Innovative products and technologies of Inter RAO Group
The Inter RAO Group, as a large-scale and diversified holding, lays special emphasis not only on implementing new at its energy enterprises, but also on development of innovative technologies and solutions in cooperation with front-rank manufacturing and research centers.
In October 2011, Inter RAO Group contributed to establishment of Energy Without Borders foundation, which supports research and technological development of innovations for energy industry. The Group also includes Inter RAO UES Power Efficiency Centre (a joint venture with the state corporation Rosatom), which develops and implements energy-saving solutions.
Inter RAO – Export LLC functions as a framework for promotion of the Group’s innovative products and technologies in foreign markets. For example, the following solutions have a considerable export potential:
LED systems
- Inter RAO LED Systems manages one of the largest in Russia manufacturing facilities producing LEDs and LED-based lighting devices, as well as fire alarms;
- A wide range of solutions for reduction of industrial energy consumption due to the shift to energy-efficient LED light sources and introduction of intelligent lighting controls;
- A number of accomplished major projects of LED lighting implementation at facilities of railways, chemical, power and oil&gas industries, storage facilities, housing and utilities infrastructure.
Automated metering, monitoring and dispatch of energy resources
- Automated data collection, transmission, and processing of metered values;
- Drawing up balances depending on the type of energy resource (electrical and thermal energy, hot and cold water supply, natural gas);
- Planning energy consumption within set up capacity limits;
- Modeling various combinations of resources distribution due to different tariff rates;
- Interaction with other subsystems within an integrated information system; a possibility of selective energy metering for billing individuals; ensuring the balance of energy purchase and consumption;
- Monitoring of energy consumption and checking actual costs for identifying sources of loss.
Innovative technologies for repair and renovation of energy equipment
In November, 2013, Inter RAO — Assembly Coating Center, a unique innovative enterprise, started operation. The Center provides repair and renovation of power generation equipment and assemblies. The Energy Without Borders Foundation funded the research and development of innovative technologies, robotic equipment and special materials that will be used to apply surface coatings to equipment parts. These technologies ensure duplication of the useful life of turbine blades and increase the efficiency of power generation units.
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Typical problems for turbine equipment at thermal power plants:
- Deterioration of turbine blade parts leads to negative consequences for the entire power unit and requires turbine halt;
- Operating blades are the most important and expensive parts in the turbine flow path;
- The cost of dealing with accidents and lost profits from power plant downtime may amount up to millions of dollars.
SURFACE-COATING TECHNOLOGIES OF Inter RAO Group:
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Laser cladding:
- Minimal mixture of the cladding material with the base;
- Minimal area for thermal interference;
- Low residual stress, which enables carry out an operation without prior and following heating.
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Gas-thermal spraying methods (high-speed gas flame spraying, plasma spraying):
- No limits for the dimensions of equipment parts;
- The process may be carried out both on the shop floor and outside;
- Wide range of options for coating materials.
