MAGAZINE FoR HYDROPOWER TECHNOLOGYHyPower#27 | Spring 2016

Bringing Industrie 4.0 to the hydropower industry

Future-ready
GLOBAL EXPERTiSE

TRANSFORMING HYDRO THROUGH AUTOMATIONAGENDA SETTINGSERVICES FOR TODAY AND TOMORROWEditorial

Imprint
Publisher:
Voith GmbH
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Germany
www.voith.com
Responsible for the publisher:
Ute Böhringer-Mai
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Gudrun Köpf
Editorial Team:Elke Kleinknecht, Susanne Speiser, Dr. Vesna Stirnadel
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HyPower is printed on Respecta Silk. This paper
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Your Feedback: If you have any
comments or questions on this issue of
HyPower, please contact us: hypower@voith.com

Photographs:
Cover: shutterstock/123dartist, P. 8/9: Connie Zhou/Action Press, p. 11: Dawin Meckel, Berlin (rightI),
Rüdiger Nehmzow, Düsseldorf (above), p. 15/16: Christian Wesser, Heidenheim, p. 17: Dawin Meckel,
p. 24: Manfred Georg Schwellies, Hohenlockstedt, p. 32: Dawin Meckel (above), p. 33: Rüdiger­Nehmzow (above), p. 34: Hayman Studios, York (PA) USA, p. 35: Christian Wesser, p. 36: Rüdiger­Nehmzow, p. 40/41: Getty Images/Prakash Singh, p. 44: Getty Images, p. 45: Stocksy

Join us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/voith_hydroKEEPING THE ENERGY FLOWing
In the 21st century, the demand for power isalways on. For power producers that means
reliability is key. Automation systems and plant
services are therefore of highest importance,and especially when it comes to hydropower,
because plants are often located in remote­locations, without easy access.
Of course, automation and services have­always been important in any hydropower project, and many decades-old skills and technologies are still vital today. However, change is on
the horizon.
“Industrie 4.0” or the “Internet of Things”
promises to take automation and service to thenext level, by providing constant streams of operational data that can be analyzed remotely,
and used to better predict maintenance needs.
You might ask yourself what are the benefits related, since new solutions require investments.
It’s the reduced risk of breakdowns, hence lessdowntime, higher plant reliability and more flexible operating modes.
Voith is driving progress for its customers
in this new era of Industrial IT through the­stablishment of its new Digital Solutionse­division, which took place 1 April 2016.
This new division is the perfect complement to the proven set of hydropower products, services and integrated plant solutions
that Voith Hydro offers. The combination ofstate-of the-art automation innovation, and services that are rooted in deep expertise developed over almost 150 years, will help our customers take advantage of the newly connectedworld, while at the same time ensuring thesafety and integrity of their hydropower plants.
This new edition of HyPower provides insight into exactly how this is being achieved.
Enjoy the read!

Yours sincerely,

Ute Böhringer-Mai
Vice President Global Market Communication

All other photos are from Voith.

HyPower 2016 | 3

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

8

24

40

36

AGENDA SETTING

8

Building a smarter plant
Insight into how Voith is working
with its customers to shape theapplication of Industrie 4.0 within
the hydropower sector

22	Training the next
generation
Voith Hydro School is ensuring abright future for hydropowerengineering
GREEN ENERGY MIX

From the Archives

28 Milestones in Turbine
Governor Developments
From the invention of the firstgovernor in the 19th century,
to the latest digital versions

Successful Partnerships

40 	Natural PowerThe breathtaking Salal
hydropower plant in
the North of India

Guest Perspective

44 	Working out water
SHORTAGE
Why measuring the sustainabilityof groundwater is an issue of
global importance	Innovation

14	Management Interview
Discover more about Voith through its
other insightful publications.

The outgoing and incoming
CEOs of Voith Hydro discuss thecompany’s future

24	More stability,
less wear
Innovative control technology
supports grid stability by ensuring
a smooth flow of power

17 Collaboration is ALL
How teams work together to solve
customer challenges

03	EDITORIAL
06 what’s new
07	ON TOPIC
43	World of Voith
46 5 questions for …
47	Global View
4 | HyPower 2016

18	Always up and running
Extending plant life and minimizing
downtime for hydropower
operators

The extraordinary breadth anddepth of Voith’s portfolio

How automation technology
streamlines hydropower plant
operation around the world

All about the latest innovationsin narrow gap welding

34	SERVICE HEROES
Today, hydropower operators
demand complete plants, not justmachinery

27	Less is more
20	DEEP EXPERTISE

42 Mind the Gap
30 Automation in action

FULL-LINE SUPPLIER

26	The power of integration
REGULARS

Global Expertise

The significance of standardization
at the Dakter power plant in the
Vietnamese mountains

Two service specialists provide
very different perspectives on an
essential role

36	Comprehensivecompetence
How a history of acquisitions andjoint ventures benefits Voith Hydro
customers
HyPower 2016 | 5

What’s new

On topic

Power on a huge scale

SMOOTH TRANSITIONS AT THE TOP
In October 2015 and January 2016, important changes took place in the Boards of Management at Voith
Group and Voith Hydro that will power the future success of Voith and its customers.
New CEO – Uwe Wehnhardt

After a successful stint as CEO of theGroup Division Voith Hydro, Dr. Roland
Münch has become CEO of the newGroup Division Voith Digital Solutions,which will oversee the development ofinnovative digital business models forthe entire Voith Group. Replacing him as
CEO of Voith Hydro is Uwe Wehnhardt,
an industrial engineering graduate witha long track record of management success at major international enterprises
such as Procter & Gamble and Alfred
Kärcher Gmbh & Co. KG. Previously­Executive Vice President at Voith Paper
Rolls, and appointed as a Member ofthe Management Board of Voith Hydro
in 2011, Mr. Wehnhardt brings a
combination of profound technical­know-how and a deep understanding ofcustomer needs to the role.

Uwe Wehnhardt

Dr. Tobias Keitel

Round and roundOn average, a Francis turbine completes 50,000,000 revolutions per year

50,000,000

Martin Andrä2

Big data

The sensors in a single hydropower plant
produce 3.5 terabytes of data per year.

Group and MAN Ferrostaal AG before
joining Voith Hydro as a project manager
in 2011. He held various management
positions before being appointed Headof the Business Unit for new Large
Hydro projects in 2014.
New CMO – Martin Andrä

Following the retirement of his predecessor Jürgen Sehnbruch in September
2015, Martin Andrä has been appointed as Voith Hydro’s new Chief Market-

SUPPORTING ECONOMIC GROWTHINDIA Attended by none other than the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, the inauguration of the
Baglihar II hydroelectric project in Jammu and Kashmir state took place on 7 November 2015. It marked
the completion of a two-site, 900 MW hydropower
project that is vital to the future economic and social
prospects of this energy-deficit state. Led by Voith
Hydro, the consortium responsible for the supply,
construction and commissioning of the plant delivered the project on time, despite severe geologicaland climatic challenges during its execution. //6 | HyPower 2016

1

revolutions

New COO – Dr. Tobias Keitel

Following Mr. Wehnhardt as Chief Operations Officer of Voith Hydro will be
Dr. Tobias Keitel, who studied industrial
engineering and holds an MBA. Previously, he was with Boston ­Consulting

From turbine revolutions to thedata generated and power output,hydropower produces some pretty
big numbers. And in the future, thosenumbers will just keep going up!

3.5 terabytes (TB) equates to a log book­containing 1,750,000,000 DIN A4 pages.

A person would need 4,000 years to readthrough this data.

4,000

ing Officer. Having held various senior
management positions at Siemens AG
in Erlangen and Brazil for 17 years,
Mr. Andrä joined Voith Siemens Hydro
Kraftwerkstechnik Gmbh & Co. KG in
2000, and was made Chairman of theBoard in 2003. Following a successful
period as CEO of Voith Hydro Shanghai
Ltd. in China, he has now been appointed a Member of the Management
Board at Voith Hydro, with global responsibility for Sales and Marketing. //years

3.5 TB
1.75 bn
DIN A4 pages

3

Ring, ring

4

Over the course of a year 2 billion smartphones need
2,000,000,000 kWh.

Hydropower production

The Three Gorges Dam in China produced 98.8 billion kWhof energy in 2014.

98.8
2 bn

smartphones

2 bn kWhbn kWhHyPower 2016 | 7

agenda Setting

agenda Setting

Building asmarter plant

I

Collecting and analyzing large
volumes of data creates value for
Voith and its customers.
8 | HyPower 2016

ndustrie 4.0 is more than a buzzword –it’s a revolution. In fact, it’s the fourth
in a series of revolutions that began in
the 19th century with the move fromfarms to factories, continued in the early
20th century with electrification andmass production, and progressed to digital automation in the 1960s and 1970s.
Industrie 4.0, or the Internet of Things,
marks the era of industrial digitization.
It’s defined by: machines communicating
autonomously with other machines; theuse of sensors in machinery to collecthuge volumes of data; the rapid analysisof that data to produce actionable insight for decision-making; the use of
consumer information and communication technology (ICT) in an industrial

HyPower 2016 | 9

agenda Setting

agenda Setting

environment; and establishing a communications infrastructure that supports
data and insight distribution, as well as
action. And the potential business value
is significant.
Ultimately, that value can be measured in the use of digital technology tomake industrial systems of all kinds– from manufacturing to plant operation – more efficient, reliable and­secure, thereby r­ educing risk and cost.
But it can also open the door to newservice-based business models focusedon, for example, the ability to predict
equipment failures before they happen.
In the hydropower sector, the Internetof Things offers Voith Hydro and its
customers a wealth of new possibilities.
Specifically, Industrie 4.0 solutions havethe potential to help plant operators:
increase plant availability; reduce maintenance/servicing cost and effort; andreduce cost and risk through increased
infrastructure safety and security.

