Pictures of the Future

The Magazine for Research and Innovation | Fall 2009

www.siemens.com/pof

Modernizing
Infrastructures
Developing solutions that are
economical and sustainable

Virtual
Realities Tomorrow’s Grids
Mission-critical technologies
for industry and healthcare How Vehicles, Cities and Alternative Energy Sources will Interact
Pictures of the Future | Editorial
The New Age of Electricity
Wolfgang Dehen is CEO of the Energy Sector and a
member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG.
Cover: By 2050, electricity generated
at solar thermal plants and wind
farms in Africa and the Middle East is
expected to cover 15 to 20 percent of
Europe’s energy needs. That’s the goal
of the Desertec Industrial Initiative.
A founding member and technology
partner of the Initiative, Siemens can
offer a range of solutions.
2 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
Pictures of the Future
Contents
T he second half of the 19th century was
an age of pioneers. In 1866 Werner
von Siemens discovered the dynamo-electric
have increased 13-fold and we will be pro-
ducing 140 times more power from solar
sources than at present. One especially
principle, and thus the most economical promising example is the Desertec con-
method of generating electricity. In the cept, which focuses on solar power plants
late 1870s Thomas A. Edison resolved to in North Africa and the Middle East. An
bring light to every household by means industrial consortium was recently formed
of his incandescent bulb. George Westing- to plan and implement this idea (p. 19).
house and Nikola Tesla conducted experi- More and more wind turbines are also
ments with alternating current. Oskar being built on land and at sea (p. 16). In
von Miller was the first to transmit large both cases, large amounts of electricity
amounts of electricity over a distance of must be transmitted over long distances
175 kilometers. And Werner von Siemens with minimal losses. And this is where
realized that electricity “will result in high-voltage direct-current transmission
countless devices in homes and factories comes in. In China, Siemens is building
that will make life easier.” Many of these the world’s most powerful electricity high-
way, which will transmit 5,000 megawatts
of electricity from hydroelectric power
Tomorrow’s Modernizing Virtual
plants in the interior across 1,400 kilometers
to cities on the coast, with only minimal
losses (p. 24).
Power Grids Infrastructures Realities
However, the wind and the sun don’t
devices were promptly developed by von provide electricity exactly when it’s 110 Scenario 2030 150 Scenario 2025 186 Scenario 2020
Siemens himself. They included the first needed. That means it has to be stored The Electric Caravan The Living Desert When the Stars Come Out
electric train, the electric coach — a fore- somehow. The likely future boom in elec- 112 Trends 152 Trends 188 Trends
runner of the electric car and the streetcar tric vehicles could prove useful here (p. 44). Switching on the Vision Investments that Pay Mission-Critical Frontier
— and the first electric elevator. Broad Aside from their green credentials, these 116 Offshore Wind 155 Water Networks 192 Healthcare
electrification began around 1890. vehicles could serve as mobile energy stor- High-Altitude Harvest Simulation Tools on Tap Fused Realities
Today — 120 years later — we are on age units — and enable their owners to 119 Solar Energy 156 Power Plant Upgrades 195 Conferencing
the threshold of the second pioneering make some cash. For example, they could Desertec: Power from the Deserts New Life for Old Plants The Illusion of Presence
age of electrotechnology, as this issue of recharge their vehicles at night with cheap of North Africa and the Middle East 159 Hospitals 196 Multimedia Documentation
Pictures of the Future illustrates. In the fu- power and sell this electricity in the day- 122 Interview with Top-Notch Treatment Live Documents
ture, electricity will become the dominant time for top prices. Just a few hundred Hans Müller-Steinhagen 160 Universities 198 Excavators
energy choice. This development is being thousand electric vehicles in the power Making Solar Thermal Power Green Campus Simulating a Monster
driven primarily by the realization that it’s grid would be enough to provide more Competitive 162 Steel Plants 100 Interview with Jaron Lanier
high time to reduce greenhouse gas emis- balancing power than Germany currently 124 HVDC Transmission Efficiency Catches Fire A virtual reality pioneer on the
sions in order to counter climate change. needs to cover peaks in demand. China’s River of Power 164 Steel Production potential of VR technology and
How this goal will be achieved is the To make such a system work, we need 128 HVDCT Converters Knight in Shining Steel its influence on human dignity
subject of the U.N. Climate Change Con- smart electric meters — for cars as well The Art of Converting Volts 166 Airports in cyberspace
ference, which will take place in Copen- as other small energy generators and con- 131 Energy Storage Flight from Carbon Dioxide 101 Crowd Flow Simulation
hagen in December, 2009. Electric energy sumers (p. 36) — plus smart grid technol- Trapping the Wind 168 Radio Sensors Predictive Vision
holds the key to achieving this goal, be- ogy to manage it (p. 12). Thanks to so- 134 Networking Tapping Ambient Energy 102 Materials Simulations
cause it can be produced, transmitted and phisticated information, communication, Plugging Buildings 171 Facts and Forecasts Small Worlds
used in environmentally-friendly ways. In and sensor technology, these grids will into the Big Picture Trillions for Infrastructures
short, it’s ideal for a transition to an econ- make electricity consumption more trans- 136 Smart Meters 172 Istanbul
omy based on carbon-free energy. parent and manageable, thus helping to Transparent Network Refurbishing the Megacity
All of the technologies need to make save energy. Here too, Siemens has all the 138 Interview with Dan Arvizu 176 Interview with
this happen are available — they only necessary solutions in its portfolio. Making An expert on renewable energy Manuel Alberto Diaz
Sections
need to be implemented. For example, power networks smarter has been our examines the Smart Grid Miami’s mayor on the road to
efficiency can be boosted at every link of core business activity for decades. The 140 Virtual Power Plants greener cities 004 Short Takes
the energy conversion chain, from power worldwide market for smart grid technol- Power in Numbers 178 Airport Transit News from Siemens’ Labs
plants (p. 56) and energy transmission (p. ogies that can be addressed by Siemens 142 Facts and Forecasts Riding on Air 007 Combustion Simulation
24) to use in buildings (p. 34, 60), indus- alone between today and 2014 amounts Growing Demand for Renewables 180 Vienna Red Hot Ideas
trial facilities (p. 62), and transportation to some €30 billion. It’s an enormous and Smart Grid Technologies A Model of Mobility 048 Siemens Venture Capital
(p. 44, 78). The amount of electricity growth market — as are the markets for 144 Electromobility 180 LEDs Green Dwarfs
generated via CO2-free methods will vastly renewable energy sources, power trans- From Wind to Wheels Lots of Light for Little Power 082 Science Express
increase. According to calculations by the mission, and electromobility. All of them Science: A Moveable Feast
International Energy Agency and Siemens, taken together will be key factors in the 106 Feedback / Preview
by 2030 energy generated with wind will new age of electricity.
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 3
Pictures of the Future | Short Takes
Gout Minus
Ouch
ccording to a study at Vancouver
A General Hospital, doctors could use
computed tomography (CT) in the future
to diagnose gout much more reliably than
is the case with the joint puncture method
that is currently in use. Siemens dual-energy
computed tomography (DECT) scanner
enables a noninvasive examination, which
quickly and accurately localizes small de-
posits of uric acid and marks them in color
on a CT image. What makes this possible is
a CT system that simultaneously uses two
X-ray tubes to scan the patient with two
beams that have different energy levels.
Uric acid crystals appear red in the images,
while bones and calcium appear as grayish
blue.
Some 15,000 LEDs mounted on Durban stadium’s arch will give the structure a unique identity.
Glowing Cup
outh Africa is eagerly looking forward to the Soccer
S World Cup. Work on the stadiums and the infrastructure,
including energy supply and transportation, is proceeding
apace to get everything ready for the kick-off in summer
2010. Siemens technology is in use in almost all the World Cup locations. And in
Durban it will be highly conspicuous. Thousands of Osram light-emitting diodes
will light the new stadium in a most impressive — and above all energy-efficient —
way. The architects of the Moses Mabhida Stadium have created a new symbol: a
350-meter-long arch that curves over the entire stadium with its roughly 70,000
seats. Its greatest height is the equivalent of that of a 30-story building. In the
evening and at night, LED lamps on either side of the arch will emit an even light
that will be visible for miles. Dual-energy CT could obviate the need for painful
What distinguishes this architecturally unique solution in Durban in addition to joint punctures for the diagnosis of gout.
its bold design, is its energy efficiency. LEDs use approximately 20 percent less
energy than alternative solutions, such as fluorescent lamps, while emitting the Although gout is the most common in-
same amount of light. The approximately 15,000 diodes to be installed at the sta- flammatory joint disease, it is nevertheless
dium will use 30 kilowatts when operating at full power, and are expected to have difficult to diagnose, since there are other
a lifespan of around 50,000 hours. The entire steel construction of the arch is diseases such as arthritis that have similar
hollow and accessible from inside, so that maintenance is uncomplicated and symptoms. A diagnosis can be confirmed
inexpensive. It will not, however, be necessary to change the LEDs very often, as only by verifying the presence of uric acid
they last eight times longer than, for example, a standard fluorescent lamp. The — a procedure that requires fluid to be
LEDS are installed in rows of 36 in specially-developed Osram luminaires. The withdrawn from a joint with a needle.
1.8-meter-long luminaires look like oversized housings for fluorescent tubes. They This can be difficult and painful when the
conduct heat away from the LEDs and protect the diodes from the environment. joints are inflamed. Doctors taking part
World Cup visitors will experience lighting by Osram in many places, such as the in the study reported finding more gout-
airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban; in the stations served by the afflicted sites per patient using DECT than
new Gautrain, a high-speed train connecting Pretoria and Johannesburg; and with the conventional examination. The
along the freeways. In other words, South Africa will shine brightly when the eyes scientists also achieved significantly better
of the world are upon it. Andreas Kleinschmidt detection of gout in the elbow, foot, ankle
and knee with DECT than with the punc-
ture method. na/sw
4 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
Turbo Dishwasher
S pecial minerals that release heat make the drying cycle of the
Siemens speedMatic dishwasher faster and more efficient. Zeo-
lites, silicate minerals with a large surface area and internal voids,
heat up as they absorb water and then give off the heat. At 50 de-
grees Celsius, for example, the dishwasher completes its standard
program around 15 minutes faster than conventional models. The
speedMatic is thus the fastest dishwasher in the highest efficiency
class (AAA). And thanks to its EnergySave function, the machine
consumes roughly 20 percent less electricity than the previous best
Autonomous vehicles find their way with lasers. dishwasher in its class worldwide — a new record. na/sw
Laser Navigator
Siemens development is now enabling vehicles
A to move about autonomously in factory halls and
warehouses without the need for additional orienta-
tion aids. The system surveys its surroundings using
a laser scanner mounted on a swivel motor and pre-
pares a three-dimensional map for navigation. New
routes are learned by driving along them only once.
Systems used until now have required external navi-
gational aids, such as reflectors, magnets or inductive
guide wires. na/sw Zeolites make the speedMatic the fastest dishwasher in its class.
Bright Ideas
Designers submitted around 600
sram is turning to open innovation
ideas for new lighting concepts
to Osram. The winners included
“Light shell” (above), “Chromatic
O for the development of new lighting
solutions. Professional designers and hobby
Ball” (center), and garden lights tinkerers alike were given the opportunity to
that resemble bamboo. spotlight their ideas in the “LED-Emotionalize
your light” contest. The objective: practical
and affordable lighting solutions that are
easy for the user to operate and install. There
was only one condition. The bright ideas had
to use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and im-
part a cozy atmosphere. The entrants submit-
ted their ideas in the form of application sce-
narios, graphic designs, and technical notes
to a website. A community of registered
users and a professional jury assessed the
ideas and then selected the winners. Around
600 ideas from 95 countries were submitted
before the entry period closed at the end of
July 2009. A total of €7,000 in prize money
was awarded. You can admire the winning
designs at www.LED-emotionalize.com. fm
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 5

