Within the scope of the "South Marmara Hydrogen Coast Valley Project", where Turkey's first hydrogen valley will be implemented, pilot production of green hydrogen obtained from renewable resources has started at Enerjisa Production Bandırma Energy Base.
Indigenous "high technology" is placed at the heart of Turkey's dams
The METU Laboratory, where the Hydroelectric Power Plant Generator Design and Manufacturing (EGEN) Project, which is entitled to be supported to implement domestic and national generator technology within the scope of the Energy Academy Program in cooperation with YÖK-EÜAŞ, is carried out, opened its doors to AA.
The coordinator of the project, METU Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Faculty Member Assoc. Dr. Ozan Keysan stated that they carry out R&D studies on renewable energy, electrical machinery design and power electronics.
Keysan stated that the projects that deserve to be supported are among the 24 projects to be implemented in the field of energy.
Keysan, who stated that the generators that provide electricity generation with the water hitting the turbine, are in a sense the "heart" of the hydroelectric power plants, "The use of renewable energy is very important for eliminating energy imports in Turkey. Our country is actually quite rich in terms of river resources. The installed power of hydroelectric power plants is about approx. It covers 30 percent. Turkey has the second largest hydroelectric power plant installed capacity in Europe after Norway." he said.
Emphasizing that all generators and electrical equipment, which are the heart of the electricity production of dams in Turkey, are imported, Keysan gave the following information about the project to be implemented with domestic and national production:
"The aim of our project is to develop local hydroelectric power plant generator design capability in Turkey. We will not only design but also install the first prototype we produced in partnership with EÜAŞ at Sarıyar Hydroelectric Power Plant. With the knowledge we have gained here, we aim to achieve design and production potential for other power plants as well. EGEN Project" Unlike other research projects, we attach importance to the development of human resources on the side of EÜAŞ as well, unlike other research projects that are carried out by the university and presented to the industry.Within the scope of the Energy Academy, we provide trainings to the EÜAŞ personnel at the university on thermal, structural and electromagnetic issues together with other academicians and we aim for them to gain design competence. We aim to establish a joint design and R&D office with EÜAŞ on hydroelectric power plants in Turkey.”
The designed generator will be placed in the heart of the dam.
Pointing out Turkey's dependence on foreign energy production, Keysan emphasized that hydroelectric power plants are of great importance in renewable energy sources.
Regarding the generator they designed, Keysan said, "There are 4 units at the Sarıyar power plant. We aim to commission the 44 megawatt generator we developed at the Sarıyar Hydroelectric Power Plant as of this year. It will contribute 2.5 million liras to the country's economy with a one-day electricity production, and the efficiency is higher than 95 percent. It will rise to 97.5. When we consider it together with all other dams, the project has a very high economic return potential.” said.
Pointing out that there are many hydroelectric power plants with large dams in Turkey, Keysan said:
"Although it varies according to the power plant, the expected life of hydro-generators is 30-40 years. After this period, it is planned to renew these equipments with the development of technology. Our vision is to replace the generators in our other dams that will complete their economic life in Turkey in the long term and produce all of them locally. The first in Turkey. "The economic life of the established power plants will also expire in the coming years. We aim to use our domestic products instead of imports in their second renewals."
The wind turbine was also designed
Ozan Keysan pointed out the importance of local and national generators in dams and said:
"When you have the design of a foreign company, you are always dependent on that company when you actually want to make a change in the system or when there is a need for maintenance and repair. This also has economic difficulties. The knowledge gained here should not be considered only in terms of hydroelectric power plants. Electrical machinery design is very important for our country.
"Before starting this project, we also completed the wind turbine generator design. There is a domestic wind turbine design developed by ASELSAN in partnership with EÜAŞ, this turbine will have a power of 4 megawatts. We designed the generators of this wind turbine as a METU team and domestic production is carried out in Aksaray. Domestic wind Turbine turbine is planned to be installed in Alaçatı next year. The competence in electrical machinery design has many uses in the industry as well. Electric motors are used in many areas from the manufacturing sector to aircraft, ships and trains. It is quite possible that the knowledge here will actually be applied to other sectors."
Regarding the generator they designed, Keysan said, "We chose to improve the efficiency rather than increasing the power. The efficiency of the current generator in Sarıyar Dam is around 95 percent. We predict 97.5 percent efficiency in the new generator. Parameters such as computerized design, effective use of new materials. It is possible to achieve higher yields.” shared his knowledge.
Underlining that the design of electrical machines is an interdisciplinary field, Keysan said:
"Our project includes academicians from both mechanical and electrical engineering. The generator we designed operates at 12,800 volts. Since it operates at high voltages, material properties are important. We use the 3D finite element method in our designs. It is very valuable for us that EÜAŞ shares its knowledge from the field with the university. . The materials produced in EÜAŞ facilities are tested in our laboratories and we have the opportunity to verify the prototypes before production starts."
Call for youth to "return to the country"
Ozan Keysan from METU, who chose to work in his country after completing his doctorate abroad, gave the following advice to young people:
"I did my doctorate on electricity generation from wind turbines and wave and tidal energy at Edinburgh University in 2009-2014. I hope that our young people who increase their knowledge abroad will also return to our country. There are points in Turkey that we need to take responsibility for."
YÖK ve Elektrik Üretim AŞ ile ortaklaşa yürütülen proje kapsamında, Türkiye'deki hidroelektrik santrallerinde elektrik enerjisi üreten ve "barajların kalbi" olarak nitelendirilen hidro-generatör, ilk kez yerli ve milli teknolojiyle hayata geçirildi. - Anadolu Ajansı
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