“Smart Services canhelp maximize hydropower’s contribution
to the energy mix
by delivering cost and­efficiency benefits.”
Dr. Felix Flemming
Voith Digital Solutions
10 | HyPower 2016

Long-term opportunities
The opportunities generated by the Internet of Things are exciting. But taking advantage of them requires a complete change of mindset and approachwithin the hydropower industry. Let’stake maximizing the operational efficiency of a turbine through maintenance as an example.
A “1.0” approach to this issue would
be to run the turbine to failure, shut it
down, dismantle and rebuild it, and thenreturn it to operation. This is clearly aslow and expensive operation in terms of
the repair itself, the manpower required,
and the power generation time lost.
The typical preventative (“2.0”) approach used today is to follow a fixed
period maintenance schedule and perform repairs or replace parts even if it is
not strictly necessary – the equivalent of
replacing a car tire after a fixed numberof kilometers. This approach is a step
forward, but still not optimal, because it

does not maximize the return on every
component.
Condition-based maintenance (“3.0”)
improves on this scenario by using sensors to constantly measure the conditionof the machinery, so that problems canbe identified and resolved quickly. This
saves time and money, because it eliminates the need to employ a team of engineers to take the machinery apart, in order to assess its condition accurately.
Finally, predictive maintenance isthe true Industrie 4.0 approach. If the
combination of different sensor data,
distributed digitally to smart analytics
systems, indicates a high chance of component failure in, for example, three
weeks, an operator could: receive a recommendation to change the turbine’s
mode of operation to extend that period
to five weeks; order the required sparepart, which has a delivery time of fourweeks; shut down the turbine after fourweeks and six days, replace the part, andstart operation again immediately. Thiskind of “just-in-time repair” provides aperfect example of how Industrie 4.0
will allow hydropower operators to utilize new technologies, while simultaneously extracting maximum value fromthe infrastructure they already have. Indeed, maximizing long-term operational efficiency and ROI will, in the future,
be as much about leveraging data andsoftware services that prolong the life ofexisting infrastructure, as it will be
about large capital investments in newmachinery.
The Digital S­ olutions difference
Voith believes that taking advantage ofIndustrie 4.0 is a challenge that should
be faced and mastered together with its
customers. The Task Force Industrie
4.0 at Voith Hydro, which has now become part of Voith Digital Solutions, ispioneering the development of smart
solutions in the hydropower industry.
Felix Flemming, the head of the Task
Force, and now a key member of theControl room and equipment

HyPower 2016 | 11

agenda Setting

agenda Setting

The security of­s eparation
Hydropower plants represent criticalsocietal infrastructure. Smart services
require the establishment of new digitalcommunication channels between
plants, factories, and the cloud, which
are potentially vulnerable to a wide
range of hacking attacks. The potential
security risks must therefore be taken
extremely seriously. After all, the potential consequences of a criminal or terrorist group taking control of a hydropower plant, for example, near a
population center, are extremely critical.
One of the ways that Voith Hydro addresses this issue is through the consequent separation of plant control andsmart service communication channels.
This ensures that, should a security
breach occur within the data collection
and distribution network, the integrityof the plant’s control systems cannot
not be compromised. In this sensitive
area, Voith has years of experiencethrough the certified Remote Support
Server, which enables secure access toa large number of paper machines andhydropower plants. In addition, the inhouse IT organization supports not only
Voith’s own organization, but also external customers with respect to the“Security and Privacy” of their global IT
infrastructure.

12 | HyPower 2016

1
1	Capim Branco power station, Brazil.
2	Cross-functional teams ensure an­optimal result.
3	Smart plant construction.

Digital Solutions team, explains whatmakes Voith’s approach so special: “Ourapproach to applying Industrie 4.0 tohydropower focuses on developing
smart solutions that help our customers
make the most of the operational, costand security benefits that digitization
can deliver. We use agile processes toensure that we can move from discussion to concept, prototype and installed
solution as quickly as possible. But mostimportant, is that the customer’s requirements and preferences are always
at the center of every project.”
This flexibility is characteristic of
how the Voith Digital Solutions teamgoes about its work. The developmentof new solutions is cross-functional andthe Industrie 4.0 team members weredeliberately selected to provide a broad

mixture of experience and talent, as
Flemming explains: “We selected new
graduates, experienced engineers, software experts, process mavens, commissioning specialists and other talented
people to give us multiple perspectives
on customers' challenges. Not only that,
we have the freedom to explore ideas
thoroughly and do things a little differently, even if that means pushing boundaries. But whatever we do, our focus isalways on what is most important to thecustomer.”In many ways, this approach represents the perfect combination of a USstyle “trial and error” development­process, with the methodical approachto engineering for which Voith andmany other German companies are famous. It’s also extremely agile, as Felix

2

3

Flemming can prove: “In March 2016,
we implemented a smart solution prototype based on an idea that was born justnine months earlier. That kind of implementation speed is unusual in the hydropower industry.”
Last but not least, Flemming believes strongly that Voith’s Industrie 4.0“Smart Services” will only be credible if
the company applies the same principles
to its own operations. That’s exactly
what the other two pillars of Voith’s
Digital Solutions initiative, “Smart Factory” and “Smart Site,” are all about.
Within Voith factories, the team is, forexample, increasing manufacturing efficiency through predictive maintenanceconcepts. Meanwhile, Smart Site initiatives are using digital technologies toimprove logistics and communications
between Voith factories and customer
sites, to accelerate equipment delivery
and plant completion times.
A smarter future for hydropower
Speaking about the potential of Industrie 4.0 for Voith Hydro and its customers, Flemming concludes: “Hydropoweris the perfect energy source for the 21st
century because it’s cheap, clean, andsustainable. Our digital solutions canhelp maximize its contribution to theenergy mix by delivering cost and efficiency benefits that will be felt acrossthe value chain, from plant manufacturers to hydropower operators and end users. Working with our customers to develop the solutions they actually need,when they need them, is the most effective and efficient way of delivering thosebenefits quickly. And our position as atrusted, long-term partner ensures customers have the confidence to invest
with us in their future success.” //HyPower 2016 | 13

AGENDA SETTINGManagement
Interview
On 1 January 2016, Uwe Wehnhardt
became CEO of the Voith Hydro
Management Board and his predecessor,
Dr. Roland Münch, began leading the newGroup Division, Voith Digital Solutions.
Here, both gentlemen discuss the futureorientation and cooperation of the twoorganizations.

Dr. Münch, why has Voith established the Group Division,
Voith Digital Solutions?
As a result of ongoing digitalization, we have seen enormouschanges over the last few years. Just think of the boom in
online trading, or the development of smartphones and tablet
PCs with their multiple functions. This digital transformation
has now also reached industry. As a technological leader inmany markets, we have a unique domain know-how, which
we would like to utilize, in order to offer our customers optimum support with this transition into a new era. For this reason, we have pooled our automation and IT competencies
within the new Group Division, Voith Digital Solutions. Together with our customers and partners, we would like to use thisnew division to jointly develop new digital applications.
Mr. Wehnhardt, you have been a member of the Voith
Hydro Management Board since 2011 and now you are its
CEO. How do you see the future interaction between
Voith Hydro and Voith Digital Solutions?
Both divisions will cooperate very closely. Our customers will
have the same contact persons in Hydro, there is no change –we work with the colleagues of the new division as one teamand benefit from the fact that we are pooling and networking
our core competencies from hydropower and automation. A
hydropower plant is an extremely valuable asset, and for its
operator it is ultimately a matter of his power plant running
reliably 24 hours per day, 7 days a week and feeding power
into the grid. With our new setup, we are able to focus on thedevelopment of solutions, in order to increase the availabilityof these plants, and thus also improve their economy.
What do these new solutions look like?
Münch: Due to constantly changing market requirements,hydropower plants have to be operated more and more­

14 | HyPower 2016

Uwe Wehnhardt, newly appointed CEO of Voith Hydro.

“Voith Hydro is excellently positioned.
It is my sincerest intention andmy responsibility to continue the­s uccesses of recent years andto add new ones.”
Uwe Wehnhardt,
CEO, Voith Hydrofl­exibly. This increases the demands on their technology.
Consequently we have to provide new solutions for monitoring and controlling these plants more efficiently, in order toprevent downtime. For this we need optimum monitoring anddiagnosis facilities. As a result, problems can be detected at
an early stage and unscheduled downtime can be prevented
more effectively through timely intervention.
Wehnhardt: And, if I may add Roland, we have already developed such systems. Today, new plants can be fitted withthem as standard. And of course, we are also able to retrofit
these devices into existing power plants.

