Energy Department

The basic activities of this Department cover the design and engineering of the power plants, mechanical plants and systems in the mining industry. It conducts complete measurements, survey and analysis of performances of the thermo power plants, control and diagnosis of all kinds of rotary plants, so as to arrange and introduce the improved methods for Predictive maintenance of plants.

            This Department applies the recent accomplishments of the science and technology, using modern instrumental detecting approach (equipment for vibration measurement, analysis and diag­nosis; thermo vision equipment and equipment for thermo technical examinations, etc.), computers and correspon­ding methods.

            Therefore, the range of activities is wide and is mainly directed towards several fields given bellow:

• It covers the services in the thermo power design, mining systems, mechanical and engineering systems, including activities directed towards the complex evaluation of the performances of mechanical and thermo power plants, wor­king out of feasibility studies, preliminary designs and development of projects.

            One of the most important undertakings in this field was the working out of the Study for central heating of Makedonska Kamenica. After the preliminary design and the principal project were approved, the engineering staff was actively included in the construction of this system.
It is actively engaged, by application of advanced survey technique and method in order to solve the problems in thermo power plants such as optimal utilization of the fuel and energy, including the rationalization of processes in the same thermo power plants.
As references, the Feasibility Study for improving the capacity of the boilers of the VKSM 40 type, installed in West thermal plant, Toplifikacija at Skopje may be distin­guished, including a number of projects and expertise’s on the boiler plants in the Republic.
In addition to the standard instruments for temperature measurements (electrical thermometers with thermo pair and thermo resistance) this Department uses the thermo vision equipment for application in the industry, thermo power plants and metallurgy.
The results, produced by application of this equipment compared with the results obtained by the classical instru­ments, are incomparably improved in regard with the rate of accuracy, reliability and the speed of measurement. The thermo vision equipment is also used in the field of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy in order to monitor the conditions of the insulating layers of the furnaces, converters, and the facilities for transfer of melted metal, etc. By using this system, a clear image is obtained and if any defect is discovered, the corresponding replacements are undertaken very fast.
The thermo vision system finds numerous applications in the electro plants. It is used for monitoring transformers, substations, generators and electro motors. For instance, while the transformer stations operate it is simply and easily to detect the all elements such as disconnections, contactors, voltage and power transformers, joints, screws, clamps. On the points where there are incorrect joints (loose screws, dirty joints...) an increased temperature is detected. Such joints are detected with a high accuracy and even more the heated spot is precisely located for further treatment.
The thermo vision inspections are used for generator plants monitoring for detecting the heated spots, which are indica­tors for possible location of insulation leakage.
The thermo vision surveys are conducted in almost all working organizations engaged in production, transport and distribution of hydro and thermo power for instance Bitola Thermo power plant at Bitola, Tito Hydropower plant at Gostivar, Skopje Power transfer system, etc.
In the field of power production, as well as wider in the industry, thermo vision system finds a wide range of applica­tions mainly in the examinations of insulation of steam pipe lines, thermo power pipe lines, screening pipes of the heat boiler plants, oil production plants, glass melting furnaces, including rotary and tunnel furnaces in the field of civil engineering industry. It is also used to determine the temperature, rate of damage of refractory layers, isolation quality, etc.
Beside other instrumental equipment this Department has equipment for control, monitoring, diagnosis and detection of vibrations on rotary plants in the power production industry, mining and other industries. On the base of the results obtained by these measurements the corresponding replacements are undertaken.
Since the vibrations, as it is known, depend on the constructive, technological, and exploitation characterises of the plants, the measurements are grouped as follows:
Measurements within the defects liability period providing the quality estimations of the construction and installation characteristics of the rotary plants; periodical measurements and monitoring of the vibration level in e given dynamic providing the estimates of the current conditions of the rotary performance; and prediction for its further perfor­mance; pre-overhaul measurements that give an estimation for the plant condition and refer to the defects that should be taken care of later during the overhaul; and post-overhaul measurements that estimates the quality of the conducted overhaul. A large number of vibrodiagnostical measurements have been conducted in the previous period, for instance in the Bitola Thermo Power plant, the Skopje Iron Mines and Steel Works, Skopje District Heating plant, the Organic Chemical Industry at Skopje, Mavrovo Hydro Power plant at Gostivar and others.