Solar power plants are the future – and we are competent partners on the way to tomorrow’s energy generation from sunlight. We develop and manufacture high quality valves and actuators for parabolic trough solar collectors, fresnel collectors and solar tower power plants. The basis for this is more than four decades of experience in the control valve engineering field. HORA’s control valves and actuators prove themselves around the world as reliable for mastering high pressures, extreme temperatures, aggressive media and different heat transfer fluids. HORA is a reliable and strong partner for planners, constructors and operators of solar thermal power plants: Medium-sized, independent and family-run – and thus flexible and versatile. One hundred percent of the profits are reinvested in equipment, processes and people. This makes us one of the most modern and innovative companies of our segment. Important elements include the 100 percent development scope and vertical manufacturing levels of up to 90 percent, which leaves the most important elements for quality assurance and excellence in our own hands.

As one of the key concentrated solar power markets, China is also an important country for HORA to develop our specialized valves for CSP plants. To get closer communication with China and global CSP peers and showcase the valve product, HORA will join CSP Focus China 2018 conference on Mar.22-23 in Beijing as an exhibitor. At the time of China CSP being developed rapidly and ambitiously, HORA expects to provide our experience and mature valve service to the CSP plants.

 
WHEREVER THE SUNS RAYS GENERATE POWER,

WE CONTROL THE FLOW OF THE MEDIA

Reliable control valves are required, where the power of the sun turns powerful steam turbines: In the solar field and in the power plant unit. Different challenges must be mastered in both areas. Good to know that in this regard there is a partner for control valves, who is at home with sophisticated valves and actuators, both in the solar field as well as the power plant: HORA. With our products, we ensure the control of liquid and gaseous media in both solar thermal core areas. Convincing arguments for the integration of sophisticated solar power plant projects are delivered by the mastery of special challenges posed here: Sealing to the outside world, the leakage rate of the valves, short start-up times as well as frequent changes in output. We have the ideal solution for every challenge in the form of

•    heat transfer fluid control valves
•    molten salt control valves
•    feed water control valves
•    draining control valves
•    automatic recirculation control valves
•    steam conditioning control valves
•    desuperheaters

QUALITY FOR HOT AND AGGRESSIVE ENVIRONEMENTS
EXCELLENT TECHNOLOGY FOR SOLAR FIELDS

Extreme conditions prevail where the power of the sun is concentrated and transformed to heat: Heat transfer fluids up to 380°C that serve as heat transfer media must be safely controlled, and aggressive media such as molten salts must be reliably mastered and pressures up to 40 bar must be tackled. Products from the HORA portfolio for the solar field

•    guarantee a long service life in aggressive and hot environments
•    ensure with their precise characteristic curves high control accuracy
•    with highly-developed pressure balancing systems for temperatures around
•    400°C, only require low actuating forces even at pressures above 40 bar and thus
•    reduce their energy consumption
•    comply with the highest environmental and safety demands with high-quality
•    stainless-steel bellows

What distinguishes our products in addition to excellent quality is a high level of flexibility. Thus, for example, a manual actuator can be replaced by a pneumatic or electrical actuator, without removing the valve from the piping. This enables simple and particularly cost-effective implementation of new technologies facilitating an increase in efficiency.

 
BETTER FROM EXPERIENCE: CONTROL VALVES FOR THE
WATER-STEAM CYCLE IN THE POWER PLANT UNIT

Whether fossil-fuelled or regeneratively fuelled: In the power plant unit a lot is similar, but not everything. Whether short start-up and shut-down procedures, whether related output changes or specific conditions in the heat transfer fluid circuit and the storage of energy: Solar power plants pose special challenges, which were met by HORA engineers from the outset. A sound basis provides the knowledge and experience from decades of partnership with planners, plant manufacturers and operators of fossil-fuelled power plants. One result is high-pressure/low-pressure turbine bypass valve designs, which were developed in close co-operation with the customers. They are adapted to suit the special conditions at solar power plants. The focus here was on larger steam volumes that required a modification of the valves due to the reduced live steam data. This defined a new standard for the use of 50 MW blocks. Practical proof of their performance capability is demonstrated by the HORA technology on the elevated plateau of Guadix in southern Spain as well as Palma del Rio in Andalusia. Here, power is generated for hundreds of thousands of people from solar energy in conjunction with the powerful steam turbines from MAN in the solar power stations Andasol and Termosolar Guzmán.

CONTINUOUS PROCESS OPTIMIZATION
ON THE QUALITY ROUTE

Our mission is to provide highly-efficient valves and actuators for the highest levels of performance in precarious solar environments at low life-cycle costs. Continuous optimization of our development and manufacturing processes provides the basis for coverage of these demands. Certified quality control across all levels guarantees precision control accuracy and longevity. Modern 3D-based development tools support and assist the product evolution process. Numerical simulation methods such as FEM and CFD are standard at HORA. Professional tools and lean methods for the optimization of company processes such as Kanban, processing mapping, variant management and sampling also belong to the tools, which we use in the true sense of the word to produce “award-winning” quality: The bestowal of the Manufacturing Excellence Award is an example of this, as is the awarding of the TOP innovation prize of the German Federal Ministry for Economy and Technology.

 
KNOWLEDGE, SPEED AND COMMITMENT
FOR EVERY PHASE IN THE LIFECYCLE

The threads from development, production, sales and service of our solar thermal product range come together in the solar business field. From the design and construction to implementation and operation, right up to maintenance and repair, expert partners are available for every phase in the lifecycle of our valves and actuators:

•    competent engineers in sales and consulting
•    qualified designers in development
•    experienced installation staff in after-sales service for commissioning,
•    maintenance and servicing

We cultivate a continuous exchange of ideas with planners and plant manufacturers, listen to what they say, listen to the operators and flexibly adapt our products in real-time to meet the challenges. And because we bring intelligent process orientation and optimization speed into the manufacturing and logistics chain, our fast delivery times and almost 100 percent delivery schedule adherence ensure a high level of customer satisfaction.

WHERE 700 DEGREES IS TO BE MASTERED,
HOT PROJECTS ARE IN GOOD HANDS

Solar thermal power plant technology continues to develop in leaps and bounds. We perform an active pacemaker role with the engineering excellence of clever people, who take on the challenges for larger units in the 125 and 250 MW power output delivery ranges. There is no shortage of the necessary innovative force. An example: Intelligent customer solutions such as COMTES700 in mastering temperatures up to 700 degrees. We are the first control valve manufacturer world-wide to develop and supply valves for these new parameters in the power plant technology. The technologies and products, which make it easier to master the steadily rising demands on material and calculation, on precision and longevity and on new media and safety demands, come to fruition earlier than other companies in the segment at HORA. Co-operations with universities and scientific institutions help to develop new materials and technologies for ever-increasing demands.

A sunny outlook for everyone who needs good ideas and high-performance control valves for hot projects.

Relevant CSP Conference：2018 CSP Focus Conference（March 22-23 Beijing）