 2001 (Source: Statistical Year Book by National Bureau of Statistics of China ).

2

IndustryResidential & Commercial BuildingsTransportationFarming Other

68%

11%

8%

5%

8%

Energy demand per industrial sub-sectors 2002(Source: China Statistical Yearbook, 2003).

3

Mining and Quarrying Metals, smelting and pressing Chemical, Petroleum Cement, Paper, Textile, Food Other

10%

20%

24%

20%

25%



20% of and total industrial fuel use.92% of energy consumption is used forcrude steel production in the iron andsteel sector. The energy intensity ofcrude steel production is 781 kgce (kgcoal equivalent) per tonnage in China,while the international benchmark is658 kgce in Japan. This indicates roomfor a 16% improvement [5].

Some of the reasons why the energyintensity of crude steel production inChina is high are that the productioncapacity per blast furnace is small, thecontinuous casting rate is low, andthat the iron-to-steel ratio is high.

China used 36% of the world’s steel in2004 and consumption may climb by13% in 2005. The country is still alarge net importer of steel, but im-ports are declining as domestic capac-ity is increasing.

There are 66 key steel companies inChina with Shanghai Baosteel leadingthe industry in both capacity andtechnology. However, Baosteel stillaccounts for less than 10% of totalcapacity. In 2004, China produced 297 million tons of steel products and273 million tons of crude steel, in-creasing by 23% from 2003. The in-dustry has maintained an annual aver-age growth rate of 20% from 2000 to2004 [6]. It is expected that the currentbuoyant market in steel will continuethroughout 2005 and into 2006. How-ever, the rapid expansion in steel ca-pacity, (expected to reach 330 million

tons by end of 2005), is likely to re-sult in overcapacity within the indus-try [7]. China may still become a netexporter of steel, which will impactglobal markets.

China’s cement industry.As the world’s largest cement produc-er, with a share of around 40%, Chinahas ranked first in terms of cementproduction for many years. From 2000to 2004, the cement industry showedan average annual growth of 9% [8].In 2004, the total output of cement inChina was 934 million tons, an in-crease of 12.5% from 2003. The indus-try has benefited from the growth inreal estate and the rapid growth of thenational economy.

However, the majority of China’s ce-ment producers are small plants usingan inefficient process of vertical kilns– despite the Chinese governmentdramatically halving the number ofcement producers from 9,000 in 1993to 4,700 in 2003. In 2002, cement pro-duced through the newer dry processonly accounted for 16% of the total,while the remaining 84% was pro-duced by traditional vertical kilns orsmall hollow kilns [9]. Only in 2020are dry kilns expected to reach ashare of 40%. No wonder the cementindustry consumes around 77% of theenergy in the non-metals sector. Ener-gy still accounts for about 40% of thetotal production costs in this industry.– a dramatic indicator of the industry’sinefficiency.

Industry-wide fuel intensity for cementproduction in China is 171 kgce perton of cement, while it is 121 kgce perton in Japan [10]. There appears to be a 29% room for improvement inChina. The energy consumption effi-ciency in the year 2000 in China wasthe same as it was in 1974 in Japan.Modern process technology is key inachieving these improvements.

The demand for cement is expected tocontinue to grow as China implementsits strategies of developing the west-ern regions, reinvigorating the tradi-tional industrial bases in northeastChina, its urbanization drive, its proj-ects for transportating natural gasfrom the western regions to the east-ern ones, and projects related to the2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010Shanghai World Expo.

China’s pulp & paper industry.China’s paper industry has experi-enced dramatic growth with consump-tion increasing by 40 million tons in20 years to around 50 million tons in2004.

Paper consumption may reach 65 mil-lion tons by 2010. China has becomethe second largest paper consumer inthe world, only behind the UnitedStates, and is the world’s largest paperimporter with annual imports exceed-ing USD 7 billion.

There are about 4,000 paper andboard companies in China, but only



25 of them have a capacity exceeding200,000 tons per year, and another 31 have a capacity exceeding 100,000tons per year. Some of the most mod-ern mills in the world are today oper-ating in China. There are currently 29 new projects that will increaseannual production capacity by 11 mil-lion tons [11].

China will continue to expand its do-mestic paper production capacity andtry to reduce its imports of paper.However, the country suffers from ashortage of pulp and pulp imports areexpected to increase from 7 milliontons to 10 million tons by 2010.

China’s automotive industryChina’s automotive industry has expe-rienced a high growth period withShanghai Volkswagen and ShanghaiGeneral Motors leading the market.Production and sales of motor vehi-cles have increased by more than onemillion each year since 2001. Totalproduction reached 5.07 million in2004 [12].

From 2000 to 2004, the industryachieved an average growth rate of23%. Since May 2004, demand hasstarted to stabilize and growth hasdropped markedly. The automotiveindustry is now entering a more chal-lenging phase with fiercer competitionas multinational car companies haveaccelerated their march into Chinaafter the country’s WTO entry. Car-makers are putting US$ 13 billion of

new investment into China in the nextfour years, just as the government istrying to slow down demand for newcars. It is now forecast that industryprofits will decline and overcapacitywill emerge in the near future. How-ever, China is likely to become an ex-porter of cars in line with develop-ments the world has witnessed inSouth Korea and Japan in the past.

Transportation sectorThe total energy consumption for Chi-na’s transportation sector amounted to103 million tons of Standard CoalEquivalents (SCE) in 2001, about 8%of the country’s total [13]. It is estimat-ed that the transportation sector willtake a larger share of final energyconsumption in the future due to thehigh growth of transportation services.

In 2004, China’s total freight handlingcapacity increased to 6,670 billiontons km, an increase by 24%, andpassenger handling capacity increasedto 1,630 billion person km, an in-crease by 18% [14]. Total energy de-mand for the transportation sector isestimated to reach 190 million SCE’sin 2010 and 265 million SCE’s in 2020and by then reach a 14% share oftotal energy consumption [15].

China’s harbors.The harbor industry has achieved fastgrowth with annual growth rates of16% from 1999 to 2003. China’s totaltrade exceeded US$ 1 trillion in 2004and heavy investments are required to

handle cargo flows. Wal-Mart alonepurchases goods for about US$ 15 bil-lion per year from China. Total sea-board port handling capacity hasreached 2.4 billion tons. According tothe Ministry of Transportation, the to-tal handling capacity is being expand-ed to 3 billion tons and the total con-tainer capacity will reach 100 millionTEUs. A new US$ 10 billion containerfacility in Shanghai will become oneof the largest in the world. China isbecoming the biggest shipping centerin the world.

There are about 4,000 pa-per and board companiesin China, but only 25 ofthem have a capacity ex-ceeding 200,000 tons peryear.

China’s rail networkThe rail network forms the backboneof the Chinese transport system andserves most cities. There are now atotal of 72,000 km of railway track inChina. The China State Council hasapproved a plan to invest more than 2 trillion yuan to expand this to100,000 km by 2020.

The annual growth rate for passengertraffic is estimated to remain at 7%until 2020 [16].

To realize this goal, foreign advancedtechnology will be introduced for themanufacture of locomotives and rail-cars.

Construction and building sectorThe construction sector accounts for1% of the total energy consumption inChina in 2001. In 2004, the newlystarted floor space for commercialbuildings was 604 million squaremeters, an increase of 10.4%. Out ofthis total, the newly started residentialbuildings represented 479 millionsquare meters.

Total vacant floor space of commer-cial buildings decreased by 8.3% from2003, to 123 million square meters in2004 [17].

The Chinese government haslaunched a series of measures to cooldown the soaring prices of housingand prevent a bubble in the industry.As per capita floor space in urban



References:

[1] Statistical Bulletin 2004, issued by National Bureau of Statistics, China

[2] Xinhua News Agency, September 16, 2004

[3] Report presented by The Development Research Center of the State Council on March 20, 2005.

[4] People’s Daily, February 15, 2003

[5] Institute of Energy Economics, Japan

[6] National Economy and Social Development Bulletin by National Bureau of Statistics of China

[7] China Daily, 9 May, 2004 “China’s steel sector still red hot”


[9] China Cement Association

[10] Institute of Energy Economics, Japan

[11] China Paper Association


[13] National Statistical Year Book 2003

[14] 2004 National Economy and Social Development Bulletin by National Bureau of Statistics of China

[15] Chen, Yuanlong, China’s Transport Prospect

[16] The Ministry of Railway, Newsletter

[17] The Real Estate Climate Index by National Bureau of Statistics of China, March 8, 2005

areas have just reached 22.8 squaremeters in 2002, and 25.5 square me-ters in rural areas, the demand forhousing will continue to increase withimproving living standards.

ConclusionThe energy-related industries in Chinahave shown high growth and willcontinue to do so in the future – driv-en by an insatiable desire to improveliving conditions for the Chinese peo-ple. Also in the foreseeable future theindustrial sector will remain thelargest energy consumer with residen-tial and transportation rapidly increas-ing. There will be high demand todevelop the energy supply infrastruc-ture in the coming ten years. Coal willremain the dominant energy sourcefollowed by oil and natural gas.

The energy industry is faced by manychallenges, some of these include:

Energy supply resources are locatedfar from the major demand centers.The largest and fastest growing in-dustrial centers are in the most de-veloped eastern and southeasternareas. The transportation and trans-

mission of energy will present amajor bottleneckIndustries must improve their ener-gy consumption efficiency andmove towards best-in-class produc-tivity performance. This requires in-troduction and wide use of state-of-art technology in production andmanagement.All industries must make major ef-forts to reduce environmental pollu-tion and focus on environmentalprotection.

Some 300 million resi-dents of rural China areexpected to move totowns and cities by 2020.

China is characterized by many posi-tive trends but investors should avoidblind optimism and irrational exuber-ance towards the growth of China.There will certainly be many chal-lenges in the next 20 years. Overallprospects look good with ongoing in-dustrialization and urbanization. Some300 million residents of rural China

are expected to move to towns andcities by 2020. However, the risks ofmassive oversupply and eroding profitmargins are real in many sectors ofthe economy.

Hyper-competition and price wars willlikely lead to consolidation and clearwinners and losers will emerge in allindustries. There will be opportunitiesto strike for savvy investors and buyweaker competitors. Developing cre-ative strategies, building competitiveadvantages and ensuring flawless exe-cution will become critical to success. Although China has considerably im-proved its energy efficiency over thelast two decades it still has a long wayto go to match best in class levels.

indicates that it consumes threetimes more energy per dollar of grossdomestic product (GDP) than the EUaverage and four times more thanJapan. Chinese senior officials haverepeatedly expressed their concernover the problem and urged a changein the growth pattern and energy effi-ciency of the manufacturing andprocess industries.

4

Ratio of oil usage per 100 kUSD in 1995 prices (Source: IEA).4

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

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es fo

oil

equi

vale

nt p

er

100

kUS

D in

199

5 p

rices

China US OPEC EU Japan

1985 1995 2000 2002

Peter Lennhag is President of AsiaPacific Executive Advisors. He hasworked and lived in Asia since1982 and has more than 20 yearsexperience assisting major Asiancompanies and leading Westernmultinationals with strategy andorganizational development. Hisfocus today is to help multi nationalcompanies to build and grow theirbusinesses in China.

Profile: Peter Lennhag

Peter Lennhag

Asia Pacific Executive Advisors

[email protected]

Baosteel GroupShanghai No. 5Steel Co. Ltd

The Baosteel mill rolls rods andbars. Products include bars of

15 to 50mm diameter, rods of 5 to20mm diameter and coils of 14 to40mm.

These parts are processed from steelslabs delivered from the foundry. A series of rolling stages form thisslab into a rod or bar of the desiredlength, profile and mechanical proper-ties. The process consists of the fol-lowing steps:

Reheating furnaceRoughing millIntermediate millPre-finishing millKocks rotating millWire outlet with sizing blockGarret lineBar line

ABB supplied the automation packageand drive system equipment includingits Advant control system, the level 2system, the motors and the ACS600and ACS6000 drives.

Software for productivityABB’s Advant control system is basedon a proven control strategy and con-tributes to a high yield through re-duced scrap, improved quality andhigher mill productivity.

The Advant Controller 450 systemsoftware includes a real-time operat-ing system. This is programmed in theABB Master Programming Language

(AMPL). Programs are executed cycli-cally on three priority levels.

OperateIT is the basis of the humanmachine interface. The primary inter-face units are the graphical displayscreens and the keyboard. All displaysin the mill can be accessed from alloperator stations.

ABB’s Advant control sys-tem is based on a provencontrol strategy and con-tributes to a high yieldthrough reduced scrap,improved quality andhigher mill productivity.

OperateIT provides the following func-tionality:

Views of displays and lists.Dialog for manual control.

Alarm management.Diagnosis and self diagnosis ofautomation system.Status display.Third party software can be inte-grated.Object oriented architecture facili-tates customization.

The functionality of this packagemakes it easy for planners, managers,operators and inspectors to see exact-ly what the mill is doing. Diagnosis,fault finding and planning are greatlyfacilitated.

Driving for efficiencyThe ACS 600 multi-drive is a newmember of the ACS 600 family. It isoptimized for demanding and highlydynamic applications. The ACS 600multi-drive optimizes cage inductionmotor performance and offers directtorque control, while offering all therevolutionary motor control options ofthe ACS 600 family.

The adoption of power-saving drives,and the common busbar betweenthem keep energy consumption low.