Pictures of the Future | Short Takes
Nanotube
Scanning
-rays have been produced in exactly
X the same way for over 100 years. A
hot filament in a vacuum tube emits elec-
trons that are accelerated by a high volt-
age and crashed into an electrode, where
they induce the release of X-rays. This
principle has remained unchanged from
the earliest machines to the very latest
computed tomography (CT) scanners.
But an innovation currently being devel-
oped in a joint venture between Siemens
and XinRay System of Research Triangle
Park, North Carolina could revolutionize
the process. Dr. Jens Fürst of Siemens
Healthcare, who is working to commer-
cialize a solution based on the fundamen-
tal research conducted by Dr. Otto Zhou
of the University of North Carolina,
explains: “We apply a large number of
carbon nanotubes to metal. These field
emitters, which are activated individually
via control electrodes, act as mini electron
sources. We bombard an electrode with
the emitted electrons, as usual, and the
Magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) can help animals just as much as people. Dogs frequently suffer from
slipped discs, for example. The technology can even reveal problems with turtle eggs.
6 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
Ultra-fast field emitters that are made of carbon nanotubes (right) and permanently mounted in computed
tomography scanners could one day replace the rotating X-ray tubes now in use.
electrode gives off the radiation upon im-
pact.” The primary advantage here is that
the field emitters can be activated in less
than one millionth of a second, whereas
it takes several hundredths of a second
to trigger conventional X-ray sources.
To get a 3D image of the inside of a hu-
man body, the best CT scanners available
today are equipped with two X-ray tubes
that rotate around the patient roughly
3.5 times a second as the patient is slowly
moved in the CT tube. In the future, hun-
dreds of miniature X-ray sources could be
permanently installed in a circular tube.
They would then be triggered sequentially
to achieve virtual rotation times in excess
of ten per second. This would enable fast
processes such as the distribution of a
contrast agent in the blood to be ob-
served with high image quality. In addi-
tion, this would be achieved with a lower
dose of radiation for the patient (assum-
ing identical image resolution). It would
also be possible to take sharp X-ray im-
ages during radiation therapy to destroy
tumor tissue. The new X-ray sources are
still in an early stage of development, and
it will be years before a device for medical
applications can realistically be expected.
However, use of the technology to scan
baggage at airports or in industrial envi-
ronments could happen much sooner. The
most important factor for achieving fast
throughput is scanning speed, and the
novel scanner is already phenomenally
fast. Andreas Kleinschmidt
Diagnostics
for Pets
igh-tech diagnostic methods such as
H magnet resonance tomography (MRT)
have generally been reserved for humans.
But Siemens has now developed programs
and special miniature coils suitable for use
with animals. These new features help to
ensure a reliable diagnosis and targeted
treatment of illnesses by veterinarians.
After refitting, MRT devices used primarily
for people can also reveal details from
inside the bodies of small animals. Until
now, veterinarians could only use X-rays
or ultrasound to examine their small
patients. Unlike people, animals must be
anesthetized for an examination, as im-
mobility is the key to a clear diagnostic
image. Prior to an examination, the anes-
thetized animal is secured to the patient
table. A blanket protects against hypo-
thermia. fm
Diodes Do It
I n collaboration with Osram, re-
searchers at Siemens Corporate Technol-
ogy (CT) have developed a relatively low-
cost manufacturing process for production
of organic photodiodes. A flat-screen X-ray
detector produced using the new spraying
technology is even performing better in
some ways than the detectors used to
date. Organic photodiodes are made of
organic plastics rather than crystalline
semiconductors. Such diodes represent a
low-cost alternative for use in future large-
area detectors. na/fm
Organic photodiodes are efficient and long lasting.
A drop-shaped coating enables use of finer structures.
Better PCBs
iemens researchers have developed a
S non-stick coating based on chemical
nanotechnology that makes it easier to
produce printed circuit boards (PCBs). The
lotus effect (water repellency) is used on
stencils on which the solder paste is
printed onto boards, enabling production
of solder structures of a few hundred
micrometers. The process also enhances
the quality of the PCBs and reduces pro-
duction time as the coated stencils require
less cleaning than conventional ones. The
coating is already in use. na/sw
| Combustion Simulations
Red Hot Ideas
Siemens researchers in Moscow simulate flames in gas
turbines. They do so to make power plants cleaner and
pave the way for turbines that will burn pure hydrogen.
O n a dark screen, a hand-rolled wire coil
comes into view from the right and be-
gins to glow. A flame shoots up from a small
opening on the lower edge of the screen. The
flame seems peculiarly unstable, with its
bluish light flickering back and forth like an ap-
parition. An unseen experimenter then literally
hits the gas, and the flame stands upright. The
show ends a few seconds later when Dr. An-
drey Bartenev clicks on another window dis-
playing a snapshot of the same flame, but this
time as a colorful simulated image. The simu-
lation is remarkably similar to the real flame in
the video.
Bartenev, who heads the Energy Technol-
ogy and Energy Resources department at
Siemens Corporate Technology (CT) in Moscow,
is delighted. Hardly any other organization on
earth can simulate combustion processes in
Dr. Andrey Bartenev and his team of researchers
simulate highly complex combustion processes
in gas turbines. Their long-term goal is to
develop a turbine fired by pure hydrogen.
gas turbines as precisely as his ten-member
team.
When the lab was established in 2005,
Bartenev, a secretary, and the Head of CT in
Russia, Martin Gitsels, worked alone in an old
building behind the Paveletsky train station.
Today, the lab has over 50 employees special-
izing in various disciplines, 23 of whom work
at CT in St. Petersburg. The workforce has
grown in line with the lab’s success. In the be-
ginning the lab received orders modeling com-
bustion processes in gas turbines. Only a few
of these assignments were commissioned
from Germany, where Siemens has much big-
ger teams that calculate combustion processes
and optimal turbine blade shapes. But that
quickly changed after information about the
skills of Bartenev and his team spread at
Siemens’ Energy sector in Erlangen, Germany.
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 7
Pictures of the Future | Combustion Simulations
Bartenev, 44, is a physicist who earned
quite a reputation between 1987 and 2005 at
the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow
with his work on the “Chemistry of Fast
Processes” in combustion and explosions. He
also performed research at RWTH Aachen Uni-
versity, Germany, and NASA in the U.S. The
contacts he established in Moscow benefit the
Siemens team today. Bartenev’s group now
has its hands full, and it is only Russian mod-
esty that keeps them from admitting that
many gas-turbine burner simulations used at
Siemens originate in Moscow.
The team’s main task is to test new burner
designs developed by their colleagues in Ger-
many. This involves virtually igniting a burner
on a computer and monitoring its flame
behavior with regard to various parameters,
including gas composition, flow rate, and mix-
ing processes. The results are passed on to de-
velopers in Germany, who incorporate them
into combustion chamber and turbine designs.
The components themselves are not simulated
in Moscow. “We just focus on the individual
flames,” says Bartenev.
Complex Flame Simulation. When asked if
there’s such a thing as an optimal burner or
gas mixture, Bartenev shakes his head, ex-
plaining that there are dozens of burner de-
signs for turbines whose outputs range from a
hundred kilowatts to hundreds of megawatts.
What’s more, operation involves either natural
gas or syngas — a mixture of hydrogen and
carbon monoxide. That’s why the simulations
are so valuable. They dramatically reduce de-
velopment times and costs by eliminating the
need to test each new design in the lab.
Still, developing modeling algorithms for
such simulations requires a lot of know-how.
Two components are used to develop these al-
gorithms: a software module that calculates
reaction kinetics — the chemical reaction
process — and a second module for gas dy-
namics, which calculates the dissemination of
the gas particles in the combustion chamber
at intervals of a few milliseconds. The latter is
a commercial software product. Some stan-
dard software also exists for the first module’s
task, but the processes are complex and need
too much computing power. Simplifying the
methods reduces accuracy, as calculations of
chemical reactions are extremely complex.
When calculating the combustion of syngas
— such as that from coal gasification — each
calculation step usually involves 16 reaction
species and 48 reversible reaction paths, all of
which depend on local temperature and pres-
sure distributions. Oxygen from the air, for ex-
ample, reacts with hydrogen to produce water,
8 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
with carbon to form carbon monoxide or
carbon dioxide, and with nitrogen to produce
various nitrogen oxides. “One gas dynamics
calculation requires us to make a thousand
chemical calculation steps,” says Bartenev.
Several months are needed for a complete cal-
culation, even with the fast cluster computer
used by the Siemens lab in Moscow, which has
108 processors and 672 gigabytes of RAM and
is housed in a highly cooled chamber.
Fortunately, thanks to the Cold War, when
Soviet scientists were working intensively on
rocket propulsion systems and explosion re-
search, there’s an expert in Russia for every
combustion-related research problem.
Bartenev documents the characteristics of different gas flames for later analyses.
So when the CT lab needed help it con-
tacted the Institute for Chemical Kinetics and
Combustion in Novosibirsk, which is operated
by the Russian Academy of Sciences, a
Siemens cooperation partner. Oleg Korobeini -
chev, a professor at the institute, is one of the
world’s leading scientists in the field of reac-
tion kinetics. His specialty is simplifying com-
plex chemical reactions in the way mathemati-
cians shorten very long formulas into just a
few terms. Korobeinichev reduced the reaction
formulas for syngas combustion from 16 to 13
reaction partners and from 48 to 14 reaction
paths without significant loss of final accuracy.
Utilizing Synergies. Siemens researchers
also rely on their academic colleagues’ expert-
ise for actual experiments in the lab — be-
cause obtaining approval for commercial
experiments in Russia is a long, drawn-out
process. Probably the world’s greatest concen-
tration of combustion and explosion research
expertise can be found at the National
Research Nuclear University (MEPhI) in south-
eastern Moscow.
MEPhI, a mix between a nuclear research
center and a university, was established in
1942 and later developed a detonator for the
Soviet Union’s first atomic bomb, and today a
small research reactor is still operated on its
campus. The facility also employs many scien-
tists who work on secret projects for the Russ-
ian military.
“We adhere to the strict guidelines estab-
lished by German and Russian authorities and
keep civil and military research separate,” says
CT’s Gitsels. Cooperation has been so good
that plans now call for establishing a joint lab-
oratory in 2010, which Siemens and MEPhI
will fund in proportions yet to be determined.
This will result in more opportunities for ex-
perimentation at MEPhI and additional sup-
port for the theoretical work of university
scholars, such as Sergey Frolov, a Professor in
the Department for Combustion and Explo-
sions, who uses a computer model to explain
how spontaneous self-ignition occurs. Such ig-
nitions, which flashed like sparklers in the
video of the syngas flame, result from local
temperature increases due to pressure fluctua-
tions. Frolov’s simulations depict self-ignitions
as red points from which a high-temperature
front spreads. They indicate that a reduction of
as little as 50 degrees Celsius in flame temper-
ature can prevent self-ignitions. “That’s an im-
portant thing to know in terms of future gas
turbines,” says Frolov, pointing out that this is
even more crucial if the turbine is operated
with highly reactive hydrogen.
Students at MEPhI are now building a steel
structure in which a new combustion chamber
for burning pure hydrogen will be installed in
the next few months. Instead of the 20 bar of
pressure in its predecessor model, the new
unit will run at pressures of up to 200 bar,
which is why the steel plates for explosion pro-
Bartenev and Martin Gitsels, who heads Siemens CT in Russia, examine flame dynamics.
tection will be somewhat thicker. Pure hydro-
gen is the fuel of the future, and this labora-
tory is to study the behavior of its flames. This
is completely new and enticing work since hy-
drogen holds nearly four times more energy
per mass than natural gas. And when burned
with pure oxygen in a gas turbine, hydrogen
would make the dream of zero-emission
power plants a reality. That’s because hydro-
gen and oxygen form water — and nothing
else — when burned.
Although all equipment manufacturers are
looking toward hydrogen-powered gas tur-
bines, emission-free operation is still a long
way off for several reasons. One is that pro-
duction of pure oxygen is very energy-inten-
sive. This means that even future gas turbines
will initially have to use air, which consists of
78 percent nitrogen, an element that gives
combustion experts big headaches. Bartenev
draws a diagram of the emissions produced by
a gas turbine in relation to its operating tem-
perature. When the temperature rises, the tur-
bine’s efficiency also rises and less carbon
monoxide is produced, which is good for the
climate. But higher temperatures also produce
more nitrogen oxides — and nitrogen-oxygen
compounds cause smog and acid rain. This
dilemma is common to all gas turbines that
The turbines of the future could burn hydrogen and
oxygen to produce pure water — without emissions.
burn air, whether they’re fired with natural
gas, hydrogen, or gasified coal.
Flame Stabilization. Another task facing the
Siemens team in Moscow, alongside virtual
tests of current gas burners, involves simula-
tions of new burner concepts that can move
the optimal point for achieving the lowest pos-
sible nitrogen-oxide emissions even higher up
the temperature scale. Here, the most impor-
tant lever is to stabilize the flame, since the
smaller and more stable the flame, the lower
will be the resulting emissions. Bartenev’s col-
league Stepan Polikhov demonstrates a simu-
lation image that clearly depicts the problem:
Instead of a homogenous club-shaped flame
like that of a candle, a hydrogen flame in a
conventional burner looks, on a temperature
image, like footprints in colorful snow. This is
due to hydrogen’s high combustion speed.
The flame front propagates at ten meters per
second, thus creating instabilities. By compari-
son, natural gas flame fronts propagate at just
0.4 meters per second, making the flames
much more stable.
Hydrogen flames can be stabilized, how-
ever, as is shown in a simulation of a vortex
burner developed by Polikhov. Here, hydrogen
flows into a chamber tangentially via four
ports, causing the gas to spin and its flame to
shoot straight up like a candle. A practically
identical image taken during a combustion
test at Siemens’ CT lab in Erlangen shows how
well the simulation depicts such an experi-
ment. The vortex burner reduces nitrogen ox-
ide emissions in the simulation and in the ac-
tual experiment.
Bartenev’s team has even more ideas about
how to stabilize hydrogen flames. One idea,
which has already been patented, involves a
pipe with a square cross-section that improves
the hydrogen-air mixture by giving the two
gases more time to mix as they flow through
the pipe. This makes the flame smaller and
limits the volume within which high tempera-
tures, and thus nitrogen oxides, can form.
Materials researchers appreciate such con-
cepts because they help keep the flame away
from the combustion chamber walls and tur-
bine blades. Hydrogen burns with air at an adi-
abatic flame temperature of 2,200 degrees
Celsius, and with pure oxygen at 3,200 de-
grees. It thus gets much hotter than the
hottest gas turbines that run on natural gas,
whose operating temperature is less than
1,950 degrees Celsius. Even at that lower tem-
perature, turbine blades need to be air-cooled,
which is why new materials such as ceramic
substances are being developed. Together
with flame regulation, turbines with these ma-
terials could withstand hydrogen-combustion
temperatures.
The environmental advantages of such
technology would be vast, assuming that the
hydrogen had been manufactured using re-
newable energy sources such as biomass, so-
lar, wind or hydroelectric power. The efficiency
of such a turbine wouldn’t even be the deci-
sive factor. As Bartenev says, “The fourfold en-
ergy content, zero emissions, and the fact that
fossil energy carriers are running out all make
hydrogen very attractive.” Bernd Müller
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 9
To m o r r o w ’ s P o w e r G r i d s | Scenario 2030

Highlights
15 High-Altitude Harvest
Siemens is building the world’s
largest offshore wind farm on the
North Sea off the Danish coast.
The rotors are so stable they can
withstand hurricanes.

19 African Sunlight for Europe

The goal of the Desertec initiative
is to help Europe meet its future
energy requirements by supplying
solar power from North Africa.
The necessary technology exists
already today.

24 China’s River of Power

Starting in 2010, hydroelectric
plants are to supply energy to
megacities in southeast China —
with power generated 1,400 kilo-
meters away. An HVDC transmis-
sion line from Siemens will trans-
port this environmentally-friendly
electricity in the most powerful
system of its kind anywhere.

31 Trapping the Wind

In the future, fluctuations in wind
power will have to be balanced
by storage systems in order to
prevent power grids from being
overloaded. One option could be
gigantic underground hydrogen
storage centers.

44 From Wind to Wheels

Electric cars could play a stabiliz-
ing role in tomorrow’s power
grids, as mobile electricity storage
units. Siemens is investigating
how vehicles, the grid, and re-

The Electric Caravan

newable energy sources interact.
Morocco in 2030.
Karim works as an engineer in the

2030
Harvesting electricity in 2030. A solar ther-
mal power plant in the Moroccan desert
covers 100 square kilometers, which makes
it the world’s largest installation of its kind.
Using HVDCT lines, the electricity is trans-
mitted as direct current at 1000 kilovolts to
faraway Europe. Every evening he
the coast, where it transforms salt water
into pure drinking water. From there, it is
transmitted across the sea to Europe, where
it provides clean power to many countries.
world’s largest solar thermal
power plant, which transmits
energy from the desert to
takes the time to admire the
sunset above the countless rows
of parabolic mirrors. But today
he’s not doing it alone.
he reflected image of the man walking past
T the glittering parabolic mirrors is oddly dis-
torted. It wanders like a mirage through the
seemingly endless row of mirrors, stops briefly
and then continues on its way. There’s not a
breath of wind, and even though the sun is now
low, the temperature is still over 30 degrees Cel-
sius. Karim is in a hurry, because he doesn’t
want to miss the daily evening show. Before the
sun sets he wants to reach the hill above the
“frying pan” — his colleagues’ name for a huge
solar thermal installation in the Moroccan
desert.
In the glow of sunset, the level field of
countless mirrors is transformed into a sea of
red flames. It’s a spectacle Karim has never yet
missed in the five years since he was sent here
to help manage the world’s biggest solar ther-
mal power plant.
Together with his colleagues, he lives and
works in a small settlement on the edge of the
installation. With the help of thousands of sen-
sors, solar thermal power experts here monitor
the power plant, which covers 100 square kilo-