How do you handle the subject of safety in the
Industrie 4.0 era?
Münch: Safety has the highest priority! Our applications haveto be as safe and secure as, for example, e-banking. The
competencies for this have been available within the Voith
Group for quite some time. With “Privacy and Security”, our IT
has developed a product for Voith that we have been offering
to other companies for some time now.
Does this mean that Voith offers IT security in the market?
Münch: Yes, exactly. We offer consultation, audits and software for IT security to other companies and have already successfully implemented several “Privacy and Security“ projects.
Will emerging markets and developing countries be isolated from the global economic development as a resultof Industrie 4.0, or can the current developments be regarded as an opportunity for these countries?
Münch: It is definitely an opportunity! Emerging markets in particular can benefit from it. There is often a lack of experts withyears or decades of experience, the “old hands” who, when
patrolling their power plant, can assess the condition of a plant
just by listening to the noises it makes. This is where digitalsolutions can provide the answer. I am thinking, for e­ xample, of
new apps that can be easily installed on a technician’s tablet
PC. They enable him to record data and transfer it to a team
HyPower 2016 | 15

AGENDA SETTINGAGENDA SETTING“Together with our customers andpartners, we will jointly develop
new digital applications, in orderto strengthen the competitivenessof our customers.”

Collaboration is ALL
A complex servicing requirement can’t always be solved in isolation. Voith Hydroteams in North America worked together to meet Canada’s BC Hydro expectations forstay vane modification.

Dr. Roland Münch,CEO of Voith Digital Solutions

Dr. Roland Münch, the new CEO of Voith Digital Solutions.

of experts at Voith in real time. The team then analyzes thedata and takes the relevant action. If required, service employees or spare parts can be sent to the power station immediately. This is just one example that demonstrates the huge opportunities that lie in these new digital applications.
Talking about service: at which locations will the specialists from Voith Hydro and Voith Digital Solutions bebased?
Wehnhardt: Our company is globally positioned. This issomething we won’t change. Close proximity to our customers all over the world, and the ability to visit sites promptly withstaff that are fluent in the local language, are two of our key
strengths. Our customers will keep their established c­ ontacts.
You have recently started to offer seminars for hydropower plant employees. Why does the plant engineer Voith
supplement its portfolio with training offers?
Wehnhardt: The idea actually originates from our customers,
who approached us with their requests and we reacted to this16 | HyPower 2016

demand. As a result, we created training modules, first in­Brazil and later in Canada, that are tailored to requirements inindividual regions. These seminars have proven themselves tobe a success and we intend to offer such training sessions on
a global scale in future. For example, we have already started
constructing a dedicated training center in West Africa.

In mid-2012, the Voith Hydro team in
Canada was awarded a project by BC
Hydro to modernize the turbines for the
GM Shrum Generating Station at the
W.A.C Bennett Dam. The project involved the modification of the stay vanetips, which help turn pressure energy
into kinetic energy, at the inlet and theoutlet of the plant. Fulfilling the requirement to the highest possible standards

was Voith Hydro’s first priority, which is
why they called in expert assistancefrom their colleagues based in the United States. Over the f­ollowing months,
the teams from both countries tradedknowledge and skills in installation,
machining and hand grinding the hydraulic profiles of the stay vanes, ensuring the best possible result for thecustomer.

The GM Shrum project is a positive­example of collaboration of Voith teams
from different locations to complete a
project with common goals. Existing
technology information was shared­between the teams to achieve the bestsolution. The result was a successful project for the customer and a newly trained
workforce of machinists on the side ofVoith for the North American market. //Mr. Wehnhardt, Voith Hydro is a highly successful company. In your capacity as the new CEO of Voith Hydro,
how do you plan to continue this success story?
Voith Hydro is indeed excellently positioned. It is my sincerest
intention and my responsibility to continue the successes ofrecent years and to add new ones. Our employees play animportant role in this. In my opinion, they are first class. Excellent employees lead to excellent achievements in the market
and to high customer satisfaction. This is of maximum importance to me. With a view to our product portfolio, my chief
concerns are the further expansion of small hydro and thecontinuous development of our global service network. In addition, through the development of innovations, Voith shallcontinue to occupy a top position among the leading engineering companies in global hydropower.
Mr. Wehnhardt, we leave you with a personal question:
what do you find most exciting about hydropower?
There are many things that I find exciting. Above all, the factthat hydropower is a renewable, clean and reliable resource.
Hydropower can store huge amounts of energy and thus support the expansion of renewable energies. Consequently,­hydropower makes a significant contribution to reliable andeco-friendly energy supplies, and is the perfect basis for thesustainable and successful economic development of regions
and societies. //International collaboration
between Voith teams ensures­maximum customer satisfaction.
HyPower 2016 | 17

AGENDA SETTINGAGENDA SETTING

Always up andrunning

The Voith HyService™ Portfolio
Voith HyService offers different products within these segments:

Voith HyService™ is committed to extending the life of hydropower plants
and keeping them operating optimally, wherever they are.

“Our customers make huge investments in our technology
when building a hydropower facility. Our mission is clear: tohelp them extract maximum value for the long term.” So says
Kirsten Lange, Chief Business Development Officer of Voith
Hydro with responsibility for the worldwide service business.
Service is a huge undertaking, with challenges that range fromworking with technology that may be decades old, to accessing facilities in remote or dangerous locations. But the objectives are always clear – to keep equipment running smoothly,
and to extend its functional life at any point in its life cycle.
With nearly 150 years of experience in manufacturing, installing and maintaining its own hydropower equipment, andlooking after equipment from many other manufacturers, Voithis perfectly placed to achieve these objectives. And the advantages for customers are clear, as Lange explains: “As afull-line supplier, Voith offers a complete range of hydropower
service solutions. Customers rely on us to minimize downtime. But it’s not just about repairing equipment when things

Kirsten Lange
Chief Business Development­Officer, Voith Hydro
18 | HyPower 2016

go wrong. We also focus on preventing future breakdowns
and extending the life of equipment. After all, downtime costs
our customers money, and by helping them reduce it, we
make a positive impact on their bottom line.”
From simple repairs to general overhauls, restoring systems to their original state, or full maintenance contracts,
Voith’s service capabilities cover all generator types, turbinesand hydraulic machines and valves, as well as automation
and auxiliary equipment. “It’s this breadth and depth of expertise that really sets Voith HyService apart,” says Christian
Pötsch, Head of Service at Voith Hydro. “There is literally no
problem we haven’t encountered, and our local service centers across the globe ensure knowledge is transferred easily,so that we can solve any issue quickly. It also ensures ourhigh standards of service excellence are maintained everywhere, at all times. Moreover, we guarantee our services aredelivered on time and on budget, for a wide range of hydropower equipment brands, not just our own.”

Christian Pötsch
Head of Service,
Voith Hydro

Assessment and Consulting
HyService’s Assessments and Consulting is based on experience and provides our customers with access tohuge expertise in hydroelectric equipment. Our customers benefit from anearly warning system and can define anindividual framework to streamline, simplify and improve the hydroelectric
equipment, thereby enhancing asset
and risk management. This leads tosignificantly lower investment in replacing, repairing and refurbishing hydroelectric equipment, and less downtime.

Education and Training
HyService’s Education and Training
program is designed to meet a wide­
range of our customers’ needs, ranging
from detailed technical courses forhydroelectric equipment engineers, to­bird’s-eye view courses for commercial
managers. For more details on the available courses, please contact our local
Education and Training expert for customized information on the available
course skills, certificates and schedules.
North America:
noram.hydroschool@voith.com;
Latin America:
latam.hydroschool@voith.com;
Global: hydroschool@voith.com

Maintenance
HyService’s Maintenance offers a wide
range of services, from planning, monitoring and assistance, to continuous
maintenance. Older machines need attention to maximize their operational
lifetime. HyService experts can maintainall your hydroelectric equipment to ensure longevity and prevent unplanned
outages. This includes scenarios suchas the efficient restart of your unit after
an outage. HyService also offers a onestop solution with customized service
contracts covering maintenance of all
your hydroelectric equipment.

Spare Parts
HyService’s Spare Parts deliver precision and reliability for customized spareparts. This guarantees the highest quality engineering, delivery and installationof original and customized spare partsfor all our hydroelectric equipment. Our
customers benefit from the fact that all
machine components work perfectly
together, and deliver maximum plant
performance and longevity.

Refurbishment and Upgrades
HyService’s Refurbishment and Upgrades offering maintains the reliability ofyour hydroelectric equipment during
its expected lifetime, and beyond.
HyService experts deliver solutions torefurbish and upgrade all your hydroelectric equipment, restoring it to “asnew” condition. This HyService increases your asset’s value, profitability and life
expectancy, while simultaneously reducing operational and maintenance costs.

RepairHyService’s Repairs give our customers
the confidence that if something goes
wrong, any hydroelectric equipment
affected by mechanical and electrical­stresses can be repaired, even at very
short notice. Our HyService experts canrely on experience to define the required
scope of repair, and detect hidden­failures.
Visit us at: www.voith.com/hyservice

HyPower 2016 | 19

AGENDA SETTINGAGENDA SETTING

DEEP EXPERTISE
Voith Hydro Sarpsborg AS, based in Norway,
uses all its proven skills and experience to meetcustomers’ critical repair challenges.

12

3

1& 2	Repair works.
3	Voith engineers examine a generator.

