Definition of a smart power plant
A digital power plant refers to a new production organization method that uses data related to the entire product lifecycle as a basis to simulate, evaluate, and optimize the entire production process in a computer virtual environment, and further extends this to the entire product lifecycle. It is a product of the combination of modern digital manufacturing technology and computer simulation technology. The hallmark of a digital power plant is the comprehensive adoption of DCS, SIS, MIS, simulators, and 3D design technologies.
A smart (intelligent) power plant builds upon the foundation of a digital power plant, leveraging IoT and equipment monitoring technologies to enhance information management and services. It provides a clear understanding of production processes, improves controllability, reduces human intervention, and ensures timely and accurate data collection, thereby enabling the scientific development of production plans and the creation of a highly efficient, energy-saving, environmentally friendly, and comfortable human-centered factory. The functional requirements of a smart power plant should include digitalization, informatization, visualization, and intelligence. Smart power plants widely adopt modern information processing and communication technologies, as well as intelligent measurement and control technologies, to maximize the safe, economical, efficient, and environmentally friendly operation of the power plant. The smart (intelligent) power plant represents a further development of digital power plants combined with intelligent systems.
As economic development enters a new normal and industrialization and informatization deeply integrate, power companies face a development environment characterized by slowing electricity demand growth and a continuously increasing proportion of new energy installed capacity. They are shifting from extensive management models to innovation-driven growth, promoting institutional, managerial, and technological innovation to cultivate and form new growth advantages. Utilizing advanced information technology to enhance production and operation control, reduce costs and increase efficiency, comprehensively improve enterprise management, and enhance core competitiveness.
Intelligent systems begin with perception, excel in computation, skillfully make decisions, diligently execute, and are adept at learning.
An intelligent system is a system capable of generating human-like intelligent behaviors. Intelligence is a manifestation of higher-level activities of the human brain, and it should at least possess the ability to automatically acquire and apply knowledge, the ability to think and reason, the ability to solve problems, and the ability to learn automatically.
Smart power plants can automatically operate in the optimal state according to AGC instructions. The diagnostic center can provide early warnings and diagnose potential faults, and automatically adjust the operating mode according to the equipment fault situation, including load reduction. Based on the fault diagnosis results, the center can notify the equipment or maintenance manufacturer to carry out equipment maintenance.
Smart power plants begin in the design and equipment selection phases, starting with the construction of a virtual power plant. During the design phase, design units use PDMS to create a 3D power plant design, followed by rapid simulation using this 3D engine platform. This optimizes the process system and equipment selection. As the main and auxiliary equipment is gradually determined through bidding, the virtual power plant is progressively improved, defining technical parameters and requirements for the next stage of equipment bidding, while simultaneously optimizing the process system. This avoids post-commissioning technical modifications and optimizes power plant investment.
Comparison of Smart Power Plants and Digital Power Plants
Organizational Type: Digital power plants can be described as "semi-learning organizations," emphasizing institutionalization and systematization in their organizational processes. In contrast, smart power plants focus on building "learning organizations," integrating lifelong learning, company-wide learning, and continuous learning into all aspects of the organization. Through learning capabilities, they continuously push the limits of organizational growth, thereby maintaining a sustainable development trajectory.
Leadership Style: Digital power plants employ a command-and-control leadership style, where superiors issue orders and subordinates execute them, leading to lower system efficiency. In contrast, smart power plants utilize a goal-oriented leadership style, emphasizing emotional motivation, leveraging employee autonomy and innovation, and implementing the "self-learning mechanism" and "autonomous management" of a learning organization. In this model, leaders play a guiding, assisting, and exemplary role.
Management Models: Digital power plants primarily rely on equipment management and standardized systems, achieving management goals through strict control and constraints. They emphasize that managers must establish comprehensive and rigorous management systems, regulations, and work standards to strengthen employee management. In contrast, smart power plants emphasize the role of intelligent information management systems, guiding employees on what to do and how to do it within specified times. They also motivate employees, emphasize creativity, and continuously optimize and improve the system.
Information transmission methods: Digital power plants primarily use the internet for information transmission. They manage personnel, production, and operational data through computer networks, ensuring clear information access and real-time updates. Smart power plants, on the other hand, employ the Internet of Things (IoT) for information transmission. This is an internet of interconnected things, an extension and expansion of the internet. Through information sensing devices such as RFID, infrared sensors, GPS, and laser scanners, and according to agreed-upon protocols, any object can be connected to the internet for information exchange and communication. This enables intelligent identification, location, tracking, monitoring, and management of objects, allowing managers to easily manage and control large-scale data.
Information Technology Development: While digital power plants possess multiple information management systems and have achieved basic network coverage, these systems operate independently, lacking data correlation and integration, and failing to form a unified, integrated management information system. Smart power plants, through information management systems and the construction of the Internet of Things (IoT), integrate and manage the enterprise's logistics, capital flow, and information flow. They comprehensively balance and fully consider the enterprise's resources, including human resources, capital, materials, equipment, methods (production technology), information, and time, scientifically and effectively managing specific business operations such as personnel, finance, materials, production, supply, and sales. Furthermore, through the IoT, they achieve production control, safety control, and data management, maximizing the utilization of the enterprise's existing resources to achieve the greatest economic benefits.
Safety and Reliability: While employees in digital power plants may have a strong sense of safety, they passively accept assessments and training, failing to achieve "zero accidents" and lacking an integrated early warning system. In contrast, smart power plants offer high safety and reliability. Through the Internet of Things (IoT), personnel positioning, and the construction of early warning systems, information systems, and safety regulations, they can effectively prevent and control various risks, enhance risk awareness, improve risk management capabilities, and gradually bring the enterprise closer to an inherently safe level.
Equipment maintenance: Digital power plants use the traditional method of regular maintenance, which only has alarms and protection settings, but no early warning system. They mainly rely on experts to diagnose equipment faults through single parameter (such as vibration) analysis. Smart power plants, on the other hand, use big data analysis and artificial intelligence technology to closely monitor data changes, comprehensively analyze equipment status, and provide early warning of equipment faults and automatic diagnosis of equipment accidents.
Innovation and continuous improvement: Digital power plants tend to be built in one go, and then upgraded after commissioning, resulting in waste of resources. In contrast, smart power plants build virtual power plants from the initial stage of construction, and use simulation to verify the virtual power plant, optimize the system and select equipment technical parameters before building the physical power plant, thereby reducing investment and avoiding waste.
Employee capabilities: Digital power plants generally have limited innovation capabilities, relying on manufacturers for equipment failures and power research institutes for system optimization. In contrast, smart power plants emphasize building learning organizations in their management philosophy and talent development, and collaborate deeply with various sectors of society in technological advancement and management innovation, leveraging each other's strengths. This collaboration enhances the learning capabilities of power plant employees and lays the foundation for further innovation.
Industrial chain: Digital power plants mainly focus on power plants, while smart power plants use information technology as a link to form a closely interactive industrial chain with upstream and downstream enterprises such as coal, natural gas, electrolytic aluminum, and steel, and fully consider economic dispatch and rational energy use.
Benefits: Compared to digital power plants, smart power plants offer better benefits in terms of both economic and social benefits through system optimization, self-learning, and innovation.
In summary, smart power plants are supported by new types of sensors, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality technologies, and focus on innovative management concepts, professional control systems, human-centered management philosophies, and integrated management platforms. They follow a scientific and sustainable development path and are a product of my country's power reform. They will inevitably become a trend in the future development of my country's power generation enterprises.
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