10 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 11

Tomorrow’s Power Grids | Scenario 2030
meters. As soon as these tiny digital assistants
register a defect, Karim and the rest of his main-
tenance crew go to work.
Karim, a true son of the desert, moves
through the heat very slowly and carefully —
and in contrast with his European colleagues,
who rush around sweating, his shirts always re-
main dry. But now he too is in a hurry, and he’s
relieved when he has reached the garage with
the off-roaders.
Trained as an engineer, Karim is a calm and
deliberate man. He seldom uses bad language
— only in the rare cases when there isn’t
enough sugar in his tea or when one of his col-
leagues has forgotten to “tank up” the off-
roader, as has just happened.
The electric vehicle wasn’t plugged into an
electrical socket — sockets that are supplied
with power from the solar thermal installation.
Nevertheless, Karim gets into the driver’s seat
and presses the starter button. The vehicle’s
150 kilowatt electric motor starts up with a soft
purr. A pictogram on the control panel indicates
that the battery only has 10 percent of its full
capacity. When fully charged, the vehicle has a
range of 350 kilometers — and ten percent is
not enough to get him up the hill.
But the off-roader is equipped with a small,
highly efficient gasoline engine for emergen-
cies, which works like a generator and gives the
vehicle an additional range of 300 kilometers.
And the gas tank is still full. Karim is satisfied,
steps on the gas pedal, and the off-roader jolts
off almost silently along the sandy trail toward
the hill.
The final meters are the most difficult ones.
The electric off-roader pushes through the sand
with great effort, but eventually it reaches its
goal. Karim climbs out of the vehicle and hur-
ries to the top of the hill. The sun has already
reached the horizon, and the temperature has
dropped noticeably. A gentle breeze is coming
from the sea. But Karim doesn’t notice it, be-
cause he now smells something burning.
Nearby he finds a small campfire. In front of
it sits a nomad holding a teapot above the
crackling flames. The old man greets him with
the traditional “Salam” and motions for him to
come closer. Karim hasn’t seen any nomads in
this area for a long time now — but he knows
that they’re always on the go. He gives the old
man a friendly nod and sits down beside him at
the campfire.
“My name is Hussein,” says the nomad as he
hands Karim a glass of tea. “What brings you
here?” Karim shovels several spoonfuls of sugar
into his tea. He points down the hillside. “Do
you see those countless mirrors that are just
now reflecting the last rays of the sun? They are
generating electricity from the sun’s heat. This
12 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
More and more electricity will be generated
| Trends
in the future. However, old grids can scarcely
handle the electricity generated today.
Electric “gridlock” is a real threat.
power plant produces enough electricity to sup-
ply all of Morocco. My job is to make sure every-
thing runs smoothly.”
Hussein looks down at the installation,
which is starting to glow red in the sunset. “A
power plant? I’d say it looks like a work of art
created by some crazy European.”
Karim grins. “You’re not too far off the mark.
This technology was in fact developed in Eu-
rope. Installations like this one are being built all
over North Africa. They’ve been going up for
years. The mirrors automatically swivel so that
they’re always facing the sun. They capture the
sun’s beams and focus them on a pipe that is
filled with a special salt. The salt is heated to as
much as 600 degrees Celsius and generates
steam, which in turn drives a turbine that pro-
duces electricity.”
Hussein points to the west, where the sun is
dipping beneath the horizon. “And what hap-
pens after it gets dark?” he asks. “The power
plant is equipped with storage systems that
contain the same kind of salt that’s in the
pipes,” explains Karim. “This salt stores so much
heat that the plant can also produce electricity
Our power grids are
at night.”
The nomad looks thoughtful. “But what do
we need all that electricity for?” he asks.
“There’s only dust and gravel here wherever you
look, and Casablanca is far away.” Karim points
facing new challenges.
They will not only have to
integrate large quantities
Switching on the Vision
to a gigantic high-voltage overhead line leading
northward from the installation through the
desert until it is lost from sight. “We use some
of fluctuating wind and
solar power, but also
M otorists who venture into the maze of a
major city are part of a larger whole.
Tens of thousands of vehicles stream along
dustrial sites, where, depending on the region,
the voltage is stepped down again to between
six and 30 kV for the medium-voltage grid.
In addition to being able to accommodate
a fluctuating supply of wind-generated elec-
tricity, tomorrow’s grids will have to incorpo-
of the power to change seawater into drinking incorporate an increasing highways from all directions and find their way This is followed by local distribution. Here, rate a growing number of small, regional
water,” he says. Hussein nods. This makes sense through a dense network of roads. But keep- substations reduce the voltage to 230 and 400 power producers. “The generation of electric-
to him.
number of small, ing that network flowing is no easy task. Al- volts and send the power into the low-voltage ity will become increasingly decentralized, in-
Karim likes explaining things to people and is decentralized power ready hopelessly clogged under the best of cir- grid, which feeds consumers’ outlets. corporating small solar installations on
now hitting his stride. “But we also sell a lot of it producers. Today’s cumstances, such networks can easily face rooftops, biomass plants, mini cogeneration
at good prices to European countries that want gridlock. All it takes is a few fender benders — Needed: Electricity Highways. Until now, plants and much more,” says Dr. Michael Wein-
to become less dependent on oil, natural gas,
infrastructure is not up to to say nothing of circumstances such as a sub- electrons have flown relatively smoothly hold, CTO of the Siemens Energy Sector. “As a
and coal. The energy is transported to them via this task. The solution is to way strike or a snow storm. As a result, sooner through Europe’s grids, despite the fact that result, the previous flow of power from the
electricity highways like this one. It works like a develop an intelligent grid or later, every city government must decide many of the continent’s power lines are now transmission to the distribution grid will be re-
caravan — the electricity travels across dis- whether to expand its transportation infra- over 40 years old. Gridlock is inevitable, how- versed in part or for periods of time in many
tances as great as 3,000 kilometers to European that keeps electricity structure or face collapse. ever, as traffic continues to increase. Accord- regions.” According to Weinhold, our grid in-
cities that use enormous amounts of power. production and The situation with our power grid is similar. ing to the International Energy Agency, the frastructure is not yet prepared for that.
However, by transmitting it at 1000 kilovolts Electricity flows on copper “highways” from European Union generated roughly 3,600 tera - Grid operators and governments agree on
hardly any electricity is lost in transit.”
distribution in balance. power plants to centers of demand. Along the watt hours (TWh) of electricity in 2006. This is how the challenge should be met. In addition
Karim sips his tea with satisfaction. “The way, it passes through various “road networks” expected to reach 4,300 TWh by 2030. to a massive expansion of electricity highways,
desert holds our past and also our future,” he that are separated by substations. These facili- In addition, the energy mix is getting more the grids must undergo a fundamental
muses. “In the old days we pumped petroleum ties function as traffic lights or railroad environmentally friendly. In 20 years, some 30 change. “Right now they are not very intelli-
out of the ground and today we’re harvesting switches while also adjusting the electricity be- percent of the world’s electricity is expected to gent,” says Weinhold. “The level of automation
solar energy.” fore forwarding it to the next grid. In the high- come from renewable sources. Today the fig- for the system as a whole is very low.” The
The old man lays a hand gently on Karim’s est voltage alternating current lines, electricity ure is only 18 percent. But as the percentage low-voltage distribution grid, in particular, is
shoulder. “The sun gives us everything we need flows at 220 to 380 kilovolts (kV) across hun- of electricity generated by renewables grows, often a total mystery to utilities. Because it in-
to stay alive — our forefathers already knew dreds of kilometers from power plants to sub- so does the instability of the network. Because cludes hardly any components capable of
that,” he says with a smile as he hands a warm stations, where the voltage is reduced to 110 eco-friendly electricity is primarily generated by communication in its present configuration, a
blanket to his guest. “But the night is coming on kV before the electricity is then fed into the wind farms (see p. 16) much more energy lot of important information remains con-
quickly. Here, take this. In spite of your gigantic what is called the distribution or high-voltage than can be used is pumped into high voltage cealed, such as the actual amount of energy
power plant down there you’re shivering like a grid. This grid is used for the general distribu- network in stormy weather, while supply can- being used by consumers and the condition
sick camel.” Florian Martini tion of power to population centers or large in- not be guaranteed on calm days. and efficiency of the line system.
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 13

Tomorrow’s Power Grids | Trends
According to an Accenture study, up to ten
percent of energy disappears from the grid ei-
ther due to inefficiency or electricity theft
without being noticed by power providers. In
large cities in some developing nations, as
much as 50 percent of electricity disappears
this way, and power providers are often un-
aware of outages — at least until the first com-
plaint is received.
With a view to heading off impending prob-
lems, in 2005 the European Union came up
with a concept, which it called the “smart grid”
— a vision of an intelligent, flexibly control-
lable electrical generation and distribution in-
frastructure. “The energy system plus informa-
tion and communications technology all enter
into a symbiosis in the smart grid,” says Wein-
hold. “Not only does this make the grid trans-
parent and thus observable, it also makes it
easier to monitor and control.”
Governments and companies are commit-
ting large amounts of money to ensure that
this vision becomes reality. The U.S. Depart-
ment of Energy, for instance, has provided
roughly $4 billion in subsidies for smart grid
projects in the U.S. German energy utilities are
planning to invest roughly €25 billion in smart
grid technology by 2020 (see p. 42). Key com-
ponents for the power grid of the future are al-
ready available and have even been installed
on a limited basis in some countries. One ex-
ample is smart meters — intelligent, electronic
electric meters (see p. 36).
“Smart metering is a key technology for the
smart grid,” says Eckardt Günther, who heads
the Smart Grid Competence Center at Siemens
Energy in Nuremberg, Germany. “With smart
metering, energy providers and consumers
“In the future, electricity highways will not just cross
borders but will link entire continents.”
can for the first time record in detail where
and how much electricity is being used and
fed into the grid.” The advantage is obvious: If
electricity consumption is precisely recorded,
flexible rates can be used to match consump-
tion to supply. This lowers electric bills and
CO2 emissions. In contrast, at present if more
electricity is being consumed than was fore-
cast, the production of electricity must be in-
creased. Shedding some light on the distribu-
tion grid isn’t the only advantage associated
with smart meters. “Smart meters heighten
energy use awareness and help to better con-
trol it,” adds Günther. “In addition, they are a
prerequisite for actively participating in elec-
tricity markets.”
14 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
Sebnem Rusitschka of Siemens Corporate
Technology is also convinced that tomorrow’s
grid will have to be smart. As part of the
E-DeMa (development and demonstration of
locally-produced energy marketplaces) proj-
ect, which is subsidized by the German federal
government, Risitschka is responsible for de-
veloping the information and communication
interface between smart meters, the system
for meter data management, and the elec-
tronic marketplace. “Among the things we are
investigating is how these digital links need to
be configured, i.e. what data should be trans-
mitted and how can we obtain useful informa-
tion from it,” she explains. The interfaces will
connect both private and commercial electric-
ity customers within model regions to an elec-
tronic marketplace and link them to energy
traders, distribution grid operators, and other
participants. The project is scheduled for com-
pletion in 2012. Rusitschka believes that proj-
ects like E-DeMa will boost the smart grid’s
prospects. “The technology is available and it
works,” she says. “The first larger-scale smart
grid solutions could become reality by 2015.”
Virtual Networks. Another component of
the smart grid is the “virtual power plant” (see
p. 40). Here, the idea is that small energy pro-
ducers such as cogeneration plants, wind, so-
lar, hydro or biomass plants, which have previ-
ously fed their power into the grid individually
and inconsistently, could be connected to
form a virtual network. “This would allow
them to bundle their power and sell it in a
marketplace that is inaccessible to small sup-
pliers,” says Günther. The grid would benefit
too. “Consolidated into a virtual power plant
and acting as a flexible unit, small plants could
make balancing power available and thus help
to stabilize the grid,” says Günther. Balancing
power is provided in addition to the base load
to cover peaks in demand. As this type of
power requires power plants that can begin
producing energy quickly, the price for a kWh
of balancing power is much higher than for a
kWh of base load power. Base load power is
generally provided by the workhorses of
power generation — coal-fired or nuclear
power plants that run around the clock.
Stability will be crucial to tomorrow’s grid.
But intelligent systems alone will not be
enough to manage the large amounts of en-
ergy provided by the growing numbers of wind
farms or solar-thermal power plants. “There is
also work to be done on the hardware side,”
says Weinhold. “We need to greatly expand the
number of power lines, as physics limits the
transmission of electrical energy to wires or
cables.”
According to the German Energy Agency
(DENA) study, some 400 kilometers of high-
voltage grid needs to be reinforced and an ad-
ditional 850 kilometers of lines need to be
Most of tomorrow’s electricity will be generated
from renewables such as wind. With HVDC tech-
nology, the power can be transmitted over long
distances (here an 800 kV transformer).
Northern Africa to Europe, as described in the
Desertec project (see p. 19). “Electricity will
draw the world together,” predicts Weinhold.
In addition to new electricity highways, to-
morrow’s grid will need more buffers to stop it
from bursting at the seams. Intermediate stor-
age is needed for the excess power fed into
the grid by fluctuating energy sources (see
p. 31). Traditionally, this has relied on pumped
storage power plants, but there is hardly any
capacity for further expansion in Central Eu-
rope. As a result, wind farms will either have to
be shut down to prevent them from overload-
ing the grid during periods of overproduction
or producers will have to pay someone to take
the electricity.
One future solution could be electric cars,
which temporarily store excess energy and
later return it to the grid when needed — at a
higher price (see p. 44). For example, 200,000
electric cars connected to the grid could make
eight gigawatts of power available very
quickly. That would be more than is currently
required in Germany. As part of the EDISON
project, in which Siemens is also participating,
erected by 2015 simply to transmit the wind uled to begin transmitting electricity generated testing will begin on the electric cars concept
energy that will be generated in Germany. at hydroelectric plants with a record voltage of and other solutions in Denmark in 2011.
800 kV across a distance of 1,400 kilometers by It is abundantly clear to Weinhold that we
Super Grids. The steadily increasing dis- 2010. Weinhold believes that these electricity are moving full speed ahead into a new era.
tances between power generation sites and highways will not only cross borders in the fu- “Just yesterday the big issue was oil, but cli-
consumers must also be bridged. One element ture, but will link entire continents. “We will mate change is moving things in a different di-
of a solution to this problem could be high- see the establishment of super grids in regions rection,” he says. Weinhold believes that we
voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission, that can be interconnected across climate and are currently on the threshold of a new electric
which is capable of transporting large amounts time zones,” he says, adding that this would al- age. Electricity is increasingly becoming an all-
of electricity across thousands of kilometers low seasonal changes, times of day and geo- encompassing energy carrier. This is good for
with low losses. Siemens is currently building graphical features to be used to their optimal the climate, because electricity can be gener-
the world’s highest capacity HVDC transmission benefit. Super grids could be used to transport ated ecologically and transmitted very effi-
system in China (p. 24). The system is sched- enormous quantities of solar energy from ciently. Florian Martini
The Smart Grid will Optimize Interconnections between Producers and Consumers
Smart Smart grid Smart
generation consumption
ERP
Billing
Solar power Call center
CRM etc.
Industrial
Wind power System Energy Distribution Meter data
Asset consumers
integrity management management management
management
protection systems (EMS) systems (DMS) (MDM)
Distributed
Intelligent
energy HVDC and Substation Distribution Smart meters
buildings
Condition
resources FACTS automation automation and demand
monitoring
technology and protection and protection response
Electric cars Electric cars
(batteries) (batteries)
Transmission grid Distribution grid
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 15

