Energy drives the economy. In order to secure its supply, safety is of utmost importance. This is especially true when critical media are involved during power production and transport. When it comes to feeding electricity through the containment structures of gas-cooled power generators, liquefied natural gas applications and even nuclear power plants, SCHOTT’s glass-to-metal sealed hermetic cable penetrators are the safest solutions available.
Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have experienced continued economic growth. This has boosted the energy demand and put corresponding strains on networks and the environment. National policies increasingly focus on energy security and sustainable development. The aim is to reach a better quality of the fuel and energy mix and enhance the competitive ability of the energy production and services in the world market.
The region continues to rely on an energy mix based on its rich natural resources: natural gas, coal, oil, water and uranium. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA, 2008), roughly 68% of Russia’s electricity is generated by thermal plants, 16% by hydropower and 16% comes from nuclear reactors. The domestic production greatly exceeds domestic demand. Russia is the world’s leading net energy exporter and an important technology supplier.
However, the objectives of the Russian energy strategy for the period of up to 2020 have been set: Energy safety, energy effectiveness, budget effectiveness and ecological energy security have clearly moved into focus. SCHOTT’s hermetic glass-to-metal sealed electrical penetrations contribute to reaching these goals. As the world’s safest solution for power, control and instrumentation feedthroughs, they are employed in advanced power producing and processing applications.
Gastight penetrations are required in highly efficient hydrogen-cooled generators that are increasingly being used in thermal and hydroelectric power plants. These generators typically operate at a high voltage. SCHOTT’s power feedthroughs safely maintain the hermetic boundary between the electrical system and the closed hydrogen gas cycle. Leading generator manufacturers rely on SCHOTT’s ATEX- and IEC-certified cable penetrations.
Thanks to their unique design, feedthroughs from SCHOTT offer an extremely high level of security. They consist of metal conductors, a non-aging, inorganic glass sealant and a metal housing. The preassembled component is heated up to a temperature at which the glass melts to the metal. During the cooling process, the metal housing contracts to a much greater extent than the glass does. This compression creates a highly pressure-resistant and hermetically sealed unit.
Another major application for glass-to-metal sealed feedthroughs is the transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG). In order to unload the liquefied gas, most LNG storage tanks contain powerful electric pumps. Since they are completely immersed in liquefied gas at -162° Celsius, the pumps are protected against this harsh environment by a chassis. Here, SCHOTT’s terminal header assemblies are used for the three-phase electrical power, as well as the control and instrumentation conductors.
The LNG industry is growing, especially around the Northern and Baltic Sea that has become the world’s first Emission Control Area (ECA). The tight international regulation of pollution is increasingly driving the development of new eco-friendly LNG-fueled applications such as ship propulsion. Major LNG pump manufacturers bet on glass-to-metal sealed feedthroughs to safely maintain the hermetic pressure boundary between LNG and surrounding air.
Nuclear power plants, however, are the most demanding applications for hermetic feedthroughs. Thanks to their glass-to-metal compression seal that does not age, Electrical Penetration Assemblies (EPAs) from SCHOTT remain gas and radiation tight for more than 60 years. They enable the energy supply for pumps and electronic devices inside the power plant’s containment structures and provide the pass-through for control and instrumentation signals.
Russia is a leading nuclear technology developer. Like many other countries, the nation is planning to increase the number of nuclear power plants – from 31 to 59 by 2020. SCHOTT is able to enhance the safety of both existing and future nuclear power plants. More than 12,000 of SCHOTT’s EPAs have already been installed in about 100 nuclear power plants around the world. Among these are the two Russian nuclear icebreakers as well as Hungary’s only nuclear power plant in Paks that is currently upgrading to SCHOTT’s EPAs.
