The focus of the current Supergen Plant Lifetime Extension consortium project is the development of novel tools and methodologies to extend the life of existing conventional (ageing) steam and combined cycle power plant which utilise well established materials systems that have been in service for many years. The R&D is focussed on the areas of: condition monitoring/NDT, environmental degradation and protection, microstructural degradation, mechanical modelling and the development of lifetime prediction tools. In terms of the failure modes, it focuses primarily on creep and corrosion.The current work provides a detailed understanding about the 'older' conventional materials and the ageing plant they operate in. In terms of moving forward, the indications from the 2007 Energy White Paper are that there will be less emphasis on life extension and more emphasis on 'new-build', high efficiency plant, possibly including CO2 capture technologies (but certainly allowing for their later addition). The plant technologies being considered in the UK are: high temperature USC steam plant, co-firing, pre/post combustion CO2 capture plant, e.g. gasification, oxy-firing, amine scrubbing, etc. In addition, general fuel flexibility will also remain a key issue.One of the main drivers for the next generation of power plant is not only reduced environmental impact but also security of electricity supply, i.e. reliability. Significant R&D into the technologies and methodologies for the lifing of the next generation power plant is needed now, to ensure reliability targets are met. This means a comprehensive understanding of the behaviour of the materials being used and their in-service degradation is needed.The new proposal 'Plant Lifing of High Efficiency, Low CO2 Emission Power Plant.' is moving the R&D to the 'next level', and is seen as a natural progression to the current project, as its primary focus will be on the above 'novel' advanced plant. In this way, it will take the methods already developed in the current programme and further enhance them and more importantly develop new tools and methods for the new materials and environments that will be present in the advanced power plant of the future. This shows a natural transition and progression for the PLE project and its consortium.The proposal, which has been developed after extensive consultation with stakeholders, is based around three integrated and coordinated technology themes and a dissemination theme. These include; advanced steam systems, advanced gas turbines, advanced cycles (including biomass co-firing, oxy-firing). Within each theme there are a number of Tasks that together constitute the whole programme of work. A key feature of the programme of work is the essential and close interaction between the Themes and the individual Tasks that define the proposed programme in more detail. The interactions take a wide range of forms, from providing materials for testing to the development of collaborative integrated models for validation of the component life extension toolbox to be developed. The dissemination will involve national and international collaboration and events.In addition a number of key proposals have been submitted under the 'plus' part of the Supergen programme which will provide additionality to the overall project.The project has the full support of a large industrial consortium representing the full UK Power Generation supply chain.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Pulsed eddy current stimulated thermography is a novel non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technique that employs an infrared camera to detect defects, typically cracks at the surface of a component, by imaging the effects that they have on the heating of a component produced by a pulsed eddy current heating system. To date, eddy currents in the 50-200 kHz range have been generated in a test-piece using a conventional eddy current heating system with a simple, two or three turn, encircling coil. Cracks block the flow of eddy currents and significantly alter current flow lines in their vicinity. The Joule heating caused by the eddy currents can be imaged by an infrared camera, providing a means of detecting cracks by imaging the characteristic effects that they have on eddy current distribution. The method is considerably quicker than conventional ultrasonic or eddy current inspection techniques that require point by point scanning. Whilst impressive results have been achieved in a small number of laboratories, the system, particularly the excitation, needs engineering. The reliability of the system needs to be investigated as there is concern that defects in some locations on a component may be missed; this is a function of the eddy current density that is generated across the surface of a component by the excitation system. In addition, results to date are rather qualitative with little indication of defect detectability or its dependence on system, defect or test-piece parameters. This proposal is for a scientific investigation of the eddy current excitation requirements for a reliable eddy current stimulated thermography inspection system and measurements to determine the defect detection capabilities of such a system. The plan is for a two person-year project in which the first year will be based at Newcastle with the work focussed on the modelling of the requirements of the eddy current excitation system and on researching the design and construction of a suitable system. The second year will be based at Bath where the system will be used to research defect detection capabilities. Two types of excitation system will be investigated. One for the testing of small components that can be placed within an encircling coil and the other for the testing of larger components which will be progressively tested using a coil to produce heating in a localised region of the component. Practical specimens will be provided by the industrial collaborators, Rolls-Royce and Astom Power. The project will involve in-depth modelling of the eddy current density induced in the surface of a specimen and its heating effect at cracks of different size set at different orientations and locations across the component. The effects of changing the orientation of a specimen within the eddy current coil will be modelled to establish inspection measurements that should lead to the detection of defects set at all orientations within the specimen. Experimental studies will be made of the performance of the system in detecting and imaging defects of different sizes, shapes and orientation. The performance of the technique will be compared with the other thermographic NDE methodologies: optical stimulated, conventional transient thermography and acoustically-stimulated thermosonics. The overall aim of the project is to perform a thorough scientific investigation of a promising new NDE technique that is needed before the technique can be introduced successfully into industry.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.