Offshore Wind Power Fotolia

Filtration solution for Offshore Wind Parks

Offshore power generation and HVDC converter platforms

Clusters of wind turbines placed out at sea form wind parks/windfarms and generate renewable energy by harnessing the wind’s kinetic energy. All of the power generated by the wind turbines needs to be transmitted onshore and connected to the power grid. Over longer distances of 80km or more, the most efficient means of transmission is to use high voltage direct current (HVDC), but the wind turbines generate alternating current (AC) power.
To convert AC into HVDC power, a HVDC converter is used and is mounted on an offshore platform. Once the AC power is collected from the wind parks, it is converterd aboard the platform into HVDC power and is then efficiently transmitted on to the mainland.

Cooling system for the HVDC converter platform

A significant amount of heat is generated in the electrical components when converting from AC to HVDC power on the platform. The electrical components, including the converter itself, need to be cooled to maintain efficiency and avoid damage from overheating. On the platform there is limited space, so the most effective means of cooling is to use seawater.
The cooling system on the platform consists of a closed primary freshwater circuit, that cools the electrical components, and an open seawater circuit, that cools the primary circuit. The two cooling circuits are linked via a water-to-water heat exchanger.

Automatic seawater filtration to protect heat exchangers on HVDC converter platforms

The seawater in the secondary cooling circuit is filtered by a BOLLFILTER automatic like the aquaBoll®. The filter protects the heat exchangers against blockages from sand and other debris and also maximizes the cooling performance by reducing the particle matter circulating in the system.
The filters are mounted in parallel to ensure 100% redundancy and maintain uninterrupted, reliable filtration on the platform without requiring human intervention. A filtration grade of between 200µm and 500µm is guaranteed, even during storms and rough seas when the TSS load is high (250mg/l +).

Multi-year filtration performance on HDVC converter platforms

BOLLFILTERs offer solutions on the majority of the HVDC converter platforms operating in the German North Sea wind parks. They help to maintain uninterrupted operation on the BorWin 2, BorWin 3, HelWin 1, DolWin 3, DolWin 6 and SylWin 1 converter platforms.

Your benefits:

  • Provides automatic filtration without human intervention
  • Maximizes heat exchanger cooling performance
  • Minimizes cooling system downtime
  • Reduces cooling system maintenance requirements
  • Allows completely remote monitoring and control
  • Exceptionally resistant to seawater
  • Available with marine class society certifications
References
BOLLFILTER on the BorWin 2 HVDC platform
BorWin 2 »

On the converter platform BorWin 2, the core piece of the offshore power generation, BOLLFILTER protects the plate heat exchangers against blockage.

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Ian Stainley
Ian Stainley Application Manager

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