20 | HyPower 2016

Voith Hydro Sarpsborg AS’s portfolio
includes refurbishments, upgrades, repairs, and emergency repairs of generators and turbines at hydropower plants.
According to the company's marketing manager, Pål Heine Torp, thebreadth of its high-quality generator
services is at the heart of the portfolio,
but there are certain aspects that reallydifferentiate these services from competitive offerings. “What makes us special in generator refurbishments is that
we have our own in-house winding production,” explains Torp. “We produce
what are called high-voltage generator
windings with insulation that is impregnated with epoxy – and everything isdone by hand. It’s a methodology that
we have perfected over many years.”Moreover, it’s one that can be criticallyimportant in rare emergencies, when an
unexpected breakdown occurs.
A typical example of this kind of
emergency repair was required recently
at Akershus Energi’s Funnefoss power
plant, which has been operating successfully since 1975. The plant has two
identical bulb units measuring 21.65 MVA
and core plate fatigue caused a winding
breakdown in one of the generators.
Workers removed the damaged coils,

repaired the core plates and were given
spares that dated back to the original
delivery in 1975. “We took them to ourwinding lab for testing to make surethey were suitable for installation,” says
Torp. “Then the coils had to be cut in
two and prepared for installation on site
– a demanding task that requires extensive knowledge and experienced personnel.” This allows the customer tosustain production for a few more
years, until a more extensive investment
can be made.
But it’s not just historical expertisethat sets the company apart in its ability
to meet customer needs. In 2015, thecompany won a major contract with
Norway’s largest power producer, Statkraft. The project comprises the rewinding of three 62.5 MVA generators
at the Øvre Røssåga power plant,
opened in 1965. Running from 2015 to2018, Torp describes it as a “real milestone in our history”. This is not just due
to the size of the contract, but because
Statkraft have also created new technical specifications, the so-called Nordic
Generator Technical Requirements. In
order to win the contract, Voith had todemonstrate it could adhere to the new
regulations and, after rigorous testing,won the competition to carry out thismajor rewinding project.
While the larger projects might capture the headlines, Voith Hydro Sarpsborg AS prides itself on the flexibility totake on a wide range of small commissions as well. This is exemplified by thework carried out at Eidsiva’s Raua power plant, which was first put into operation in 1940. The winding on a 1.25 MVA
generator needed to be replaced, andthe customer had to decide between arepair, or an expensive, modern replacement. With a delivery time of around 12
to 13 months and a significant investment required for new equipment, they
selected Voith Hydro's skilled handworkers to rewind the existing generator. The result? Instead of waiting morethan a year to be back on line, the plant
was up and running in eight months.
These projects support Torp’s view
that, when it comes to commissioning,customers choose Voith because of thecompany’s deep knowledge and hardwon expertise. It is no surprise, therefore, when he repeatedly stresses that astrong focus on education and training
underpins the success of the company.
“We have been very eager to keep thetechnology in-house, and to take careof the legacy of the people who started
the company,” he says. “We know that
this will enable us to serve our customers optimally. We have a long-term perspective and strategy for educating ourstaff and, with our workforce andunique skills, we will be able to meet
our customers’ needs, emergency orotherwise, for many years to come.” //HyPower 2016 | 21

AGENDA SETTINGAGENDA SETTING

Training thenext generation
The Voith Hydro School is helping hydropowercompanies ensure a bright future for hydropowerengineering.

1	Latin America’s Voith Hydro School participants
visit Voith’s factory in São Paulo, Brazil.
2 Knowledge is passed on to young engineers.
3	Voith Hydro School participants in North America
on workshop tour.

1
2

3

As more and more experienced engineers reach retirement age, it’s vital forhydropower companies to retain asmuch specialist knowledge as possible.
That is why, for example, Voith in Northand South America offers its customer
training service, Hydro School, enabling
it to lead the way in educating the next
generation.
In North America more than a thirdof the engineers now working for hydropower producers will have retired by
2017. The situation is similar in manyother countries with long-establishedhydropower sectors. At the same time,the industry is facing ever growing demands to extend the operating life andincrease the output of plants. That’s
why hydropower companies are now
investing to ensure that valuable skills
and knowledge are passed on to thenext generation of engineers.
Voith is working closely with strategic partners to ensure employee education and training is as complete as pos-sible and can give Voith customers acompetitive advantage. With nearly 150
years of experience in hydropower andwith its equipment installed in one outof every four hydropower units worldwide, Voith Hydro is ideally placed toplay that partnership role. That’s why
the company has developed the Voith
Hydro School: to harness the enormous
amount of expert knowledge within thecompany, and share it to benefit hydropower operators worldwide.
“The hydropower market is always
in need of trained and skilled professionals capable of dealing with the wide
range of equipment and systems,” explains Vanessa Romero, responsible for
Voith’s Hydro School in Latin America.
“Our engineers enjoy interacting withour customers and hearing about issues and challenges they have comeacross in their own plants. The value ofthat dialogue is huge. It helps to set up
the right training for almost all of ourcustomers’ needs,” she says.

“Sharing knowledge and expertise helps
strengthen the relationship between Voithand its customers.”
Cherie Ferrari,
Voith Hydro School

In North America, adult training expert
Cherie Ferrari was recruited in October
2014 to develop courses for Voith customers. She agrees that Hydro Schoolis as much about quality as it is about
quantity, commenting, “Engineers liketo hear from other engineers. Putting
Voith experts in front of clients, telling
their stories and sharing their knowledge and expertise is a great way forthem to learn, and helps to strengthen
the relationship between Voith and its
customers.”
Hydro School employs the principles of adult learning, using the internationally recognized Systematic Approachto Training (SAT) design methodology
for course development. This puts
strong emphasis on increasing on-thejob performance, with case studies andfirst-hand experience complementing
the theory. The instructors are all Voith
subject matter experts with deep
knowledge and international experiencein their fields. “The training that they
themselves receive to become proficient trainers is a fundamental successfactor,” Cherie Ferrari points out.
As a result, the participants benefit,
not just from well-taught theoreticalknowledge, but also from sharing thepractical experience of true industry experts. In this way, Hydro School helps
hydropower companies avoid the riskof a “knowledge gap” that could otherwise emerge as experienced personnel
retire.
Global and individual training
Voith offers over 20 individual courses
covering topics as diverse as automation, speed regulation, voltage regula-22 | HyPower 2016

tion, grid stability and energy mix. So
far, several hundred people have been
trained in classes of about 12 people
each. Speaking about the popularity of
the courses in Brazil, Vanessa Romero
comments: “The feedback we’ve already r­eceived exceeds our expectations. Our customers are extremely satisfied with our courses and are now
requesting new ones to cover other­hydropower themes.”
The two competence centers in theAmericas are working closely together
in the development of Hydro School,and demand is already spreading. In
principle, Voith is able to offer its training and education program around theworld. “We expect a strong demand
from rapidly developing regions in the
coming years, as local people will need
to be trained to operate and maintainthe growing number of hydropower
plants to be installed there. We are prepared to meet specific customers’
needs everywhere with our approach,”says Christian Pötsch, Head of Service
at Voith Hydro. “To this end, Hydro
School is expanding its library of courses all the time. It is committed to obtaining the necessary certifications tomeet professional accreditation requirements around the world, and so help
customers master all their technicalchallenges.” //For more information on Voith Hydro
School, please contact:
North America: noram.hydroschool@voith.com
Latin America: latam.hydroschool@voith.com
Global: hydroschool@voith.com

HyPower 2016 | 23

Green Energy Mix

Green Energy Mix

Grid frequency management process for hydro turbines
Wicket gates
Governor

Grid frequency

F(1)

–

+
Runner blades

F(2)F(1) Intelligent non-linear filter for measurement of grid frequency.
F(2) Quantization of runner blade setpoint.

Kaplan turbine at the Voith Workshop in
Heidenheim, Germany.

More stability, less wear
An innovative Voith
software solution is
helping extend the lifeof turbine components.

24 | HyPower 2016

The growing use of renewable energy
is affecting the stability of electrical grids
worldwide. Volatile power sources suchas solar and wind energy cause fluctuations in grid frequency, placing a greater
strain on the conventional hydro or thermal power plants, which help stabilize
the grid. Traditionally used only to compensate for variable consumer power
demand, primary frequency control(PFC) mode operation is becoming increasingly important because of thesefluctuations. In simple terms, PFC works
like this: any deviation from the nominal
grid frequency (50 Hz in Europe, or 60
Hz in the Americas and parts of Asia)
results in a change of power output. If
the grid frequency increases, the output
must be reduced, and vice versa.