Tomorrow’s Power Grids | Offshore Wind
High-Altitude Harvest
Siemens is building the world’s largest offshore wind farm 30 kilometers from the Danish
coast. The project is both a technical and logistical challenge because the individual com-
ponents are huge, weigh dozens of tons, and must operate flawlessly in the windy North
Sea — even during a hurricane. What’s more, they have to do all this for 20 years or more.
A nybody visiting Jesper Møller at his fa-
vorite workplace needs to have a head for
heights, good sea legs, and no inclination to-
ward claustrophobia. Secured with ropes, we
climb narrow ladders and ride unsteady freight
elevators in order to get to the top of a win-
dowless tower. On arrival, Møller invites his
guests into the inner sanctum: the approxi-
mately six meter-long cylinder that forms the
head of a wind power plant.
A neon tube lights up the long shaft con-
taining the gearbox, which transforms the ro-
tation of the blades into a generator speed of
16 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
1,500 rpm. The generator is hidden at the back
and can produce 2.3 megawatts (MW) of elec-
trical power once the wind speed exceeds
eleven meters a second — but only if no visi-
tors are present in the nacelle. “When anyone is
visiting, the wind turbines are switched off for
safety reasons,” says Møller, who heads Off-
shore Technology at Siemens Wind Power divi-
sion in Denmark. However, this is small conso-
lation for visitors. Even though you are
standing on a secure grid, you can’t help but
feel there’s very little between you and the
abyss beneath your feet. The North Sea swell
The construction of the world’s largest offshore wind
farm — the Horns Rev II off Denmark — is a chal-
lenge from the production of rotors and trans-ship-
ment at the harbor to assembly on the open sea.
is lapping at the foundations 60 meters below.
At the same time, the structure sways lightly in
the wind — despite its weight of over 300
tons. “It’s designed to do that,” says Møller,
“because flexibility is what provides our wind
power plants with their tremendous stability.
Even severe storms haven’t caused any prob-
lems.”
Møller presses a switch and two roof wings
open up above the nacelle to unveil a view of
the North Sea. Dozens of wind turbines extend
out in a row toward the horizon like a string of
pearls. Some are rotating energetically in the
breeze; others are waiting to be commis-
sioned, while a few more are mere founda-
tions protruding out of the sea. Horns Rev II is
the name of this wind farm, which is situated
on a sandbank about 30 kilometers off the
Danish coast. The park is still under construc-
tion but when completed in Fall 2009, it will
be the largest offshore wind farm in the world.
A total of 91 turbines from Siemens will then
be able to pump around 210 MW of electrical
power into the network — enough to supply
over 136,000 households with electricity.
World Record for Wind Power. Such su-
perlatives are nothing special by Denmark’s
standards because they are already multiple
world record holders. This small kingdom is
not only the largest producer of wind power
plants, but also generates 20 percent of its en-
ergy requirements with wind power. In com-
parison, Germany, has so far only managed
seven percent. Perhaps the figures aren’t so
surprising when you consider that Denmark is
a windy country and enjoys only ten calm days
a year. On really windy days, the windmills can
produce half of the country’s electricity, and
on a stormy night, this figure can even rise to
100 percent.
However, this bounty of green energy does
have its downside. Because such plants rely on
the wind, long-term energy production plans
are out of the question. As a result, these
white giants can play only a limited role when
it comes to meeting the fluctuating demand
for grid power. In contrast, other types of
power plants, such as gas and cogeneration
plants, can be run up or run down according to
demand. That’s why Energinet.dk, the state-
run network operator, uses a sophisticated en-
ergy management system that is partially
based on several weather forecasting systems
to get the best out of variable wind energy.
In order to quickly respond to fluctuations,
excess wind-generated electricity is diverted to
Norway’s pumped storage power plants to be
used later during calm weather. Although cur-
rently capable of coping with peak loads and
stabilizing the network, this arrangement may
not be equal to future demands — particularly
as the Danish government plans to substan-
tially expand its use of wind power in coming
years.
And that’s just fine as far as Møller is con-
cerned. He has been building wind farms for
the last ten years and has developed a special
bond with his turbines. “Although the work is
routine,” he says. “I experience something spe-
A wind turbine produces enough energy to boil six
liters of water in just one second.
cial every time I ascend a windmill and look
out over the North Sea.” Just in front of him,
the huge 45-meter rotor blades stretch into
the sky, their tips roaring through the air at
220 kilometers per hour and producing
enough energy to boil six liters of water every
second. Depending on the strength of the
wind, it’s possible to alter the white blades’ an-
gle of attack so that they operate in the most
efficient manner.
The 82 ton-nacelle can also turn on its own
axis in the wind — courtesy of a computer-con-
trolled system. A host of sensors, both inside
and outside the compartment, continuously
measure the vibrations of the machine parts.
Using this data, experts from Siemens can re-
motely recognize when a problem is brewing,
because each unusual reading triggers an
alarm. In this way experts can detect anom-
alies and prevent damage from occurring.
Only the most observant visitors notice that
the nacelle and blades incline slightly upwards
at an angle of seven degrees “We have to
maintain a safe distance between the blades
and the mast,” says Møller. “They are so flexi-
ble that they bend inward considerably in
stormy conditions.”
Robust Blades. Søren Kringelholt Nielsen and
his 800 employees at Siemens Rotor Blade
Manufacturing, which is located 230 kilome-
ters away in Aalborg, ensure that the huge
blades are flexible. All the blades for the Euro-
pean market are produced here. The floor of
the factory is covered with neat rows of the gi-
gantic rotor blades, each of which is bigger
than the wing of a jumbo jet. The surface of
the blades is so smooth that you can’t see or
feel a single seam, while the edges at the tips
are nearly as sharp as knives. Despite their
size, the aerodynamic blades can be bent by
several centimeters using nothing more than
your hand.
“This apparent fragility is deceiving,” says
Nielsen, who heads Rotor Blade Manufactur-
ing in Aalborg. “The blades are extremely ro-
bust. Imagine placing a mid-sized car at the
end of a three-kilometer beam. The forces that
are being placed on the other end of the beam
are the same as those a rotor blade needs to
withstand during strong winds,” explains
Nielsen.
The secret of the blades’ stability can be
found in the 250-meter-long production hall
where they are manufactured using “Integral
Blade Technology,” a patented process (see Pic-
tures of the Future, Fall 2007, p. 60). What’s
remarkable is that the rotor blades are manu-
factured as a single component without seams
— a method that only Siemens has mastered.
At the start of the process, workers roll out
long alternate layers of fiberglass mats and
balsa wood in a form to make a kind of “sand-
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 17

Tomorrow’s Power Grids | Offshore Wind
wich.” The bottom and top sections are subse-
quently joined and a vacuum is created inside.
The vacuum sucks liquid epoxy resin through
the fiberglass mats and the balsa wood. Here,
the resin finds its way through all of the layers
and evenly joins the two sides of the blade. Fi-
nally, the blades are “baked” in a gigantic oven
at a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius for
eight hours. “At the end of this process we
have a seamless rotor blade with no weak
points,” says Nielsen. Weaknesses are unac-
ceptable because maintenance costs must be
kept to a minimum during the 20 years in
which the blades must withstand wind and
weather. “Repairs on the open sea cost about
ten times as much as repairs on land,” says
Nielsen. To further increase their resilience, all
the blades are equipped with a lightning con-
ductor. “Statistically, each blade will be struck
at least once by lightning.”
“Repairs on the open sea cost about ten times as much
as repairs on land.”
Solar-thermal power plants are already an
| Solar Energy
established technology for converting sunlight
into electricity. Pictured here is the Solnova 1
plant of Abengoa Solar near Seville, Spain.
Swimming Packhorse. By the time a blade
begins its life on a mast at Horn Rev II, it will
have an amazing journey behind it. First of all,
blades are strapped onto articulated trucks for
the 280-kilometer journey to Esbjerg harbor,
one of Siemens’ transport hubs for wind farms
in Europe. Here, the individual blades are at-
tached to rotors and loaded — together with

the nacelles and the masts — onto the “Sea

How to Become a Windmill Builder
In August 2009, Siemens opened one of Eu-
rope’s most up-to-date training centers for wind
energy in Bremen, Germany. Aptly named the
Wind Power Training Center, it has a floor area of
about 1,100 square meters, and is situated be-
tween the European and Industrial harbors of
the north German Hanseatic city, where it serves
primarily as a training center for service techni-
cians. Prospective assembly workers are not only
offered theory courses covering the construction
and operation of wind power plants, but are also
given the opportunity to carry out practical
maintenance work on real objects.
A hall measuring about 600 square meters forms
the heart of the building, which houses a 2.3MW
wind turbine from Siemens, a simulator for the
control technology, ladder constructions, a scaf-
folding, and crane and tower models. “In this El-
dorado for technicians, our employees can
demonstrate their knowledge of the technical
processes in a wind turbine, as well as the rele-
vant safety aspects of wind turbine construction,
management, and servicing — all in a practical
setting,” says project manager Nils Gneiße.
“Thanks to this experience, they will be able to
perform maintenance work for customers faster
and more efficiently.” Wind power plant opera-
tors particularly benefit because the mainte-
nance requirements and costs fall, while the reli-
ability of the turbines increases.
According to Gneiße, the ten-meter turbines, which weigh some 80 tons, are more than just training
objects that provide hands-on experience. “With the help of these turbine nacelles, we want to in-
crease safety for our technicians,” he says. That’s why the training program offers emergency exer-
cises under real-life conditions — up to now a first for this type of training center. “Regardless of
whether an employee becomes stuck during maintenance work or simply gets cramps — at a height
of a hundred meters even minor incidents are considered emergencies that call for swift action,” says
Gneiße. Along with training facilities in Brande, Denmark, Newcastle, UK, and Houston, Texas, the
center in Bremen covers global training needs in terms of wind power. Every year some 1,000 techni-
cians, most of whom will come from Central and Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean region and the
Asia-Pacific region, are to be trained here, as are Siemens customers. Sebastian Webel
Power,” an assembly ship that transports the
components of three separate wind power
plants to their destinations in the North Sea.
Gigantic cranes lift the 60-ton rotors onto the
deck of the ship, stacking three huge propellers
per rotor on top of one another, before placing
the tower sections and the nacelle beside
them. This swimming packhorse then trans-
ports its freight, which weighs over 1,000
tons, 50 kilometers to Horns Rev II.
From his nacelle 60 meters above the North
Sea, Møller has spotted the Sea Power. “It
takes six to eight hours to completely assem-
ble a wind power plant,” he says. The assembly
ship’s crane lifts the steel tower, the nacelle,
and finally the rotor onto a yellow pedestal —
a steel foundation that was driven 20 meters
Desert Power
into the sandy seabed some time earlier. The
By 2050, electricity generated at solar-thermal power
components are then bolted together by hand. plants and wind farms in Africa and the Middle East is
“Naturally, this is possible only with good expected to cover 15 to 20 percent of Europe’s energy
weather. As soon as the height of the waves
exceeds 1.5 meters the work is called off. And needs. That’s the goal of the Desertec Industrial Initiative.
this can happen quite often on the North Sea, Siemens is a founding member and technology partner.
which is renowned for being rough,” says
Møller. He points at an old ferry that is an-
chored not far from the wind farm. “That’s our
hotel ship. It’s home for the workers who are
responsible for the installation and cabling of
S uddenly, he no longer had a quiet mo-
ment. There were calls from the Chan-
cellery, ministries, ambassadors, and company
modynamics is one of the nerve centers for a
project that has been compared in size with
the Apollo space program — which culmi-
project — were covered, an area of around
2,500 square kilometers would be sufficient.
An additional 3,600 square kilometers would
the wind mills. They spend two weeks at a representatives by the minute — and although nated in the 1969 moon landing. Desertec, be needed for the high-voltage power lines
time here at sea.” Prof. Hans Müller-Steinhagen from the Ger- however, focuses on the sun rather than the that would transmit electricity to Europe.
In contrast, stays in the nacelles, which are man Aerospace Center (DLR) in Stuttgart, Ger- moon — more specifically on the sun’s energy. This vision is now gaining traction because
far from comfortable, are of course much many, is used to acting more like a manager In conjunction with the Trans-Mediterranean a dozen European companies joined together
shorter. The limit is three days. In case evacua- than a researcher, he was still overwhelmed. Renewable Energy Cooperation (TREC), a team in July 2009 to form the Desertec Industrial
tion is impossible in the face of a rapidly-devel- “When you’ve got 250 people working for you, of researchers in Stuttgart under the direction Initiative (DII) and lend additional momentum
oping storm, each tower is outfitted with you can’t just hide in the lab,” he says. Still, of Müller-Steinhagen’s colleague Dr. Franz to the €400 billion project. According to DLR
emergency storage facilties for fresh water what he experienced in the summer of 2009, Trieb has determined that solar-thermal power estimates, €350 billion will be needed for the
and energy bars. On the other hand, there are when the whole world started talking about plants could meet the world’s entire energy re- power plants and €50 billion for associated
visitors who have climbed the tower with Jes- Desertec, was something completely different. quirements. To achieve that, however, it would transmission technology.
per Møller who have indicated that they would In fact, just as Müller-Steinhagen finishes de- be necessary to cover an area measuring Partners in the initiative include companies
rather stay a little longer because, even when scribing this, the phone rings — this time it’s around 90,000 square kilometers — that’s that are normally rivals, as well as a major
there is no emergency, the cramped nacelle the German Embassy in London, asking if he’d about the size of Austria — with mirrors. bank and the Münchener Rück insurance com-
seems preferable to the idea of climbing back be willing to do a presentation. But, according to the DLR, which has stud- pany, one of the largest reinsurers in the
down to a swaying boat at the foot of the mast Along with the Desertec Foundation and ied the associated technology for over 30 world. Siemens is one of the driving forces in
— especially when you’ve forgotten your sea- the German Association for the Club of Rome, years, if only 15 to 20 percent of Europe’s the initiative — which should be no surprise
sickness pills. Florian Martini Müller-Steinhagen’s Institute of Technical Ther- energy demand — the goal of the Desertec given that its portfolio of solutions for solar-

