Vocabulary

Recover – утилізувати

heat exchanger – теплообмінник

waste water – стічні води

preheat – підігрівати

pyrolysis – піроліз (хімічний розпад сполук, спричинений високою температурою)

hydrocarbon waste – вуглеводневі відходи

soybean – соєві боби

quorn – рослинний білок, що його отримують з гриба (застосовується як замінник м'яса)

minor – незначний

cogeneration – когенерація (комбіноване виробництво теплової та електричної енергії)

light-emitting diode – світлодіод

gradually – поступово

grid – мережа низької напруги

perpetual motion – вічний рух

mass transportation – громадський транспорт

compared to – порівняно з

widespread – поширений

conventional – традиційний, звичайний

regard – вважати

combustion engine – двигун внутрішнього згорання

continually – безперервно, весь час

fuel cell – паливний елемент

saill – вітрило

airship – дирижабль

glider – планер

magnetic levitation train – поїзд на магнітній повітряній подушці

dimethylether – диметиловий ефір

syngas – синтетичний газ

crude oil supplies – запаси сирої нафти

on a large scale – у великому масштабі

superconductivity – надпровідність

power factor correction – компенсація коефіцієнта потужності

surplus – надлишок; зайвий

market-based mechanism – ринковий механізм

Assignments

1. Read and translate text 6 using the vocabulary.

2. Answer the following questions.

1. What new technologies may make better use of already available energy?

2. How do combustion engine automobiles improve their energy efficiency?

3. What alternatives could be provided as a power source for different types of vehicles?

4. What are the alternatives for transportation fuel?

5. What technology may decrease energy losses?

3. Speak on ”The ways to save energy and decrease energy loss”.

Text 7. Kyiv Hydro-Electric Power Station

Kyiv Hydro-Power Station (HPS) is on the Dnieper – the main waterway of Ukraine and the third biggest river in Europe (2200 km long; pool area is 509,000 sq.km). The Dnieper flows through the whole Ukraine into the Black Sea over a complicated land relief. Utilizing the potential of this river waterpower experts faced many int­eresting, though hard tasks. Erection of Kyiv HPS in 1964 showed one of the most original designs in the history of planned regulation of the Dnieper. This HPS was built on the section where 90% of all waterpower resou­rces of the Dnieper River are concentrated.

Kyiv HPS is a significant power station due to its role as the upper stage in the system of the Dnieper Hydro-Power Stations Chain. While all hydro-electric power plants altogether produce only 6-8% of the general output of Ukraine’s electric energy, their role as a mobile emergen­cy and operational (frequency) reserve is instrumental. The­refore, Kyiv HPS brings a considerable share into securing power balance guaranteeing reliability of the Ukraine’s Integrated Energy System of.

Specifications

Capital structures of Kyiv HPS include the powerho­use with abutments on the right and left sides, earthen dams and dykes, 110-kV switchyard, integrated concrete spillway dam with 20 spillways and a navigation lock. HPS building - 51 metre wide and 258 metre long – is of a composite type divided by temperature-setting seams into 5 blocks having 4 power units each. There are 20 power units as a whole.

Above the superstructure of the water passage there are main terminals of generators, pumps and oil-pressure plants with power units controls etc. The top superstructure of this level with metal headcover forms a spillway sill. The indoor switchgear installation with an underneath cable level is arranged on the surface part of the lower pond side along the powerhouse. The step-up power transformers are overhead of the switchgear level.

Other components are right- and left-bank dams, right-hand seepage control levee, insert-dam between the powerhouse and ship lock, pier dam, river-channel dam and left-bank free-flow water dykes. The river dam has the maximum height of 22 m. The total length of dams is 70 km.

Navigation Locks

The engineering-architectural scheme of Kyiv HPS comprises the ship-lock built on the right higher bank of the Dnieper river and put into service on September 10, 1964. It is a single-lift arrangement having the length of 204.4 m and processing a 150 x 18 m chamber. Upstream head of the ship-lock has an elevating shuttle and downstream head - operating gates with 2 water-powered drivers. The lock chamber is filled by lifting upper head gates and emptied thro­ugh culverts in the downstream lock chamber head.

Rehabilitation

In 1996, new period commenced in the history of Kyiv HPS – rehabilitation of basic structures and equipment that overworked their resources for more than 30 service years, so obsolete morally and practically. The general purpose of reconstruction was to extend Kyiv HPS longevity with augmenting its power, operational reliability and safety, control system development and as a result – increasing the electric energy production, improving working conditions and environment.

UN body – International Bank for Reconstruction and Development after a thorough analysis took part in financing of Kyiv HPS rehabilitation. The process is of two steps: the first leg ended in 2002, the second one must be finished in 2015. During reconstruction some core aims have been achieved. Service life of reconstructed equipment is enlarged by 30-40 years. All power units had passed rehabilitation by 2009.

During reconstruction the power of Kyiv HPS was increased up to 47.3 MW. Average annual production of electric energy rose by 10 mln kW per annum. The efficiency of new environment friendly turbines is 4.3% higher, besides the danger of turbine oil getting into the Dnieper River is eliminated.

In June 2002, for the first time in CIS, an automatic control system of the hydropower station operational safety was introduced. The system provides:

- hydro-technical structures safety control;

- alarm signal if critical readings of conditions are exceeded;

- automatic data processing and accumulation;

- data base for valuation of HPS condition.

Originally Kyiv HPS introduced electric circuit arrangement with blocks composed of four generators and a transfo­rmer, connected to them via disconnecting switches (during reconstruction disconnecting switches were changed for 6 kw generator elegas switches).

The first two blocks (8 hydropower units) are connected to 110 kw by mains. The power transmission line is connected to them via linear isolator. The other three blocks (12 hydropower units) are also pined by mains. The other 110 kw line branches off them.

Kyiv HPS Role in the Economy and Ecology of the Region and State

Kyiv HPS, as the Dnieper HPS coordinated hydro­electric system as a whole, is a concurrent hydro-engineering structure. Besides, it serves as a controller during peak loads in the Ukraine’s Integrated Energy System. Kyiv HPS assures fail-safe functioning of water-carriage and drinking water supply systems, it empowers fisheries and irrigation develo­pment, it maintains established ecology balance.

Kyiv HPS makes a considerable contribution to crea­ting and development of new direction in the hydro-energetics of this country. Kyiv HPS is a real school for many generations of specialists in waterpower disposal. The experience obtained here is learnt in many countries of the world.

At the same time, Kyiv HPS is a living body whose own structural and upgrading development has not been finished. Kyiv HPS, as the first in CIS, introduced new computerized systems for controlling and protecting technological equipm­ent and a centralized system of data accumulation and hand­ling. Rehabilitation progress of the station is going on.