Applied to hydro turbines, this power
output variability requires almost constant adjustment of the actuator by theturbine governor to regulate the flow ofwater through the wicket gate and into
the turbine. This places increased
stress on the bearings and reduces the
lifetime of the mechanical parts. As
Sven Brausewetter from Voith Hydro’s
R&D Automation team explains, PFC isparticularly demanding for Kaplan andbulb turbines. “In addition to the wicket
gate, adjusting the position of the runner blades acts as a second regulating
device to optimize efficiency. However,
due to mechanical restrictions, the control mechanisms are less wear-resistant
than those for the wicket gate, and operating in PFC places them under con-siderable stress.” This results in a conflict of interest between grid owners
who want to optimize grid stability byusing PFC on every power plant, andplant owners looking to maximize
equipment longevity.
At Voith Hydro, Brausewetter andhis colleagues have developed a twopart solution that significantly reduces
the wear and tear on Kaplan and bulb
turbines when operating in PFC mode.
“The first part consists of a softwaremodule installed on the digital turbine
governor that filters out small frequencychanges,” explains Brausewetter. “Gridfrequencies change constantly, but thepower output simply cannot changethat fast. By applying this filter, we ensure smooth transitions between higher
and lower output, which makes an effective contribution to grid stabilization,rather than more rapid, staccato jumps.
The latter can, in extreme cases, evenbe counterproductive, because of thetime delay caused by the unit.”
The combination with the second
software module is where the real innovation comes in, Brausewetter continues: “The relationship between the wicket gate and the runner blades is known
as ‘on-cam,’ which means every time
the wicket gate position changes, therunner blades are adjusted to achieve

optimum turbine efficiency. The problem
is, the runner blades are more sensitive
to continuous changes than the wicket
gate. We developed a system that lets
the wicket gate handle small changes tothe power output without adjusting therunner blades. Although the turbine is
no longer running at optimum efficiency,
we have defined suitable parameters toensure the efficiency loss is minimal.”
Simulations and practical tests
have shown a considerable reduction in
the number of directional shifts for the
wicket gate and runner blades: during
PFC mode, runner blade movements
are typically cut by a factor of morethan 10, and wicket gate movements
by a factor of between five and 10, reducing the stress on the mechanicalparts. Voith has already installed morethan 15 units across Europe, including:
three in hydropower plants in Uglichand Miatlinskaya belonging to Russian
firm RusHydro; one at Budarhals hydroelectric plant in southern Iceland, which
is owned and operated by Landsvirkjun;
and three in hydropower plants along
the Danube River at Abwinden-Asten,
Ybbs-Persenbeug and Freudenau, allowned by Austrian VERBUND Hydro
Power Gmbh. “A major advantage ofthis solution is that it is 100% softwarebased and doesn’t require any changes
to the mechanical design of the power
plant; it’s an easy upgrade to make,”says Brausewetter. “Increasingly volatile grids mean we expect to see a
growing demand in the future.” //What is primary frequency control mode?
Primary frequency control mode operation maintains the balance between generation and demand in the power network using turbine speed governors. In theevent of frequency deviation, this automatic decentralized function adjusts the generator output to ensure operational reliability in the seconds and minutes range.
Primary frequency control mode is used to compensate for short-term fluctuations
in consumer power demand, as well as exceptional cases like power plant ortransmission line failure. Increasingly, it also compensates for the volatile fluctuations in ­energy production from renewable sources such as solar and wind energy.

HyPower 2016 | 25

Full Line Supplier

Full-Line Supplier

1

2

1
2

 	Taking care of customer requirements
1
2	Voith experts discussing a plant integration

The power ofintegration
Increasingly, hydropower customers
are demanding complete plant solutions.

26 | HyPower 2016

The market for hydropower plants has evolved significantly
over the past 15 years. But changing customer requirements
and further rapid advances in technology promise an evenmore radical transformation over the next decade.
Large energy suppliers usually operate a variety of power
plants, from hydro to thermal, wind or solar plants. Thatmeans they are less likely to have the depth and breadth ofengineering resources in house for each plant variety as theywould have done in the past. Today plant owners want toshorten the time between hydropower investment money going out, and electricity sales revenue coming in.
“Many of our customers want to generate energy without
having to deal with engineering, interfaces, integration of turbines, generators, balance of plant, governors or automation.
They expect us to deliver a complete hydropower plant,”
explains Dr. Manuel Gonçalves, Voith Hydro’s Chief Engineer
in Brazil.
And Voith is best positioned to meet their needs. “Overthe last few years, we have developed a team of plant engineers, mostly with backgrounds in automation, plant operation, or plant construction,” says Dr. Manuel Gonçalves. “Butwe also have the technical engineering know-how, acquired
over many generations, to support our approach to plant integration. This enables us to deliver a fully integrated turnkey
plant unique in the marketplace.”
Voith takes a very customer-centric approach to plant delivery. As soon as a contract is signed, a “plant engineer” isassigned as the single point of contact within Voith for every
aspect of the new plant’s life – from initial financing, whichmight include arranging loans and credits from the World
Bank, for example, right through to commissioning. And now,
Voith is also beginning to build in comprehensive data monitoring, reporting and analysis capabilities to help ensure thereliability of plant processes.
“This is Industrie 4.0 in action, and it’s these kind of innovations that ensure customers’ integrated plant investments
will pay off for years to come,” concludes Dr. Gonçalves. //1	Dakter I powerhouse construction site in
the Vietnamese mountains.
2	The Dakter commissioning team.

Less is moreStandardization at the Dakter power plant in Vietnam
means less complexity and easier operation.

The planning and installation of the
Dakter hydropower plant in Vietnam began in the same way as many otherprojects. However, by the time the plant
was up and running, it had become
something of a model for high-tech,standardized installations.
The project involved the installationof two hydroelectric power plants in a
mountainous region between the largest city in the country, Saigon (officially,
Ho Chi Minh City), and the capital,­Hanoi. Phu Thinh Kon Tum Joint Stock
Company commissioned Voith to create the power plants and the work was
carried out between 2013 and 2015.
Dakter I is located upstream in themountains. The powerhouse produces
4 MW using two machine sets, eachwith a 2 MW Pelton turbine. Dakter II isfurther downstream and also produces
4 MW, utilizing the remaining head with
two Francis turbines.
Voith delivered full electromechanical equipment for the project, ranging
from the power unit, to balance-of-plant(BoP) mechanical and electrical systems, as well as the complete unit andplant automation. Uniquely, the customer’s late request for complete provisioning and installation allowed Voith toapply core parts from the new Small
Hydro (SH) Plant & Control Standard.
The BoP systems were built fromfunctional modules, which include all
the technical aspects, such as hydraulics, electric, process data, control andvisualization. Patric Sailer, Voith Manager of SH Generator and Automation,
stressed, “It’s a change from engineer-ing in disciplines (hydraulic, then electrical, then control) to integrated engineering based on standard, pre-tested
templates. So, with the selection of, forexample, a pneumatic governor unit,
the electricity supply for the pumps, aswell as the control and visualization of
the system, is also defined. This allows
the plant to be defined early, which reduces lead time and increases process
stability in execution.”
Besides the modular approach,there was a focus on keeping complexity low within the standard, by utilizing alower variance and more multifunction
components. This translates into a relatively low investment, as well as simplified maintenance and training for theoperators.
Importantly, the use of standardized, high-quality components – andfewer of them – reduces failure probabilities, makes problem-solving easier,and requires a smaller stock of spareparts. “This allows us to eliminate elements in the system that aren’t reallynecessary,” says Sailer. “The reduced
complexity is very important – in fact,
Dakter exemplifies the fact that sometimes, less is more.” //HyPower 2016 | 27

From the Archives
1893 – Patent No. 69179
for the Pfarr Governor is
granted.

Milestones in Turbine
Governor Developments
Voith has driven innovation in turbine control technology
since the late 19th century.

A

milestone in the history of energy generation from hydropower was reached with
the invention of the turbine governor, as
efficient electricity production is only possible if
turbine and generator speeds are precisely adjusted. Voith is one of the pioneers of turbine
governor development. As early as 1891, thecompany launched the “Pfarr Governor” onto
the market. Two years later, this innovation
was registered at the Imperial Patent Office inBerlin as Patent No. 69179. The 20th century saw the company make numerous improvements and introduce new developments, forming the basis for the modern­automation technology of the 21st century.

Adolf Pfarr,
governor inventor.

1968
Pfarr Governor in o
­ peration
at Königsbronn, Germany.

locking Unit” was a small centrifugal pendulum, linked to­several servomotors.

1952

Another Voith engineer, Carlos Schmitthenner, developed thecompany’s first hydraulic governor, making further significant
improvements to the design in 1905, 1909 and 1914.

Voith developed its first electro-hydraulic governor for speed
control and power control of hydropower units called “System
Voith-BBC.” The control unit of the electro-hydraulic speed
controller consisted of a frequency meter (BBC) combined witha mechanical-hydraulic stabilizing device (Voith). The frequency meter replaced the former centrifugal pendulum.

1928

1960

Another first for Voith: the development of a universal governor that could be used to control all turbine sizes and types.
Contained within its own housing, the “Governor with Inter-

Voith’s 10,000th turbine governor was delivered to the hydropower plant at the Danube River in Oberelchingen near Ulm,
Germany.

1903

28 | HyPower 2016

1960s
Voith develops a servo valve as a connecting element between
the electric governor and hydraulic amplifying equipment.
The moving coil type servo valve facilitates the conversion ofan electric input signal into a hydraulic or mechanical output
signal. The “Voith Moving Coil” is still on the market.

1891
Voith engineer Adolf Pfarr designs thePfarr Governor, an innovative mechanicaldevice with a centrifugal pendulum for measuring the speed of the turbine. In the same year, a turbine
equipped with a Voith speed governor developed by Pfarr
made the first transmission of electric energy from Lauffen on
the Neckar to Frankfurt /Main possible.
Adolf Pfarr joined Voith in 1875 and became a director of
the company in 1893. The engineer contributed significantly
to solving the problems of governing and acceptance testing of
hydraulic turbines.

1909 – Hydraulic governor for
Meitingen Germany.

1891 – the newly developed
Pfarr Governor.

