Principle & Requirements of Compressors in Hydropower Station

How to generate electricity from hydropower?

We need to build hydropower stations. The core of a hydropower station is a host machine which combined with water turbine and hydro-generator, the oil, gas and water system equipment is the auxiliary equipment of the host machine.
The compressed air system is an important part of the auxiliary equipment, which is composed of air compression device, pipeline system and gas equipment. There are many gas applications in hydropower station, which have strict requirements on air pressure.

How to configure the compressed air system in a hydropower station？

According to the different working pressures, the compressed air system of hydropower station can be roughly divided into:
≥2-2.5MPaHigh pressure system
≤0.6-0.8MPaLow pressure system

Compressed Air for High pressure system

Pressure tank aeration
Oil pressure tank inflation, water machine adjustment system and main valve operating system’s energy.
Working pressure 2.5Mpa

Compressed air for power distribution equipment
Operation of air circuit breakers and pneumatic disconnecting switches in power distribution equipment.
Breaker working pressure 2.5Mpa

For drying purposes, the compressed air pressure is required to be 2-4 times the working pressure.

Compressed Air for Low Pressure System

Compressed air for power of machine set
Brake device needs compressor air when the machine set was shut down
Working pressure 0.7MPa
Compressed air for Regulating phase pressure for water

Compressed air for Anti-freezing and blowing ice
Freezing and ice blowing of hydropower station building gate, sewage barrier and pressure regulating well in cold area.
Working pressure 0.3-0.4MPa

For drying purposes, the compressed air pressure is required to be twice the working pressure.

Pneumatic tools
Pneumatic tools and blow cleaning during maintenance.
Working pressure0.7MPa
Compressed air for host machine
Compressed air for Main valve
Butterfly valve ‘s water sealing
The working pressure is greater than the water pressure 0.1-0.3MPa

It can be seen that the compressed air system plays a key role in the process of hydroelectric power station.
Reliable and stable compressed air, dry and clean quality, can improve efficiency, constantly meet the demand for electricity.

Focus Extension

In thermal power plants, air compressors serve several purposes as follows:
1. Ash removal: Typically, the actual air pressure required for ash removal is 4-4.5 bar, whereas in the past, air compressors were commonly selected with a pressure of 7-8 bar.
2. Instrument air: This refers to the air used for pneumatic actuators in valves, and the terminal air pressure is generally around 4-5 bar.
In addition, air compressors are also used for starting large equipment, typically utilizing high-pressure piston machines.