Industrial Projects

ELECNOR - Comissioning of a new Kaplan Unit in Angola

Since 2023 (Ongoing Project)

In 2023, ELECNOR sought assistance from CDIF-UPC to address high vibration issues in a Kaplan turbine at Speed No Load, which were hindering its operation. Through advanced tests and specialized signal analyses, CDIF-UPC identified the root cause of the problem. Collaborating with ELECNOR and Tractebel ENGIE a solution to eliminate the vibrations was found. Implementing minor modifications to certain mechanical components could effectively eliminating the strong vibrations. Subsequently, multiple trips to Angola were conducted during various phases of commissioning for the new units. Presently, all three units are fully operational, supplying electricity to the Lubango area in Angola.

Endesa - Study of the wind dynamic effects on solar trackers

2019-2021 (Ongoing Project)

Solar power installation is increasing a lot in the last years in order to enhance renewable energies. Solar trackers are the most common structures to convert solar energy to electricity. Those trackers are exposed to large wind dusts that sometimes endanger the structural stability of the structure. Flutter and torsional galloping are some dynamic problems that those slender structures can suffer, leading to large vibration amplitudes and at the end, to the failure. In this project, those phenomena are studied experimentally and by means of numerical simulation. A monitoring system is installed in a power plant to control the vibration of the solar tracker. CFD and FEM simulations are also carried out in order to study the problem.

ENDESA - Predictive maintenance and online monitoring of hydraulic turbines

2010-2021 (Ongoing Project)

Several years of monitoring of hydraulic units by means of online and off-line monitoring systems. Those units are located in different places of Spain. Several failures and problems have been detected and solved, permiting a safe operation of the hydraulic units.

VAK KIMSA - Dynamic response of industrial agitators

2018-2021 (Finished Project)

This project was possible thanks to the Industrial doctorate program from AGAUR and Generalitat de Catalunya. Within this program, both industry and university collaborate to improve the knowledge and research in a certain topic. In this case, the company VAK KIMSA collaborated with CDIF in order to study the dynamic behaviour of industrial agitators. Due to the current demand in the food and pharmaceutical industries need a reduction in time of production as well and flexibility in their machines. This fact lead to changes in the work conditions which can alter the dynamic response of the machine and produce different problems and failures. In this project, the dynamic response of industrial agitators is studied from the experimental and numerical point of views. Failure analysis has been implemented as well as monitoring of the machines.

- TURBODYN - Dynamic response of pump-turbine impeller in operation

2010-2012 Phase I and 2012-2015 Phase II (Finished Project)

The dynamic behavior of a pump-turbine prototype is studied. Experimental investigation on natural frequencies, damping and mode-shapes of a pump-turbine impeller have been carried out, as well as numerical simulations. However, during the investigation in the prototype several unknowns about the dynamic response of the impeller appeared due to the complexity of the problem studied. To understand how all the possible parameters which interfere in the dynamic response of the impeller affect to the natural frequencies, damping and mode-shapes of this, it was decided to carry out different investigations on simplified models in the laboratory.

Iberdrola - Study of the trash rack of La Muela hydropower station

2009-2012 (Finished Project)

Trask racks are large structures that are fully submerged in water and located in the hydraulic circuits to prevent debris and large bodies from entering the turbine. These structures are prone to suffering fatigue damage. Broken bars are rather common, which can produce damage in the turbine and other hydraulic components. In this project, the dynamic behavior of trask racks was studied experimentally and by means of simulations.