CCAMTG-2500 A04 — Commissioning & Performance Acceptance

Volume 18 defines the complete commissioning and performance-acceptance architecture for the CCAMTG-2500 A04, taking the assembled and installed machine from documented pre-start readiness through first energization, active magnetic-bearing levitation, first rotation, charge-mode proving, generation-mode proving, protective-function testing, mode-transition testing, rated performance verification, formal acceptance and final handover.

Main Public Commissioning Baseline

• Machine Class: 2.5 MW-Class Dual-Mode Compressed-Air Energy Storage / Recovery Magnetic Motor-Generator Machine
• Net AC Generation Target: 2.50 MW
• Nominal Rotor Speed: 12,000 rpm
• Master Air Mass Flow: 12.2 kg/s
• Compression Range: 1.20 bara → ~31 bara
• Expansion Range: ~31 bara → 1.20 bara
• DC Bus: 1,500 VDC
• BESS Energy Capacity: ~5 MWh LFP
• Dry Skid Mass (Estimated): ~22,000 kg

A04 Commissioning Status: Public baseline values identify the current A04 engineering configuration. Final certified test tolerances, instrument-accuracy classes, safety-trip setpoints, vibration limits, pressure-test values, grid settings and supplier-specific acceptance criteria remain governed by approved calculations, certified supplier data, hazard review and jurisdictional requirements.

Commissioning Scope

• Pre-commissioning readiness
• Mechanical completion verification
• Pressure-system release
• Electrical energization readiness
• Controls and SIS functional proving
• AMB levitation
• First rotation
• Charge-mode commissioning
• Generation-mode commissioning
• Rated performance testing
• Protective-function testing
• Mode-transition testing
• FAT and SAT integration
• Final acceptance and handover

Integrated Test Boundary

• Air intake and conditioning system
• Three-stage compressor
• HP buffer vessel
• Three-stage turbine
• Active magnetic bearings
• Touchdown-bearing system
• Thermal, cooling and TES systems
• Structural skid and foundation interface
• Electrical power conversion
• Fasteners, joints and sealing
• PLC, SIS, HMI and SCADA
• External compressed-air storage
• BESS, PCS and grid systems

Commissioning Release Gates

• Document readiness
• Mechanical completion
• Pressure-system release
• Electrical energization release
• Controls and SIS release
• AMB levitation release
• First-rotation release
• Charge-mode process release
• Generation-mode process release
• Rated performance release
• Acceptance and handover

Commissioning Responsibilities

• Commissioning management
• Mechanical systems leadership
• Electrical systems leadership
• Controls and SIS leadership
• Rotating equipment and AMB specialists
• Process and thermal engineering
• Safety and hazard-review representation
• Independent witnessing where required

Test Equipment & Data Quality

• Acceptance measurements use calibrated and traceable instruments
• Calibration validity covers the test period
• Pressure channels are zeroed and verified
• Redundant airflow channels are cross-checked
• Temperature channels are validated
• Redundant rotor-speed channels are reconciled
• AMB rotor-position and vibration signals are validated
• Electrical power measurements are synchronized across machine boundaries
• Cooling-system flow and temperature data are recorded

Pre-Commissioning Checks

• Verify equipment tags and serial numbers
• Verify installed configuration against the controlled A04 baseline
• Verify structural skid and foundation condition
• Verify rotor alignment and coupling records
• Verify rotor balance and runout records
• Verify critical bolted-joint records
• Verify pressure-boundary material and NDE records
• Verify cleanliness and foreign-material exclusion
• Verify process and cooling circuits are ready
• Verify electrical terminations, segregation and earthing
• Verify instrument calibration and loop readiness
• Verify emergency-stop and fire interfaces

Valve & Final Element Verification

• External storage isolation stroke and fail-state verification
• Turbine inlet control stroke and fail-state verification
• Compressor discharge isolation verification
• Anti-surge recycle fail-open verification
• Reheater isolation verification
• Buffer blowdown verification
• Reverse-flow protection verification
• Position feedback and proof-of-state checks

Electrical Pre-Start Testing

• Control-power and UPS verification
• DC precharge sequence verification
• Converter functional testing
• Electrical protection injection testing
• Insulation and earthing verification
• Switchgear and isolation verification
• PCS and converter readiness checks
• Electrical interlock verification

Controls & SIS Pre-Start Testing

• I/O point-to-point checks
• Loop checks
• Permissive verification
• Interlock verification
• Alarm and trip verification
• Cause-and-effect functional testing
• HMI indication verification
• SCADA and historian verification
• Time synchronization checks
• Emergency-stop sequence verification