ABB-the natural partnerABB’s extensive experience in rollingmill applications and the high qualityof the company’s products were im-portant factors for the customer in thedecision to adopt the company’s driveand automation systems.



TPCO plant in Tianjin

Rolling steel rods in the Baosteel plant.

Roll modelABB ensures uptime at China’s steel rolling mills

Kitty-Ke Wu

Tianjin Pipe Co. Ltd (TPCO).

The process of making steel pipesis essentially similar to that of

making rods. Pipes, like rods, arerolled in a multi-stage process in amill. Again, ABB’s hands-on experi-ence in tube rolling mills gave thecompany an advantage in winningand executing this order.

A steel mill has many complex parts,which must be coordinated and worktogether seamlessly. The example ofthe retainer motor is considered. Thework-piece is firmly held by a devicecalled the mandrel. This is mechani-cally coupled to a pinion-driven rack.Every pinion is driven from a retainermotor via a gearbox.

Milling with the mandrelFresh shells arrive at the mill’s entryroller table. Before rolling of the shellcommences, the mandrel is inserted.The purpose of this device is to retainthe shell during rolling and to returnit to its home position. The retainingspeed and position are determined by the mill set-up (which dependsamong other things on the shell’slength). The retaining speed is nor-mally lower than the speed of thefirst rolling stand; so as soon asrolling commences, the mandrel’smotor switches to retaining or genera-tive operation.

The retainer motor and its drive mustbe very robust and highly dynamic.They must deliver the right torque tohold the desired speed and to handlerapid changes in torque and speed –

while meeting high reliability andavailability expectations.

Mr.Liu Yunsheng president of TPCOsays, “We see ABB as our strategic co-operation partner. Our phase two,the first PQF tube mill in the world,is a success. We hope to maintain ourfriendship and co-operation with ABBin future”.

Key parameters of Tianjin Pipe Co.seamless steel pipe mill

General informationMechanical Supplier: SMS MEER.Capacity: 350,000 t/a.Initial Material: Billet (d = 200mm,weight max. = 645kg).Final product: tube (diameter =48 cm, 32 cm inside to 168 cm).Commissioned: June to Oct. 2003.Start Up: Sept. 2003.Arrangement of the mill: piercingmill, PQF mandrel mill, stretchreducing mill.

Main drive systemFollowing equipment was deliveredby ABB:

Piercing mill: 2 × 4000kW, 750 min–1

PQF (premium quality finishing):9 × 400kW + 6 × 600kW

Retainer: 4 × 300kW + 1 × 75kWVRS: 3 × 70kWExtracting mill: 9 × 70kWStretch reducing mill: 3 × 900kW,2 × 280kW, 1× 630kWMotor: HXR, M2BA, AMB, AMZDrive: ACS 600, ACS 6000

Electrical EquipmentThe following equipment was de-signed, delivered and erected by ABB:

Transformer & MotorAC Main Drives & Aux. DrivesAdvant Control System with AC450RMC & OperateIT

Main Control Pulpits

Automation SystemThe following equipment was deliv-ered by ABB:

Advant Controller AC450 RMCIndustrial IT operator stationAC80 controllerMain control pulpitsLevel 2 system

Characteristics of mandrel driveSpeed control: During rolling, the re-taining speed has to kept be constant.Position control: There are normallythree positions: home position, re-tain position and maximum strokeposition.Load sharing control: All drives(normally 2 to 8) have to provideequal torque.Backlash compensation control: Re-duces noise and wear between pin-ions and rack caused by torque steps.

Kitty-Ke Wu

ABB China Ltd.

[email protected]

Typical operation of mandrel motor.

Sp

eed

Time0

insert retain returnretain

Position maximumstroke=18 m



China’s booming manufacturing economy has a huge appetite for steel. In 2003, consumption hit the 250 million ton mark, accounting for some 30% ofglobal consumption. At growth rates of some 15%, this figure is set to surgefurther.

This demand is placing pressure on production. To increase output, steel plants must improve uptime and reduce waste. Motors, drives , control anddiagnostic systems from ABB are helping manufacturers to enhance productivityand meet these goals. In this article, two rolling mill applications are presented.

Lifted productivityABB Crane Systems lift business in QuingdaoStephen-JiHao Zhu

Crane control systems from ABB are hard at work throughout theworld. They are used by ports, shipping lines, power stationsand steelworks – and assure a reliable and fast turnaround,speedy forwarding, and are a cost effective way of moving con-tainers, bulk material and steel products. ABB works togetherwith crane builders or directly with end users – supplying electricequipment, motion control, automation and information systems.

Following China’s economic growthof recent decades, the demand for

cranes has also grown. ABB is an im-portant supplier in this market. Mostof these systems are used in bulk ma-terial and container terminals fromDalian in the north to Beihai in thesouth. ABB’s extensive knowledge andexperience is helping these customersleverage their productivity. The port ofQingdao is a prime example.

Qingdao is an important hub of inter-national trade and sea-going trans-portation. It is located in the YellowRiver basin on the western PacificRim. In 2004, the port handled arecord volume of over 161 milliontons of goods. Its foreign trade vol-ume surpassed 120 million tons – thesecond largest figure in MainlandChina. Besides its large-scale contain-er handling activities, the port alsohas a first-class iron ore terminal.

Using the cranesequipped with ABB’ssystem, the Port ofQingdao frequently setsnew world productionrecords both in ore-un-loading and containerhandling.Starting in 1997, ABB delivered twocontrol systems for grabbing cranesused to unload ships in the port. Sat-isfied with the excellent performanceand strong service support that wasreceived with ABB’s systems, ABBwas appointed crane control systemsupplier to continually provide sys-tems to the port. Since then, ABB haddelivered an additional three grabcrane systems for unloading ships, 18 ship to shore crane systems and 16 rubber tyred gantry crane systems.




ABB Advant® Crane Control Sys-tem is a complete toolbox for effi-cient control and operation of con-tainer handling cranes. Standard-ized packages are available forelectrification and automation ofboth new and existing installa-tions. ABB’s palette includes awide range of proven software andhardware blocks that can be mod-ularly combined to meet the cus-tomer’s specification.

ABB Advant® Crane Control Sys-tem provides:

Basic drive & control systems for individual cranes, as well asfor advanced port automationsystems. Systems proven in ports of allsizes all over the world. Unmanned automation solu-tions. Efficient systems for higherproductivity.

Container Handling

A grab unloader is a crane fixtureused to unload loose bulk material(such as coal or iron ore) from aship.

ABB’s GrabControl system controlsthe work of the grab by regulatingthe different control modes of thedrive system to ensure that thegrab bucket is always filled to itsoptimum level. The operation ofthe grab is controlled so that it isautomatically stopped when thebucket is approaching the materi-al. An automatic digging sequenceis then initiated.

When the bucket is almost fullyclosed, the hoisting of the grabbegins automatically. This ensuresthe best possible closing of thebucket and minimizes spillage.The operator has only to supervisethe operation. The GPO (GrabPendulum and Performance Opti-mizer) ensures that the GSU meetsthe calculated productivity by min-imizing unloading time.

The system controls the unloadingcycle to a performance equal – or better than – the most skilledcrane operator.

The control system takes themomentum of the bucket intoaccount. This means that time issaved at unloading. The bucketcan be opened before it has cometo a standstill because the controlcan predict the trajectory of itsload and so ensure that no materi-al is lost. This leads to faster turn-around times and for the craneand hence for the ship.

Grab crane ship unloader

of 380 boxes per hour. After QingdaoPort accomplished 2,035 TEU (twentyfeet equivalent units) in under 2.67hours, Maersk, the world’s largestshipping company, was so impressedthat it sent a letter of thanks.”

“At 18:00 on December 19th 2004, theimported-ore unloaded to date thisyear at Qingdao Port stands at 40,069million tons, an increase by 18% com-pared to the previous year. This fur-ther consolidates Quingdao’s positionas the largest ore-handling port inChina and also makes it the largestore unloading port in the world.”

The report on productivity of dockingfrom Maersk says, “since the begin-ning of the year 2004, the averagehour effectiveness of Qingdao Porthas been 126 boxes with a peak of167 boxes reached – the highestamong all of Maersk’s docking portsand by far surpassing all the big portsin the world”.

It is reported that for the past severalyears, the container business of Qing-dao Port has been enjoying an in-crease of over 30% in traffic for suchcompanies as QQCT.

Last year’s container throughput ex-ceeded 5 million TEU, achieving thebox volume standard of an interna-tional shipping center. This yearQingdao Port has set a higher target.Qingdao wants to become the inter-national shipping center of China’snorth.

ABB is looking forward to contribut-ing further to the port’s success!

Stephen-JiHao Zhu

ABB Engineering (Shanghai) Ltd.

Shanghai, China

[email protected]

Using the cranes equipped with ABB’ssystem, the Port of Qingdao frequent-ly sets new world production recordsboth in ore-unloading and containerhandling. Numerous awards havebeen won.

The following quotes are from an-nouncements of the Port of Qingdao:“At 18:20 on October 10, QingdaoPort again broke its own world recordwhile working on the ship ‘MaerskDortmund’. reaching a net rate of 474 boxes per hour and a berth rate

In total controlABB technology brings precise positioning and high fuel efficiency to marine applicationsJulia-Wei Cai

Until recently, most ships were pow-ered by large propellers, driven fromdiesel engines using shafts. Connect-ing the propeller to the engine in thisway also coupled their workingspeed ranges. For ships which spenda lot of time maneuvering or station-keeping, this means the engine isoften working at low speed – whichdoesn’t make for good fuel efficiency.


All this has changed since shafts havebeen replaced by electric transmis-sion. The additional flexibility meansthe prime mover can be operated in asmaller dynamic range. Furthermore,by dispensing with the rigid transmis-sion, the thrusters can be oriented foroptimal maneuvering – so saving timeand boosting productivity. All theseadvantages were built into the newField Support Vessels (FSV) suppliedby Zhejiang Shipbuilding Co. in cooperation with ABB Marine.

China’s booming economy has,without doubt, made it one of

the most exciting spots on theglobe. This is no less true of itsmarine industry. As a leading sup-plier of electric power and propul-sion plants, ABB is at the forefrontof delivering innovative solutionsand efficient operations to the ma-rine market.

A good example are the FSVs beingbuilt by Zhejiang shipyard. A FSV isa ship used to support offshore en-gineering and logistic activities.High maneuverability, precise posi-tioning and large and easily acces-sible payload areas are characteris-tic of this type .

Zhejiang FSV application Until the mid 1990s the majority ofFSVs used direct diesel mechanicalpropulsion systems. Comparison ofoperational profiles and parameterswith other vessel types led to de-sign principles from these beingadopted for FSVs. The result was ahigher FSV productivity. For exam-ple, comparison with diving sup-port vehicles equipped with ABBelectric propulsions showed thistechnology offered clear advan-tages in terms of fuel efficiency,and the ability to maintain a pre-cise position in strong currents oron rough water. These principleswere adopted by FSVs and all ex-pectations fulfilled.

Zhejiang Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. isusing ABB technology in its deliv-ery of ten GPA670 type FSV shipsto Bourbon Group (France). Thefirst of these, M/V Bourbon Helios,was launched on Oct. 28 2004 andwill be delivered in June 2005. Thelast of the batch will be deliveredin August 2006. Parameters of thistype are shown in /sidebar.

1



The electric propulsion system sup-plied for these vessels includes remotecontrol for the propulsion system, theDP-II dynamical positioning system,alarming and monitoring equipment,the plant management system (PMS),auxiliary equipment control and infor-mation management and remote diag-nosis. Other key equipment suppliedincludes the 440 V main switch board(MSB), the power drive transformers,the motor control center (MCC), com-pact 24-pulse marine drives, a pair of1,920kW propulsion motors, and a pairof 746kW bow thruster motors.

Why ABB electric propulsion?Electric propulsion systems are usedin numerous variants and configura-tions on ships of all types and sizes.

In this technology, the power is sup-plied by gas turbines or diesel enginesand transmitted to the propellers bycables rather than through directtransmission shafts.

The introduction of thrust units notmechanically connected to the enginesprovides greater flexibility in identify-ing optimal positions for these respec-tive parts – so providing more usablespace for the payload. More signifi-cantly for FSVs, however, it makesmovable thrust units an option – soenhancing the ship’s maneuverability.The arrival on the market of these az-imuthing thrusters and podded thrustunits has led to the convergence oftransit, maneuvering, dynamic posi-tioning and station keeping configura-tions for several types of ship. The de-velopment permits FSVs to use state-of-the-art thrust units derived fromthose designed for other ship types.

The advantages of electric propulsionfor this type of vessel are numerous:The dynamic range of the primemover is reduced and the load opti-mized, leading to higher fuel efficien-cy , lower maintenance require-ments and the possibility of usinglighter engines. This in turn reduceslife cycle costs, especially in applica-tions with a large load demand varia-tion. Fixed speed operation of theprime mover also reduces noise andpollution. The absence of long shaftdrives reduces vibrations. The failurevulnerability of the system is reducedby the greater redundancy. Payloadspace is increased through a moreflexible and distributed positioning ofcomponents . Maneuverability isrevolutionized through the use ofazimuthing thrusters or poddedpropulsion, and the pulling type pro-pellers give rise to a more uniformwater flow and thus less cavitation.