18 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 19

Tomorrow’s Power Grids | Solar Energy
thermal power plants includes key compo-
nents such as steam turbines and receiver
tubes, power plant control technology, and
systems for transmitting high-voltage direct
current with low losses (HVDC, see p. 24, 28).
“Solar-thermal power works — there’s no
question about it,” says Müller-Steinhagen. In
fact, a cluster of power plants in California’s
Mojave Desert has demonstrated for over 20
years that a huge amount of electricity can be
generated with solar energy. The facilities feed
some 350 megawatts into the grid — enough
electricity to power 200,000 households.
Desertec: 100 gigawatts of installed capacity would
cover 15 to 20 percent of Europe’s electricity needs.
There are many reasons why this technol-
ogy is now being widely discussed in the con-
text of Desertec, with increased awareness of
the need for climate-friendly power being
chief among them. In addition, technology for
low-loss transmission of electricity over long
distances has now established itself, while re-
cent innovations have made solar-thermal
power plants even more efficient. When oil
prices begin rising again, as is expected after
the economic crisis, solar-thermal electricity
may quickly become competitive. In fact, its
production in favorable regions already costs
less than €0.20 per kWh.
Major Alliance. If there’s one person who
might be called the father of Desertec, it’s Dr.
Gerhard Knies. Knies is Chairman of the Super-
visory Board of the Desertec Foundation,
which developed the Desertec concept that is
now being refined in the DII. A retired physi-
cist, Knies’ favorite quote is from Albert Ein-
stein, who said: “We can’t solve problems by
using the same kind of thinking we used when
we created them.” Knies believes this logic fits
in very well with the issue of climate change
brought about by CO2 emissions, as this devel-
opment can only be counteracted by revamp-
ing the energy supply system. Over the years,
he has put together an impressive group of
supporters, including TREC, the Club of Rome,
DLR, and Prince Hassan of Jordan.
“We all understood that putting a halt to cli-
mate change would require CO2-free technolo-
gies like wind power, geothermal systems and,
above all, solar-thermal facilities — all on a
mass scale,” he says. Whereas Müller-Stein-
hagen is one of Desertec’s technology design-
ers, Knies got the associated political process
moving. His work culminated in the launch of
the implementation phase in the summer of
20 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
2009, when a consortium was established and
support was obtained from companies such as
Siemens.
The DII intends to develop business plans
and financing concepts for the biggest-ever
solar power project within three years. The
goal is to build a belt of solar-thermal power
plants in North Africa and the Middle East,
which would be linked via high-voltage lines
with local consumers and European countries.
Plans call for achieving a capacity of 100 gi-
gawatts (GW) and the supply of 700 terawatt-
hours (TWh) per year by 2050, which would
cover 15 to 20 percent of Europe’s electricity
needs.
Obviously, these plants could meet an even
higher share of the energy requirement in the
dynamically growing countries in which they
would be located. The electricity requirement in
the MENA Region (Middle East and North Africa)
is expected to increase five-fold over the next 30
to 40 years, to 3,500 TWh. “Solar-thermal plants
and wind power facilities could, for example,
play a key role in the energy-intensive desalina-
tion of seawater,” says Knies. Moreover, because
as much as 80 percent of the value created
through construction of the power plant facili-
ties will remain in the MENA countries them-
selves (e.g. through the production of mirrors,
foundations, and frames), a project like Desertec
would also greatly boost development in the re-
gion. According to estimates by Greenpeace, De-
sertec would lead to the creation of some two
million jobs in participating countries by 2050.
Areas with the Best Potential for Solar-Thermal Facilities
Suitable: 100–150 GWh/km2.year
Good: 150–200 GWh/km2.year
Outstanding: 200–300 GWh/km2.year
Ninety percent of the earth’s population lives within less than 3,000 kilometers from the earth’s sunbelt.
Reliable and highly flexible steam turbines from
Siemens, such as the SST-700, are ideal for the
special requirements of solar-thermal power plants
(right: the Andasol plant).
Dr. René Umlauft, CEO of Siemens’ Renew-
able Energy Division, has supported the initia-
tive from the start. “Desertec can make a key
contribution when it comes to establishing a
sustainable energy supply system,” he says.
“And with the solutions from its Environmental
Portfolio, Siemens is the right technology part-
ner for this visionary project, many of the ele-
ments of which have already been imple-
mented in Europe.”
For instance, Siemens is the market leader
in the construction of new offshore wind tur-
bines, many of which can be found on Euro-
pean seas (see p.16). Siemens technology can
also be found in European solar power plants.
At the beginning of 2009, for example, the An- But solar-thermal plants have special re- have light cloud cover about 90 days a year. on the other hand, can already be produced at
dasol parabolic trough plant went online in quirements with regard to turbine size and The plant’s output can fluctuate considerably competitive prices in many regions in Europe.
Andalusia in Spain. flexibility. For one thing, turbines in certain on such days,” says Valerio Fernandez, Director But things weren’t always this way. Thirty
types of solar plants need to be able to start up of Operations and Maintenance at Abengoa years ago, it cost around €3 million to install
Just Follow the Sun. The Andasol plant is very quickly when the sun rises. That’s one rea- Solar, which operates Solnova. “The turbine one MW of onshore wind-power output, while
equipped with curved parabolic mirrors laid son why many solar power plant operators opt therefore has to be flexible enough to make up today it costs only €1 million. Experts expect a
out in long rows covering an area of 500,000 for customized Siemens technology. In May for these fluctuations.” similar development with regard to solar-ther-
square meters. These mirrors will enable the 2009, Siemens opened a new turbine produc- As the morning sun rises, Fernandez in- mal power. Here, the high cost at the moment
plant, which will consist of three complexes in tion hall in Görlitz, Germany, that produces the spects the Solnova construction site, where is mainly due to the initial investment. For ex-
its final expansion stage, to generate 150 MW SST-700, the world market leader when it workers are busy tightening bolts and assem- ample, a 50-MW facility with heat storage
in all, and 176 GWh per complex and year. To comes to parabolic trough power plants. In bling and polishing equipment. “Here in Seville costs around €300 million, which has to be
optimize the facility’s yield, the mirrors contin- fact, Siemens’ share of this market is more we have very good conditions for solar-ther- paid off over the plant’s useful life, which can
uously track the sun to within one-tenth of a than 90 percent. mal power plants: about 210 days a year of extend up to 40 years.
degree of arc. The light they reflect is chan- Together with control systems from perfect sunshine, from morning to evening,” Heat storage isn’t cheap, as indicated by
neled into vacuum-insulated receiver tubes Siemens, the SST-700 turbine is also being says Fernandez. The Spanish feed-in law for existing systems at the European Center for
that contain a special oil that is heated to used in another power plant in Andalusia: subsidizing solar-thermal power has triggered Solar Energy Activities, the Plataforma Solar de
nearly 400 degrees Celsius. The oil later trans- Solnova 1 in Sanlúcar la Mayor, near Seville. a real boom. Since 2006, producers have been Almería, as well as in Andasol. But by storing
fers its heat to water in heat exchangers, Power generation is scheduled to begin at the entitled to receive a maximum of nearly €0.28 heat produced during the day, both locations
thereby creating steam. facility in late 2009. per kWh from the government, and civil ser- can generate electricity at night as well. Up
“At that point, a solar-thermal plant begins SST-700 turbines are already in operation vants are being buried in applications. until now, large insulated tanks containing
operating like a conventional facility,” says in many CSP plants around the world. The liquid salts with a melting point of around 200
Umlauft. That’s because the downstream model is popular due to its reliability and spec- Big Up-front Investment. Depending on the degrees Celsius have mostly been used as stor-
“power block,” in which electricity is generated ifications — which are very well-suited to the location and sunlight intensity, it now costs up age media. Researchers at DLR and other facili-
from steam, employs the proven technology size class currently in operation — and its flex- to €0.23 to produce a kWh of electricity, which ties are now trying to find ways to reduce
used in steam-turbine plants. ibility. “This is important because in Seville we is relatively high. Electricity from wind power, costs by altering the storage media or fine-
tuning power plant components to ensure that
as little heat as possible is lost during the heat
exchange process between the hot heat trans-
fer agent and the steam.
Desertec’s Energy Mix Fernandez thus expects that the initial in-
Solar-thermal power plants Hydroelectric vestment per MW of installed generating ca-
Photovoltaic Biomass pacity will soon decrease. “So far we’ve been
Wind Geothermal producing mostly one-of-a-kind equipment
Power lines (e.g. HVDC, with extensions)
and procuring special components, like re-
ceiver tubes, from small production series. But
m
2.000 k when mass production for solar-thermal plants
begins, investment and power generation
costs will fall dramatically,” he predicts.
Source: Desertec Foundation
Siemens is now in a good position to supply
receiver tubes, as the company acquired a 28
Source: Solar Millenium
Area needed for solar-thermal
plants to provide electricity to:
percent interest in Archimede Solar in March
EU 25 MENA
World (2005 consumption)
2009. The Italian company produces tubes
through which molten salt rather than special
oil flows. The advantage of this setup is that
The Desertec concept: Solar power in the desert, wind on the coasts, and a network of transmission lines. unlike oil, which ages with frequent tempera-
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 21
Tomorrow’s Power Grids | Solar Energy

ture changes and thus must be replaced,
molten salt can remain in the cycle. It also al-
lows operation at temperatures up to 550 de-
grees Celsius, which boosts efficiency because
the steam that drives the turbine can also be
brought to higher temperatures and pressures.
What’s more, the use of salt eliminates the
need for high-loss heat exchangers because
the salt in the receiver tubes can also be used
as the storage medium and can be pumped
into an insulated tank as well. After it cools,
the salt flows back into the receiver, where it
again “harvests” solar energy. Construction of
a new factory for producing Archimede re-
ceivers is expected to begin in northern Italy
this year; the facility is expected to enter serv-
ice in 2010. Archimede tubes are already be-
ing used at a solar field in southern Italy. “By
acquiring an interest in Archimede Solar,
Siemens is underscoring its intention to be-
come the leading supplier of solutions for so-
lar-thermal power plants,” says Umlauft.
Instead of using special oil or molten salt,
it’s also possible to produce steam directly in
absorber tubes. This eliminates the need for
an expensive heat transfer agent, as water can
be used to generate steam directly. Together
with the DLR, Siemens has been working on
the associated technology for many years.
Thanks to the major advances achieved so far,
it will be possible to operate some of the para-
bolic collectors at the Andasol-3 power plant
with such a direct steam generation system.
Conditions for solar power generation are
even more favorable in the deserts of the U.S.
and North Africa than in southern Spain. Egypt,
for example, is considered to be ideal for solar
power because the Nile can provide sufficient
cooling water for the condensers in the steam
cycle. However, condensers can also be cooled
in dry regions using air, although efficiency in
this case is 20 percent lower. Such an approach
might make sense in parts of Algeria, for exam-
ple, where stone deserts offer an optimal loca-
tion for solar-thermal power plants for a differ-
ent reason: There are no sand storms that can
damage mirrors. Algeria is the site for the fu-
ture Hassi R’Mel power plant, a 160-MW facility
currently under construction that combines a
conventional gas and steam turbine plant with
solar technology. The facility will initially gen-
erate electricity for the local market. However,
with the construction of more and more power
plants, North Africa will eventually have an
electricity surplus, which could be transmitted
to Europe. Clearly, in such a case, losses must
be minimized — and this is where high-voltage
direct current transmission (HVDC) comes in.
Electricity Highway. “Transferring power via
conventional AC lines over thousands of kilo-
meters from Africa to Europe would lead to
huge losses,” says Dr. Dietmar Retzmann,
Siemens’ leading expert for HVDC transmission
technology. “Such losses can be greatly re-
duced by using HVDC lines and undersea ca-
bles.” HVDC loses only around ten percent of
power over 3,000 kilometers — that’s roughly
the distance from the southern end of the Sa-
hara to Central Europe. Siemens is now build-
ing the most powerful HVDC connection in the
world in China, where 5,000 MW of power will
be transported 1,400 kilometers (see p. 24).
“Such HVDC lines are like electricity highways,”
says Retzmann. “We’re going to need them in
Europe when we expand our grid and large
amounts of electricity from wind power facili-
ties will have to be moved great distances.”
Desertec might therefore become a key
component of tomorrow’s energy networks.
The project provides solutions in three key ar-
eas, according to Michael Weinhold, chief
technologist at Siemens Energy. “Energy sys-
tems must be effective in terms of three di-
mensions,” he says, “economy, environment,
and security. Desertec will be good for the en-
vironment, it will be designed in an economi-
cal manner, and it will enhance European en-
ergy security because it will substantially
reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports.”
The key issue with solar-thermal power to-
day is no longer feasibility but the ability to
achieve efficiency in large-scale applications.
The main issue for the MENA Region is to en-
sure continued stable economic development
and a reliable supply of energy for drinking
water systems. The water table in Sanaa,
Yemen, for example, is sinking at the rate of
six meters per year, according to Müller-Stein-
hagen. In Egypt, new water sources with a vol-
ume equivalent to the entire flow of the Nile
need to be tapped by 2050. Desalination at so-
lar-thermal facilities could meet a large por-
tion of this requirement. In conjunction with
modern technology, the sun that relentlessly
beats down on this region, could one day be
bringing water, electricity, and life to the
desert. Andreas Kleinschmidt

Three Ways to Put Solar Power to Work

Making Solar-Thermal Power Competitive
Prof. Hans Müller-Stein-
hagen, 55, has headed the
Institute of Technical Ther-
modynamics at the German
Aerospace Center (DLR)
When will solar-thermal electricity become
competitive?
Müller-Steinhagen: That depends on prices
for conventional fuels — and in 2008, we saw
just how volatile they can be. It also depends
on the development of investment and oper-
ating costs for solar-thermal facilities. We’ve
already overcome the first major challenge
with the launch of the Desertec Industrial Ini-
tiative. As we begin producing more solar-
thermal electricity, it will become cheaper.
Costs will decline when large companies start
using and further developing the technology.
One result will be the mass production of
components. I’m confident that we can be-
come competitive in about 15 years.
produced in Africa and the Middle East to Eu-
rope involves projects that can only be suc-
cessfully implemented by a large number of
big companies — companies that can supply
high voltage direct current technology and
that also possess the necessary project expert-
ise. Siemens is in a very good position to play
such a role.
What type of research still needs to be
performed?
Müller-Steinhagen: Our main goal is to in-
crease electricity production efficiency. If we
could increase our efficiency to 20 percent
from the current average of 15 percent, we
could reduce the area needed for the mirrors
by one-third. Don’t forget that the collectors
The basic principle underlying solar-thermal
electricity generation (concentrated solar
power — CSP) is simple: Energy from the sun
heats water, either directly or indirectly. The
water vaporizes, and the resulting steam
drives a turbine whose motion is converted
into electricity in a generator. The large tur-
bines used in today’s coal-fired power plants
operate at over 600 degrees Celsius and at
pressures of up to 285 bar, thereby enabling
an efficiency as high as 46 percent. CSP
plants have much lower steam parameters
and outputs, which is why smaller turbines,
like the Siemens SST-700, are used at such
facilities. In addition, many CSP power plants
(especially those not equipped with heat
storage) need to be started up very quickly at
sunrise, which in turn requires highly flexible
turbines. There’s also another important difference between CSP units and coal
insulated pressure containers or the heat from the steam is transferred to an
additional storage medium — usually in the form of the special salts that are also
used in the receiver tubes. Utilizing salt as both the transfer agent and storage
medium eliminates the need for a heat exchanger, which lowers both investment
and operating costs. CSP power plants can also be built as central receiver sys-
tems that use flat mirrors to reflect sunlight onto a small area on the top of a
centrally located tower (bottom) that is often taller than 100 meters. This ap-
proach enables the highest possible temperatures to be achieved (up to 850
degrees Celsius). However, the farther away the mirrors are from the tower, the
lower the efficiency, which is why such plants must be kept small. A cost-saving
alternative is offered by Fresnel technology. Here, long strips of flat mirrors
(which are cheaper to produce than parabolic troughs) reflect light onto a re-
ceiver tube suspended above them (middle). However, the low initial investment
cost for Fresnel power plants comes at the price of lower efficiency. Experts be-
lieve that the market for solar-thermal power plants will post double-digit annual
growth between now and 2015. A number of competing technologies will prob-
ably continue to exist side by side as they undergo further development.
Andreas Kleinschmidt

since 2000. After earning a Saving the world with big projects is a account for nearly half of the total investment power plants: Power generated at the former is completely CO2 free.

PhD in process technology,
he worked for seven years at
the University of Auckland in
concept that has sometimes caused major
problems — for instance in dam construc-
tion projects. Isn’t it possible that this could
happen with Desertec?
cost. We’re also experimenting with direct
steam generation, where water in the receiver
tubes is converted into steam and sent on di-
rectly to the turbine. We have worked with
All CSP plants concentrate solar energy using mirrors distributed across a small How a Parabolic Trough Plant Operates
area in order to generate high temperatures. The most widely used technology Solar field with parabolic
today employs half-open parabolic mirrors, with a receiver tube mounted along troughs
the focal line (top). A liquid flows through this tube as a heat transfer agent;
Hot Steam turbine

New Zealand, before becom-
ing a dean at the University
of Surrey, UK. Working
closely with designers and
Müller-Steinhagen: Although Desertec is a
gigantic project as a whole, it’s also the sum
of many smaller and more easily manageable
projects. After all, many plants, each with a
Siemens here on liquid separators. Losses can a special synthetic oil is the most commonly used substance today. The oil is
also be minimized through the use of differ- heated to approximately 370 degrees Celsius, after which it transfers its heat via
Generator
ent storage media. So, if we can boost effi- a heat exchanger to water, which drives a turbine in the form of steam. Alterna- Heat ex-
changer
for producing
electricity
ciency through many measures, even if it’s tively, special salts can be used instead of thermal oils. These salts can be heated

facility operators, Müller- capacity of at least 50 megawatts, could grad- just one percentage point at a time, the cu- up to 550 degrees, thereby increasing the efficiency of the plant. Some compa-
ually go online. That sort of value is common mulative effect over the lifespan of a facility nies are now also testing direct steam generation systems in which water is used
Steinhagen’s teams have
in Spain today. This approach will work be- could be substantial. The German Aerospace as the heat transfer agent in the receivers and is sent on to the turbine as hot

Source: Siemens
made solar electricity gener- cause investment costs can be kept at a man- Center is therefore working closely with steam in a closed loop. As a result, a heat exchanger is no longer required. Heat transfer
Cold

ation much more efficient.
Their institute is today a
global leader in its field.
ageable level. And with the right financial in-
centives, such plants can be operated
profitably. At the same time, the infrastruc-
ture needed to transport some of the energy
Siemens in many areas to ensure that the so- Many solar-thermal plants are also equipped with heat storage so that they can
medium (e.g. salt) Heat storage Water-cooled
condenser
lar-thermal plants of the future will be built in produce electricity at night as well. Here, steam is either stored directly in heat-
the near, rather than in the distant, future.
Interview conducted by Andreas Kleinschmidt.