Voith engineer Kurt Hasenmaier developed the first electrohydraulic governor (EHR 68) and later a corresponding double governor (EHR 68 D). Both were particularly suited tosmaller, automatically controlled hydropower plants.

1974 and 1978
Further innovation in the era of analog electronic governors
brought the development of Voith’s EHR 74 and EHR 78 governor systems. Both were installed many times and some ofthem are still in operation.

1960s – Voith Moving Coil andadditional ­control equipment.

1985 and 1986

OutlookVoith was again in the vanguard of developing an innovative
generation of governors with the introduction of the first digital governor. This was followed by the launch of the Voith
Control Center VCC, which included turbine control functions, sequences and control of auxiliaries, as well as a highprecision turbine governor. The hardware was now based on
industrially proven, commercially and globally available, standard Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs).

Three decades ago, almost 100 years after Adolf Pfarr’s original invention, Voith wrote a new chapter in its technologicalhistory with the launch of its digital governor. Since then,Voith’s engineers have continuously developed the company’s
automation and control technologies, beginning the millennium with the introduction of the HyCon product family, andfollowing this up with today’s trend-defining solutions for the
new Industrie 4.0 era.
HyPower 2016 | 29

Global Expertise

Global Expertise

Newfoundland, Canada

Herdecke, Germany

Automationin action
Voith has successfully automated many hydropower
plants in every corner of the globe.
Herdecke
Installed capacity:

153 MW

Voith delivered a complete
control system and replaced
the generator poles as partof the modernization of the
Herdecke plant in Germany
in 2007.

Voith supplies tailor-made components and system solutions that automate hydropower plant operation toensure reliable energy production.
Hydropower producers benefit from­predictable operation and enhanced
profitability, while their customers get adependable, clean source of energy.
Here are just a few examples of Voith
automation systems in action.
Germany
In 2007 the pumped storage power plantin Herdecke, Germany, was modernized,

30 | HyPower 2016

and Voith delivered the entire control
system, including the turbine governor,
and replaced the generator poles. The
plant is a very important peak load power plant, and its availability and functionality are top priorities. That is why the­HyCon 400 system, which was speciallydeveloped for the requirements of largehydropower plants and particularly ofpump turbines, was selected for the
project. The real highlight: the service engineers at Voith can support and consult
with RWE Power from Heidenheim
via specially secured remote access.

Indonesia
The Rajamandala hydropower plant isa run-of-river site that will have a­capacity of 46.6 MW. It is located in the­Rajamandala on Citarum Basin, in the­Cianjur Regency, West Java Province,
Indonesia. Voith Fuji is supplying extensive automation systems for theplant including a digital turbine governor, turbine control panel and excitation system for reliable, maintenancefree control of the stator voltage andreactive power.
CanadaThe Churchill Falls power plant in Newfoundland, Canada, is a cavern plantwith 11 Francis turbines generating
500 MW each, deployed more than
300 m underground. Originally commissioned in 1971, after more than 40 yearsof operation, the plant’s automated control systems had become obsolete. In
2015, Voith began modernizing the unit
controls and unit protection, upgrading
the governor, and replacing the excita-

Churchill Falls
Installed capacity: 5,500 MW

Rajamandala
Installed capacity: 46.6 MW

In 2015, Voith began
modernizing the 40-yearold automation systems
installed at the Churchill Falls
hydropower plant in Canada.

Voith Fuji is supplying extensive
automation systems for the
Rajamandala hydropower plantin Indonesia.

Juquiá

tion and intake gate controls with modern programmable components.
BrazilIn 2012, Voith was awarded contracts
to modernize the Serraria and Iporanga
hydropower plants located in the municipality of Juquiá, around 90 km fromSão Paulo. From an automation perspective, the scope of supply included
HyCon control systems, a digital governor and an excitation system, among

Installed capacity,
Serraria:
Installed capacity,
Iporanga:

24 MW
36.9 MWIn 2012, Voith was contracted
to supply automation equipment
to the Serraria and Iporanga
hydropower plants in Brazil.

HyPower 2016 | 31

Global Expertise

Global Expertise

AustriaOmkareshwar
Installed capacity:

520 MW

The Omkareshwar plant in India
features eight Voith Francis
turbines, eight generators anda complete automation systemfrom the Voith HyCon productfamily.
Austria
Budarhals
Installed capacity:

Omkareshwar, India

The new Budarhals hydropower
facility in Iceland has been fittedwith a Voith Hydro HyCon 400
control system.

India
In November 2007, the Omkareshwarhydropower plant was connected to thegrid with an installed capacity of
520 MW. Voith had delivered eightFrancis turbines, each with synchronous generators, including excitation
unit, control and monitoring systems,
generator bus ducts, and auxiliary systems. Each unit has a total capacity of
65 MW. In addition, a complete automation system from the HyCon productfamily had been installed.

32 | HyPower 2016

Installed capacity:

420 MW

Ethiopia’s second-largest
hydropower facility is equippedwith turbines, generators and acomplete set of mechanical andelectrical equipment, including
a HyCon 400 control system.

95 MWother elements. Implemented in 2014,
these modernization projects have enabled owner-operator Votorantim to run
the Juquiá complex remotely, lower
system failure rates and lower the time
to diagnose problems. Voith’s ability tosupply complete systems with a dedicated automation lab for testing was adecisive factor in its favor.

Budarhals, Iceland

Austria
Gilgel Gibe II

Iceland
In spring 2014, the Budarhals hydropower plant in Iceland was inaugurated.
Voith supplied and installed two Kaplan
turbines with a modern environmentallyfriendly design and water-filled runner
hubs, as well as generators with state-of-the-art technology using brushless
thyristor controlled exciters, and the
HyCon 400 control system. The Budarhals hydropower plant will run with an
installed capacity of 95 MW and an estimated annual energy generating capacity of 585 GWh.

Gilgel Gibe II, Ethiopia

Ethiopia
Gilgel Gibe II is currently Ethiopia’s second-largest hydroelectric plant, with an
installed capacity of 420 MW. By supplying four Pelton turbines and generators,
as well as the entire mechanical andelectrical equipment, including a HyCon
400 control system, Voith has helped
raise Ethiopia’s hydro capacity by over
50%. The automated turbine-generator
units will be transforming water energy
into electricity for many decades tocome, with no fuel cost – a crucial­factor for sustaining economic progressin Ethiopia.
TurkeyThe Kargi hydropower plant, with an installed capacity of 102 MW, is located on
the Kizilirmak River in the districts of­Osmancik and Kargi in northern Turkey.
After four years of construction, Kargi began commercial operation in May 2015,
and was officially opened in ­August 2015.
Voith supplied the complete electromechanical equipment set for the plant,
including the HyCon Thyricon Excitation
System, as part of a turnkey installationthat now powers 150,000 Turkish
homes. //Kargi, Turkey

Austria
Kargi
Installed capacity:

102 MW

Officially opened in August
2015, the Kargi hydropower
plant in Turkey features acomplete set of Voith
electromechanical equipment,
including a HyCon 300 control
system.

HyPower 2016 | 33

Global Expertise

Global Expertise

York

Noida

Raj Vidyarthi is Vice President Service at Voith Hydro Noida,
just outside New Delhi in northern India. After working as anelectrical engineer at thermal and gas power plants, he completed an MBA and joined Voith in 2009. Vidyarthi has built up
a team of nine ­experts from scratch, ­carrying out a full range ofservice activities across India and southeast Asia.

Debbie Myers works in the service team atVoith Hydro in York, Pennsylvania, USA. She
joined the company in 1987, initially working
in administration for field operations, before­establishing herself as a service specialist forcustomers across North America.

Service
HeroesTwo hydropower service experts, on
different continents and with very different
roles and experiences, explain whatmakes their jobs so special to them.

You have had a slightly unusual career path – how did you
get from administration to service specialist?
Debbie Myers: I started off assisting the engineers with proposals. The more I did it, the more I wanted to learn. I got toknow the internal processes and familiarized myself with engineering functions, especially learning to read and find associated drawings. After a while, I started handling spare parts
requests and creating my own customer proposals.
34 | HyPower 2016

Was it a big challenge without a technical background?
For me, that was the big appeal – the challenge of learning. I
also knew that I could ask for help from our engineering team.
I support them and they support me. Of course, there would
be an oversight now and then, but that is how you learn.
How would you describe your role now?
It’s like I run my own parts business. I perform most of thespare parts process, which is a bit unusual, but it works forme. I find I get a quicker response to the customer that way. I
could never have imagined when I started that I’d be handling
all the things that I do now: I deal with requests, proposals
and maintain a project management role, following up to
make sure things get done on time. That also includes theshipping, tracking and invoicing. I want to make sure everything is perfect and complete, and the customer is satisfied.
After almost 30 years, you must be a useful source of­information for your colleagues?
People come to me asking where to find old drawings, archived data, order histories – you name it. The same goes forcustomer insight: I’ve worked with some of our clients for avery long time and have a lot of good relationships with them.
What has changed during that time?
The main thing is that market requirements and peoplechange. This is a people-oriented job and I want to make surethat every customer is happy whatever the size of the order –every single one is important. That’s Voith “HyService.”

What were the main challenges in setting up Voith Hydro’s
dedicated service team in India?
Raj Vidyarthi: Voith India was incorporated in 2002, so wemostly serviced equipment that was provided by other Voith
operating units. We cooperated with colleagues at other Voith
locations around the world to ensure we had all the required
information and expertise. A large proportion of the Voith
equipment installed in India came from Voith Fuji in Japan, so
we have worked closely with them to develop our expertise.

entire period. This contract has now been extended for another two years.