Studies have shown that there is a sig-nificant potential for reducing operat-ing costs for vessels whose opera-tional profile consists of a combina-tion of high load requirements and asignificant portion of operations atlow load – such as standby and dy-namic positioning. For the operationalprofile in , this will result in an an-nual saving of approx 900–1000 met-ric tons of fuel (or 16% for a vesselwith 2 × 3500kW propulsion power).The savings increase with the timespent in station keeping operation,and reduce with time spent in transit.

2

1

2

Footnote:

See also “Turning Point, CRP Azipod gives a boost

to marine propulsion efficiency”, Tomi Veikonheimo,

Matti Turtianen, ABB Review 1/2003.

Julia-Wei Cai

ABB China Ltd.

Shanghai, China

[email protected]

Studies and field measurements reportfuel savings of up to 40% in stationkeeping mode.

Summary and outlookIn the successful completion of the firstlarge order of electrically propelledFSVs to be placed in China, ABB pro-vided assistance from the design phasethrough to the final delivery.

In recognition of ABB's qualified sys-tem solutions and excellent services,Zhejiang Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. and itsparent company, Pacific Heavy Indus-try Group, wish to establish a long-term strategic partnership with ABB.They intend to use ABB technologyfor a 44 further FSVs currently on thegroup’s order books.

Over the last two years, ABB Marine(China) has gained 17 references onsix types of vessel, ranging from YandaTrain Ferries to an SOA (State OceanicAdministration of China) Research Ves-sel and from gas tankers to FSVs.

FSV equipment is just one example ofABB solutions and technologies bene-fiting local customers. ABB Marineintends to continue to play a leadingand active role in the exciting andpromising field of marine develop-ments on the Chinese market.

Loa: 73.2 mLbp: 70.76 mBreadth molded: 16.5 mDepth molded: 6.8 mDraft: 5.3 mDisplacement: 5,028 tDeadweight: 3,230 tMain engine:

Cummins 3 × 1865 kW / 1,800 rpmSpeed: 13 kn, no-loadLiquid/mud tank: 1,347 m3

Fuel oil tank: 948 m3

Fresh water tank: 641 m3

Accommodation: 24 personsClassification: BV

Main Technical Parameters of GPA670

An operational profile for a FSV.1

Transit, 11-12 knotsAnchor handlingStandby At quay By platform/ROV

40%

40%

6%

6%

11%

Comparison study of annual fuel oil consumption (FOC) for the FSVs in ,showing dependence on operation profile

1

2

8,000

7,000

6,000

5,000

4,000

FOC

, to

ns/y

ear

70 60 50 40 30 Dyn.pos

Rel. time in transit and dyn.pos

Azipod Conventional

30 40 50 60 70 Transit

The Lee & Man Group, now one of the top ten paper companies

in China, commissioned its first papermachine in 1996. The company’s total capacity in 1997 was 200,000tonnes/year. In 2001 Lee & Man signeda contract with Voith for a paper ma-chine, PM4, for installation in Chang-shu, Jiangsu province. The high speedand high volume paper machine


China counts among the world’s largest pulp and paper markets. Since 1993, ABB Pulp & Paper has been placing its advanced technology at the service of China’s papermaking industries – helping companies uplift quality and productivity.

required a high quality automationsystem for its intricate process – andthis in a short delivery time.

After an extensive performance analy-sis, Lee & Man selected ABB's mostadvanced integrated control systemthe time. This centralized the complexcontrol of the paper machine, theprocesses and the motor drive to a

All proceses are controlled and monitoredfrom a central control room

1

Ancient traditions,modern toolsModern manufacturing methods are reviving China’s ancient papermaking tradition.Jane-Zhen Yu



single control room sup-ported by ABB’s DistributedControl System (DCS).

The integrated solution andthe powerful ABB con-trollers permit different PLC(programmable logic con-troller) functionalities andABB’s DCS functions to berealized in the same con-troller. This approach opti-mizes the structure of theentire control system, elimi-nating the PLC and DCScommunication bottleneck,while incorporating theconventional body of thepaper machine into theDCS. This way the usersaccess the process througha uniform, ergonomic inter-face, which creates im-proved information trans-parency and makes controloptimization possible.

Additionally, both the quali-ty control system and ABB’spaper machine drive systemare based on the DCS plat-form and use the same pro-gramming and configura-tion languages – facilitatingdata exchange betweenthese sub-systems. A glanceat the fully centralized con-trol structure shows thestrength of this approach inaction. Control panels aremoved from the heat andnoise of the factory floor tothe comfort of the controlroom – improving workingconditions and workerhealth and safety.

ABB’s integrated system so-lution enables smooth andfast communications andtrue automation. All system compo-nents use the same configuration andmaintenance tools, simplifying infor-mation management and tracking andcontributing to production optimiza-tion and the stable running of thepaper machine.

Following the successful operation of the PM4, the Lee & Man Group haspurchased all their control systemsfrom ABB.

On Sept 14, 2004, the ABB system wasawarded the Excellent Industrial Con-

1 now helping paper-makingcompanies to achieve mod-ernization required for themto be able to raise their pro-ductivity and profit levels.

Customer quoteLooking back on two yearsof experience with the sys-tem, Fan Sheng, ProjectManager of Lee & Man, said,“Installation and commis-sioning time was short.Technical staff and theequipment operators wereable to quickly understandand master this system. We were able to start pro-ducing quickly. Secondly,the system hardware is verystable. It provides highoperational reliability in aharsh environment, whichleads to high availability andproductivity. Thirdly, thesystem simplifies access toinformation, which helpsboth diagnosis and plan-ning. In particular, the inte-grated system can producevarious reports and mes-sages covering both theinterlocking functionalityand the drive systemthrough the DCS. As a result, the information isintegrated, the operation and maintenance staff’s work reduced and the pro-ductivity improved. Last butnot least, the shortenedmaintenance time reducesand avoids down time. All in all, the integrated systemimproves the productivitywhile allowing managementto focus on higher level is-sues and monitor productionand quality effectively.”

ABB system configuration8 operator stations for centralizedcontrol.total 7,500 I/Os install in differentcontrol rooms.5 sets high performance ABB con-troller (AC400) for Process DCS andVoith machine logic function.ABB QCS integration.ABB drive integration.

Jane-Zhen Yu

ABB China Ltd.

Shanghai, China

[email protected]

trol System Award of the year by theTechnology Prizes of China Instru-ment & Control Society at the Multina-tional Instrumentation Conference andExhibition (MICONEX).

From 1994 to 2003, approximately 300projects have been executed by ABBChina. ABB’s automation and drivesystems enjoy a very extensive installedbase in the pulp and paper makingindustry in China and have beendeployed in many large and medium-sized paper mills. Over 60 dedicatedpulp and paper experts from ABB are

The user friendly interface of the operator stations.2

Painting robots

The realization of Flextronics ZhuHai’s Painting Shop for Dell lap-

top covers is undoubtedly the biggestchallenge and the most successful im-plementation that the company’s man-ufacturing industry department hasever experienced.

With its headquarters in Singapore,Flextronics is the world’s leading elec-

In expectation of the increasing pro-duction of laptops, Flextronics Enclo-sure (Zhu Hai) signed two contractswith ABB to supply 14 painting robots

forming seven lines for its Dell lap-top cover painting shop.

An ultra-clean environmentThe paint shop is separated into twoportions: a loading/unloading areawith normal air conditioning and apainting area with a class 100K1)

clean room. All cast deflashing

1


tronics manufacturing servicesprovider. It is focused on deliveringinnovative design and manufacturingservices to technology companies.With a revenue of US$ 14.5 billion inthe fiscal year 2004, Flextronics is amajor player in global technologymanufacturing. It provides assistanceto electronics manufacturers by sup-porting design, building, shipping andservice processes. Flextronics hasfacilities in 32 countries on five conti-nents.

It may seem paradoxical at first, that a country such as China with its relativelylow labor costs should be a robotics market. Robots, however, can work inenvironments that are too hazardous for people and will achieve an accuracyand reproducibility beyond that of humans.

The following two examples show robots at work in two totally differentenvironments. In the first article, robots are seen painting consumerelectronics enclosures. Such items as mobile phones, laptops orelectronic piano keyboards are produced in very large numbers.By carefully optimizing workflow, waste of paint and sub-standardpaintwork can practically be eliminated.

In the second example, metal enclosures are welded. The hazardsof a laser welding environment, and the precision required of thewelding make robots the natural choice also in this application.

Robots confine hazardsFanny-Yi Wan

An ABB painting robot for Flextronics1



zones2), ovens and cooling zones areon the second floor. The air contami-nation at the process equipmentreaches class 10K.

The most significant items of the sup-ply contract concerned robots, spraybooths, air conditioning devices,ovens and conveyors. Because of theunique strengths of ABB’s robots, therobot contracts were secured in ahighly competitive market environ-ment. ABB’s advantages include therobots’ advanced handling capability,their proven operational flexibilityand robustness and the advanced pro-fessional simulation software – RobotStudio, which accompanied the deliv-ery. Further strengths include convey-or tracking, paint saving technology,short delivery time and a competitiveprice.

Besides the strengths ofABB’s robots, the ingredi-ents of success were em-bodied in the experiencedteam leaders and designengineers.

The main requirements for automatedmanufacturing are higher productivityat lower cost, environmental compli-ance, increased flexibility and shorterexecution cycles. Besides the strengthsof ABB’s robots, the ingredients ofsuccess were embodied in the experi-enced team leaders and design engi-neers: The people who endow thosecold robots with soul and power.

Painting the way for future success This pioneering success helped builda healthy mutual partnership, leadingto Flextronics intention of purchasingfurther ABB painting robots in thefollowing 2 years. These include thepaint shop for Casio electronic pianokeyboards in Dong Guang and thepaint shop for Sony Ericsson mobilephone covers in Malaysia.

Mr. J.D. Yang, Quality Manager atComPal, Flextronics’ Kun Shan plantsays, “We believe this is the beginningof a long lasting good relationshipbetween ABB and ComPal. We arepart of the same value chain and forma most competitive team”.

Welding robots

Acustomer in China uses a robotlaser welding system for manufac-

turing several types of stainless steelboxes . The requirements placed onthe welding equipment are very highbecause no oxygen may leak into theboxes. The flexibility of ABB’s robotsand the precise coordination madepossible due to the IRC5 controllermade ABB the natural partner for thishigh-precision job3).

Safety first!The light from such a powerful sourceas a welding laser diode can causepermanent blindness. Hence, greatest

2

care is taken to ensure the safety ofstaff at all times. Even reflected lightis hazardous; with this in mind, thecell is uncompromisingly imple-mented to eliminate risk of contact.The enclosure is made of multiplelayers of sheet metal supported by asteel frame. According to risk-analysisrecommendations, various sectionsmay be additionally reinforced.

Robust automatic doors are providedfor work-pieces to enter and leave thecell. Additionally, a service door isprovided for staff to access the cell. A safety mechanism monitors theseopenings and ensures welding cannottake place while any door is not com-pletely shut and locked. Any attempt

3

The laser can cause blindness – the cell is totally enclosed.3

A high precision laser welder at work.2

to open a door during operation stopsthe process instantly.

The uptime conundrumAnother major challenge in robotwelding is mastering the uptime ofthe welding laser. The efficiency of anNd:YAG (neodymium yttrium alu-minum garnet) laser source is limitedto around 2–3%. To offset the lowlaser efficiency, the technology muststrive for the highest possible produc-tive laser uptime. This is achieved us-ing a mirror that switches the ray be-tween cells: ideally, one cell startswelding the moment the other cellstops – and the light is never wasted!

The new IRC5 industrial robot con-troller provides unparalleled capabili-ties with its MultiMove functionality4).This not only precisely synchronizesmultiple robots or positioners withextreme accuracy, but also controlsthe mirror that switches the ray,ensuring that this perfectly matchesthe movements of the robot.

The welding laser used is stationary,and the light led to the seam by flexi-ble fibre optic lasers. This saves ontime-consuming alignment and adjust-ment work when the welding sourceis changed.

Seam trackingIn Seam Tracking, the robot “sees” andfollows the intended welding seam us-ing a focus optic. This optic is thesame that is used to focus the mainwelding beam (Beam Path IntegratedVision). The lack of additional cameraoptics leads to a compact tool design.

Seam tracking is supported by power-ful software that analyzes the picturesfed to it by the camera and adjusts the spot position accordingly. A cycletime of about 40 ms leads to an ex-ceptional responsiveness.

A roller positions the welding tool onthe seam line and presses the twopieces of metal together at a definedpressure to assure optimal bonding.The pressure is pneumatically regulat-ed and adjustable. The roller angle isfixed but the optics tilt to follow thecontours of the workpiece. Filler wire,protective gas nozzle, welding beamfocusing unit and workpiece sensor areall attached to this press device mod-ule, assuring they are always in theintended positions, and that they all”float” along the seam together.

The applicationThe robot cell contains two weldingstations. Each has its own door for load-ing and unloading work-pieces . A welding robot is located between thestations and can access either stationthrough door-protected openings in thewalls of the workstation .

Seam tracking is support-ed by powerful softwarethat analyzes the picturesfed to it by the cameraand adjusts the spot posi-tion accordingly. A cycletime of about 40ms leadsto an exceptional respon-siveness.

In one station, the boxes are welded. To assist this process, an adjustable

positioner orients the workpiece .While this station is being loaded orunloaded, the robot switches to theother station , where other assem-bly parts and fastening elements arelaser welded. Using this technique,complete subassemblies can be laserwelded, providing savings in assemblywork and logistics.

