Emerson to Deliver Control Technologies for Nevada Solar Project to Power 75,000 Homes
Ovation™ advanced control technologies will enhance availability,
performance of first U.S. commercial-scale facility that utilizes
integrated energy storage to generate electricity on demand
Emerson Process Management, a global business of Emerson (NYSE: EMR),
has been awarded a contract to apply its Ovation™ expert control system
at the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project near Tonopah, Nev. When it
comes online at the end of 2013, this 110-megawatt concentrated solar
power (CSP) project will be the first commercial-scale solar facility in
the United States to generate power from solar energy that is captured
and stored in liquid molten salt.
The project, which is being developed by Tonopah Solar Energy LLC, an
affiliate of SolarReserve LLC, is expected to produce enough clean,
renewable electricity to power more than 75,000 homes during peak
electricity demand, and will be executed by Cobra Thermosolar Plants,
Inc. as engineering, procurement and construction contractor.
The Crescent Dunes facility will use SolarReserve’s CSP technology,
which enables energy from the sun to be captured and stored to generate
electricity on demand – not only when the sun is shining – thereby
contributing to overall grid stability. The facility’s 10,500 mirror
assemblies focus the sun’s energy to heat molten salt that flows through
a central receiver, which sits atop a 540-foot-tall solar power tower.
The molten salt will flow from the “cold” storage tank, up the tower
where it circulates through the receiver and is heated by the sun’s
energy from 500 degrees Fahrenheit to 1050 degrees. The molten salt then
flows down to the “hot” storage tank, where the thermal energy will be
used to produce steam to power a standard steam turbine, which then
generates electricity. Excess thermal energy will be stored in the
molten salt.
Emerson’s Ovation technology will directly control the circuit and
heating process of the molten salt system, the water/steam cycle and
auxiliary processes. The control system will also provide supervisory
control of the mirrors and interface with the turbine control system.
An important consideration in the selection of Emerson was the robust
diagnostic capabilities offered by its AMS Suite predictive maintenance
software. AMS Suite will provide online access to instrument and valve
diagnostics and automatic documentation of field device maintenance
information – all contributing to ongoing efficiency at the solar plant.
It will also be used to streamline device configuration and
commissioning.
“This is a truly innovative project that will be an important source of
clean, reliable electricity,” said Bob Yeager, president of Emerson
Process Management’s Power & Water Solutions. “By providing integrated
control of major equipment and processes, our Ovation system and the
predictive intelligence of AMS Suite will play a key role in the smooth,
efficient operation of this noteworthy solar project.”
The contract was awarded by Cobra Thermosolar Plants Inc.
About Emerson Process Management
Emerson Process Management (www.EmersonProcess.com),
an Emerson business, is a leader in helping businesses automate their
production, processing and distribution in the power, water and
wastewater treatment, chemical, oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper,
mining and metals, food and beverage, life sciences and other
industries. Emerson brands include PlantWeb™, Ovation™, Scenario™,
SmartProcess™, SureService™, Syncade™, DeltaV™, Fisher®,
Micro Motion®, Rosemount®, Daniel™, and
AMS Suite.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), based in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global
leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide
innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and
consumer markets around the world. The company is comprised of five
business segments: Process Management, Industrial Automation, Network
Power, Climate Technologies, and Commercial & Residential Solutions.
Sales in fiscal 2012 were $24.4 billion. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com.