Waldemar DOŁĘGA
Threats and challanges for the Polish distribution network
Presented are issues concerning the Polish distribution network in the aspect of threats and challenges. Given is the characteristics of the Polish distribution network. Discussed are threats concerning the distribution infrastructure. Specified are challenges for distribution system operators (DSOs) which mainly concern the investment sphere and the field of preparation and realization of network investments. The challenges result from the Polish legal regulations which are inappropriate and introduce many legal and administrative barriers effectively limiting the speed and efficiency of an investment process.
Keywords: distribution network, development, threats, challenges
Krzysztof CHLEBOWSKI
Innovators act in a different way. Psychological aspects of innovations.
Presented are selected aspects of innovative product creation, in particular the elements connected with employee behaviour and organizational conditions influencing innovativeness. Specified are three complementary aspects having impact on creation of innovations: engineering, managemental and psychological. Every one of these areas owns a set of specific competences. Presented are the most important conclusions of the mentioned investigations: innovativeness is a way to act – innovators should be guided by a maxim “from different acting to different thinking”; innovations, like every other business activity, must be financially supported; for motivation, commitment, creativity and efficiency the small everyday occurrences at work are more important than the formal overdeveloped incentive schemes; the best innovations come from within companies; the worst thing that a manager can do is to create difficulties in achieving progress at work or not to remove the already existing ones; monitoring of development trends and the development of new technologies is indispensable but often it is a road that leads nowhere.
Keywords: innovations; engineering, managemental and psychological influence on innovations
Kamil FILIK, Grzegorz MASŁOWSKI
Selected investigations in the field of lightning and surge protection systems with the use of a lightning impulse generator dedicated to avionics testing
Informations concerning lightning discharges and their effects have been gathered for many years from theoretical research, experimental testing and observations of real physical phenomena. Such theoretical and experimental research of current distribution in lightning protection devices, their elements and connected supply and teletransmission systems have been carried out over the years at the Rzeszów University of Technology. Presented are some selected investigations in the field of lightning discharge impacts for which the modular impulse generator MIG0618SS was applied. It is dedicated to test the avionics susceptibility to current flows induced by lightning discharges. Its specific construction and properties allow it to be used for some other applications. It also proved to be a source of strokes serving to determine the discharge impedance of devices and the analysis of current distribution in models of lightning protection devices as well as to generate the alternating electric field. Presented are possible configurations of the generator operations and settings and also the impact of their application on parameters of the obtained impulses. In this way shown are the areas of additional applications of generators of this model range.
Keywords: lightning and surge protection, lightning impulse generator
Tomasz SĘP
Selection of an appropriate method to determine protected areas of an external lightning protection system
One of the elements of an external lightning protection system (LPS) is the system of down-conductors. The aim of these down-conductors in an LPS is to protect various objects against the direct lightning strike. This is also one of the basic functions of every LPS. However, if we want to ensure proper protection against the direct lightning strike, down-conductors should be properly selected and positioned. Presented are here methods to determine the LPS protected areas, described is the way to choose the proper method to designate such areas and to determine the LPS protected areas for design purposes. Ascertained is that taking into account the actual dimensions of an object is the basis for an LPS project. So if any mistakes are made already at the design stage, they can significantly deteriorate or even completely reduce the effectiveness of the whole LPS.
Keywords: external lightning protection system (LPS), determination of protected areas, system of down-conductors
Anna BUDZYŃSKA-SIECZKOWSKA, Grzegorz WROCHNA
HTGR reactors – new application of nuclear energy
Characterized is the HTGR nuclear reactor technology through which several tasks can be achieved like reducing dependency of Poland on gas import, substantial limitiation of CO2 emission, ensuring a heat source of predictable costs for the industry and also having an influence on development of the Polish production and export. Clean, stable and economically viable heat energy is not the only benefit of implementing HTGR reactors. Location of their manufacturing in Poland would not only allow to meet domestic requirements, estimated at 10-20 reactors until the year 2050, but also would activate a new economic sector of enormous export potential. The mentioned benefits have brought about entering of the HTGR reactors implementation program into the Sustainable Development Strategy and the Minister of Energy gave green light to further steps to its realization. This is also why Poland was selected as the organizer of the international HTR conference held every two years on a different continent. This time it will take place in Warszawa on 8-10 October of the present year.
Keywords: HTGR nuclear reactor technology, HTGR implementation program
Rafał CZEKALSKI, Robert CHOLEWA, Kazimierz ZAMOROWSKI
Possibility to improve elasticity of a power unit
Emergence in our National Power System of installations generating energy from RES, participating in this system on a substantial level, resulted in considerable changes in the electric energy market. Renewable energy sources were given priority in providing electricity to the grid. They become now a big challenge for conventional units which are obliged to balance the total electricity production of the system in conditions of changing RES capacity. So, the power units must be characterized by a high load elasticity and ability to work with ever lower loads. The main part of a power unit installation, limiting its minimum, is the boiler. Discussed are problems concerning possibilities to reduct the technical minimum of a power unit basing on the research conducted by ENERGOPOMIAR and on technical literature data. In most cases today the domestic 200 and 360 MW power units do not comply with recommendation of the Instruction of the Transmission System Operation and Maintenance (ITSOM) referring to operation in the range of 40-100% of rated power. The technical minimum of these power units equals about 47-53% and more. The recommended range of operation will only be achievable by new units – recently commissioned and currently under construction.
Keywords: improvement of a power unit elasticity, possibility to reduct technical minimum of a power unit, ENERGOPOMIAR research
Piotr PLIS
Systemic approach to energy management
In 2018 a new edition of the ISO 50001 standard will be released. There will appear several changes i.a. implementation of a framework structure (structure HLS) that will be common for new publications of standards referring to the systemic management. The framework structure is based on ten points that will be subject to unification. This will significantly make easier the integration of many management systems functioning in an organization, concerning quality, environment, health and safety at work and a lot of others. So, the organizations that will align their so far functioning management systems with the concept of the framework structure will have an easier task when making a decision to implement the ISO 500001. Considering the fact that allayed are legal uncertainties connected with the possibility to realize the audit obligation by a certified energy management system and also a positive experience of growing number of entities that implemented the ISO 50001, one could expect an increased interest in the subject of systemic approach to energy management in eneterprises.
Keywords: systemic approach to energy management, ISO 50001 standard, HLS structure