The laser beam from a single 3300 Wdiode pumped Nd:YAG laser is guided

4h

4g

4f

4e4d

4c

4b4a

4

through a flexible optical fiber to thewelding tool. The laser output isswitched between the stations in thecell, so making optimal use of laseruptime, and accomplishing two tasksin a single work cycle.

The cell is equipped with a PermanovaWT03 Laser Welding Tool and an ABBrobot. The system uses Seam Trackingtechnology and the AW hybrid-weldingfeature with a MIG power source.

Using a laser for welding assures tightseams while causing very little heatdeformation. It also only requiresaccess from one side, so reducinghandling requirements.

Fanny-Yi Wan

ABB China Ltd.

Shanghai, China

[email protected]



Footnotes:1) Class 100K is a classification of air contamination

in a clean room according to US Federal Standard

209E. Class 100K indicates that there are no more

than 100,000 particles larger than 0.5 micron per

cubic foot of atmosphere. For class 10K this re-

duces to 10,000 particles.2) Deflashing is the process of removing flash, the ex-

cess material that casting leaves on a cast item.3) The laser welding story uses material from “Welding

sees the light” by Fabrice Legeleux, ABB Review

Special Report Robotics (2005), pp20–22.4) See also „Team-mates“ by Christina Bredin, ABB

Review 1/2005 pp 26–29.

A look inside the cell of .34

a

b

c d

f

g

h

e

Under pressure

The use of variable speed drives forflow and pressure control of electricmotors results in very definite energyand cost savings. A pump, controlledby a variable speed drive, running athalf speed consumes only about one-eighth of the energy compared to onerunning at full speed!

De-scaling pumps in a hot-rollingmill are used to remove scale

from the surface of hot steel. Theywork by taking the low pressure wa-ter from the water supply plant andcreating the high-pressure water thatis sprayed onto the surface of the hotsteel, which in turn removes the scale.These pumps are placed before themill stand and operate when steelpasses through the rolling mill. It isonly during this phase that the high-pressure water is needed.

To regulate the pressure of the waterfed to the de-scaling pumps, a Tai-wanese steel company used a me-chanical return (bypass) valve con-trolled by an external PID controller.When peak pressure was required, thereturn valve was closed and the maxi-mum amount of water was fed to thede-scaling pumps. When de-scalingwas not required, the return valve wasopened to reduce the water supply.But because the system had fixed-speed booster pumps, they operatedat full speed irrespective of the waterpressure needed. Because of this,

huge amounts of energy were beingtotally wasted. A solution was neededwhereby the speed of the motor wasreduced so that no more energy thannecessary was consumed during peakpressure times.

The solution came in the form ofABB’s ACS1000 variable speed driveswhich were retrofitted to the fixedspeed booster pump motors. Thismeans that high-pressure water isnow supplied only when needed. Inaddition, the use of drives makes thesystem response faster than a tradi-tional system with return valves. Thisstabilizes the water pressure bringingimproved steel quality. On top of this,maintenance costs are lower andproduct quality has improved consid-erably.

Energy and water costs have been re-duced significantly: estimated energysavings (to date) are in the region of2,930,000 kWh; estimated annual wa-ter savings amount to approximately65,000 tonnes; and CO2 emissionshave been cut by about 1,465 tonnes.

As brass as youlike

With an estimated 65% of industrialelectrical energy used by electricmotors, it is no wonder major energyusers in industry increasingly see en-ergy reduction as a key to increasingtheir profitability and competitive-ness.

Central Electrical, one of ABB’schannel partners in the UK, car-

ried out an energy audit on the filtra-tion plants belonging to Boliden MKM(a leading manufacturer of brass andcopper products) by measuring theenergy used during a typical workingweek. The audit mainly covered thefume extraction filter plant for thebrass casting process, which consistsof two Luhrfilter filtration plants, onewith a 250kW fan and the other withthree 132kW fans. The airflow fromthe fans was controlled by usingdampers as restrictors.

The results pointed to potential ener-gy savings with ABB drives of at least£ 25,000 ($ 44,650) a year on a 250kWfan, and £ 15,000 ($ 27,300) a year foreach of three smaller fans – a savingof £ 70,000 ($ 127,300) a year and apayback period of just 9 months. Inany case, the total savings achievedfor the installation proved to be muchhigher, some £ 130,000 ($ 236,500) a figure verified by Boliden’s ownenergy measurement system.

Ian Davey, Engineering Manager forBoliden, outlined the problems caused



Energy efficiency in industry is a priority around the world – including China. A significant indirect benefit is CO2 reduction: This is of importance in the light ofglobal warming and the Kyoto protocol. The following short articles give anoverview of several typical applications in industry where drives technology incombination with electrical motors result in energy savings and CO2 reduction.

Energy efficiency

by the old system: “The ori-fice dampers employed hadto be closed to start themotors and then graduallyopened to the right positionfor operation. This was acomplex method of controlthat led to considerable en-ergy loss in the system. Aswe have a variable ratherthan a fixed load, we decid-ed to employ variablespeed drives to regulate thespeed of the fans.”It only took two months toreplace the old damper sys-tem with ABB variable-speed drives and since thenestimated energy savings(to date) are in the region

of 3,250,000kWh (assuming4 pence per kWh electricityprice).

Fitting the drives also hadother benefits besides ener-gy saving. The swarf dryingplant is served by three132kW extraction fans. Apressure transducer, mount-ed in the ducting, feeds in-formation back to each vari-able speed drive. This notonly controls the drive’s op-erating parameters but it alsotackles environmental issuesby helping to control emis-sions. In fact, avoided CO2

emissions amount to approx-imately 1,625 tonnes.

Increasing gener-ation capacity

One way of saving money is by savingenergy. And the rewards are not toobad either.

Kainuun Voima Oy’s 240 MW CHP(Combined Heat and Power) plant

is located in Kajaani, Finland. In 2003,ABB delivered its medium voltagedrive, the ACS1000, for a new feed-water pump application in the plant.

Kainuun Voima’s criterion for energy-efficiency investments is that the pay-back calculation has to indicate a fullreturn on investment in less than twoyears. That being the case, since itsinstallment, Kainuun Voima estimatesthat the ACS1000 has saved about

1 GWh of energy annually (enoughfor 50 electrically-heated or 200 cen-trally-heated households) and reducedCO2 emissions by about 500 tonnesper year. On top of this, the reductionin operating costs has more than justi-fied the company’s investment in elec-trical variable speed drives.

The Kyoto protocol took effect in themiddle of February and since then,spot trading of CO2 emissions hasbeen picking up. Kainuun Voima’s en-ergy efficiency improvement schemerecently qualified for investment sup-port from the Ministry of Trade andIndustry.



Drinking and“driving” inBangkok

Supplying a city of 11 million peoplewith clean water is no easy task. The fluctuating demand must be met uncompromisingly and equip-ment must perform as expected.

ABB technology is keeping the waterflowing.

MWA (Metropolitan Water WorksAuthority), a Thai state enter-

prise charged with operating theworld’s biggest tap water treatmentplant, supplies the drinking water forBangkok’s 11 million plus citizens. It has a total treatment capacity of 4.3 million cubic meters per day. Thetreated water is distributed by threetransmission pumping stations and 20

distribution pumping stations througha 20,000km pipeline network.

Most of MWA’s pumping stations wereequipped with eddy current couplingdrives that controlled the speed of thetreatment plant’s water pumps. Eventhough they operated with varyingspeed, MWA had excess energy lossesof almost 15–30% because of the out-dated technology. As electricity costsamount to almost 50% of their pro-duction cost, MWA was looking for

Water Treatment

BoosterPumps

Slab Caster

Melt Shop

WaterPool Process

ACS1000 VFD 2

ACS1000 VFD 1

PIDController

ConstantPressure

5.6 kg/cm2

ReturnValve

Hot Rolling Mill

DescalingPump

Waste Water Path Clean Water Path

ways to increase the efficiency oftheir pumping stations.

It was decided to replace the couplingdrives with ABB’s ACS1000 mediumvoltage drives and by doing this, thetreatment plant‘s system efficiency hasincreased by 15–30% (depending onthe required operating speed). In thefirst year of their operation, the firsttwo ABB drives have contributedmore than $120,000 to energy costsavings. This figure translates intomonthly energy savings of approxi-mately 180,000 kWh and does nottake into account any additional sav-ings from improved maintenance.CO2 emissions have been reduced by

about 90,000kg per month.

Other practical plusses include a moreflexible pump operation, increasedlifetime of motors and pumps, easiermaintenance and full automatic con-trol.

Wheels of steelturn energy intogoldOver 1,000 MWh of energy is beingsaved each year at Magnetto-Topy’ssteel wheel manufacturing plant inCoventry following the installation ofseven ABB drives.

Magnetto-Topy’s outstanding ener-gy saving, which translates into

500 tonnes of avoided CO2 emissions,was achieved with a £ 23,000 invest-ment that will provide pay back injust over one year. In addition, thepump noise has been significantly re-duced and this will help the formerDunlop company meet new healthand safety levels set at 80dbA!

Four of the drives, rated from 37 to55kW, are used on water pumps with-in four cooling towers. Two 37kWdrives are used on filtration paint linepumps within the company’s wheelpaint line and a further 37kW drivecontrols a compressor house pump.

The cooling tower drives have re-placed star-delta switching which wasused to turn the pumps on and off.

With this arrangement, the pumps ranat full speed (on 50 Hz) regardless ofproduction needs. Now Magnetto-Topy is able to reduce the runningspeed on one pump, rated at 55 kW,to 35 Hz, resulting in a 53% energysaving. On three other pumps the run-ning speed has been reduced to be-tween 40 to 45 Hz, reducing energyconsumption by between 33% and46%.

Pump house noise is reduced by anaverage of 10% by operating the driveat a higher switching frequency. Usingthis switching frequency, the motorsare perceived to be operating silently,because the sensitivity of human hear-ing decreases rapidly above 15kHz.

Magnetto-Topy is the UK’s only pro-ducer of steel wheels and it presentlyproduces up to 100,000 wheels eachweek. Dave Pound, Operations Man-ager, says “the electricity costs aloneneeded to make each wheel is esti-mated at 14p. The energy reductionsaves at least 1p. This may not soundmuch, but when we are producing somany wheels and with pressure on toreduce overheads, then 1p per wheelmounts up to a tidy sum.”

One of the overhead costs underscrutiny is the maintenance budget.“Apart from energy saving, the drives

bring much greater reliability to ourprocess. Star-delta starting stresses themotor, whereas the smooth start ofvariable speed drives has a direct im-pact on maintenance costs,” says PhilSmith, Maintenance Services Adminis-trator. “Pumps will run longer as theyare running slower and with less vi-bration. The reliability of the drivesnow means I rarely go near the sys-tem.”

Keeping up to date with the demandsof the environmental system, ISO14001 is a key factor in choosing vari-able speed drives. In addition, Mag-netto-Topy aims to claim its ClimateChange Levy (CCL) allowance, forwhich it needs a 10% saving over 10years. “We are on target to achieve itthis year, which means we won’t haveto buy carbon permits” says Pound.

Paul Stafford, Director of Drives atSentridge (ABB Drives Alliance part-ner) concludes: “In a time of econom-ic uncertainty, costs saving proceduresare usually implemented on the facto-ry floor, therefore why not reducelong-term costs through energy con-servation? Installing a variable speeddrive not only lowers energy bills andpays for itself in about a year in ourcase, but it also conserves the valu-able energy needed on a daily basis”.



Triple punchWhat do you get if youcombine an AC motor,drive, and load cell fromABB? The answer is a newera of electronic, integratedweb speed and tensioncontrol for small-horsepow-er unwind applications.

The products and expert-ise of three ABB busi-

ness units – Motors, Drivesand Load Cells/Tension Con-trol – have been combinedso that an AC motor can beused to replace a traditionalmechanical-brake-and-air-supply system. For anyprocessor unwinding paper, film or foil,this solution is a quantum leap in oper-ating, maintenance and cost benefits.

According to Bob Sarnelli, productmanager, ABB Inc., Automation Tech-nologies, Web Tension Products, “Allthe mechanical considerations of

keeping an air-powered brake, andthe air line and air supply to themfunctioning are gone. In addition, theelectronic control replacing it erasesall those mechanical headaches andprovides superior unwinder control.”The function of the brake is to controlthe tension of the unwind material in-

to the process. Most configu-rations use load-cell systemsto monitor the web tension,and a setpoint controller thatfeeds the difference betweenthe desired unwind tension(setpoint) and the measuredtension from the load cellsto the air-brake control. Airbrakes, however, and theirair-supply system have manyapplication shortcomingsand invariably become prob-lematic as they age.

Since the basic operation ofthe brake is to apply hold-back force (torque), why notuse a motor in a mode thatrequires force (torque) toturn it? The idea of using amotor as a brake is not en-tirely new and has been used

successfully in unwinding applications,but mostly in large applications thatrequire high horsepower, ie, above25hp, such as paper manufacturingwhere the rolls are extremely large.

Historically, the biggest obstacle tousing a motor as a brake on small-

Pump it up

An ABB AC drive has been used toupgrade the water supply system at apharmaceuticals plant in the CzechRepublic. The upgrade has producedestimated annual savings of arounde 100,000 through reduced energyconsumption and major improve-ments in the reliability and operatinglifetime of electrical and mechanicalcomponents.

