Hinkley Point C in Somerset, UK
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Combined energy output3.2 GW
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Last-stage blade size75-inch
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Homes powered6 million
Two turbine islands for Hinkley Point C
Arabelle Solutions will supply two turbine islands for Hinkley Point C (HPC) on a turnkey basis, capable of producing 1.7 GW each. The shaftline will be around 70 meters long, with the Arabelle turbine, GIGATOP generator, heat exchangers, pumps and auxiliary equipment all integrated and aligned to maximize output and reliability.
In total, the team will install around 2,200 tons of piping and 350 km of cables per unit.
Innovative turbine technology
The Arabelle turbine train for Hinkley Point C consists of a high-pressure and intermediate-pressure module as well as three low-pressure modules.
To meet the required power output, Arabelle Solutions’ engineers had to increase the turbine efficiency and further optimised the backpressure. This included designing a 75-inch last-stage blade - the largest ever built.
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Heat exchangers
More about heat exchangersKey components of the water/steam cycle include large surface condensers which condense the steam from LP turbines into condensate.
For HPC, such equipment has a heat transfer surface of 116,000 sqm – more than 15 football fields. The condenser of each unit is 38 meters wide, 21 meters long, and 15 meters tall with an empty weight of more than 2,000 tons and over 2,100 km of titanium tubes installed.
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Pumps
More about pumpsEach turbine hall will be equipped with powerful cooling, feedwater, condensate, vacuum and recovery pumps - 27 in total per unit.
The two cooling pumps have a flow rate of 30 cubic meters per second and the three feedwater pumps (plus one on standby) have total manometric head of 909 meter of water column – enough pressure to create a 900 meters tall water column.
The GIGATOP generator stator was designed and manufactured in Belfort, France. Measuring 12 meters in length it weighs over 450 tons.
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Pour vous permettre d'accéder à l'information, nous vous proposons de consulter la vidéo Stator journey to HPC dans un nouvel onglet.
The GIGATOP generator stator was designed and manufactured in Belfort, France and delivered to HPC by rail, road and sea.
Article
Nuclear Engineering: Big blades for HPC
Ivan McBean, Principal Engineer for Aerodynamics, at Arabelle Solutions, outlines in Nuclear Engineering International how the team developed the 75-inch last-stage blade for Hinkley Point C. Overcoming challenges with size and strict weight limitations, the team developed new tools and processes to create the largest steam turbine last-stage-blades ever made.
