OREANDA-NEWS. February 01, 2013. Cheboksarskaya HPP (RusHydro JSC) together with Power Machines OJSC have completed the reconstruction of another hydropower unit - that one under plant’s number 4.

In line with the program for comprehensive upgrade implemented by RusHydro the manufacturer's engineers have reconstructed the runner blade operating mechanism and restored Kaplan mode of its operation. The upgrade will allow to change the turbine blades turning angle depending on the load and pressure head thus providing maximum power output of the hydropower unit at minimal water consumption. 

Moreover, in the course of large-scale reconstruction of the hydropower unit No. 4 specialists of the RusHydro subsidiary – Turboremont-VKK OJSC – have replaced the iron of the generator rotor rim with new one.  

Hydropower unit No. 4 has been put into operation after completion of all the scope of works and carrying out commissioning tests with the participation of specialists from the RusHydro JSC affiliate – Cheboksarskaya HPP, contract assembly companies and a supervision engineer from Power Machines OJSC. 

Power Machines started the reconstruction of Cheboksarskaya HPP’s hydropower units in 2007 by modernizing the blade operating mechanism of the runner No. 7. In 2011-2012 the power engineering company reconstructed the runners of hydropower units No. 16 and No. 8. In 2011 Power Machines and RusHydro concluded contract to reconstruct seven more hydropower units of Cheboksarskaya HPP. At present Power Machines are restoring the Kaplan mode of operation of the runner at hydropower unit No. 15, which is to be put into operation in Q3 2013.  The housing, blades and other components of the runner of another hydro turbine – that one under plant's number 6 – have been delivered to the manufacturer in order to perform similar upgrade. This turbine is to be put into operation in Q4 this year. The delivery of the last of the seven reconstructed runners is scheduled for May 2016.

Cheboksarskaya HPP’s hydropower units have environmentally friendly design with oil-free runner hubs. The project was developed in the 1970s at Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod which manufactured the equipment for Cheboksarskaya HPP and Nizhnekamskaya HPP in the 1980s. In 2006 Power Machines implemented the project for the existing runner reconstruction.  

In October 2012 Power Machines and RusHydro extended the scope of their cooperation aimed at the renovation of the Cheboksarskaya HPP hydropower units by concluding a contract to upgrade eight hydro generators. After their examination and project development Power Machines specialists will manufacture eight sets of stators with the equipment required to complete the hydro generators configuration. Besides, specialists of Power Machines will provide installation supervision of the equipment supplied. The delivery of the first of the eight sets is scheduled for January 2014 and that of the last one – for February 2017.  

"All the hydropower units are reconstructed taking into account their operation at the Cheboksary Reservoir design reference waterlevel of 68 m, which both the plant and its hydropower units were designed for," points out Evgeny Schegolkov, chief engineer of the RusHydro JSC affiliate – Cheboksarskaya HPP. "The upgrade is aimed at increasing the reliability and operational safety of the HPP equipment as well as reducing its operation and maintenance costs".