The pumping station at the planthas three pumps: two 70 liters per

second and one 50 liters per second.The supply system pipework has amaximum capacity of 70 liters per sec-ond. Prior to the upgrade, the pumpswere used in on/off mode with con-trol provided by two pressure switch-es, with a minimum of 300kPa andmaximum of 600kPa). Only one pump– selected manually – was run at atime. The system was subject to veryfrequent start and stop sequences (themaximum time between start and stop

being less than 10 minutes) resultingin damaged motor windings, burnt-out contactors, and deterioration ofpipe seals.

The upgrade project, implemented inclose co-operation with ABB’s localDrives Alliance Partner, involved re-placing the existing direct motor con-trol with an ABB variable speed drive.

Following the upgrade, one of the 70 liters per second pumps is kept inreserve. Of the two pumps controlledby the drive’s PFC macro, the second70 liters per second pump is run as avariable speed unit, while the 50 litersper second pump is run at constantspeed. Overall control and monitoringis performed by an SLC 500 A–B PLCunit. The InTouch software programprovides a screen display of the sys-tem’s operation. All the features of thePFC macro, including the sleep func-tion and autochanging, are utilized, asis the drive’s PID controller.

Operation is now fully automatic andparameters can be set and changedquickly and easily. The pressure in

the system is held constant, there hasbeen a significant reduction in vibra-tion and noise levels, and reliabilityhas improved dramatically. At thesame time wear and tear has beenminimized.

The use of the AC drive has also pro-vided considerable financial benefits.In the six months before the project,an average of 0.417kWh of electricitywas consumed for every cubic meterof water pumped. This figure fell to0.299kWh/m3 (a fall of 28.3%) for thesix months after completion of theproject. Total electricity savings in thefirst year have been estimated ataround m 3,800 or 96,000kWh, andCO2 emissions are down by 48 tonnes.

The indirect savings resulting from theupgrade are even greater – in the caseof one end user, about m 100,000 peryear. This figure is a result of reliablemotor operation, significantly reducedcontactor failure rate, increased relia-bility in the pipe system and othercomponents, and reduced mainte-nance and servicing costs.



MAX MAX

C3

C2 C1

SLC AB

TLAK

FM

Vyveva 1

Vyveva 2

MIN

Hydrofor Hydrofor

Piskovyfiltr

Piskovyfiltr

MIN

HLADINAHLADINA

HLADINA

MAX

PROVOZ

MIN

HAV.MIN

Studna 80 m3

horsepower unwinder applicationshas been cost. “But with all the recentleaps Variable Frequency AC Drive(VFD) technology has made, the ACdrive/motor solution now providesperformance and control superior tothe traditional DC installations,” notesChuck Hollis, manager of system inte-grator sales, ABB LV Drives, NewBerlin, Wisconsin.

Because AC drives and motors havecontinued to add performance featureswhile reducing price per horsepower,AC drive/motor solutions have, accord-ing to Hollis, become “extremely com-petitive with mechanical brakes.”

The performance and cost advantagesof using an AC motor-brake systemhave been proven in a plastic film ap-plication. IR Industries in the state of

New York had a two-roll unwinderwith two, ten-year old mechanical airbrakes and a host of repeating prob-lems. Product quality and productionwere suffering. Rather than replace themechanical brakes with a new, moremodern mechanical brake, ABB wascontracted to install a 5hp AC four-pole motor, a 4:1 gear reducer, and anABB ACS800 Direct Torque Control(DTC) drive with built-in flux braking.

Upgrading withoutinvesting

In the city of Turku (Finland) manyheating, ventilation, and air-condition-ing (HVAC) systems in many of thecity’s municipal buildings have beenupgraded using an Energy SavingCompany (ESCO). In 2004, the HVACsystems in the office of the city’s har-bor were also revamped but this time,ABB technology was fundamental tothe project’s success.

Also called “performance contract-ing” or “third-party financing”, an

Energy Service Company (ESCO) de-

velops, installs and finances projectsdesigned to improve the energy effi-ciency and maintenance cost for facili-ties over a several-year period. YITBuilding Services is such a companyand was contracted to do the HVACprojects in Turku. The city itself is notinvesting anything into energy effi-ciency, but is paying a service fee – inproportion to the energy cost savingsachieved – to YIT.

YIT modernized the air-conditioningsystem of the city’s harbor office in2004. Many system improvementswere done, but central to energy effi-ciency improvement was the decisionto install ABB drives and eff1-ratedmotors to the air handling units. Thedrives enable the ventilation fans tooperate at a suitable air flow based on

demand, and eff1 motors guaranteehigh electrical-to-mechanical powerconversion efficiency.

The drives not only save electricalpower in part load ventilation condi-tions, but they also allow for substan-tial heating energy savings. This be-comes possible because the office’sexhaust fan can now be operated atthe smallest capacity needed for anysituation. During the first five monthsof the operation, YIT Building Sys-tems recorded a thermal energy sav-ing of 97,865kWh (234,900kWh overa 12 month period) which representsa 40% saving in heating costs. Corre-sponding CO2 emissions were reducedby 67.2 tonnes.



Impressive com-pressor functionsABB’s ACS800 drive and custom soft-ware is a unique solution when itcomes to energy savings and opera-tion efficiency in screw compressors.

St. Louis-based Curtis-Toledo Inc. isa 150-year-old OEM of industrial air

compressors (in the range 5–300 hp)used to power equipment and opera-tions in a variety of applications andindustries.

With energy savings a top priority,Curtis-Toledo wanted to upgrade itsscrew compressors with adjustable-speed drives to provide and controlairflow supplies in direct responseand proportion to real-time operating(load) conditions. To satisfy the com-

pany’s needs for energy efficiency andease of use, ABB created a uniquecontrol package: the ABB ACS800drive was built into the compressorand coupled with customized softwarethat controls the system pressure, airdelivery, oil temperature and dutycycle directly from the drive.

This innovative approach eliminatedseparate logic controllers and uses theACS800 drive to control the speed of themotor. At the same time, its processingpower and extensive I/O act like a tradi-tional programmable logic controller.

With a drive built into the compressoras an integral part of the machine, thecompressors operate at greater effi-ciencies. This includes matching airvolume to demand as the variable-speed slows the motor down when airdemand decreases. Software controlenables the drive to regulate andchange speed to match the exact air

demands from the plant or process. The ABB drive software was designedto include a formula that continuouslycalculates the energy savings so theend user can see the dollar savings ondemand by viewing a touch screen.“This whole application is about savingenergy, so having a touch screen thatdisplays the calculated energy savingsas the machine is running is thebiggest benefit, followed by its abilityto monitor the working conditions ofthe compressor,” says Jerry Elson, na-tional sales manager for Curtis-Toledo.

End users can expect annual energycost savings with a 12 to 18 month re-turn on investment on the drive. Witha 75kW machine running 5000 hoursper year, energy savings of about200,000kWh (50%) have been record-ed. This figure may be exceeded de-pending on the air demands of thefacility. Avoided CO2 emissions haveamounted to 100 tonnes.

Manufacturing challengeManufacturing in China is both a challenge and an opportunityAnders Jonsson

China as a global manufacturing hub is today a concept whichmany suppliers have taken advantage of, not least ABB. With a cen-tury long active relationship with China, ABB today has more than20 legal entities, of which 17 are joint ventures with local partnersABB is well established throughout the country. Some XX factoriesproduce high quality industrial and power products for both ourdivisions – Automation Technologies and Power Technologies.




Thirty-five percent of theChinese GDP comes

from the country’s manufac-turing sector, which is ex-panding at a rate of ten to 12 percent annually. (Similarfigures for Japan: 23 percent;Germany: 23 percent; andthe U.S.: 17 percent). ABB’stwo divisions in China, areboth participating in this sec-tor with several manufactur-ing sites each . The auto-mation business alone pro-duces and delivers nearly100,000 products per daythrough channel partners tothe building, transportation,power and industrial sectorsof the economy. Its large,engineered automation solu-tions support productivityimprovements and reduceenvironmental impact in in-dustries such as automotive,chemical, mineral, marine,and pulp and paper. Each ofABB’s 8,000 employees isaware of the importance ofachieving profitable growthwhile contributing to eco-nomic progress, environmen-tal stewardship and the socialdevelopment of the country.

In a fast moving economylike China’s, remaining com-petitive is the manufacturing chal-lenge, upon which management mustbe focused at all times. Operationalprocesses such as sourcing, marketingand distribution, quality and produc-tivity in manufacturing, and cost struc-tures in all aspects of the businessmust constantly be monitored, opti-mized and fine tuned for performanceto provide superior value to customersand stay ahead of the competition.

In order to stay competitive, ABBconcentrates on two major areas:

To deliver on time and to deliverthe functionality that the customerexpects.To create simplicity, which includesminimizing the number of variantsin both purchased components andfinished products, while furtherreducing the number of processsteps.

Customer choiceMost ABB product areas have beendesigned in modular fashion, allowingthe majority of our customers’ wishes

1

to be met by combining standardizedmodules. This approach improvesquality and reliability, reduces variantsin stock and matches most applica-tions. Wherever possible, variants rep-resenting a very small percentage ofsales are being replaced by othermodule or subassemblies.

Manufacturing in ChinaABB’s manufacturing program inChina is primarily aimed at fulfillinglocal demand for products and servic-es. For only a few product areas isexport part of the strategy.

The objective is to achieve the rightbalance of available skills, labor andmaterial costs, logistics, and marketdemand for every product. It is simplygood business sense to put manufac-turing and logistic operations as closeto customers as possible .

The comparative advantage of China’slabor force can be exemplified byhourly pay in the textile business: thehourly wage is $12 in the U.S., $5.5 in

Hong Kong and Taiwan and$0.5 in China. By strengthen-ing skills in low-cost, highproductivity countries likeChina, a new vitality andflexibility is created in ABB’svalue chain, which helps tomeet the local-content re-quirements that customers inthe emerging markets expectfrom their suppliers.

Any new factory that ABBopens is provided with thelatest manufacturing method-ology and benchmarkedprocesses so that it canachieve the quality, produc-tivity and energy efficiencygoals established for it.

In a country with the world’slargest labor force it is aconundrum that it appearsthat a shortage of skilledlabor is emerging, especiallyin the southeastern coastalprovinces. To counter this,some ABB factories offer aneducational program allow-ing selected employees toreceive continued educationon site .

In this section of this SpecialReport on ABB in China, arti-cles cover different aspects

of our product portfolio, including afew channel partners. Some successstories are also included, for example,a decade of low-voltage motor manu-facturing was recently celebrated.

Success factorsInternal simplification and pragmaticapproaches combined with responsibili-ty, respect and determination for ourcustomers’ needs have created a solidbase for future growth in China. A com-prehensive portfolio of locally manufac-tured products, combined with localengineering and service capabilities,ensures ABB’s long-term future in Chinaas a key supplier of productivity solu-tions with low environmental impact.

Anders Jonsson

ABB (China) Ltd.

Shanghai, China

[email protected]

2

ABB manufacturing sites in China.1

ABB has developed educational programs in some factories, giving employees continued on site education.

2

The electric power industry in Chi-na has grown impressively since

the 1980’s. In particular, economicdevelopment in the area around thePearl River and Yangtze River Deltashas contributed enormously to thequick expansion of the electric powergrid. The eastern and southern coastalareas continue to consume the largestamount of electricity, while abundantenergy resources are located in north-ern and western China. It is this thatis driving the construction of 500kVpower transmission lines betweenthose regions.

As power transformers are key equip-ment in any electric power systems,the demand for exceptionally goodquality products is naturally high tosupport the extension of power grids

and power plants. This became espe-cially evident at the start of the ThreeGorges project in the Yangtze River in1992 where large, high voltage powertransformers with high reliability wereneeded.

In a region with huge market poten-tial, the necessity of creating anadvanced transformer factory in an area with river and sea access soonbecame clear in order to meet thedemands for these types of largepower plant projects.

As a renowned supplier of transform-ers, coupled with its reputation andexperience in transferring transformertechnology – for example to Canadaand Brazil – ABB was selected as onehalf of a partnership, or joint venture,

to set up a 500kV power transformerfactory in the city of Chongqing, insouthwest China.

Chongqing is situated on the upperbranch of the Yangtze River and isone of the most important industrialcenters in western China. In choosingChongqing as the location for this bigtransformer factory, the plant is wellpositioned to supply large powertransformers to the coastal areas via the Yangtze River as well as tohydropower stations in southwesternChina.

Formation of the joint ventureABB, with the help and support of theChinese government, set up a produc-tion base for 500kV power transform-ers in Chongqing to support the Three


TransformedABB’s power transformer factory in ChongqingAnders Lindroth

Chongqing is a modern city with an ancient history spanning more than 3,000 years. Known by many as the “River City”,Chongqing is where ABB produces the largest 500 kV power transformers for the domestic market in China. This ultramodern factory has been supporting China’s fast growing electric power industry since beginning production in 1998. In addition, it has developed into one of the largest power transformer factories in the world – in just six short years



line with the latest ABB specifications.A 500 kV transformer assembly work-shop was added to the existing facto-ry buildings and a high voltage testhall, with modern equipment to test500 kV and 750 kV class products,was erected . All manufacturingfacilities were up-graded with state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment andtooling, and the workshops wereequipped with air conditioning andhumidity control. All this work wascompleted in 2000. In 2001, the roadto Chongqing harbor was prepared forheavy transport and the harbor wasequipped with a 400 ton floatingcrane to support the shipment ofproducts to the customer .