First AMB Levitation

• Establish control power
• Establish machine cooling
• Verify emergency-stop health
• Verify high-pressure system is in a safe startup state
• Enable the AMB controller with the rotor stationary
• Levitate and centre the rotor
• Verify radial rotor-position channels
• Verify axial position channels
• Verify no AMB instability or saturation
• Verify touchdown-bearing readiness

First Rotation

• Complete DC bus precharge
• Enable the inverter in a controlled no-load state
• Apply minimum approved torque
• Verify direction of rotation
• Verify redundant rotor-speed agreement
• Verify no rub or unintended mechanical contact
• Monitor rotor position and vibration
• Monitor AMB current and temperature
• Increase speed only through approved commissioning hold points
• Critical-speed progression follows the approved rotor-dynamic plan

Charge-Mode Commissioning

• Establish AMB levitation and cooling
• Precharge the DC bus
• Enable PMSM motor operation
• Establish compressor flow with protective recycle initially open
• Increase rotor speed under approved surge-margin control
• Progressively reduce recycle after stable flow develops
• Prove compressor stage pressure rise
• Enable staged intercooling
• Enable TES heat capture
• Progress toward the public rated speed and flow baseline
• Verify stable unloading and return to standby or stop

Charge-Mode Energy Path

• Grid and/or BESS electrical energy
• Bidirectional PCS and inverter
• PMSM motor operation
• Common rotor
• Three-stage compressor
• Intercoolers and thermal-energy recovery
• HP buffer vessel
• External compressed-air storage

Generation-Mode Commissioning

• Verify external compressed-air storage availability
• Verify TES preheat and reheat availability
• Establish AMB, cooling and DC-system readiness
• Isolate the compressor high-pressure path
• Open turbine inlet under controlled ramping
• Enable turbine preheat and interstage reheating
• Transition the PMSM/PMG from motoring toward generation
• Increase rotor speed and electrical export under controlled conditions
• Verify stable turbine stage behavior
• Progress to the 2.50 MW net AC public design target under defined test conditions

Generation-Mode Energy Path

• External compressed-air storage
• HP buffer vessel
• Turbine inlet control
• TES preheater
• Three-stage reheated turbine
• Common rotor
• PMG generation
• Active rectifier and DC bus
• BESS and/or grid interface

Rated Performance Testing

• All required commissioning gates released before formal testing
• No unresolved safety-critical punch items
• Approved compressor and turbine performance maps available
• Approved thermal and electrical design inputs available
• Test instruments calibrated and synchronized
• Ambient and boundary conditions recorded
• Stable operation established before the formal test window
• Actual and corrected results reported separately
• Measurement uncertainty included in the acceptance logic

Mandatory Performance Data

• Ambient conditions
• External storage condition
• TES condition
• Rotor speed
• Rotor position and vibration
• Main airflow
• Compressor pressure and temperature states
• Turbine pressure and temperature states
• Thermal-system data
• Cooling-system data
• PMG and converter electrical data
• DC bus voltage, current and power
• Grid AC power and energy
• BESS power and state-of-charge
• Valve positions and control commands

Public Performance Acceptance Targets

• Nominal Rotor Speed: 12,000 rpm
• Main Air Mass Flow: 12.2 kg/s
• Compression: 1.20 bara → ~31 bara
• Expansion: ~31 bara → 1.20 bara
• Net AC Generation Target: 2.50 MW
• DC Bus: 1,500 VDC
• Stable mode transition without uncontrolled rotor, pressure or electrical excursion
• Protective functions verified through safe and approved test methods

Performance Data Reduction

• Measured and calculated values reported separately
• Measurement uncertainty reported separately
• Redundant airflow channels reconciled
• Compressor pressure ratios reconciled to approved maps
• Charge-mode electrical and shaft power reconciled
• Turbine gross-power performance reconciled
• Net AC export reconciled
• Thermal-energy balance reconciled
• DC and AC conversion losses reconciled
• Round-trip performance calculated only over a defined charge/storage/generation cycle

Data Integrity Rules

• Raw test and historian data are retained
• Unfavourable data are not manually removed without documented justification
• Processed results identify calculation methods and software versions
• Sensor substitution or calibration drift is documented
• Channel disagreement is documented
• Test interruptions and trips are logged
• Operator interventions are logged
• BESS, grid and thermal constraints are recorded

