ABB Upgrades Turbine Control System at Dominion's Mecklenburg Power Station


Symphony control system improves start-up to meet evolving operational requirements



ABB Automation & Power World, Orlando, FL – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, today announced that it has successfully commissioned a Symphony turbine control upgrade at Dominion's Mecklenburg Power Station in Virginia.



The Mecklenburg Power Station is a 2 x 69 MW coal-fired generating unit equipped with fluidized gas desulfurization (FGD) equipment to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide and with exhaust gas baghouses to trap fly ash. The plant began commercial operation in 1992 and produces enough electricity for 34,500 homes.



As with many power plants, the operating demands at the Mecklenburg Station have changed significantly over the course of time. These units were originally designed as base load, cogeneration units. Today, the cogeneration aspect is gone and they are deployed as "corner" units, which operate between moderate and peaking load.  It is not uncommon for them to cycle between full and minimum load three to four times per day.  



ABB replaced the existing GE-Mark III+ control system with a Symphony solution that would better handle the current operating environment and address specific plant concerns.  The customized solution integrated all of the following into a single control system: automatic start-up, automatic synchronization, automatic valve calibration, speed control, runback logic, load control, isochronous control, overspeed testing and vibration monitoring.  ABB provided a turnkey solution and shortened all aspects of the schedule.



"Innovation is a hallmark of our organization," said Massimo Danieli, head of ABB's Power Generation business, a part of the company's Power Systems division. "We recognize that it is not just our ability to replace an antiquated OEM control system that distinguishes us, but the collaborative innovations we make with our clients that allow their units to improve performance and adapt to changing operational environments."



This announcement was made at the ABB Automation & Power World conference and exhibition, ABB's premier customer gathering, held this year in Orlando.



ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 145,000 people. The company's North American operations, headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, employ about 30,000 people in multiple manufacturing, service and other major facilities.

       

For more information, please contact:

Bill Rose

ABB Media Relations

919-807-5743 – office

919-244-4879 - mobile

bill.rose@us.abb.com


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