OREANDA-NEWS. July 27, 2011. RusHydro and Power Machines have signed an agreement for the reconstruction of seven impellers of Cheboksarskaya HPP hydro units. 

Under the terms of the agreement, Power Machines specialists are to work on reconstructing impellers of hydro units No. 2, 6, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, including the production of new parts and elements of rotary vane impellers. The first of the seven impellers is scheduled to be delivered in May 2013 and the last in May 2016.

The aim of the reconstruction is to change the hydro units from propeller induced to rotary vane mode. This will significantly improve technical and economic performance and increase the hydro power plant's efficiency as a whole. Under the existing pressure, the new impeller should work in a better mode, at the top of the efficiency ratio, that enables to increase available capacity by 7%. In addition, the present ability to turn vanes while regulating hydro turbine capacity increases the service life of the equipment of the whole unit.

Power Machines began to work on reconstruction of Cheboksarskaya HPP five years ago. In 2008 the impeller of hydro unit No. 7 was reconstructed, and work on reconstructing the impeller of hydro unit No. 8 is currently being completed. In addition, in the fourth quarter of this year, Power Machines are to complete reconstruction of the impeller of hydro unit No. 16, and in the second quarter of 2012 – of hydro unit No. 4.

Cheboksarskaya HPP hydro units are environmentally-friendly structures that exclude machine oil leakage into the water.Installation and commissioning of the largest Kaplan units not only in the USSR but in the the world began in the Volga-Kama basin for Cheboksarskaya and Nizhnekamskaya HPPs in the 1970s and 80s. The hydro turbines were not only unique in size but in the principles of operating the blade turning crankgear in an oil free environment. This was used for the first time in the world in the construction of hydro turbine impellers. This also solved the vital environmental issue when using water resources of such an important artery as the Volga and Kama for power generation.

Cheboksarskaya HPP impellers reconstruction is being carried out as part of the large scale station modernisation programme and is aimed at not only increasing hydro unit capacity but also at increasing operational reliability and safety of the whole HPP.

This project extends Power Machines' successful partnership with RusHydro aimed at developing the Russian hydro power industry. As well as working together on the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP overhaul, power industry and power engineering specialists implement several projects including construction of Boguchanskaya HPP and Zagorskaya PSPP-2, renovation of hydro units for Volzhskaya, Rybinskaya, Saratovskaya and Zhigulyovskaya HPPs.