Since its founding in 2005, CT Russia has accomplished a great deal (see p. 28) — and much of this success is due to the approximately 20 research partnerships it has with leading Russian research institutes, universities, and industrial companies. CT researchers are now working on new types of combustion concepts for integrated gasification combustion cycle (IGCC) processes in cooperation with experts from the Moscow Engineering and Physics Institute, who have developed an experimental gas burner for the Siemens researchers to use in extensive tests of the new concept. CT is also working together with the Institute of Strength Physics and Materials Sciences (ISPMS) in Tomsk, Siberia, on the development of nanostructured ceramics for use in gas turbines. These new ceramic coatings are more ductile and longer-lasting than their current counterparts, which means that the service life of the turbines they’re installed in can be extended and the turbines themselves can be exposed to higher stresses without damage. All of this results in savings for power plant operators. ISPMS is using its expertise and tools to develop the nanostructured ceramics, and Siemens researchers are investigating how to optimally install the material in a gas turbine.

Technicians need to react quickly if a complex system like a gas turbine develops a fault, as shutdowns can be very expensive. Russian researchers at Siemens are thus working with the renowned State Polytechnical University in St. Petersburg to develop intelligent software solutions that recognize and report potential defects before they occur. Such solutions monitor the operation of the system in question on the basis of programmed parameters such as oscillation and environmental data. Siemens is responsible for the software expertise here, while the university conducts practical tests, handles implementation, and optimizes the analysis system. A very different type of optimization was developed by CT researchers in conjunction with Russian oil company Rosneft. Together, they developed a chemical process to raise the pressure of less active oil deposits and thus enable the corresponding oil fields to be returned to production. CT carried out the modeling and simulations for this project, while Rosneft was responsible for the experimental part.