Hydropower in Focus

The current tense and media-discussed energy supply was often a topic of discussion during the excursions of the bachelor's degree program in industrial engineering to the hydroelectric power plants and mechanical engineering companies in the region. Together with their lecturer, Dipl. Ing. (FH) Matthias Kammermeier, M.Sc., the students were given a comprehensive insight into the Gießenbachklamm power plant in Kiefersfelden, the Inn power plant in Oberaudorf-Ebbs and the mechanical engineering company Muhr in Brannenburg.

This semester, the third semester of the Industrial Engineering & Management degree program is focusing intensively on the technology of electrical energy generation from hydropower in the subject of machine and plant construction. To this end, three excursions were undertaken to hear the expertise of experienced power generators and plant constructors.

Gießenbach Gorge Storage Power Station

On Thursday, October 20, 2022, students were given an insight into the history, technology and construction of a hydroelectric power plant. Mr. Anker from the municipal utilities in Kiefersfelden introduced the students to the functions of the storage power plant in the Gießenbachklamm gorge in Kiefersfelden and explained the challenges of operating the power plant.

Due to the structural design and the good accessibility of the premises, the technology could be viewed up close and its function understood. Technical features and physical laws such as a pressure surge can thus not only be taught, but also experienced at close quarters or conveyed through documentation, visual aids and storytelling. The University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol would like to thank the municipal utilities of Kiefersfelden, represented by Mr. Anker, for the great opportunity to provide students with such a comprehensive and exclusive insight into power plant technology.

OBERAUDORF-EBBS RUN-OF-THE-RIVER POWER STATION

Following the storage power plant and in addition to the types of hydroelectric power plants, a run-of-river power plant was explored up close on Thursday, November 10, 2020. Mr. Stefan Oberhammer from Verbund introduced us to the technology of the power plant in Oberaudorf-Ebbs. The power plant manager told us about the history of the power plant, the challenges of its construction and the current revision work and optimizations at the power plant.

In particular, the impressive tour and the visual inspection of the installed components gave the students a sense of what it means to work with such forces. It was explained that the Kaplan turbine enables a flow of almost 300,000 liters of water per second and generates around 30,000 kilowatts of power. Furthermore, we learned what has to be considered when designing and operating a power plant and what influences the power plant has on its surroundings and the surrounding nature. The students were thus able to develop a feeling for the efforts involved in operation and maintenance, as well as the resulting measures that are necessary to use this form of renewable energy. We would like to thank Verbund (Grenzkraftwerke GmbH) for this great opportunity to examine the technology of hydropower up close.

MUHR ENGINEERING COMPANY IN BRANNENBURG

Turbines play a significant role in energy production, but a power plant's peripheral equipment also contributes greatly to its efficiency. And so, on Thursday, November 24, 2022, we visited the mechanical engineering company Muhr in Brannenburg. CEO Managing Director Roland Muhr gave us an impressive insight into the company's field of activity and the functions of its products.

The performance of a power plant can be kept at an optimum level, or the process can even be optimized, by using the automated computer systems developed in Brannenburg. This makes a significant contribution to the sustainability and economic efficiency of hydropower technology.

Muhr is a global company that, in addition to power plant technology, is also particularly active in the field of filling technology for bulk materials. The students were also able to gain an excellent insight into this area and were able to take a close look at the challenges and technical solutions. Mr. Muhr also provided an insight into the project planning and construction of the systems. In doing so, the students were introduced to the challenging situation of a very extensive product base of a special machine manufacturer and the possible solutions that Muhr has implemented for this. We would like to thank Mr. Roland Muhr for the interesting afternoon, the time spent and the introduction to the company.