6th Framework Programme:

„Development and field testing of a compact HTS hydro power generator with reduced investment costs, lowered environmental impacts and strongly improved performance to reduce the price per kWh”
nr 518311 (SES6), acronym: HYDROGENIE

„Opracowanie i testy przemysłowe kompaktowego hydrogeneratora HTS o zredukowanych kosztach inwestycyjnych, obniżonym oddziaływaniu na środowisko oraz parametrach silnie zwiększonych w celu zredukowania ceny kWh”,
nr 518311 (SES6), akronim: HYDROGENIE

Project is realised by consortium: CONVERTEAM Ltd, Vector Fields, United Kingdom, ZENERGY Power GmbH (Trithor) & E.ON Wasserkraft GmbH Germany, Stirling Cryogenics & Refrigeration BV, KEMA BV, The Netherland, Silesian University of Technology (SUT), Poland.

The objective of the project is: analysis, design, realisation, insite test, commissioning and putting into operation of hydrogenerator 1.7 MW, 214 rpm, 5 kV, 50 Hz, 2p=28.

The hydrogenerator will be put into operation in hydroelectric power station in Hirschaid, Bavaria Germany.

Department of Power Electronics, Electrical Drives and Robotics (KENER) of Silesian University of Technology (SUT) is a Polish partner in consortium.

The partners carry out the following works. They are:

• overall design of HTS generator,
• HD-stator re-desing and manufacture,
• design and manufacture of conventional parts of HTS generator,
• choice of concept of heat transfer,
• development and manufacture of a new, maintenance free, high efficient, reliable, large capacity cryocooler for 30K use,
• development and manufacture of advanced HTS wires, coils and pole sets,
• development test rig for pole sets,
• 3D-Electromagnets, thermal and mechanical finite element studies,
• development of monitoring, controls, and protection,
• installation co-ordination of generator and testing in a hydro power plant,
• system assembly, system testing,
• project management, site evaluation, and co-ordination of electrical and mechanical integration of generator into hydro power plant.

Silesian University of Technology - Department of Power Electronics, Electrical Drives and Robotics - carries research work that embraces:

• overall design of HTS generator,
• FEM electromangetic analysis of pole together with HTS coils in order to fing proper position of temperature sensors and points of voltage measurements,
• choice of temperature sensors,
• design and manufacture system of data acquisition and data transmission from rotor of HTS generator,
• design and manufacturing test rig for tests of small sample coils, measurements o small sample coils in LN2,
• contactless transmission of electrinal energy based on rotational transformer,
• tests of data transmission using Bluetooth,
• spin tests of getter, MKS925 Micropirani vacuum gauge and control unit.

Basing on the knowledge obtained during co-operation in the framework of HYDROGENIE and having great help from project pratners the Department of Power Electronics, Electrical Drives and Robotics (KENER) - SUT organized laboratory for research of applications of superconductivity.

Some example results of the research done by SUT, for the HYDROGENIE project are given below.

Flux density distribution in rotor and stator of HTS generator

LabView system for measuring current-voltage characteristics of HTS wires

Test rig for testing small HTS coils at LN2

Small HTS coil and testing rig for tests at LN2

Schematic diagram of the contacless electrical energy transmission device with rotational transformer Tran and Class D inverter

Photograph of contactless electrical energy transmission device

Photograph of details of contactless electrical energy transmission device; rotational transformer with driving motor (left), rotational transformer with light bulb as load

Block diagram of Bluetooth data transmission from rotor to stator of HTS generator

Circuit diagram of measuring system of voltage distribution over HTS coils of HTS generator

Speed profile and laboratory set-up for tests of getter under rotation

Idea and the test rig (under rotation) for MKS925 vacuum gauge testing

The test rig for spin tests of control unit

Other details are put on the following website.