Obiettivo The aim of this project is to demonstrate and prove that :1. the technical targets of efficiency development from 36% to 44% for the Heron turbine is possible, and can be realised against acceptable cost during future production, with sufficiently expected lifetime and reliability as well as availability;2. that such turbines can be sold on the world market, in numbers justifying industrial serial production of such turbines (total world market several thousands per year; sales targets 50-200 turbines per year, to be reached after ten years, realistic for a sales price of 1500 Dfl/kW);3. Originally an additional aim was the inclusion of the three turbines at the originally planned site of Ankersmit Holding. After changing the contract on 2 December 1991, the location was changed, Heron Turbines BV became the main contractor and a new customer. Nutsbedrijf Westland NV took the position of launching customer.Results so far (July 1993) point towards reaching the ultimate targets with only a slight time delay of perhaps six months. The first turbine (HO) was built and extensively tested. More than 150 start-up/shut-down cycles were tested, and the originally targeted electrical efficiency was surpassed. After a few minor corrections, it turns out that this turbine actually reaches 38% electrical efficiency. Most of this increase in performance is due to the very high efficiency of the power turbine, which is identical to the power turbine used in the future commercial versions.The turbine was further improved and the design optimised, and a special optimised compressor (as well as compressor turbine) was designed. This so-called "gas generator" was largely built and tested. The H1-version was designed, and is currently under construction. This machine will reach 44% electrical efficiency, and will therefore successfully demonstrate the targeted efficiency, which was orignally planned to be reached in the third version only.The company Heron Turbines, however, suffered a difficult financial situation when the investments in commercialisation began to become too high for the list of relatively small shareholders. Therefore, a new commercialisation structure was foreseen and the Heron company was put on sale. Two years of negotiations followed, during which progress was made on the development side, but actual construction investments could not be made because of the financial decisions made by the old shareholders. A few world market developments (Gulf crisis; recession; priority setting of new potential shareholders) provided for a further delay, but ultimately of the beginning of 1993 a financial consortium took over the shares of Heron Turbines BV and decided for full commercialisation. The H1-version will be commercialised since the performance data of that turbine (44% electrical efficiency; 10-20 g/GJNOX) are fully in compliance with the expectation that the Heron turbine will be commercially successful. The prototype already was a world record in electrical power generating efficiency of any gas turbine. The commercial version will also represent a world record. The necessity to build a third prototype demonstrator is therefore not present. Further development, outside the scope of this project, will however be continued: Heron developed in combination with Mannesmann a series of stepwise developments in which the Heron turbine can be combined with hydrogen technology and, in the future, with fuel cells. This enables a further increase in the electrical efficiency, in combination with fuel cells even to a value of 65-70% electrical. Heron's new shareholders decided to pursue this commercialisation route, with the basic H1-version as the main commercial product.Heron Turbines BV has developed the new so-called "Heron turbine cycle", in which waste heat from a power turbine is recovered for pre-heat of the compressed air in the so-called "recuperator". Moreover, the turbine combusts a large part of its fuel in the low pressure combustor, i.e. downstream the compressor turbine, but upstream the power turbine, and as a consequence of these steps a very high electrical efficiency is guaranteed, even through the material conditions are very mild: turbine inlet temperatures are at least 200-400 deg. C lower than state-of the art, and pressure ratio is low as well. This specific combination of conditions can only be realised in relatively small capacity turbines, and Heron selected a size range in which the world market is large and still demanding for a product with acceptable efficiency. This project was originally planned to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of this turbine in a three-stage project; increasing the electrical efficiencyand improving the environmental performance in a step-wise process. The first turbines (the so-called "HO") would have to reach 35% electrical efficiency; the second to approach 40% efficiency; and the third had an efficiency target of 44%. Emissions for NOX should stepwise go down to approach a level of 10-20 g/GJ in the third turbine. Moreover, this development programme would have to be the basis of a commercialisation activity for the Heron turbine. Ultimately, the target to be realised is commercialisation.In the original project description, Ankersmit Holding would host the three turbines, since they would together match the heat and power demands of this particular customer. However, the situation changed for that company, and the economics of the project became unattractive. Therefore, Ankersmit Holding withdraw from the contract, and its position as prime contractor was taken over by Heron Turbines BV itself. As a launching customer, Nutsbedrijf Westalnd NV was found and the contract with the European Community was amended. Programma(i) ENG-ENDEMO C - Programme (EEC) of demonstration projects and industrial pilot projects (EEC) in the energy field, 1985-1989 Argomento(i) 2.1 - ELECTRICITY Invito a presentare proposte Data not available Meccanismo di finanziamento DEM - Demonstration contracts Coordinatore HERON TURBINES BV Contributo UE Nessun dato Indirizzo ARNHEMSESTRAATWEG 39 6881 ND VELP Paesi Bassi Mostra sulla mappa Costo totale Nessun dato
