Before a major power plant goes on line, its systems are tested with simulation equipment. To date, such tests have proved to be too complicated and expensive for small and medium-sized plants. But now Dr. Michael Unkelbach (51) has invented a software system that works within the power station control system to simulate functions and processes. This eliminates the need to build extra simulation facilities.

Simple operation is the top priority for sophisticated state-of-the-art power plants. Dr. Michael Unkelbach was one of the inventors of the Siemens SPPA-T3000 control system — the first and only control system that not only simplifies plant monitoring and control but also enables reliable tests to be carried out before a facility goes into operation. The basic architecture for the system was initially developed by him and two colleagues. Additional development work then began with a team in 2001 at Siemens Energy in Erlangen, Karlsruhe (both Germany), Alpharetta (USA) und later New Delhi (India). “Our approach was heavily influenced by the incredible success story of the Internet,” Unkelbach recalls. “We asked ourselves how a small Web company would design the architecture for a control system.” All control systems at that time — and things haven’t changed much — consisted of many different programs, each of which regulates a specific function, such as engineering, operation, diagnosis, documentation, archiving etc. Most of these subsystems aren’t highly integrated; data communication between them is complicated, which makes project work on the overall system complicated.

In the Siemens SPPA-T3000 control system, on the other hand, the system architecture and Java programming technology ensure that all individual programs can be launched and executed via a central server as needed. “This makes the control system much easier to program and operate,” Unkelbach explains. Turbines and all other components like boilers, pumps, and valves are monitored, controlled, and diagnosed via a common platform. A click is all it takes for operators to obtain an overview on their monitor of the current operational status of the individual power plant modules, mostly in the form of graphs and charts. This control technology system can be used with all types of power plants.

The success of the SPPA-T3000 is evidenced by the fact that it’s now used to control more than 400 power plants worldwide and will be installed in just under 300 planned facilities. Unkelbach is also proud of the fact that the new control system has been well received in the U.S. and throughout North and South America. In addition, many power plants are being retrofitted with the SPPA-T3000 system. “Operators know it offers a major benefit in that they no longer have to work with different optimization and diagnostic systems,” Unkelbach explains.

The Head of Development for the system architecture of the SPPA-T3000 was convinced from the start that it offers numerous possibilities — and he proved it with his invention of the simulation system. His idea? The control technology system, which anyhow can load and execute all software components in the corresponding power plant, already serves as a simulation unit in the testing phase. In this setup, large power plants are put online virtually before they actually go into operation in order to determine whether their thousands of connections and settings are functioning properly. Before that can be done, however, a simulator must be developed in the form of software that recreates the physical functions and hardware of the individual power plant modules. This was too expensive for small and medium-sized power plants in the past, which is why Unkelbach used his outstanding invention to develop programs that work like a simulator but can also be easily integrated into the control technology program as a module library. The advantage here is that it’s simple to configure the simulation program because all that needs to be done is to transfer the data from the control system programming. Everything runs on the same computers and additional hardware is unnecessary.

The simulation software already performs valuable services during the setting of the control parameters. “For example, engineers can test to see how the modules in question work best as many times as they want,” Unkelbach explains. Carrying out such tests during actual operations would already have led to the first signs of wear-and-tear on the components. As a further benefit, the simulation software can also be used to train power plant staff. Software development wasn’t originally one of Unkelbach’s specialist areas. Instead, he obtained his degree in theoretical nuclear and particle physics at the University of Erlangen. While he was studying, however, he noticed that he liked to write programs for calculating complex models. After working for a brief time as a researcher at the university, Unkelbach joined Siemens, where he quickly became a specialist for the development of software tools. He has registered 12 inventions to date and has 36 granted individual patents in ten IPR families to his credit. Unkelbach works in his church community in his free time. He also enjoys playing the piano and exploring the world in his camper van.