22 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 23
 With the help of high-power transistors, rectifier
Tomorrow’s Power Grids | HVDC Transmission
modules, and smoothing reactors, a new HVDCT line
is able to transmit 5,000 megawatts over the 1,400
kilometers from Lufeng to Guangzhou.
China’s River of Power
How do you supply five million households with hydroelectric power from a distance
of 1,400 kilometers? The answer is: with high-voltage direct-current transmission.
Siemens is building the world’s most powerful such system in China.
I t takes a jarring ninety-minute ride to cover
the distance from Kunming, the capital of
Yunnan province in southwestern China, to
Lufeng. Lush green paddy fields and herds of
water buffalo flash by the car window. Then,
at long last, deliverance comes. Our driver
turns in at a blue sign bearing lots of Chinese
characters and “800 kV” in Western script and
lets us out just beyond a rolling gate. In front
of us is a site measuring around 700 by 300
meters that looks like something from another
world. Gigantic pylons dripping with cables
soar into the cloudy sky, while workers below
toil with spades and wooden wheelbarrows to
finish the last of the landscaping. The air is
alive with a sonorous hum. “That’s from the
testing,” explains Jürgen Sawatzki, who is in
charge of the installation of equipment from
Siemens at the site.
24 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
The high-voltage overhead lines coming
from the hills to the left of the fence are al-
ready carrying power, but the shiny new one
that crosses the fence to the right and disap-
pears over the mountain is still dead. It will go
into operation in 2010 as a bipolar line trans-
mitting power to Guangzhou in Guangdong
province, over 1,400 kilometers away. From
there it will supply five million households in
the megacities Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and
Hong Kong on China’s southeastern seaboard.
This will reduce the country’s annual emis-
sions of CO2 by some 33 million metric tons a
year, as the electricity comes from a dozen hy-
droelectric plants on the Jinsha (“Golden
Sand”) River, one of the headwaters of the
Yangtze, which provide carbon-free power.
The overhead lines arriving from the left of
the site are carrying conventional alternating
Hydroelectric generation capacity on the Jinsha
River is being expanded. The resulting electricity will
be transmitted to major cities on China’s southeast-
ern coast by the world’s most powerful HVDCT line.
current (AC) that has been generated by hy-
droelectric plants, some of which are located
as far as several hundred kilometers away. The
1,400-kilometer transmission line to
Guangzhou, however, will carry direct current.
High-voltage direct-current transmission
(HVDCT) is not a new invention; as long ago as
1882, a transmission line of this type carried
electricity from Miesbach in Bavaria to an elec-
tricity exhibition in Munich, 57 kilometers
away. That, however, is where the similarities
end. Back then the voltage was a mere 1,400
volts; in China, the line will transmit at a
record 800,000 volts. “The HVDCT line in
China is the ultimate example of this technol-
ogy. It will carry 5,000 megawatts; that’s the
output of five large power plants,” explains
Prof. Dietmar Retzmann, one of Siemens’ top
experts on HVDCT.
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 25

Tomorrow’s Power Grids | HVDC Transmission
Low-loss Power. Regardless of whether
power is transmitted as an alternating or a di-
rect current, the goal is to ramp up the voltage
as much as possible. For both types of trans-
mission, physics dictates that for a fixed
amount of transmitted power, the current is
inversely proportional to the voltage. In other
words, the higher the voltage, the lower the
current, thus reducing the energy losses that
result from the conductor heating up. When
transmitting over long distances, however,
HVDCT is superior.
“With our power highway in China, as
much as 95 percent of the power reaches the
consumer,” says Wolfgang Dehen, CEO of
Siemens Energy. With AC transmission lines,
this falls to 87 percent, which in this case
would amount to a loss of 400 megawatts —
With HVDC, 95 percent of the power is transmitted; with
AC, 87 percent — the equivalent of 400 megawatts less.
the output of a mid-sized power plant or 160
wind generators. As a result of these reduced
transmission losses, the HVDCT link will cut
emissions by a further three million metric
tons of CO2 a year.
In theory, it would be possible to build AC
transmission lines over similar distances. A
voltage of 800 kV will transmit an alternating
current over a distance of 1,500 kilometers.
The problem is, however, that over long dis-
tances the voltage waves at the beginning and
the end of the transmission line are shifted rel-
ative to one another — the technical phrase
here is “phase angle” — and this necessitates
the installation of large banks of capacitors
every few hundred kilometers for the purposes
of series compensation. This drives up the
price of such installations. And in spite of such
compensation, the losses over long distances
would still be significantly higher than with
HVDCT.
26 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
Sawatzki leads us into a hall the size of an
aircraft hangar, where workers are installing a
power stabilization system onto long poles
suspended from the 20-meter-high ceiling — a
measure designed to minimize the chances of
a short circuit and associated electrical outage
even in the event of an earthquake. The de-
vices look like a stack of huge plant trays and
could well have been inspired by the leg-
endary Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Each tray
contains a total of 30 shiny golden cans that
are carefully connected in series and wired to
control circuits with fiber optic cables.
Inside the tins are thyristors — converter
valves made of silicon, molybdenum, and cop-
per — which are activated optically by means
of a laser beam 50 times a second, exactly in
phase with the current as it switches polarity.
This occurs so precisely — to within a millionth
of a second — that the negative waves of the
alternating current are “flipped” so as to create
a direct current. Because this current still has a
high ripple content, it next goes to the so-
called “DC yard” right behind the valve hall.
There, capacitors temporarily store charge,
which they “inject” into the ripples, and coils
filter out interference signals emanating from
the rectifiers in the hall. All this is standard cir-
cuitry, as found in any mains-operated electri-
cal appliance, but the dimensions are gigantic
here in the DC yard.
Bipolar Transmission. In another hall right
next to the first one, the screed floor is being
poured. Sawatzki draws a circuit diagram on a
piece of cardboard and explains: “The rectifiers
and the DC yard are in duplicate.” The advan-
tage here is that one conductor is operated as
an 800 kV positive pole and the other as an
Giant 800 kV transformers were tested in
Nuremberg (left) before being shipped to China
for installation (center). The control room of the
transmission station in Lufeng (right).
800 kV negative pole, thus giving a total of 1.6
million volts between them. In other words,
the power is divided between two conductors
in order to minimize transmission losses. At
the same time, this is a precaution in the event
that one pole should go down.
A number of tests are scheduled for the
coming months. Eight Siemens engineers, ac-
commodated in an office above the valve hall,
sit in the control room, gradually ramping up
the voltage onscreen. This is designed to push
the components to their very limits and reveal
any weaknesses before the system enters serv-
ice. A blackout in one of China’s large coastal
cities would be a nightmare.
The left half of a large control screen dis-
plays the operating load of the transmission
station in Lufeng as “0 megawatts.” The right
side of the screen shows the status of the re-
ceiving station in Guangzhou, where the di-
rect current will be converted back into alter-
nating current and fed into the public grid.
Here a default reading of “9.999 megawatts” is
displayed. Were the station in operation, the
screen would show a power of 5,000
megawatts as well as a raft of other data from
Guangzhou, all of which will be transferred in
real time via a fiber optic cable that is laid
along the HVDC transmission route.
Know-how from East and West. Whereas
the AC part of the system was built entirely by
Chinese firms, the DC part contains a lot of
Siemens know-how. Yet that doesn’t mean
that all the components were made in Ger-
many. Half of the 48 transformers are of Ger-
man production, while the others were manu-
factured in China under the supervision of
Siemens.
Sawatzki has been in China for ten years
now. The HVDCT system in Lufeng is his fourth
for network operator China Southern Power
Grid. All in all, the project will take three years,
from the award of contract in June 2007 to full
commissioning in June 2010.
In the first project with China Southern
Power Grid, Siemens handled 80 percent of
the total contract volume, in the second 60
percent, and in the third 40 percent. In the
fourth project this share has fallen a bit fur-
ther, coming in at around €370 million out of
the €1 billion that the system is costing. China
Southern Power Grid has stipulated that most
of the components to be supplied by Siemens
must be manufactured in China by subcon-
tractors. So whereas Siemens is still responsi-
ble for the engineering of the thyristors, for
example, these components and all the ancil-
lary equipment are being manufactured under
Siemens supervision by two Chinese firms.
Profiting from Innovation. It will not be
possible, however, to build future systems of
this kind without Siemens’ know-how, since
innovation is continuously advancing the state
of the art in this field. “There’s a lot of new
know-how in the 800 kV technology, which is
being used here for the first time,” explains Su-
sanne Vowinkel, who works at Siemens’ En-
ergy Sector as a commercial project manager
in the field of contracts, issuing invitations to
tender to suppliers, and customer relations.
Innovations from Siemens include silicone-
covered insulators that repel water and pro-
vide better insulation when dirty. Meanwhile,
engineers are already looking beyond the 800
kV mark, as higher transmission voltages
promise even lower line losses. The move from
500 kV to 800 kV has already reduced costs
over 30 years by around one quarter. The
name of the game, as Vowinkel points out, is
to stay one step ahead.
Siemens has just landed a major contract in
India and tendered bids for further HVDCT
projects in China, India, the U.S., and New
Zealand. What’s more, HVDCT has already be-
come the cornerstone of major projects for the
future, such as Desertec, which will transmit
power from North Africa and the Middle East
to Europe (p. 19). Bernd Müller
A gate at the Guangzhou receiving station alerts
visitors to its world-record transmission voltage.
Hydropower and HVDCT are cutting China’s CO2
emissions by 33 million metric tons a year.
Plugging into HVDC’s Advantages
High-voltage direct-current transmission (HVDCT) is ideal for countries where power has to be trans-
ported over long distances. HVDCT becomes financially viable from around 1,000 megawatts and
600 kilometers upward. The 1,400-kilometer HVDCT line between the Chinese provinces of Yunnan
and Guangdong will transmit at 800,000 volts, a new world record. Compared to a 765 kV alternat-
ing-current (AC) line of the same length, which would require immense compensation for transmis-
sion losses, HVDCT will save around 36 percent in costs over a 30-year service life.
In the case of undersea cables, the advantages of HVDCT come into play over distances as small as 60
kilometers. Over longer distances, AC lines act like huge capacitors that are charged and discharged
50 times a second, eventually losing virtually all their power. This effect can be compensated for by
the use of coils, but such measures are not economical for underwater cables. As of May 2011, for
example, a 250 kV HVDCT line from Siemens will connect the Balearic Islands with the Spanish main-
land, 250 kilometers away, and carry 400 megawatts of power.
The forthcoming boom in offshore wind farms will provide a further boost for the HVDCT market.
HVDC PLUS is an innovative system from Siemens that features a new generation of power converter.
With its compact dimensions, it is designed to provide flexible and reliable transmission from off-
shore wind plants.
HVDCT back-to-back links are a special instance of this technology. The principle is the same as the
one governing a normal HVDC transmission system, except that the transmission and receiving
stations are on the same site. Their purpose is to link different AC power networks with dissimilar
voltages and frequencies by converting alternating current into direct current and then back again.
HVDCT is also increasingly being incorporated into synchronous three-phase AC networks, both for
long-distance transmission and to provide back-to-back links. This is because, as Prof. Dietmar Retz-
mann explains, HVDCT has the major advantage over AC transmission that it acts like a firewall, auto-
matically halting cascading failures within a network and thus greatly reducing the risk of a major
blackout.
So-called gas-insulated lines (GILs), meanwhile, are ideal for transmitting high power in urban envi-
ronments, where space — the cheapest form of insulation — is usually at a premium. The lines are
laid underground in a 50-centimeter pipe filled with a low-pressure gaseous mixture of nitrogen and
sulfur hexafluoride. This gas insulates the conductor so well that a power of up to 3,500 megawatts
can be transmitted at 550 kilovolts.
GILs require little maintenance and they do not deface the landscape. As a rule, they are used in ma-
jor cities, where it is impossible to build high-voltage overhead lines. In terms of construction costs
alone, GILs are between five and ten times more expensive than overhead lines. However, this extra
cost become smaller once the costs of land and maintenance for overhead lines are factored into the
equation. What’s more, GILs become even more attractive economically at higher transmission loads.
Another advantage of GILs is that the metal pipes that encase them block electromagnetic radiation.
This was an important consideration for the operators of the Palexpo congress center in Geneva,
where a Siemens-built GIL under the exhibition halls ensures that visitors and sensitive electronic
systems are shielded from radiation fields.
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 27

Tomorrow’s Power Grids | HVDCT Converters
The Art of Converting Volts
High-voltage direct-current transmission not only makes the supply of conventional
electricity more environmentally compatible and reliable, but also facilitates access to
power from renewable sources. Converters are indispensable parts of the technology.
Their basic components are made, assembled, and tested in Nuremberg.
A bout 12 square meters of transparent pink
plastic wrap enshrouds electrical equip-
ment at Siemens that is about to set new
records. Dr. Hartmut Huang, who heads the
Technology and Innovation Department at
Siemens Power Transmission Solutions, lifts
the wrap and displays a swimming-pool sized
steel frame to which a multitude of multicol-
ored, bucket-sized capacitors, coils and high-
power transistors are fitted. “What you’re look-
ing at,” he says, “is a completely assembled
converter module for high-voltage, direct-cur-
rent transmission (HVDCT). At present, we as-
semble hundreds of such modules every year.”
From Nuremberg, Germany, they are shipped
to nearly every continent — to Australia, Asia,
the Americas and increasingly also to other Eu-
28 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
ropean countries. Stacked to the height of a
multistory tower, arrays of such modules are
used to convert alternating current (AC) from
enormous power plants into direct current
(DC) for transmission — and at the far end of
the line, back to AC.
“HVDCT contributes less severely to cli-
matic change because power losses are much
lower than in conventional AC transmission,”
Huang explains. With DC transmission it there-
fore becomes worthwhile to even tap into very
remote renewable energy sources. Next year
in China for instance, HVDCT converters from
Siemens will begin to transmit green power
from remote hydroelectric plants in the south-
west to the large coastal cities over a line
spanning 1,400 kilometers (see p. 24). “Those
Assembly of a converter module. In China,
Siemens converters handle capacities of about
5,000 MW at a direct current of 800,000 volts —
enough to help satisfy the needs of megacities.
converters will consist of 192 modules and
handle up to 5,000 megawatts at 800,000
volts DC,” Huang reports. That’s a world
record.” And these are volumes that can help
to satisfy the voracious energy hunger of
megacities. According to Huang’s information,
at about five percent, power losses are ex-
pected to be less than half as high as those as-
sociated with AC transmission.
The reason for the high power losses in al-
ternating current transmission is the constant
reversal of the current flow. This gives rise to
electric and magnetic fields around transmis-
sion lines that either augment or impede the
current flow. The otherwise strictly synchro-
nous current and voltage waves are thrown
out of phase, which reduces useful electric
power. This effect is referred to as “losses due
to reactive power” and is particularly intense in
the case of submarine cables. Here, the power
line and the ground conductor are located
close together, so that strong electric fields are
generated between them. Even a cable that is
just 80 kilometers long delivers practically no
useable power without countermeasures.
“HVDCT via submarine cables already pays for
itself at distances of 60 kilometers,” says
Huang. He adds that in overhead transmission
lines, in which the ground line and power line
are meters apart, reactive power losses are
much smaller: “HVDCT then pays for itself
starting at distances from 500 to 800 kilo-
meters.”
CD-Sized Thyristors. There is no difference
between the basic components of converter
modules for submarine or overhead lines.
Huang explains that the core element of the
modules is a high-power thyristor the size of a
compact disk, but which weighs about a kilo-
gram. “In each module, about two dozen such
thyristors are connected in series,” he says.
With sophisticated controllers, these chop up
the DC in phase with the net frequency, con-
verting it into AC. In the opposite application,
they single out the directionally-identical por-
tions of the AC and consolidate them into DC.
The thyristors are controlled by laser light. “In
HVDCT applications, that’s a worldwide first,”
Huang says. He adds that the advantages of
this configuration are that, “The laser control is
much less susceptible to electromagnetic in-
terference than traditional electronic trigger-
ing systems. What’s more, it needs much less
space.” (see Pictures of the Future, Spring
2006, pp. 20, 82).
But thyristor converters have a drawback.
“On the AC side, they draw large quantities of
reactive power, which they need to generate
electric and magnetic fields, from the grid,”
Huang explains. Since the direction of these
fields continually reverses in phase with the al-
ternating current, without countermeasures
reactive currents would flow back and forth
between the converter and the grid, thus
stressing line voltage. To prevent this, the con-
verters are combined with meter-high capaci-
tor systems. “This causes the reactive currents
to flow back and forth between the converter
and the capacitor banks without impacting the
connected AC grid,” says Huang. Such reactive
power compensation systems, however, may
Laser control of high-power transistors is more tolerant
of interference and enables a compact design.
amount to one-eighth of the whole system’s
footprint.
Compact Converters. For about two years
now, Siemens has had a solution for this prob-
lem as well: a miniature version — about the
size of a suitcase — of the standard HVDCT
converter. It is named HVDC PLUS. Depending
on the power involved, it consists of 2,000 to
3,000 modules. These devices, which are also
produced in Nuremberg, are switched not by
thyristors, but by commonly used IGBTs (Insu-
lated Gate Bipolar Transistors). “They can be
controlled faster and more accurately, and can
terminate the current in any module with mil-
lisecond accuracy. As a result, they generate
nearly perfect current and voltage curves,
which are synchronous. What’s more, they do
so without the need to include additional ele-
ments for reactive power compensation,” says
Huang (see box, p. 30).
The compact dimensions of HVDC PLUS
amount to a significant benefit in large,
densely built-up cities. For instance, in San
Francisco, a 400-Megawatt HVDC PLUS system
is currently under construction, where it will
facilitate electric power transmission.
But according to Huang, HVDC PLUS sys-
tems are also suitable for use on offshore oil
platforms and wind parks. These propeller-
driven power plants derive special advantages
from the superb regulation capabilities of the
new technology — which isn’t surprising,
given that their power output can vary sharply
depending on whether conditions are calm or
stormy.
With its Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor-
based converters in the high voltage field,
Siemens has achieved a worldwide first, as
these devices were previously used mainly in
electric motor drives or as inverters for smaller
solar systems. However, despite its advan-
tages, HVDC PLUS technology is not likely to
replace the well-proven thyristor converter in
the short term. “When it comes to maximum
buildable power, it still falls short of the classic
variant. In addition, it also looses more power
during conversion,” says Huang.
Both the conventional and the innovative
modules are processed on an assembly line be-
fore being thoroughly quality-checked in a
steel cube test cell, whose interior is com-
pletely protected by screens. There, every sin-
gle module component — including the frame
and mounting supports — is tested at up to
100 kilovolts and the resulting current values
observed. “That’s our voltage- proof test,”
Huang explains. Voltage arc-overs are an indi-
cation of defective contacts or insulation that
needs to be corrected. In extreme cases they
are audible as a hum, but experienced testers
usually recognize them by the resulting, inap-
propriate current values.
Once the modules have passed all the tests,
they are carefully packaged as ocean freight
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 29