What sort of services are you now able to offer?
We service the full product spectrum: from hydroturbines togenerators and automation equipment. This includes spareparts, assessments, maintenance, repairs, refurbishment andupgrades. To give customers maximum return on their investment, we focus on preventive and predictive maintenance,
and improving reliability. This enhances equipment lifetime,minimizes costly downtime, and improves profitability.

What sort of challenges does the Indian market present?
As well as central government utility companies, each statealso has its own, which brings a variety of process requirements for service providers. Many of the states have separate
languages and cultural norms that we have to consider, while
the sheer size of the country can be challenging. But we aremanaging well, and we have extended responsibility for projects in Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.
We’ve set up small offices in Vietnam and Indonesia to becloser to our customers and we are already passing on what
we have learned to our new colleagues.

Can you describe some of the projects you are currently
working on?
Our current projects include: the design, manufacturing andreplacement of a 200 MVA generator stator; the overhaul
and refurbishment of a Kaplan turbine generator; the replacement of six large Francis turbine runners for a plant innorthern India; and the upgrade of two governors for a plantin western India. We have also recently completed a twoyear maintenance contract at a 450 MW plant, where two
engineers worked on site to provide daily support for the

Is demand for service in the Indian market growing?
Definitely. For financial and political reasons, the constructionof new hydropower plants has slowed, so the focus is shifting
to improving those already in operation. And the demands
placed on these hydropower plants are rising as they are required to bring valuable stability to the grid.

How do you measure success?
Our business is a long-term one. We are not just there for one
or two jobs, we are there for the complete life cycle of a plant.
So, success for me is about building a long-term relationshipwith a customer. It’s also heartening to see the difference ourwork makes, helping our customers to bring electricity, development and prosperity to many people. //HyPower 2016 | 35

Global Expertise

Global ExpertiseComprehensivecompetence
Voith understands its customers’ needs are diverse. The breadth anddepth of its full-line expertise, supported by multiple acquisitions and joint
ventures, ensure every requirement can be met.

O

Testing and quality control
ensure maximum reliability.

36 | HyPower 2016

ver almost 150 years, Voith has
become much more than amanufacturer of first-classtechnical hydropower equipment. As aworld leader in hydropower solutions, itengineers complete, turnkey power
plants. The company has developed
these capabilities through organic
growth, acquisitions and joint ventures(see table page 39). As a result, the scopeof Voith’s portfolio includes: generators,
turbines , automation solutions and auxiliary systems; the construction of newplants and the modernization of existingones; and a full range of maintenance,
repair and consultancy services. But at
every stage in this exciting journey, oneelement has remained constant: foresight that helps meet the energy challenges of the future.
Friedrich Voith launched his firstcommercial turbine in 1870. Just 33
years later, the company he built cemented its reputation as a world leader
in hydropower technology by manufac-

turing and installing the largest andmost powerful turbines of the time for
Ontario Power at Niagara Falls, Canada, in 1903. That legacy has been built
upon through the Brunnenmühle research facility at the company’s headquarters in Heidenheim. Over the lastcentury, it has established itself globally
as a center of excellence for the development of hydropower technology. But
Voith’s exceptional competence is notjust about engineering.
Ensuring projects are completed ontime and on budget is only possible
through the optimal cooperation of all
the relevant stakeholders. That’s why
Voith offers complete turnkey solutions
for its customers. This involves the supply of concepts, customized design, production, quality control and project
management, through to ongoing maintenance, spare parts delivery, repair andoperational optimization. In otherwords, Voith covers the entire life cycle
and all the relevant components of
HyPower 2016 | 37

Global Expertise

38 | HyPower 2016

Voith engineers ensure the highest levels of productquality for customers globally.

OEM acquisition and joint venture timeline
S. Morgan Smith, USA

1877

Riva-Hydroart, Italy

Allis Chalmers, USA

machining, cavitation repair and outage
services. From replace-in-kind to optimized repair, full rehabilitation or part
replacement, Voith ensures customers’
systems are up and running as quickly as
possible, even if that involves designingcustomized solutions. Minimizing costs
and outage times are always the top­priorities.
Looking ahead, there are two constants that will define Voith Hydro’s
work in the future: the increasing global
demand for clean and reliable electricity, and the need for reliable suppliers

like Voith that have the capability andskills to manage complex plants, or service existing ones. That’s why the company’s excellence in process management is so important. More than 20
engineering and manufacturing units,
working with a diverse range of Voith
and OEM technologies, give customers
the peace of mind that no matter whereor how they work with Voith Hydro, or
which technologies they use, quality willremain optimal in every area of theplant, across every project phase. Comprehensive competence indeed. //

1986

1885

1992

Fuji Electric/Hydro, Japan
Siemens/Hydro,
Germany

1959

1923

1997

1847

2000
SHEC, China

Westinghouse, USA

1994 2000
2000

1870
VG Power, Sweden
Kössler, Austria

2002 2006

1928

2007
J/V WolgaHydro, Russia
Vortex Hydrosystems, Canada

1850
Formation

1875

Voith Hydrohydropower plants, both large andsmall. Decades of experience, combinedwith the expertise of project managers,­enable the best solution to be identified
every time, even for specialized­requirements. As a result, Voith’s customers benefit from fully integrated solutions from a single source – anywherein the world. Voith’s acquisition of andjoint ventures with many leading hydropower technology companies over theyears directly support this capability,
because it means the company’s competence extends across a wide range ofOEM technologies.
Importantly, reliability and efficiency are always key objectives of every
Voith hydropower project, no matter
what the mix of components being usedwithin the project, and regardless of thesize of the plant. Small plants are often
built to guarantee a stable, localized andrenewable energy supply. The largest
and most powerful hydroelectric plants
in the world, many of which use Voith’stechnologies, are the most efficient way
of generating reliable, renewable power
for millions of people. Voith’s expertiseis key to ensuring these plants operate
optimally for power generators andtheir customers.
The focus on reliability also extends
to the service environment, where Voith
excels as the premier specialist in field

Global Expertise

1900

1925

1950

1975

2000

2004
2001

2013
2013

2016

Acquisition/joint venture

HyPower 2016 | 39

Successful Partnerships

NATURAL
POWER

Salal Hydroelectric Plant is located on
the Chenab River in northern India. In
2014, Voith was awarded a contract tosupply and install six new Francis turbine
runners. The runners are manufactured
at Voith Hydro’s workshop in Vadodara,
India and will be gradually delivered toreconnect the units to the grid, stepby step.

#HYDROPICTUREOFTHEWEEK

Scan the QR code below or visit
twitter.com/Voith_Hydro to keep up
with Voith Hydro news.
Be sure to check out our
feed every Friday when
we share our hydropower
picture of the week!
40 | HyPower 2016

HyPower 2016 | 41

Global ExpertiseInnovation

World of Voith
The latest news from across the divisions of the Voith Group.

MAKING HISTORY
Voith Turbo is collaborating with the Changchun Railway Vehicles

Narrow gap welding at the Voith Hydro
workshop in Shanghai.

HEAVY LIFTING
Voith Industrial Services faced a tight dead-

Mind the gap
Voith innovations in narrow gap welding for shorter
manufacturing lead times and improved quality.

Traditionally, thick steel plates – suchas turbine deck plates, for example –are fused together by manual gas metalarc welding (GMAW), or flux-cored arc
welding (FCAW). This achieves the highquality standards required for joining
steel plates up to 240 mm thick. These
processes also use a large volume offiller material, require highly skilled andexperienced welders to achieve thequality expected, and are time consuming. Voith asked its welding specialists
to identify ways of improving welding
efficiency and quality. The solution developed by Voith engineers in Austria
and China is robot-assisted narrow gap
welding (NGW).
Typically used in the manufacture ofvery large offshore wind turbines – aswell as by the oil and gas industries for
42 | HyPower 2016

joining large pipes – NGW’s narrower
weld seam width requires 35% less filler
metal than traditional welding processes. However, it is only possible to undertake NGW on thicker pieces of metalusing robotics.
The team at Voith Hydro’s St. Pölten
plant in Austria began work on the project in October 2014. Equipment was installed in July 2015 and testing commenced two months later. The method
soon found its way into commercial use.
The tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding system the team has developed is capableof joining steel plates up to 200 mm
thick. Until recently, TIG had only beenused for the precise small welds needed
for critical joints.
According to the project leader inAustria, Martin Rohrer, “The plan fromday one was to look at all the parts wemake here for which this technology
might be suitable in the future, including
runners. The system saves time anduses less welding material.” The main
benefit of employing this method is theshorter lead times in manufacturing.
The TIG system is also versatile, in thatit can weld pieces in overhead and upright positions, as well as on the flat.
Meanwhile, the Voith team in
Shanghai, China, has also developed its
own NGW robotic welding system. Thisargon/CO GMAW system welds plates²
up to 240 mm thick. It is currently being
used to make deck plates for the stayrings, head covers and bottom rings ofturbines for the 850 MW Wudongde
hydro project on the Jinsha River.
The head of the welding project inShanghai, Feng Jiang, says the benefitsof this approach are significant in termsof welding time, along with consistentand optimal weld quality. As usual,
Voith’s R&D department in Germany is
keeping a close eye on both projects,
with a view to sharing the new technologies with other manufacturing plants
throughout the group. //line for the turnaround activities at Raffinerie Heide
GmbH in northern Germany in September 2015.
That’s why a precise plan covering every task tobe performed by each of the 200-strong team in
10 days was the key to success. These tasks included the overhaul of 75 heat exchangers and 60
containers, as well as air coolers and columns, extensive furnace modifications, and the replacement of a Packinox heat exchanger weighing 74
metric tons. The limited space for the big cranes
as well as the transport of large-scale equipment
and the Packinox within the plant proved to beparticularly tough. But the Voith Industrial Services
team delivered: 25,000 accident-free working
hours and one very satisfied customer.