The final part of the CPiL programwas completed in the upgraded facili-ties in Chongqing. In addition to CpiL,many other training programs, man-aged by ABB, have helped the em-ployees in the Chongqing factoryadopt ABB management principlesand processes.

From 800 to 25000 MVA annualtransformer production In December 1998, the design, manu-facture and testing of the first 110kVTrafoStar transformer in Chongqingwas completed. The following yearsaw the delivery of the first six 220kVtransformers, and in 2000 the first four500kV transformers were delivered.After that, volumes started to rapidlyincrease. The table below details theannual production volumes during theshort history of the company.

In 2003, high voltage shunt reactorswere added to the production pro-gram and the first twelve 500kV reac-tors were manufactured. Over the last

3

2

six years, the company has developedinto the largest power transformermanufacturing company, counted inMVA production volume, within theABB group.

QualityThe focus for ABB Chongqing was toestablish a factory that manufactureslarge power transformers to the high-est international quality level. Qualitycontrol has therefore been a toppriority during the investment andtechnology transfer phases. In 1999,ABB Chongqing passed a quality auditperformed by the international audi-tors Det Norske Veritas, and in De-cember of the same year the companywas awarded its ISO 9001 QualitySystem Certificate. Since then ABBChongqing has also been certifiedaccording to the environmental stan-dard, ISO 14001, as well as to theChinese occupational health andsafety standard, OHSAS 18001.

Like all ABB power transformer facto-ries, ABB Chongqing is using the SixSigma methodology to measure andcontrol the quality of its operations.Using this methodology:

The quality of the product is meas-ured in a large number of the pro-duction steps.

Gorges project and other big powergeneration and transmission projectsin China . Now known as ABBChongqing Transformer CompanyLtd., it is the only joint venture for themanufacture of 500kV transformersapproved by the Chinese central gov-ernment, and is owned by ABB andChongqing Transformer Company Ltd.

In operation since January 1998, theplant utilizes the land and buildings of a former state-owned local trans-former factory in Chongqing.

Transfer of technology andtraining of employeesPerhaps the biggest factor that hascontributed to the overall success ofthe company has been the successfultraining of employees and the subse-quent transfer of technology. Most of this work, together with internalsupport for this project came fromABB’s transformer factory in Ludvika,Sweden.

Training was carried out in Ludvika inparallel with investments in factoryupgrades in Chongqing. An intensiveand effective training program, basedon the manufacturing of transformersfrom design to final testing for Chi-nese customers, was used as a learn-ing tool for mangers, engineers andoperators from ABB Chongqing. TheChinese personnel, under the guid-ance of Swedish experts, completedthe program in a “100 percent ABBatmosphere”. The exercise was knownas “CPiL”, an abbreviation for“Chinese Production in Ludvika”.

As training progressed in Sweden, theold workshops in Chongqing werebeing revamped to bring them into

1

year Production Production 500 kV unitsvolume MVA volume units

1999 842 14 –2000 3665 50 42001 5540 53 92002 10183 70 292003 16807 89 562004 23968 102 662005 29921* 127* 75*

* According to production plan 2005

ABB’s power transformer factory in Chongqing, China.1 A high voltage test hall for 500 kV and 750 kV class products.2



The measured quantities are com-pared against target values to deter-mine the given tolerances and theDPMO-value (defects-per-million-opportunities). These DPMO-values can then beconverted into Sigma values to givean overall measure of the qualitylevel of the product.

shows the development of theSigma value for ABB’s Chongqingoperations from 2000 to2003. With an industrialstandard value of typically3.5, it can be seen that thequality level of the ABBChongqing operationsshows very good improve-ment over time and iscurrently well on par withother industrial leaders.

The real test of productquality is of course its per-formance during operation.To date, all power trans-formers manufactured atABB’s Chongqing factoryhave and continue to per-form very well in Chinesepower plants and varioussubstations. The high quali-ty and high performanceproducts produced by ABBat the Chongqing planthave given the company an excellent reputationwithin the Chinese ElectricSupply Bureaus and gridbusiness.

4

Customer confidenceABB Chongqing has today gained thefull confidence from its Chinese cus-tomers. As a sign of that confidence, the company has been trusted to supplythe 12 generator step-up transformers tothe right bank of the prestigious ThreeGorges hydropower station. The trans-formers are rated 840 MVA, 550/20kV.

The company has also been approvedas supplier to Singapore Power Grid

company and has got an order todeliver 15 off 400/230kV single-phaseauto connected transformers to beinstalled in Singapore.

Transformers from the Chongqingfactory are today installed in manykey substations in China. One of these is the 500kV substation in thefast growing Pudong economic devel-oping zone in downtown Shanghai.This substation is equipped with two1000 MVA banks of single-phase auto-transformers. The transformers are rat-ed at 334 MVA, 510/230±2*2,5%/36kV.In order to meet strict environmentalrequirements, the cooling of the trans-formers is designed as ONAN/ONAF,ie, self-cooling by air up to 67 percentof full load and thereafter forced air-cooling by fans. ABB Chongqing com-pleted this order, from the contractright through to commissioning, with-in just one year.

Steam turbine generators produce morethan three-quarters of the electricity inChina today. Together, 600 MW genera-tors and 720 MVA generator step-uptransformers are commonly used inthermal power. Three phase transform-ers are preferred when transport facili-ties permits. ABB Chongqing wasawarded a contract to deliver 4 units of this type of transformer to a newpower plant in the city of Jiaxing,

which is situated on the bor-der between Shanghai andthe Zhejiang province. Usingthis project as a reference,ABB Chongqing has receivedmore orders for similar trans-formers, thus making it oneof the major suppliers oflarge generator transformersin China.

These examples show that,within only six years, ABBChongqing is now capableof manufacturing transform-ers of the highest quality upthe highest ratings requiredin the Chinese power sys-tem, using the highest ABBquality level.

Anders Lindroth

ABB Chongqing Transformers Co.Ltd

China

[email protected]

This article was first published in ABB

Review 3/2004 pp 50–53

A 400 ton floating crane at Chongqing harbor to support the shipment of customer products.3

Development of Sigma value for ABB Chongqing operations.4

4,5

4

3,5

3

2,5

2

σ

2000 2001 2002 2003



The growing demand for trans-mission capacity in China has

led to the decision to build a 750kVgrid. A pilot link is under construc-tion and tenders for generator step-up (GSU) transformers and shuntreactors are being evaluated. Toencourage the development of thedomestic transformer industry, thecustomer has stipulated that thetransformers must be manufacturedin China.

The projectChina’s first 750kV AC transmissionproject is an investment by thecentral government and is beingimplemented by the State PowerNorthwest Company. A grid will becreated in five phases over a periodof 15 years. When complete, thesystem will comprise a total of3813km of lines and a combinedtransformer capacity of 16.5 GVA.

One of the power sources for thenetwork is the Laxiwa hydro stationin Qinghai province – located onthe upstream part of the YellowRiver. The power station will havesix generators. These will be con-nected to the transmission systemby 18 single phase 260 MVA GSUtransformers. Three 100 MVAr andthree 70 MVAr single phase shuntreactors must also be supplied forthis phase of the project.

750 kV generator step-up transformers and shunt reactors made in China

ABB ChongqingIn the last few years, ABB ChongqingTransformer Co. has grown to be oneof the major suppliers of 500kV trans-formers and shunt reactors in China.The factory’s reference list includes184 transformers and reactors deliv-ered for this voltage level. It has morethan 70 further units on its orderbooks, including 12,840 MVA GSUtransformers for the Three GorgesRight Bank Project.

ABB Chongqing Transformer Co. isone of China’s most widely recog-nized transformer manufacturers and regarded as a preferred supplierby the majority of customers in China.

TechnologyAlthough ABB Chongqing has notbuilt 800kV transmission systemequipment before, the technology isfar from new to ABB. Other ABBfactories have built such equipment,and design and dimensioning rulesare covered in the ABB transformerdesign concept: TrafoStar. Having fullaccess to all expertise and the experi-ence within the ABB group, develop-ment work is not required at Chong-qing. The units are dimensioned anddesigned by local engineers usingABB design rules. Their work is thenchecked and the designs verified byexperts within the group.

Manufacturing and testingThe manufacture of this 800kVequipment does not present anymajor novelties for the Chongqingfactory. The core and winding typesused are the same as those of the500kV equipment. The physicalsizes of the components are alsowithin the dimensions of those nor-mally handled. To be able to suc-cessfully manufacture transformersand reactors for 800kV, very strictquality assurance procedures arerequired. However, the factory hasalready implemented these proce-dures in order to secure the qualityof its 500kV equipment.

The test lab at ABB Chongqing isable to test the GSU transformers forthis project and no further invest-ments are required. The 100 MVArrating of the shunt reactors, on theother hand, is higher than what thepresent test equipment can handle.To be able to test at the higher rat-ing, a small extension must be addedto the reactive power compensationcapacitor bank.

SummaryAlthough the requirement for 800kVtransformers and reactors is new to China and to ABB Chongqing,the company is able to design andmanufacture these products to ahigh quality requirement.

ABB owns transformer factories all over the world. Basedon a common pool of knowledge, experience and designguidelines, these factories work synergistically rather thanindependently. This was clearly demonstrated when theABB transformer factory at Chongqing was called upon tosupply 800kV transformers and reactors: The factory hasnot produced anything for this voltage class before. Bydrawing on ABB’s global network of expertise, however, itwill be able to engineer and build these units without anyspecial development work. A product is created for localmanufacturing in China that meets the high quality stan-dards that ABB’s customers have come to expect.



ABB intelligent power distribution systemAnny Wang, Anders Jonsson

Due to the relatively stagnant power generation and distribution developmentin Mainland China, the ongoing economic growth is increasingly leading topower shortages. Traditionally, this issue was addressed by government man-dated power outages and consumption restrictions. This led to productivityshortfalls for industry. As liberalization progresses, more user friendly powersystem management and power distribution technology is required. This doesnot only apply to power suppliers: Power consumers must be able to controllocal power distribution. This need led to the development of ABB’s intelligentpower system (IPD).

The following devices are used in anIPD system:

intelligent switchesThe E series and S series arerated for currents of up to 6300Aand 3200A respectively.

PMC916 power supervision & control devicePMC916 is an omni-directionalsupervision and control device fora single line application.

The PMC916 has four passive relayoutputs with which it can directlyact on other devices such asswitches.

Distributed RTUABB distributed Remote TerminalUnits (RTU) collect switch sig-nals, analog signals, relay outputand pulse statistics.

Motor integrated management devicesThese units integrate motor pro-tection functions. They recognizemotor controls and startup modesand supervise motor operations.

5

4

3

21

ComponentsE-Series switch.1

S-Series switch.2 Motor integrated management device.5

PMC916 control device.3

Remote terminal unit (RTU).4



It is the purpose of intelligent powerdistribution systems to monitor the

state of local networks and to au-tonomously or by operator action takepreventive measures when certainparameters are exceeded. In this waylocal disturbances can be contained.Ideally, a system first tries to remedythe problem, and if this fails, it shutsdown a local area of the network.This way, disturbances are preventedfrom spreading to other processes inthe plant.

The components of ABB’s intelligentpower distribution communicate witha higher level management system.Switching commands can be sent re-motely, and device statuses inspected.Besides the operational state and ba-sic parameters, such data covers(where appropriate) measurements ofcurrent, voltage, frequency, powerfactors, temperature and humidity.

The communication uses a bus interfacesuch as RS485/MODBUS, or TCP/IP.ABB’s intelligent power distributionsystem is based on two principles: areliable power distribution system andan intelligent data collection and con-trol system.

Application for ABB intelligent powerdistribution Intelligent power distribution systemsare becoming increasingly common inthe power industry as the need fordirect power management increases.The strength of ABB’s systems is beingincreasingly recognized by industry.From March 2004, the largest produc-er of automotive glass in China, Fu Jian Fu Yao Glass Group, placedseveral orders for ABB low–voltageswitchgear incorporating PMC916(Power Monitoring & Control Unit). In the space of a year, they awardedABB eleven contracts worth around

US$ 4 million(RMB 34 million).This equipment isused in the manu-facture of high-quality float glass;the main materialused in automotiveglass.

ABB intelligentpower distributionsystems are alsoused in many keyState projects, suchas the Hainan Fer-tilizer Project, withinvestors fromCNOOC, the Ji LinAlcohol Project,and many powerplants, such as BeiHai and Yu She.

In all these appli-cations, this tech-nology ensuresproduction effi-ciency and helpsincrease the relia-bility of produc-tion equipment.

Anny Wang

Anders Jonsson

ABB (China) Ltd.

Shanghai, China

anders.jonsson@

cn.abb.com

Typical configurations for ABB intel-ligent power distribution systems

Configuration 1:Input lines data passes through

the E switch field bus interface.For the S switches (on the outputlines) PMC916 units are used.

Configuration characteristics:(+) One intelligent unit on each

output circuit: strong function-ality and high distribution effi-ciency.

(–) High cost due to large numberof components.

(–) Heavy workload for higher man-agement system due to largenumber of devices being moni-tored.

(–) Some functions unnecessarilyduplicated, such as voltage andfrequency monitoring.

Configuration 2:As configuration 1, except that

the S switches on the output linesshare MC bus interfaces, currentsignal collection and remote con-trol through distributed RTU.

Configuration characteristics:(+) Intelligence unit configuration

closer to the actual needs of thepower system.