Tomorrow’s Power Grids | HVDCT Converters
SVC Plus — the Perfect Wave
Due to their weather-dependent power fluctua-
tions, wind and solar power plants increasingly
unsettle the stability of electric power grids and
increase the probability of blackouts. A remedy is
now available in the form of Siemens’ new SVC
PLUS (Static Var Compensator) reactive power
compensation system. This system, which is the
latest offshoot of the FACTS (Flexible AC Current
Transmission Systems) family, converts even the
most irregular voltage wave shapes into perfect
sine waves. Such waves can otherwise be pro-
duced only by power plant turbines weighing
many tons. As a consequence, the space-con-
suming filter systems that smooth out voltage
wave irregularities in conventional converter
systems are no longer needed.
The formula for such potent power metamorphoses is known as modular multilevel technology. Each
SVC PLUS module consists of an IGBT-based high-power switch and an electrically charged capacitor
that is tapped or blocked as needed by a sophisticated controller. Using up to several hundred mod-
ules and even more potential combinations, it is possible to create any desired voltage value. In addi-
tion, threatening voltage dips, for example due to power fluctuations from wind power plants, can
be prevented on the power grid side.
This new Siemens technology is unique in the high voltage region. For two years it has been used in
a similar form in Siemens HVDC PLUS converters, which are designed for DC transmission. But unlike
HVDC PLUS, SVC PLUS systems have been on the market for only a few months. Some of their first
applications will be to ensure high-quality power in the grid connection of two offshore wind parks
in the U.K., in an electric utility company in New Zealand, and in the steel industry.
30 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
Pumped-storage power plants are used to
| Energy Storage
stockpile surplus power (here an 80 MW plant in
Wendefurth, Germany). Underground storage
systems (below) could also be a solution.
before being transported to the harbor for
shipping. “Every week we ship eight conven-
tional and about 100 HVDC PLUS converter
modules out of here. At present, the destina-
tions are an HVDCT line that will connect the
U.K. and the Netherlands, and an HDVC PLUS
line in the U.S.,” says Huang. Due to increasing
demand in recent years, the assemblers have
had to increase their pace substantially despite
the economic crisis.
Firewall for the Power Grid. This trend is ex-
pected to continue, not only because of the
world’s increasing demand for electric power,
but also because systems involving two con-
verters with a short DC buffer stage between
them are useful as coupling stations. Such sys-
tems can also be used between grids carrying
different frequencies — for example, in the
U.S. and Japan. “In the future, such stations
could also be used within uniform grids to pro-
tect individual sections against mains faults,
much as a firewall protects a computer against
viruses,” says Huang. Among other benefits,
this would further improve the reliability of
electricity supplies in Europe. Due to the uni-
form nature of the European power grid, it is
fairly easy for a network fault to spread, as oc-
curred on November 4, 2006 to produce a
blackout. Back then, a disconnected high-ten-
Trapping the Wind
sion line across the Ems River combined with
excess supply from wind power plants in
northern Germany to cause a chain reaction of
line overloads and automatic shutdowns that
turned off millions of lights in many parts of
Europe. The effects were even felt in parts of Power produced from renewable sources such as wind and sunlight is irregular.
France and Spain. Experts are therefore looking at ways of storing surplus energy so that it can be
“DC coupling stations could at least dimin-
ish the spread of such power failures,” says
converted back into electricity whenBessere
required. One option
Luft füris underground
Houston hydrogen
Huang. Power at the wrong frequency — in storage, which is inexpensive, highly efficient, and can feed power into the grid quickly.
50-hertz Europe, the maximum permitted vari-
ance is only one half of a cycle — would be
converted into DC at all coupling stations,
which would thus eradicate the fault. At the
other end, each such station would transmit
T he wind blows when and where it will, and
it rarely heeds our wishes. These days, that
can have a serious impact on our power sup-
into second place in this particular world rank-
ing by the U.S.
Although this is all excellent news as far as
reliable power at a stable, specified frequency. ply, to which wind energy is now making an the climate is concerned, it presents the power
While discussions about the possible use of increasingly important contribution. In 2007, companies with a problem. Wind power isn’t
converter-supported firewalls continue, scien- wind power accounted for 6.4 percent or 39.7 always generated exactly when consumers
tists in Huang’s team are already working on terawatt-hours (TWh) of gross power con- need it. As a rule, wind generators produce
new world records. “We’re in the process of sumption in Germany, and this proportion, ac- more power at night, and that’s exactly when
testing even larger thyristors for conventional cording to a projection by the German Renew- demand bottoms out. With conventional
Source: KBB Underground Technologies GmbH
converter modules,” says Huang. “Our aim is able Energy Federation (BEE), could rise to as power plants, output can be adjusted in line
to increase their power, and thus also the much as 25 percent (149 TWh) by the year with consumption, merely by burning more or
power of the converter. The researchers are 2020. By then, Germany should have wind less fuel. With fluctuating sources of energy,
also optimizing the control of IGBTs for HVDC farms with a total output of 55 gigawatts however, this is only possible to a limited de-
PLUS systems. Their objective here is to reduce (GW), compared to 22 GW at the end of 2007. gree. And that goes for both wind and photo-
the number of modules in a system for a given Germany already accounts for approxi- voltaic power, which, according to the BEE,
power level, and thus to make high-power mately 20 percent of the world’s total wind will together account for seven percent of
conversion even more economical. power generating capacity. Until recently, it gross power consumption in Germany by the
Andrea Hoferichter was the pacesetter, but has now been pushed year 2020.
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 31

Tomorrow’s Power Grids | Energy Storage
The ideal solution is to cache the surplus
electricity and feed it back into the grid as re-
quired. The power network itself is unable to
assume this function, since it is a finely bal-
anced system in which supply and demand
have to be carefully matched. If not, the fre-
quency at which alternating current is trans-
mitted deviates from the stipulated 50 hertz,
falling in the case of excess demand, or rising
in the case of oversupply.
Both scenarios must be avoided, as there
would otherwise be a danger of damage to
connected devices such as motors, electrical
appliances, computers and generators. For
this reason, power plants are immediately
Electric vehicles could serve as mobile and readily-
available storage devices for electricity.
taken offline whenever an overload pushes
the grid frequency below 47.5 hertz.
Oversupply can likewise pose problems.
Germany’s Renewable Energy Act stipulates
that German network operators must give
preference to power from renewable sources.
But an abundance of wind power means that
conventional power plants have to be ramped
down. This applies particularly to gas- and
coal-fired plants, which are responsible for
providing the intermediate load — in other
words, for buffering periodic fluctuations in
demand. For the power plants assigned to pro-
vide the base load — primarily nuclear power
and lignite-fired plants — ramping up and
down is relatively complicated and costly.
On windy days, this can have bizarre conse-
quences. For example, it may be necessary to
sell surplus power at a giveaway price on the
European Energy Exchange (EEX) in Leipzig. In
fact, the price of electricity may even fall be-
low zero. Such negative prices actually be-
came a reality on May 3, 2009, when a
megawatt-hour (MWh) was briefly traded at
minus €152. In other words, the operator of a
conventional power plant chose to pay some-
one to take the power rather than to tem-
porarily reduce output.
Storing Power with Water. By far the best
solution is to cache the surplus electricity and
then feed it back into the grid whenever the
wind drops or skies are cloudy. Here, a proven
method is to use pumped-storage power
plants. Whenever demand for electricity falls,
the surplus power is used to pump water up to
a reservoir. As soon as demand increases, the
water is allowed to flow back down to a lower
reservoir — generating electricity in the
32 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
process by means of water turbines. It’s a
beautifully simple and efficient idea. Indeed,
pumped-storage power plants have an effi-
ciency of around 80 percent, reflecting the
proportion of energy generated in relation to
the energy used in pumping the water to the
top reservoir. At present, no other type of stor-
age facility is capable of supplying power in
the GW range over a period of several hours. In
fact, more than 99 percent of the energy-stor-
age systems in use worldwide are pumped-
storage power plants.
Germany’s largest pumped-storage power
plant is in Goldisthal, about 350 km southwest
of Berlin. The facility has an output of 1,060
Comparative Energy Stored per Unit of Volume
kWh/m3 0 100
Pumped-storage
power plant1 0.28
Compressed air 2.7
energy storage2
Lead-acid battery 70
NaS battery
Lithium-ion battery
Hydrogen storage3
megawatts (MW) and could, in an extreme sit-
uation, supply the entire state of Thuringia
with power for eight hours. In all, 33 pumped-
storage facilities operate in Germany, provid-
ing a combined output of 6,700 MW and a ca-
pacity of 40 gigawatt-hours (GWh). Each year,
they supply around 7,500 GWh of so-called
balancing power, which covers heightened
demand at peak times — in the evenings, for
example, when people switch on electric
appliances and lights. The energy held in
reserve by pumped-storage power plants can
be called up within a matter of minutes.
In Germany, however, simply increasing the
number of pumped-storage power plants isn’t
such a simple option. There is a lack of suitable
locations, and such projects often trigger
protests. As a result, Germany’s power plant
operators coordinate their activities with their
counterparts in neighboring countries. En-
ergie Baden-Württemberg (EnBW) in Karls-
ruhe, for example, uses pumped-storage facili-
ties not only in Germany, but also in the
Vorarlberg region of Austria. Norway, too,
which has a long history of hydropower, is
now looking to market its potential for electric-
ity storage. However, the capital expenditure
for doing so would be substantial. Such a pro-
ject would involve more than just laying a long
cable to Norway. The grid capacity at the point
of entry in both countries would also have to
be increased in order to avoid bottlenecks in
transmission capability. “Such a step would be
necessary because electricity always looks for
the path of least resistance and will take an-
other route when it encounters an obstruc-
tion,” explains Dirk Ommeln from EnBW.
Batteries and Compressed Air. Other major
industrialized countries such as the U.S. and
China also make significant use of pumped-
storage power plants. In addition, major ef-
200 300
1 Height difference: 100 meters
2
pressure: 2 MPa (= 20 bars)
3 pressure: 20 MPa, efficiency 58%
150
300
350
forts are being made to find alternative meth-
ods worldwide. The best-known of all electric-
ity storage devices is the rechargeable battery,
which can be found in every mobile phone
and digital camera. Although the amounts of
energy involved here are tiny by comparison,
this has not stopped some countries from us-
ing batteries as a cache facility for the power
network. “In Japan, for example, this method
is used practically throughout the country,”
says Dr. Manfred Waidhas from Siemens Cor-
porate Technology (CT). “Batteries the size of a
shipping container can store about 5 MWh of
electrical energy and are installed in the grid
close to the consumer.” They are used as an
emergency power supply, as a reserve at times
of peak load, and as a buffer to balance out
fluctuations from renewable sources of en-
ergy. Sodium-sulfur batteries, which have an
efficiency of as much as 70 to 80 percent, are
used for this purpose.
Similarly, in a method known as V2G (vehi-
cle to grid), electric vehicles could also serve
as local cache facilities for electricity in the fu-
ture, provided they are connected to the grid
via a power cable. Although their battery
capacity is small in comparison with the
amounts of energy required in the grid, the
sheer number of such vehicles and the rela-
tively high powers involved — e.g. 40 kilowatts
(kW) per vehicle — could make up for this. “As
few as 200,000 vehicles connected to the grid
400
would produce 8 GW. And that’s enough bal-
ancing energy to improve grid stability,” says
Prof. Gernot Spiegelberg from Siemens CT.
“On the other hand, we need to remember
that such batteries will be relatively expensive
due to their compactness, safety specifica-
tions, and low weight,” warns Dr. Christian
Dötsch from the Fraunhofer Institute for Envi-
ronmental, Safety and Energy Technology
(UMSICHT) in Oberhausen, Germany. “What’s
more, their service life — the number of times
they can be recharged — is still very limited. At
present, the extra recharging and discharging
for the purposes of load balancing would seri-
ously reduce battery life.” (p. 44)
Another concept is to warehouse potential
kinetic energy underground by a technique
known as compressed air energy storage
(CAES). This involves pumping air, which has
been pressurized to as much as 100 bar, into
underground cavities such as exhausted salt
domes with a volume of between 100,000
and a million cubic meters. “This compressed
air can be used in a gas turbine,” says Waidhas.
“You still need a fossil fuel such as natural gas,
but energy is saved because the compressed
air for combustion is already available.”
There are two CAES pilot projects world-
wide: the first went into operation in Huntorf,
Germany, in 1978; the second in McIntosh, Al-
abama, in 1991. The basic idea behind CAES is
simple, but there are drawbacks. “In both proj-
ects, the gas turbines are custom made, and
that kind of special development costs
money,” says Waidhas. “CAES only gives you
storage capacity of around 3 GWh.”
Hydrogen: Ideal Storage Medium? An in-
teresting alternative to the methods already
mentioned is hydrogen storage. Here, surplus
electricity is used to produce hydrogen by
means of electrolysis. The gas is then stored in
underground caverns at a pressure of between
100 and 350 bar, where, according to Erik
Wolf from Siemens Energy Sector in Erlangen,
Germany, leakage is not a problem. “Typically,
each year, less than 0.01 percent is lost,“ he
say. “This is because the rock-salt walls of such
caverns behave like a liquid, and any leaks seal
up automatically.” For this reason, says Wolf,
any of the caverns already used for the short-
term storage of natural gas would also be suit-
able for hydrogen.
Around 60 caverns are now under con-
struction in Germany. “If we were to use only
30 of these for hydrogen storage, we would be
able to cache around 4,200 GWh of electrical
energy,” Wolf points out. Hydrogen has such a
high energy density that as much as 350 kilo-
watt-hours (kWh) can be squeezed into every
cubic meter of available storage space. This
significantly exceeds CAES (2.7 kWh/m3) and is
only matched by lithium-ion batteries.
Whenever the demand for electricity rises,
hydrogen is removed and used to power a gas
turbine or a fuel cell. “At present, underground
hydrogen storage is unmatched by any other
energy-storage system,” says Wolf. “Each cav-
ern is capable of providing more than 500 MW
for up to a week in base-load operation. That’s
the equivalent of 140 GWh. By way of compar-
ison, all the pumped-storage power plants in
Germany only have a combined capacity of 40
GWh.” What’s more, underground hydrogen
storage facilities can supply power quickly to
the grid and are as flexible as a combined-cy-
cle power plant.
Hydrogen also compares well in terms of
costs. According to a study by the German
Association for Electrical, Electronic & Informa-
tion Technologies (VDE), the costs of long-
term storage — to compensate for unfavor-
In the future, electric vehicles could provide
temporary storage of electricity, which could be
fed back into the grid as required, thereby
improving the network’s stability.
able weather situations and seasonal fluctua-
tions — will be under €0.10 per kWh. In con-
trast, the cost of CAES is estimated to be
around €0.20 per kWh. At the same time, un-
derground hydrogen storage facilities can help
cover short-term peaks in demand and there-
fore boost the existing capacity provided by
pumped-storage power plants.
Siemens has been conducting research into
this technology for the last four years, and
most of the components required, including
the electrolyzers and gas turbines, are now
available — as are safe caverns for hydrogen
storage. Engineers from Siemens Corporate
Technology are currently working on higher
performance electrolyzers and gas turbines
that are specially modified for use with hydro-
gen (p. 7). “The first patent applications have
already been filed, and a larger-scale pilot
plant could be up and running within three to
five years,” says Wolf.
Hydrogen has other advantages too. Apart
from storing energy for generating power or
heat, it can also be mixed with syngas (synthe-
sis gas) — from, for example, biomass plants
— to produce fuel in a biomass-to-liquid (BtL)
process. “Hydrogen gives us a whole range of
options, and significant progress has been
made here in recent years,” says Stephan
Werthschulte, an energy expert from manage-
ment consultants Accenture.
By way of example, he points to an exciting
pilot project in Brandenburg, Germany. In April
of this year, Enertrag, a company specializing
in wind-power generators, laid the foundation
stone for a new test facility in Prenzlau. This
will be the world’s first hydrogen-wind-biogas
hybrid power plant capable of producing hy-
drogen from surplus wind power. The hydro-
gen will be used to power hydrogen vehicles
or mixed with biogas to produce electricity
and heat in two block-type cogeneration
plants with a total output of 700 kW. The facil-
ity is scheduled to enter service in mid-2010.
Christian Buck
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 33

