Power Plant Mehrum

Structural stability verifications for the existing natural draught cooling tower (height 130 m)

The hard coal power plant Mehrum, situated near the Mittellandkanal in Mehrum nearby Hohenhameln, offers an electric gross output of 750 MW. This block 3 was activated in 1979, along with a 130 m high natural draught cooling tower, made of reinforced concrete.

Within the scope of a life cycle management for the cooling tower, structural stability proofs were performed based on the VGB guideline 610 (VGB-R 610).

In order to realistically estimate the wind pressure on the cooling tower, including the inference effects stemming from the neighbouring, also 130 m high boiler house, appropriate wind canal experiments were performed in a boundary layer wind canal. Furthermore, in order to capture the site-specific, local wind climate at the site of the power plant, a wind technological site survey was created. Based on the wind canal test readings, a realistic and safe, structure-specific wind pressure model could be developed.

By utilising geometrical and material non-linearities, comprehensive structure-mechanical simulations were performed. With their help, a sufficient structural stability was verified. With this modus operandi, elaborate and expensive strengthening measures for the accrued ageing effects could be avoided.