Company Ltd. (CRC) to introduce China’s first ever hybrid-powered
railway vehicles for commuter, regional, national and intercity rail
services. U­ sing tried and tested technology, Voith’s RailPack 400DE
hybrid drive system for diesel-electric railway cars is designed to be
used in diesel mode on rail routes that have not yet been fully electrified, and in ­zero-emission electric mode on electrified sections.
Crucially, the RailPack 400DE meets all CRC’s specific requirements, including a top speed of 120km/h, a quick-switch system
between diesel and electric modes, and the ability to withstand extreme climatic conditions, in regions where temperatures can drop
to -40°C.

PEAK PRODUCTION
Voith Paper is celebrating an order fromSegezha Pulp and Paper Mill (PPM) to
supply a complete process line for sackpaper production. The new PM 11 machine has an annual capacity of 110,000
metric tons, which will allow Segezha
PPM to increase site production by 40%.
It’s a key element in achieving the company’s goal of becoming the world’s second-largest producer of sack paper, andaccording to Segezha Group President
Sergey Pomelov, the outlook is very positive: “We are confident we can achieve
this goal in collaboration with Voith.”
HyPower 2016 | 43

Guest Perspective

Guest Perspective

1

2

Working out
water SHORTAGE
Hydrogeologist Dr. Tom Gleeson helps us tounderstand how sustainable the planet’s groundwater
reserves really are.

Dr. Tom Gleeson is an Assistant Professor at the Universityof Victoria in Western Canada,
who combines an unusuallybroad range of scientific disciplines to research groundwater
sustainability, groundwatersurface water interactions andfluid flow around geologic
structures.

44 | HyPower 2016

There’s no doubt about it: water shortage is one of the biggest challenges
facing humanity in the 21st century.
Non-profit organization The Water Project, which helps communities in subSaharan ­Africa access clean water andsanitation, estimates that nearly 1 billion
people, or more than 10% of the world’s
population, don’t have access to a safe
water supply. The word ‘safe’ here isimportant, because in its broadest
sense, water scarcity can be about
quantity (physical shortage), or quality(economic scarcity). But either way, thereality is that water scarcity is a threat.
Moreover, water is a finite resource,
and most of it is either salt water, frozen
in ice, or stored underground. In fact, theEnvironmental Protection Agency in the
USA estimates that only 1% of all the water on the planet is readily available forhuman use. In this context, investigatingthat 1% more closely is of great socialand economic importance – especially

1	Exploring groundwaterfed water sources.
2	Climate change can affectgroundwater quality.

when it comes to water supplies that you
can’t actually see.
The world’s invisible water supply
Dr. Tom Gleeson is a hydrogeologist on
a mission: to work out not just how
much groundwater there is – there havebeen good estimates of that available
since the 1970s – but how sustainable
it is for the future. Together with ani nternational team of researchers,­
Dr. Gleeson spent two years studying
the extent and sustainability of global
groundwater, before publishing the findings in the Nature Geoscience journal in
November 2015.
“Broadly speaking, groundwater
can be divided into three categories –young, modern and old. We define
young groundwater as that which isless than 100 years old, and modern asthat which has been replenished within
the last 50 years. These reserves usually lie within 200 meters of the earth’s“I hope that governments and NGOs will beable to use our data to identify which modern
groundwater reserves need to be protected.”
Dr. Tom Gleeson,
Assistant Professor, University of Victoria

surface. Old groundwater can be centuries old and can lie kilometers deep.
However, it’s difficult to access, issometimes not easily replenished, andcan be unusable because of a highmetal or salt content.”
Innovative methodologies, interesting results
Gleeson prefers to combine an unusually broad range of methodologies in his
research, from field studies and numerical modeling, to environmental chemistry and policy studies. For this study,
entitled, “The global volume and distribution of modern groundwater”, a com-bination of computer simulations, large
sets of geological data, and measuring
the presence of tritium, a radioactive
isotope of hydrogen, to determine theage of water sources, were used.
He explains, “The study was a collaborative effort between myself at the
University of Victoria, and colleagues
from the University of Calgary, the University of Texas in Austin, and GeorgAugust-University in Göttingen, Germany. At the end of the two years, we
discovered that although the total volume of modern groundwater is threetimes larger than all the fresh, non-frozen water on the earth’s surface, it rep-resents just 6% of the total groundwater in the earth’s crust. Moreover,although it is more ­accessible and usually more suitable for human consumption than old groundwater, its proximity
to the surface makes it a lot more sensitive to contamination from industry
and the effects of climate change.”
In certain parts of the world, thisvaluable resource is already being degraded. “We know that in some regions, such as the Western USA, andparts of China and India, groundwater
is being used in a non-renewable way.
At the moment we can’t accurately estimate how much of that water can bereplenished because it depends on somany local factors, such as precipitation and proximity to surface water
sources such as rivers and lakes.”
And here is the dilemma: on one
hand, there is a huge demand for water
everywhere, especially in regions where
clean surface water is scarce. On theother, if those regions can potentiallyaccess a usable reserve of modern
groundwater, they may be depleting or
contaminating a resource.
Although groundwater research
can’t solve this problem on its own,
Dr. Gleeson is hopeful that it will make avaluable contribution to the debate. “Ihope that governments and NGOs will
be able to use our data to identify, for example, which modern groundwater reserves need to be protected because
they are most at risk of contamination.” //HyPower 2016 | 45

five questions

GLOBAL VIEW

2

You have been with Voith for over 15 years. Why?
Because I really appreciate Voith’s corporate culture.
At Voith, you are given responsibility and the freedom
to think creatively and develop. These are important preconditions for great commitment and dedication. Putting the customer first, which always guides my thoughts and actions, isextremely important here at Voith, in order to secure the trustof our global customers.

3

What makes you enthusiastic about hydropower?
I decided to work in energy generation from renewable
resources because of its sustainability. Hydropowerhelps emerging markets in particular, because building a­hydropower plant is accompanied by infrastructure development, including the construction of roads, waterways, irrigation systems, and even complete economic centers. These
activities stimulate the social and economic development of
entire regions. This is why hydropower is unique among­renewable resources.
46 | HyPower 2016

4

Where do you see challenges for hydropower in
the near future?
In a few regions there is currently a reluctance to invest
in hydropower, for instance in Europe because of the energy
transition, and in the USA because of the current low oil andgas prices. Increasing price pressure caused by intense global competition is a huge challenge for us because of our highlevels of research and development expenditure. But there arealso encouraging signs, such as the ambitious hydropower
program that Canada has adopted. We want to see more ofthese initiatives to promote hydropower globally.

5

You worked abroad for many years. How important
were those experiences?
Many years of intercultural cooperation with customers, partners and colleagues in China and Brazil really madean impression on me. Total immersion into other cultures
opens one’s eyes and promotes intercultural understanding.
My experiences in other countries will have a strong influence
on my work as a global CMO. I hope everyone can take­advantage of similar opportunities. //Martin Andrä, after completing his studies in electrical engineering,worked from 1983 to 2000 for Siemens’ hydropower division in Germany
and Brazil. In 2000, he joined the Board of Management of Voith Siemens
Kraftwerkstechnik, before becoming Chairman of the Board in 2003.
From 2010 to 2015, he worked in China as the President and CEO of
Voith Hydro Shanghai Ltd. Since October 2015, he has led Sales andMarketing worldwide in his role as Executive Vice President and CMO.

Hydropower is a global business. Over the last 150 years, Voith has grown
its operations well beyond its German roots by delivering the best possible
service to its customers. Today, from Asia to Africa, from Europe to the Americas you can find Voith hydropower machinery in action, and Voith experts
helping companies and countries benefit from reliable, renewable energy.
Like any industry, constant change and progress is a given. Voith differentiates itself by valuing and utilizing its past, to power the hydropower innovations and solutions for the future.

1

Mr. Andrä, what are your goals as the new global
CMO for Voith Hydro?
My primary aim is to focus and align our strengths inhydropower in every region, so our customers benefit fromour best performance. Regardless of project type or scope,
we want to satisfy the needs of our customers optimally, allover the world. Moreover, we want to do this from the beginning of a project, through to commissioning, followed by ourservices.

Voith has the right people in the right place
to meet hydropower challenge globally.

Martin Andrä,
new Executive Vice President andglobally responsible Chief Marketing
Officer of Voith Hydro.

KEEPING THE ENERGY FLOWING

fivequestionsfor …

Customer Magazine byVoith Hydro Holding GmbH & Co. KG
Alexanderstr. 1189522 Heidenheim
Germany
www.voithhydro.com
A Voith and Siemens Company