(+) Higher cost-benefit ratio.(+) Higher management communi-

cation system deals with fewerconnections.

(–) Switchgear shares communica-tions units, so less suitable fordistributed applications.

Configuration 3:When many motor are at-

tached, the higher managementsystem must concentrate on con-trolling these. A combination ofconfigurations (1) and (2) isapplied so that each output linegets the monitoring level it needs.

Configuration characteristics:(+) Intelligence unit configured

according to actual needs ofpower system.

(+) More functions and high cost-benefit ratio.

(+) Concentrated management ofthe motor systems.

6c

6b

6a

Configurations

Configuration 1.a

Examples of IPD configurations.6

MODBUS-RTURS485

Configuration 2.b

MODBUS-RTURS485

Configuration 3. c

MODBUS-RTURS485

The entire pressure production linewas imported from Italy. The line

produces the 2600T pressure transmit-ter range including the models 264DS,264PS, 264HS and 264GS. It deliversup to 900 units per month on a singleshift. Critical components such astransducers are imported from Ger-many and Italy and assembled andtested locally. The first commercialtransmitter rolled out in 2004. Now,only a few months later, several hun-dred local transmitters are servingcustomers throughout China.

To better satisfy customer expecta-tions, ABB’s new assembly plant inChina offers customers two-week deliv-ery for the standard version of the2600T pressure transmitters. DavidGuan, project supervisor at the newassembly plant in China, proudly pointsout that the same quality standards areensured as at the ABB pressure facto-ries in Lenno, Italy and Minden, Ger-many. Combined with an SAP system,the new PT line supplies “made inABB” products and services deliveringcustomers advanced solutions for safe,reliable and economical performance.

Calibrating precisionNew flow and pressure assembly lines for ABB Instrumentation ChinaRichard Suurland

To be effective, a control system requires accurate data onthe system parameters. This in turn requires precise processdata and reliable measurement and calibration equipment.

When the process involves moving fluids, flowmeteringequipment is required. ABB Instrumentation has installed a new PT (pressure transmitter) assembly line and flowproduction and calibration facilities in Shanghai, China.




measurement performance is com-pared. By calibrating the master meteragainst the weigh scale, the rig opera-tors can ensure the continued accura-cy of the rig. This flexibility in calibra-tion means that the new rigs can meetall of the main global standards forflow calibration.

The weigh scale system on the largecalibration rig is 12,000kg making itthe second largest calibration rig /weigh scale system in China. This,coupled with a resolution of 1 kg (canbe enhanced) means that ABB Chinais serving the local market with aworld class calibration facility comply-ing with many international standards.

Bernd Kamman, international managerfor ABB’s flow products unit, explainsthat the construction of the flow rigsmarks the continuing development ofABB flowmeter calibration servicearound the world. With the construc-tion of these and other new rigs, thecompany hopes to be able to set asingle standard for flow calibration atABB sites worldwide.

ABB operates some of the world’smost accurate flow calibration facili-ties. A recent visit by the United King-dom Accreditation Service (UKAS) ofABB’s flow calibration facilities at itsStonehouse factory in Gloucestershire,for example, resulted in ABB beingcertified as the only company in theUK with a calibration rig accurate towithin an expanded uncertainty of± 0.027%.

Demand for increasing accuracyThe company spends considerabletime and money constantly improvingthe accuracy of its flow equipment in

order to keep up with customer de-mands. Even though ABB’s flow cali-bration rigs set a global standard foraccuracy, the company continues tostrive for even better performance.

The reader might be wondering whycustomers demand more and morereliability and accuracy from theirflowmeters. One of the principle rea-sons is the growing demand for quali-ty drinking water. The demand forwater is growing faster than the ca-pacity of the networks to supply it.Also, in many countries around theworld, over 60% of drinking waterpumped into the distribution networkdoes not reach the user but is lostthrough leakages. In other words, forevery 1000 liters of water treated, 600are wasted through leakages. Thetackling of this issue presents consid-erable potential for cutting costs andenhancing sustainability while deliver-ing more water to the end user.

ABB is making many contributionstowards solving these issues: Theserange from the Aquamaster – a batteryoperated flowmeter designed to meas-ure very low flow rates such as thosefrom leaking pipes – through variablespeed drives optimizing pump opera-tions to prevent the undue pressurethat encourages leakages, to completecontrol solutions such as the ABBWater Leakage Management Systemthat helps control, monitor and reduceleakage over a complete network.

Richard Suurland

ABB (China) Ltd.

Shanghai, China

[email protected]

Accurate calibration – a quality measureABB has just completed the commis-sioning of three new calibration rigsand flow production lines for the in-strumentation plant. The calibrationrigs designed at ABB’s factory inStonehouse, UK, are needed in Chinato help meet the rising demand forflowmetering equipment. Precise cali-bration is a quality measure henceABB has decided to keep this impor-tant service in-house.

The first unit is due to become opera-tional in early 2005 and will be usedto calibrate meters sized between15mm and 50mm and with a flow vol-ume of 20 liters per second. Althoughdesigned to calibrate primarily electro-magnetic and vortex meters, it can beused to calibrate almost any type offlowmeter. The second of the calibra-tion rigs will calibrate flowmeterssized between 65mm and 150mm andflow rates of up to 200 litres per sec-ond. The third and final rig will han-dle flowmeter sizes of 200mm to600mm.

Built to the same ISO standards asABB’s existing flow calibration rigsaround the world, they feature a“carousel” enabling up to threeflowmeters to be calibrated simultane-ously. The calibration process is fullyautomatic. Specially developed soft-ware runs the process and collects thecalibration data. This provides a high-ly flexible unit loading range andremoves one of the potential bottle-necks in typical flow production.

The new rigs incorporate both a mas-ter meter and a weigh scale as refer-ence devices. These devices provide aknown value against which flowmeter

Motors power efficiencyA decade of high efficiency, low voltage motor manufacturing in ChinaJavis-Li Xu, Ko-Hein Chai

Cutting power consumption in manufacturing is an importantobjective in relieving pressure on infrastructure and the envi-ronment. ABB electric motors are designed for high reliabilityand efficiency – an example that other motor manufacturersare now striving to emulate.




China’s economy is today in theglobal limelight. It has robustly

withstood the Asian financial crisisand is continuing its rapid growth.China’s low-cost labor – a competitiveadvantage – is making China the man-ufacturing base of the world. The rap-idly improving living standards havesparked an increased demand for anddependency on energy. In 2004, Chi-na became the largest energy con-sumer after the United States. Since2003, China has been struggling withenergy shortages on an almost dailybasis. Meanwhile, the greenhouseeffect and global warming have raisedawareness of environmental issuesand the need to limit emissions. Inaccordance with the Kyoto Protocol,which came into effect on January 1st,2005, China will implement emissionlimits and take measures to progres-sively reduce emissions. Energy effi-ciency and sustainable developmenthave now become government poli-cies.

The electric motor is the most com-mon source of mechanical energy inindustry. Motors consume 60% ofpower generated. Even small gains inenergy efficiency thus have an impor-tant effect.

After ten successful yearsof growth and innovationin motors, ABB is lookingto the future with confi-dence.

Efficient motors power new trendAs early as 1998, ABB Shanghai Mo-tors introduced the European efficien-cy level concept. The company devel-oped and launched the M2QA series,which meets the European efficiency2 standard; its average efficiency per-formance is 1.5% higher than compa-rable products from China. The in-stalled base of ABB’s LV motor tech-nology saves Chinese customers 1.5 billion kWh of energy annually.

In recent years, ABB Shanghai Motorshas been increasing its market sharein China. It is also exerting a strongerinfluence on energy- and environmen-tal-conscious thinking. Chinese motormanufacturers are following this leadand they are currently developing andlaunching high-efficiency energy-sav-ing products.

ABB Shanghai Motors is continuing tointroduce advanced designs and newconcepts. It is creating a general plat-form for design and production. Thiswill combine the standardization andgeneralization of motor parts with thespecial demands of customers. Stepby step, motor design and productionwill evolve towards a modular plat-form. This will shorten productiontimes and thus better meet customerneeds. This approach permits stan-dard motors to be modified to meetspecial customer needs, while also in-creasing the efficiency of logistics anddistribution. The latter leads to im-proved internal operational efficiency.

Motors life cycle costABB Shanghai Motors upholds a corecompany culture policy: To create val-ue for customers and to commit to acontinuous improvement of quality. Itis a well known fact that the motor’spurchase price accounts for only asmall part of its life cycle cost, includ-ing the costs of malfunctions. This iseven more correct when the motor isused in a highly critical application.For an OEM (Original EquipmentManufacturer), the good name of abrand and the quality of the productis closely linked with the reliability of the motors used. ABB ShanghaiMotors always chooses high qualityraw materials: silicon steel, enameledwire, shaft steel, high grade castingiron, L1 bearing, environment–friendlyinsulation varnish and surface paint-ing. This combined with the advancedmanufacturing technology and strictquality control lead to the high relia-bility of ABB’s motors.

With the expanding reputation of ABB motors in China, more and moremotor manufacturers are attempting tofollow ABB’s example: They are mov-ing towards energy-efficient, energy-saving and high quality motors. Mean-while a consensus is being reachedthat production processes must com-ply with the requirements of OSHMS/EMS (Occupational Safety and HealthManagement Systems / EnvironmentalManagement System). Motor manufac-turing in China is on track for soundand sustainable progress!

Javis-Li Xu

Ko-Hein Chai

ABB Shanghai Motors Co. Ltd.

[email protected]

On April 25th 2005, ABB celebrat-ed the tenth anniversary of its mo-tor activities in China. 350 partici-pants – 250 of them customers –took part in the festivities. Theseincluded tours of the factory, aseries of seminars on covering dif-ferent aspects of ABB motors andtheir applications, and a banquetto round off the day.

Some customer quotes obtainedduring this event are reproducedbelow:

Sato Shigeru of Japanese DaikouMechanical Equipment said “[This]factory is not that large. It is, how-ever, very orderly despite the hun-dreds of customers visiting simul-taneously. I am impressed thatdespite them, the plant is keepingproduction at the usual level.”

Xun Jingcheng of General Motorsin Yunnan Sitaicheng said “theevent reflects well on ABB’s as amotor manufacturer.”

After ten successful years ofgrowth and innovation in motors,ABB has firmly established itself inthis business and is looking to thefuture with confidence.

10 years of ABB motors in China

Low voltage equipmentModern LV energy efficient equipment is finding a home in businesses and residences.

Growing domestic welfare is con-tributing to a growing demand fordistribution-side electrical infrastruc-ture. The following three stories areexamples of ABB low-voltage tech-nology at work in China.

Meeting customerrequirements withan automatedmanufacturingprocessCustomers expect consistently highquality products at competitive pricesand short delivery lead-time. ABBXinhui is making this possible by de-veloping automated production lineswith fast version change capabilities.

The automated production line formagnetic cores, which is used in

the manufacture of ABB’s A-seriescontactor, clearly demonstrates theproduction capabilities created at ABBXinhui low voltage switchgear factory.During the design phase, considerable

attention was given to ergonomicsand to creating a working environ-ment that minimizes workers’ fatigue.This led to customer benefits by rais-ing production volumes, while at thesame time improving yield and qualityand so keeping re-work costs low.Many customers order several productmodels and versions with a require-ment of the same delivery date fortheir entire order. The ability tochange versions quickly on the pro-duction line has placed ABB in a posi-tion to fulfill these expectations.

The core competency of manufactur-ing A-contactors relies heavily on theprocess of manufacturing the magneticcircuit core.

In-house production investment hasimproved the stability and reliabilityof the supply chain. Reduced need fortransportation reduces delivery timeswhile also avoiding the risk of dam-age to components during shipping.

The automated production line wascompleted three months ahead ofschedule – in only five months – sur-passing all expectations.

ABB’s top-selling products such asContactor, ArTu, Pilot devices, andCircuit Breakers see widespread useand are in great demand. A quickturnaround with the highest quality isneeded to satisfy customer expecta-tions. By continually monitoring andimproving production processes ABBhas been able to maintain qualitystandards and meet customer needs.

Johnson JuanSheng Kee

[email protected]

MNS increasinglyappreciated bycustomers

The MNS system fully meets IECType Test requirements – as certi-

fied by the National Switchgear Quali-ty Control and Inspection Center inTianjin. The switchgear, which is ratedto 6300A, was subjected to and passedtough tests including the temperature-rising test, the arc-fault proof test,

Low voltage MNS switchgear is finding more and more applications in China’sgrowing industrial base ABB Xiamen Low Voltage Equipment Co. Ltd. has beenproducing MNS-type low voltage switchgear since 1994, based on the latesttechnology from ABB in Germany. This product has gone through 10 years of technological evolution advancing to its current highly sophisticated andintelligent design.



vibration test, aging test, saline hu-midity test and insulation materialstest. Moreover, besides these remark-able strengths, the intelligent MNSswitchgear allows customers to maxi-mize productivity through its reliableoperation, safe production, ease ofoperation and maintenance and com-

pact configuration options – savingspace and reducing installation costs.

Besides meeting the IEC Type Testrequirements, ABB’s MNS system wasthe first such system to be awardedthe China Compulsory Product Certifi-cation (CCC) – in December 2002.