Protective-Function Testing

• Overspeed protection
• AMB instability response
• High-vibration shutdown
• Buffer overpressure response
• Cooling-failure response
• Electrical-fault response
• Fire and emergency-stop response
• Valve loss-of-actuation fail-state verification
• Independent mechanical pressure relief remains available

Safe Protection Test Philosophy

• Protection logic is verified by approved simulation or injection where possible
• Destructive overspeed testing is not assumed
• AMB fault testing avoids destructive rotor contact
• Pressure protection is verified without defeating independent mechanical relief
• Electrical protection uses approved injection and simulation methods
• Emergency sequences follow the approved hazard-study philosophy

Mode Transition Testing

• Standby to charge
• Charge to standby or stop
• Standby to generation
• Generation to standby or stop
• Controlled charge-to-generation transition where permitted
• Controlled generation-to-charge transition where permitted
• Inactive process paths remain isolated during transitions
• No unstable rotor, pressure or electrical excursion is permitted

Turndown & Dynamic Testing

• Approved operating-range verification
• Compressor map compliance
• Turbine map compliance
• Anti-surge transient testing
• Cooling pump duty/standby changeover
• Electrical load transition testing
• Dynamic control response verification

BESS, PCS & Grid Functional Acceptance

• BESS operating-state logic verification
• PCS bidirectional charge and discharge verification
• Grid synchronization verification
• Grid protection verification
• Power-quality verification
• Electrical insulation monitoring verification
• BMS authority and battery protection retained
• Final grid and battery safety settings remain supplier and site controlled

Pressure-System Acceptance

• Pressure-boundary records verified before operation
• Redundant buffer pressure instrumentation functionally proven
• Independent mechanical relief certification verified
• Controlled blowdown and depressurization tested
• External storage isolation fail-safe behavior proven
• Reverse-flow prevention proven
• Machine remains inside the approved pressure and temperature envelope

Acceptance Decision Logic

• PASS — mandatory safety and functional tests passed and approved performance criteria achieved
• PASS WITH OPEN NON-BLOCKING ITEMS — only formally accepted non-safety and non-performance items remain
• RETEST REQUIRED — data quality, stability, instrumentation or performance issues require repeat testing
• FAIL / HOLD — safety, pressure, rotor, protection, surge or uncontrolled-excursion issue prevents acceptance

Commissioning Punch List

• Unique punch-item identification
• Originating date and test package
• Affected subsystem and tag
• Objective description of open work
• Blocking or non-blocking classification
• Controlling requirement source
• Immediate disposition
• Responsible owner and due gate
• Corrective action
• Verification or retest evidence
• Formal closure approval

Commissioning Records & Final Dossier

• Approved commissioning procedures
• Design baseline and ECN records
• Mechanical completion records
• Pressure-system and relief records
• Electrical test records
• Instrumentation calibration records
• Controls and SIS test records
• AMB and rotating-equipment commissioning records
• Charge and generation process data
• Thermal and cooling-system records
• Raw and processed performance data
• Uncertainty statement
• Punch-list and retest records
• Training and handover records
• SAT and as-built references

End-to-End Commissioning Sequence

• Freeze the commissioning baseline and approved changes
• Release mechanical completion and QA/NDE traceability
• Release pressure-system certification and relief protection
• Complete electrical and control-power checks
• Calibrate instruments and complete I/O checks
• Prove valve fail states and SIS cause-and-effect
• Prove cooling and thermal packages
• Perform stationary AMB levitation
• Complete DC precharge and no-load converter checks
• Perform first rotation
• Perform charge-mode proving
• Perform generation-mode proving
• Perform dynamic and abnormal-case tests
• Perform BESS, PCS and grid acceptance
• Perform performance data reduction and uncertainty review
• Retest deviations and close blocking punch items
• Complete final acceptance, handover and as-built dossier integration

V18 Commissioning Package

• Commissioning Plan
• Performance Test Procedure
• Commissioning Punch List Template
• Pre-start readiness requirements
• Release-gate architecture
• First levitation and first-rotation procedures
• Charge-mode proving procedure
• Generation-mode proving procedure
• Protective-function test matrix
• Mode-transition and dynamic-test requirements
• Performance acceptance and closeout framework

Commissioning Release Philosophy

• Commissioning proves the complete machine as an integrated system
• Both charge and generation energy paths must be demonstrated
• Inactive process paths must remain safely isolated
• Independent protection layers remain available during testing
• Test data are retained and traceable
• Approximate concept values are not silently converted into acceptance tolerances
• Final acceptance values remain tied to approved calculations, supplier data and hazard studies
• No blocking safety or performance item remains open at final handover