In 2005 when the Scottish grid was aligned with England / Wales energy trading arrangements the Scottish power stations had to demonstrate grid compliance, including improved load control and grid frequency regulation control.
Scottish Power contracted Capula Ltd to design new BETTA-Compliant control systems for their Cockenzie (4x300MW) and Longannet (4x600MW) coal fired power plants. As lead engineer Craig Powers was responsible for project concept, overall design, implementation team lead, test, commissioning, delivery and quality of the Turbine Load and Boiler firing control for the 8 generating boilers. The Cockenzie project also involved the replacement of most of the boiler auto controls in a very short project time frame. This was a very challenging project with two distinct customers, two diverse power plants (one hard desk, one soft desk), 8 generating units/boilers, all to be delivered from concept to go-live in 9 months. Both plants used iFix and Siemens Moore APACS.
Cutlass was an in-house software platform designed by the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) in the 1980s prior to privatisation. Ahead of its time, with very high quality algorithms and fault handling it is still in use to this day.
Craig Powers was involved in the following Cutlass installation projects:
1980’s, Heysham 2 Nuclear Power Station, (2x660MWe, AGR), test and commissioning engineer
1989/90, Agecroft (coal fired, 120MW units), Cutlass replacing pneumatic controls on hard desk
1990~94, Aberthaw ‘B’ (coal fired, 3x500MW), Cutlass auto controls with hard desk, since replaced by APACS and a soft desk
1994~97, Integrated Load Control, National Power coal fired fleet
Other experience:
1997~1999, Fiddlers Ferry PS (coal fired, 4x500MW units).Conversion of hard-desk auto boiler controls to soft-desk integration. Coal Mill Sequencing.
2000~2002, Fiddlers Ferry PS (coal, 4x500MW). Process engineer, staff position supporting the station’s Cutlass and Allen Bradley systems.
Ratcliffe PS Cutlass ~ softdesk conversion and ongoing support for Combustion Improvement
Cottam PS Cutlass ~ ongoing support for Combustion Improvement
- Ironbridge PS, Water Treatment Plant Sequencing
- Ratcliffe PS, FGD Bypass / ID Booster Fan Control Optimisation
Two ongoing projects to improve the existing Cutlass auto boiler control algorithms to provide improved control accuracy, reduced emissions, reduced risk of plant damage, greater operating flexibility and load changing capability.
• Cottam PS (coal fired, 4x500MW) ~ significant improvements to FD combustion air control and superheater steam temperature control. The latter is targeted as reducing plant damage due to temperature exceedances. All areas of the auto-boiler controls will be addressed under this project (firing, drum level control etc).
• Ratcliffe PS (coal fired, 4x500MW) ~ significant improvements to ID/FD draught control giving improving load changing, reduced emissions, and greater operating flexibility. FGD Bypass Control has been improved leading to major reductions in works power with full pay back measured in just days.
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