MNS has a achieved a reputation forreliability and dependability in thelow voltage market. It is widely ap-plied in the field of power generation,distribution and transmission in indus-tries such as nuclear applications,metro, chemical, oil & gas, pulp & pa-per, electronics, telecommunicationsand commercial construction – appli-cations where ABB China has accumu-lated extensive and profound experi-ence. Using the latest network andcommunication technology know-how, ABB has developed an Intelli-gent Motor Control Center System(INSUM) and the ABB power distribu-tion Control & Energy ManagementSystem (ESD) to meet the automationneeds of customers. A combination ofMNS+INSUM or MNS+ESD provides anattractive and reliable package that isincreasingly appreciated by users.

The BP Zhuhai Petrochemical Project isa good example of such a combination,in this case MNS+INSUM. The projectrepresents a key investment by BP inthe Chinese petrochemical sector. Themain product is PTA with a designedannual production capacity of 450,000tons. This will meet the bulk of theincreased market demand followingChina’s entry into the WTO. The intelli-gent system used in this project wasthe INSUM system, which integrateswith MNS withdrawable switchgear toensure fast, safe and reliable communi-cation. In addition, the close coordina-tion of INSUM and the customized DCSgives the operators the power to easilycontrol continuous production from thecontrol room.

Besides supplying high-quality prod-ucts, ABB is dedicated to providing anall-encompassing service portfolio.Following the commencement of theBP Zhuhai Project in 2000, ABB engi-neers worked at the Zhuhai site for 3 years – until the project was com-plete. They supplied technical supportfor the customer and assistance in-cluding installation guidance, designmodification, emergency handlingpreparation and energy commission-ing. ABB China is highly appreciatedby the contractor, Technip, and theend user, BP Zhuhai, for its excellentproducts and service.

Furthermore, China National OffshoreOil Corporation (CNOOC) and RoyalDutch Shell Ltd. also chose theMNS+INSUM intelligent system fortheir US$ 4 billion investments in man-ufacturing petrochemical and chemicalproducts (see also “ABB XiamenSwitchgear receives award from Shell”,page 26 of this Special Report). Whenall intelligent low voltage equipmentwas delivered on time by the end of2004, ABB was awarded a project ap-preciation certificate by one of its con-tractors, the JGC Company. Mr. K Ya-mazaki, a project manager from JGCsaid, “ABB is a worldwide brand, andwe are very pleased with ABB’s per-formance. The best technology avail-able along with good service we havegotten from ABB was the key to thesuccessful completion of the project” .Meanwhile, the MNS + ESD intelligentsystem combination is also findingnew applications. Beginning in March2004, the largest producer of automo-

tive glass in China, the Fu Jian Fu YaoGlass Group placed several orderswith ABB for low–voltage switchgearincorporating ESD Power. In the spaceof one year, they awarded ABB elevencontracts worth around US$ 4 million(RMB 34 million).

In China, there is at present rapidgrowth in automobile production. Ac-cordingly, the demand for high-qualityfloat glass is increasing sharply (a largeproportion of automotive glass is floatglass). To meet this mounting demandand to break into the internationalmarket, Fu Yao Glass Group will investabout US$ 2 billion to set up threefloat glass production lines. TheMNS+ESD systems will go to two of Fu Yao Glass Group’s float glass lineswith a daily output of 600 tons each.

The MNS+ESD combination is alsoused in many key State projects, suchas the Hainan Fertilizer Project, with in-vestors from CNOOC, the Ji Lin AlcoholProject, and many power plants, suchas Bei Hai Power Plant, and Yu ShePower Plant. Many customers, such asthe Fu Yao Glass Group, are returningABB China patrons.

From the market feedback received,the intelligent combination of MNSand INSUM or MNS with ESD is in linewith the development of the powerindustry, and ABB believes these com-binations have bright applicationprospects.

Anny-YaHui Huang

[email protected]



MNS + INSUM switchgear. MNS + ESD switchgear.

Improving thepower supply tohomes in China

It is not only China’s industry that isundergoing rapid development. Im-proved affluence and higher stan-dards of living are leading to higherelectricity consumption in house-holds. To meet the demand and han-dle the growth sustainably, innovativetechnology is being developed byABB: An IC card equipped electricitymeter is permitting accurate billing. Anew generation of low-voltage break-ers is making electrical installationssafer and more reliable.

Drawing on its advanced technolo-gy in the field of miniature circuit

breakers (MCB), ABB is supporting theBeijing Electric Power Corporation(BEPC) in the upgrading of their elec-tricity network. ABB designed theS250S+TS series MCB for an IC cardequipped electricity meter. Cooperat-ing with BEPC, ABB completed theproject of using the meter to upgradedomestic installations, so facilitatingmeasuring and billing in residentialbuildings and small businesses.

The continuous rise in living standardsin China has caused the demand fordomestic electricity to rapidly increase.In 1998 BEPC faced two major chal-lenges in domestic electricity distribu-tion. The first of these concerned theageing of cables which was both lead-ing to dangerous situations and to a re-duced network capacity as comparedto modern installations. The secondproblem concerned metering. Withseveral families sharing one meter itwas difficult to bill each family fairly.

As a well-known manufacturer of low-voltage electrical equipment, ABB wasselected as leading supplier. The com-pany’s advanced technology, reliablequality and dedicated service con-tributed to this decision. The S250Sseries MCB, manufactured by ABB LVInstallation Materials Co. Ltd. Locatedin Beijing, is designed for over-currentprotection on consumer electricitysystems. Early in the development

process, BEPC encountered the prob-lem of contact point melting or burn-ing in the relay, when short circuitcurrents were conducted through themeter. ABB and BEPC engineers per-formed a detailed analysis of the en-tire design project. They suggested asolution using a specially designedMCB. Under defined conditions, themeter sends a signal to the MCB caus-ing this to switch off. BEPC acceptedthis scheme. ABB completed the pro-totype design, sample products andtype testing in a very short time. Inthis way, a special MCB design cameabout; designed specifically for theelectricity meter with break delay

function. A national patent for thisproduct and the break delay functionwas applied for in July 1999 andgranted in July 2000.

In the following years, and in the lightof experience gained with the system,several design improvements havebeen implemented. Until now, theseproducts remain unique among all theofferings for the electrical supply ofurban residential buildings and smallbusinesses in Beijing. Until the end of 2004, 2.17 million poles of theS250S +TS miniature circuit breakerwere manufactured by ABB and usedto upgrade existing installations orinstalled in new buildings throughoutBeijing.

About 80 years have passed sinceABB STOTZ invented the MCB. ABBis still leading in the development ofdomestic distribution equipment ofwhich the MCB is a typical example.With their unique design and goodperformance due to the use of, eg,highly insulating thermosetting materi-als, highly reliable metal integratedtripping mechanisms and ergonomicwiring terminals, ABB products bringsafety and convenience to electricityinstallations across the globe.

HongYu Hu

[email protected]



Committed to China

ABB’s new corporate research centerChristian Rehtanz

Research and development is the lifeblood of any technology company. ABBhas throughout its history shown a strong and uncompromising commitment to

research. The company understands that today’s R&D is tomorrow’s marketsuccess. But success in research does not come from spending alone;

research must be focused on the products and markets of tomorrow. By estab-lishing a research base in China, ABB is better equipped to understand and

serve China’s future.



Corporate research

commitment. Given the increasingquality of production facilities inChina, it makes sense to conductprocess R&D close to these facilities.It also allows ABB to develop solu-tions tailored to local needs and tounderstand local challenges and con-tribute to the emergence of suitablestandards.

University and internationalcollaborationThe new research center has alreadyinitiated several collaboration projectswith Chinese universities. Some ofChina’s brightest young brains arehelping define ABB’s products oftomorrow.

During the center’s inauguration cere-mony, three ABB international post-doctoral scholarships – permittingChinese graduates to spend betweensix and 24 months in one of ABB’sother Research Centers – were pre-sented. This underlines the company’scommitment to international coopera-tion and knowledge sharing.

Business increasingly demands theintegration of different disciplines.Continuous collaboration and ex-change of information with ABB’sother research centers around theworld mean ABB’s China researchersremain part of the company’s cuttingedge technological development with-

ABB invests around 5 percent of itsrevenues on R&D every year.

That means about $ 1 billion in 2004.A significant amount of this goes tothe various corporate research centersin Europe, the US and Asia. On March30, 2005, ABB opened its newestresearch center – in China.

Research in China – for the worldThe attractively low operating costs of research in China were a factorinfluencing the decision to open aresearch center here, but this was notthe most significant reason. ABB isfirmly committed to being part ofChina’s economy. To be able to main-tain and improve its position, thecompany must both support and ben-efit from the country’s highly qualifiedbrainpower: ABB was able to recruittop graduates from China’s leadinguniversities.

Success in China requires innovationacross the whole spectrum: new waysof working with partners, new con-cepts of value chain management,new assessments of materials, intelli-gent application of design for manu-facturability, system design with highfunctionality at low cost, and muchmore.

A more market-oriented approach toR&D means ABB is working more andmore closely with its customers tojointly develop new products andservices. This permits ABB to respondto customer needs quickly and with

The presentation of ABB scholarships at the opening ceremony of the new research center.

1


Corporate research

out losing sight of the local applica-tion.

Innovation – the lifeblood of ABBThe most important driver for openinga Research Center in China, however,is innovation. Innovation is thelifeblood of ABB and the key to itssuccess. Innovation means doingthings in a different, and a better way.Simply transferring R&D conceptsfrom Europe to China cannot alwayslead to the desired results. Culturaldifferences are both a challenge and asource of inspiration. They should be– and are being seen as a strengthand not a hurdle. The potential ofChina’s highly motivated and welleducated researchers is tremendous.

The new Research Center is active inthe areas of power systems, manufac-turing technologies and robotics. Thefirst two departments are located atthe ABB China headquarter in Beijing,the last one is in Shanghai. The mid-term target is to build up a team ofaround 100 researchers. Half of thesewill be recruited by the end of 2005.More than every second researcherrecruited so far has at least a Ph.D.,and almost all are graduated fromChinese Universities. Additionally,there are numerous ABB technologycenters throughout China that are do-ing specific high level product devel-opment.

Power system researchThe decision to operate perform R&Din China in the power systems area ismotivated by China’s fast growingelectricity sector. Helping to expandthe power system as a backbone offor China's economic growth whilemeeting ecological requirements is afascinating engineering challenge. Forexample, ABB researchers supportsystem and network studies related tothe Ultra High Voltage AC and DCdevelopments in China. This researchis pushing the envelope of today’s

technologies. Other research areas in-clude wide area monitoring and con-trol systems that will, together withpower electronic network controllers(FACTS-devices), permit networks tobe operated closer to their limits,thereby raising their productivity andtheir return on investment.

Manufacturing researchIn a country with the biggest andmost modern factories, research inmanufacturing technologies is a must.This activity supports ABB’s ambitiousgrowth plans and business potentialby strengthening the company’s oper-ational excellence in this sector. Todeliver an optimal process, local re-quirements must be taken into consid-eration. Specific guidelines and prod-uct designs are being developed tosimplify manufacturing while raisingquality.

Innovation means doingthings in a different, and abetter way.

Robotics researchRobotics research is required by thelarge customer base and local robotproduction in China. The researchcenter performs first rate R&D forfuture products and applications forChina – and, in dedicated specificareas, the world.

Research in China – the right decisionfor ABBBuilding up the new Corporate ResearchCenter to the level of ABB’s other re-search centers is a challenging and in-spiring task. ABB is firmly committed tothis new Center and to the Chineseeconomy.

ABB is taking the opportunity to workwith extremely bright and well educ-tated people in a highly dynamic mar-ket; a market that demands the high-est quality products at the lowest costand delivered as fast as possible – allthis while being easy to install anduse. Meeting these demands is indeeda unique challenge – a challenge thatcannot be found anywhere else in theworld.

Christian Rehtanz

Director, ABB Corporate Resarch (China)

Beijing, China

[email protected]

ABB Review Special ReportABB in ChinaJuly 2005

Editorial Council

Peter LeuppChairman and President, ABB (China) Ltd.

Daniel AssandriHead of Power Systems, Power Technologies Division, ABB (China) Ltd.

Anders JonssonHead of Automation Technologies division,ABB (China) Ltd.

Wylie RogersCorporate Communications, ABB (China) Ltd.

Nils LefflerChief Editor, [email protected]

Publisher’s officeABB Schweiz AGCorporate ResearchABB Review/REVCH-5405 Baden-DättwilSwitzerland

Partial reprints or reproductions are permit-ted subject to full acknowledgement.Complete reprints require the publisher’swritten consent.

The ABB Review is free of charge to thosewith an interest in ABB’s technology andobjectives. For a free subscription pleasecontact your nearest ABB representative orthe publisher’s office.

Publisher and copyright ©2005ABB Ltd. Zurich /Switzerland

PrintersVorarlberger Verlagsanstalt AGAT-6850 Dornbirn /Austria

LayoutDAVILLA Werbeagentur GmbHAT-6900 Bregenz /Austria

DisclaimerThe information contained herein reflectsthe views of the authors and is for informa-tional purposes only. Readers should notact upon the information contained hereinwithout seeking professional advice. Wemake publications available with the under-standing that the authors are not renderingtechnical or other professional advice oropinions on specific facts or matters andassume no liability whatsoever in connec-tion with their use. The companies of theABB Group do not make any warranty orguarantee, or promise, expressed or im-plied, concerning the content or accuracyof the views expressed herein.

ISSN: 1013-3119

www.abb.com/abbreview

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© ABB 2003

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