Project
This CNY 263.78 million project required Hamon Cooling System (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. to design a steel air-cooling island for a 2x660 megawatt power plant located in Datong, Shanxi, China. The goal was to establish a complete calculation model of the steel structure, which would reflect the stress of the component structures and calculate internal forces of all support bars. Optimizing on a unified model would also allow designers to accurately assess the previously calculated design of complex and existing structures—such as octagonal beams and pipe bundles, further improving the safety and reliability of the air-cooling island.
Solution
Hamon’s mechanical ventilation direct air-cooled condenser (ACC) scheme was adopted for this project. The units had an irregular layout of 56 cooling modules, 56 motors and fans, 672 pipe bundles, and numerous gear boxes, motors, and pipelines. The ACC platform was supported by huge truss systems consisting of more than 12,000 bars. STAAD’s powerful calculation capabilities were used to analyze the internal force distribution of the steel structures.
Outcome
Information sharing and collaborative design allowed for a seamless transition from design to detailed design. STAAD reduced the time for computation from four weeks to one week, and the time for modeling from more than 550 man-hours to just 400-man-hours The accuracy of the STAAD calculation model not only ensured safer, more reliable structures but also enabled the design team to reduce steel usage to 3,800 tons from 4,300 tons, saving more than CNY 3.7 million.
Software
The large-scale, complex project was analyzed and designed based on a unified design model. The STAAD model was used to solve complex problems associated with the steel structure of the air-cooling island. Load calculations were complicated by the extensive use of temporary supports for the cooling system components, which were incorporated in load conditions to ensure the safety of the constructors. The STAAD model was also easily modified and updated, which saved time and reduced errors.