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