HYDRO

IMPSA is devoted to the production of integral solutions for the transformation of hydraulic energy into electricity. The company supplies the following products and services:

• Construction of developments under EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) conditions consisting of the preparation of the Executive Project engineering combining civil works with electromechanical equipment and controlling not only the supply of turnkey equipment but also the execution of civil works and project management.
• Electromechanical equipment under turnkey conditions.
• Discrete equipment, including hydraulic turbines, generators, automation, and hydromechanical equipment
• Refurbishing, rehabilitation and upgrading.
• Operation and maintenance (O&M)

Equipment is classified as Core Equipment (CE) and Balance of Plant (BoP).

Core equipment: Also called “key equipment”, it differentiates a hydroelectric power station from other types of electricity-generation sources. It consists of turbines, synchronous generators and hydromechanical and hoisting equipment.

Balance of Plant: It includes systems that facilitate the operation of the power station and the connection of generating units to the power systems. It comprises the following systems:

Control, Protection, Measuring and Communication Systems: ICSA develops control systems that automate power stations so that equipment and systems are operated in a coordinated way and based on predefined guidelines. Using advanced communication network technologies, it integrates measuring systems that transfer relevant data to control and maintenance systems and electrical protection systems that protect equipment from undesired effects optimizing the performance of the power station.

Electrical System: It includes the electrical installation of the development, generation voltage equipment, main power transformers, and switching yards and the feeding of auxiliary services, emergency power, continuous current system, lighting, wiring, channeling, protection systems against atmospheric discharges, and grounding.

Auxiliary Mechanical Systems: They includes cooling systems for the unit, service water, high and low-pressure compressed air, power station drainage, unit dump, treatment of isolating and lubricating oil, ventilation and air conditioning of the power station, fire detection and protection, drinking water, sanitary wastes, and water/oil separation.

Power System: The analysis of this system includes studying the impact of the hydroelectric power station on the grid to which it is interconnected. This requires power flow short-circuit studies, analysis of electromagnetic transients and stability. With respect to the hydraulic design of the turbine selected for each project, IMPSA’s Center of Technological Research has its own Laboratory of Hydraulics where the hydraulic design of the turbine is carried out followed by the verification of the main performance parameters using reduced-scale model tests.