Tomorrow’s Power Grids | Networking
T he environmentally-friendly city of the fu-
ture is being built in a desert in the United
Arab Emirates. Not far from Abu Dhabi, work-
ers from all over the world are building Masdar
City. When complete, the city is expected to
have 50,000 inhabitants, meet its energy
requirements entirely from renewable sources,
and produce zero carbon dioxide, a major
greenhouse gas (Pictures of the Future, Fall
2008, p. 76). Power is to be generated prima-
rily by solar-thermal power plants and photo-
voltaic facilities.
Plugging Buildings
into the Big Picture
Around 40 percent of the energy consumed worldwide
is used in buildings to provide heating and lighting. But
in the future, intelligent building management systems
will ease the load on power and heat networks — and
even feed self-generated electricity into the grid.
City planners expect improved efficiency to
offset the high cost of implementing ad-
vanced energy solutions. In fact, the energy
required per Masdar resident is projected to be
only one fifth of today’s consumption.
This goal can be achieved if forward-look-
ing planning and modern technology comple-
ment each other. In line with this philosophy,
buildings in Masdar will be built close to-
gether, thereby providing each other with
shade and thus reducing air conditioning re-
quirements. In addition, buildings will be built
34 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
on concrete pedestals, thus helping to main-
tain cool temperatures by allowing air to circu-
late beneath them. Today, 70 percent of the
energy consumed in Abu Dhabi is used to cool
buildings. Planned architectural measures are
expected to dramatically reduce that figure in
Masdar.
Masdar’s green, high-tech vision, which
was developed by British architect Sir Norman
Foster, is scheduled to be completed in 2016.
If it proves a success, urban developers and ar-
chitects from around the world may orientate
their plans according to the technologies that
prove themselves here. Naturally, Siemens is
involved in the project. “The Masdar initiative
is not only a fascinating project; it also fits in
very well with our energy efficiency program
and the solutions offered by our Environmen-
tal Portfolio,” says Tom Ruyten, who manages
Siemens’ activities in Dubai.
Masdar is, of course, unique. After all, how
often do you have the opportunity to build a
complete city with a focus on minimizing its
environmental footprint right from the start?
However, intelligent building management
technology is in demand everywhere. In indus-
trialized countries, for example, buildings are
being transformed from mere energy con-
sumers to active participants in the electricity
market, where they offer self-generated power
for sale. “More and more buildings have photo-
voltaic or small wind power plants on their
roofs,” says Volker Dragon, who works in the
area of energy efficiency at Siemens’ Building
Technologies Division in Zug, Switzerland. “In-
telligent electric meters — the smart meter —
will usher in a lot of change in this area.”
These small boxes will not only measure
energy consumption, but will also be able to
communicate with household appliances and
In the future, buildings will actively
participate in the grid. In Masdar City
(small pictures) narrow spaces between
and under buildings will enhance cooling.
utilities (p. 36). Starting in 2010, a European
Union directive and legal regulations in Ger-
many will require all new and modernized
buildings to be equipped with smart meters.
Customers will have better insight into their
electricity costs, while utilities will be able to
more accurately predict demand, and thus of-
fer new products, including dynamic rates,
which can change every 15 minutes.
Entire grids will benefit as it will be easier
to spread energy consumption. In fact, experts
predict a savings potential of up to 20 percent.
Small cogeneration plants in buildings
(Pictures of the Future, Fall 2008, p. 78) could
also be better integrated into power networks
in the future. “If electricity demand is high, a
cogeneration plant will deliver energy to the
network, while the waste heat will be fed into
a local heat storage system or into the thermal
capacity of the building,” predicts Christoff
Wittwer from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar
Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg, Germany.
“This heat can be used later by residents.”
Well-insulated water tanks capable of act-
ing as heat stores are already available. In
contrast, heat storage based on phase change
is still at the R&D stage. Here, for example,
surplus heat is used to melt a salt. Later, when
demand for heat increases, the melted salt
releases its stored heat and solidifies. Yield is
very high: “These types of cogeneration plant
have an overall efficiency of over 90 percent,”
says Wittwer. “In terms of primary energy,
that’s much more productive than large-scale
fossil fuel power plants that don’t exploit
waste heat.”
Managing Demand. Conversely, consumers
can also selectively switch off devices at peak
times to ease network loads. The key is to
know when rates are lower. For example,
washing machines and driers can be run at
night when electricity is cheaper. But which
hours offer the best prices? “Many appliances
are already capable of determining this
through signals in power lines,” says Dragon.
“On and off times can be determined by a
smart meter.”
This scenario would give utilities the advan-
tage of being able to manage demand within
their networks. It would also help them to pre-
vent sudden peak loads from occurring — for
example, when large numbers of consumers
turn on appliances at the same time.
However, consumers would have to con-
sent to having their appliances turned on or
off by a utility depending on the network’s
load — based on the premise that they would
be paying less for their power. Ultimately, both
parties have an interest in a flat load curve,
which is achieved by leveling demand over
each 24-hour period.
The challenge is to coordinate each build-
ing’s sub-systems with one another and control
their communication with their surroundings.
In other words, all isolated solutions should be
combined.
“That is not a trivial matter because these
systems have developed independently over
many years,” says Dragon. “We therefore need
interfaces that allow control systems to com-
municate with one another.”
Software solutions that address this chal-
lenge are being developed by Siemens Build-
ing Technologies under the name “Total Build-
ing Solutions” (TBS). Here, a variety of systems
are being linked into one unit. They include
building control and security technologies,
heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refriger-
ation, room automation, power distribution,
fire and burglary protection, access control,
and video surveillance.
“Only if all of these systems harmonize per-
fectly can their economic potential be fully re-
alized,” says Dragon. “Whether in a stadium,
an office complex, a hospital, a hotel, an in-
dustrial complex or a shopping mall — TBS will
ensure that the facility is working productively,
users are being reliably protected, and energy
is being used optimally.”
Large Savings Potential. The amount of en-
ergy that can be saved through the intelligent
networking of power utilities and consumers
varies from case to case. However, experts gen-
erally agree that savings of 20 to 25 percent
are realistic. “This figure fluctuates depending
on the type of building,” says Dragon. “Shop-
ping malls often have a savings potential of up
to 50 percent, while office buildings have be-
tween 20 and 30 percent. For hospitals, we’re
talking about five to ten percent.” These differ-
ences depend on how buildings are used. For
instance, in Europe many shopping malls are
open ten to 12 hours a day and closed on Sun-
day. But a hospital operates around the clock.
“That’s why hospitals don’t have much scope
for saving large amounts of energy. The heat-
ing can be turned off in an office building but
not in a hospital,” says Dragon.
Advanced technologies not only save en-
ergy in hot and temperate zones; they can also
do so in icy areas. Take the new Monte-Rosa
Hut of the Swiss Alpine Club, for instance,
which is perched at an altitude of 2,883 me-
ters. It will be largely self-sufficient — thanks
to sophisticated building technology and com-
ponents supplied by Siemens (Pictures of the
Future, Spring 2008, p. 58). Power will be sup-
plied by a photovoltaic system, supported
when necessary by a cogeneration unit.
In order to maximize efficiency, the build-
ing’s control system will use weather forecasts
and information on guest bookings, thus help-
ing it to coordinate its power and heating sys-
tems as well as energy storage and applicate
power demand. A smart algorithm will period-
ically calculate the best end temperature, so
that the desired room climate can be realized
with the least resources — thereby ensuring
that not even the smallest amount of energy is
wasted. Christian Buck
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 35

Tomorrow’s Power Grids | Smart Meters
Transparent Network
Power companies worldwide have begun installing electronic smart meters that
allow customers to monitor consumption practically in real time and thus conserve
energy. Such companies benefit from better grid load planning and lower costs. Siemens
offers complete solutions that include everything from hardware to software.
W hen asked about the electricity meters in
the Swiss municipality of Arbon, Jürgen
Knaak, head of the local power utility, Arbon
Energie AG, says, “It’s time to get out of the
dark!” What Knaak is referring to is the fact
that for a very long time nearly all electricity
customers and suppliers around the world
have suffered from a huge lack of information.
Consumers know nearly nothing about their
electricity consumption habits, while suppliers
know very little about the state of their grids
at any given — including such basic informa-
tion as whether loads in certain sections are
dangerously high, or whether the supply volt-
age has dropped dramatically in particular
areas. That’s because data from electricity me-
ters generally doesn’t become available until
months after power is actually consumed, and
such information only shows the sum of the
electricity used over a specific period of time.
36 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
Having such data made available in some-
thing closer to real time would conserve re-
sources, as consumption could then be flexibly
adjusted, prices for consumers lowered or
raised in line with peak loads, and power gen-
eration capacity stepped down when less elec-
tricity is needed.
Meters capable of such real-time data deliv-
ery were not available to the average con-
sumer until recently — but now, more and
more power suppliers are installing smart me-
ters that electronically measure electricity con-
sumption. Alexander Schenk, head of the
AMIS Business Segment at Siemens’ Power Dis-
tribution Division, explains. “Smart meters
don’t just substitute a digital display for me-
chanical cogs; they also automatically forward
consumption data to a control center and have
a feedback channel.” Among other things, this
enables suppliers to send price signals to cus-
Smart meters enable consumers to monitor
and manage their power use. Utilities also save
money and, for the first time, gain detailed
insight into network dynamics.
tomers, who can then reduce consumption
during peak times in order to save money. One
smart meter now on the market is the AMIS
model from Siemens, some 100,000 of which
are scheduled to be installed in Upper Austria
by early 2010 (see Pictures of the Future, Fall
2008, p.63). Residents of Arbon, Switzerland,
on the shores of Lake Constance will also soon
be enjoying the benefits offered by the
Siemens meter.
“The near-real-time transmission of data
from households, special contract customers,
and the power distribution structure gives us
the kind of insight we need as to what’s going
on in the grid,” says Arbon Energie’s Knaak.
“This allows us as a supplier to make more pre-
cise forecasts of peak load times, and thus
plan more efficiently.” Arbon residents will be
among the first in Switzerland to know exactly
how much electricity they’re using every
month, instead of having to pay estimated
fees, as was the case in the past, and then re-
ceiving a huge bill at the end of the year. So
living in the dark about one’s own electricity
consumption will soon no longer be an issue,
at least not in Arbon.
The benefits that smart energy meters offer
utility companies go far beyond improved grid
load planning. For one thing, the manual read-
ing of conventional meters is subject to errors
that generate additional costs, such as the
need for a second readings. These require dis-
proportionate amounts of time and energy in
comparison with standard reading trips. Smart
meters, on the other hand, are read automati-
cally. “On average, around three percent of the
readings of conventional meters are erroneous
and need to be repeated,” says Dr. Andreas
Heine, head of Services at Power Distribution.
“Smart meters reduce this error rate to nearly
zero. So, if you’ve got an area with a million
customers, you can save more than €1.6 million
per year, which corresponds to 53 percent of
the previous cost for readings.”
No More Flying Blind. Most smart meters
are now being used in highly developed coun-
tries, with dozens of projects currently under
way in the U.S. and Europe. Direct economic
benefits are generated in such nations mainly
through a decrease in blackouts and efficiency
gains in service processes. By installing around
30 million smart meters with feedback chan-
nels, Italian energy supplier ENEL, for exam-
ple, has been able to automatically carry out
210 million meter readings. The initial invest-
ment of €2.1 billion can be amortized rela-
tively quickly through savings of around €500
million per year, while service costs per cus-
tomer and year have been reduced from €80
to €50.
EnBW ODR, which supplies electricity to the
region east of Stuttgart, Germany, is now re-
placing its conventional meters with Siemens
AMIS units along with the complete meter
data management system. Ninety percent of
the company’s new meters communicate with
a central server that processes the huge
amounts of data, with most of this data trans-
fer occurring via power line communication —
in other words, the grid itself.
And in New Zealand, Siemens went a step
further by establishing a joint venture with
Vector, a local power supply company. The JV
runs Vector’s IT infrastructure and handles its
readings and data processing operations,
Completely new business models based on smart
metering will arise in coming years.
which form the basis for customer invoices.
“Smart metering is leading to the formation of
new business models,” says Philip Skipper,
from Siemens Metering Services. “In this case,
Siemens is serving as a service partner that
does the work formerly carried out by the
company’s metering department.”
Siemens prepared itself well for such new
types of cooperation models for smart meter-
ing systems by partnering with U.S.-based
eMeter, one of the world’s leading providers of
meter data processing services. Such partner-
ships require a high degree of flexibility, how-
ever, since the business logic behind smart
metering projects differs greatly from region
to region.
Time for Smart Meters. By 2030, global
electricity production is expected to increase
by 63 percent over its 2008 level to approxi-
mately 33,000 terawatt hours (TWh). Whereas
today’s poorer countries are expected to ex-
pand their annual production by around four
percent, electricity production in the most de-
veloped regions will grow by only about 1.3
percent per year. Completely new grid struc-
tures are now being set up throughout large
parts of India and China, and many regions are
now being supplied with electricity for the
very first time. A total of 150,000 villages in
India alone will be hooked up to the grid over
the next few years. As smart metering technol-
ogy will be used here from the start, integrat-
ing it into existing systems won’t be a prob-
lem.
More developed markets — like Brazil, for
example, where the vast majority of house-
holds already have electricity — will have to
modernize their systems to reduce electricity
theft and increase supply reliability. Smart me-
ters will thus also be installed in many areas in
these markets. Finally, in many of the most de-
veloped countries, legislation enacted as part
of electricity market deregulation is leading to
the rapid introduction of smart meters. The
European Union, for example, has an energy
efficiency and services directive that stipulates
that all conventional meters be replaced by
smart meters by 2020. Indeed, all new build-
ings built today have to have such meters.
According to Knaak, smart meters represent
just a small component of a much larger proj-
ect: the smart grid. With this energy network, it
will be easier to incorporate renewable sources
of energy. In addition, electricity storage will
one day play a major role here and with im-
proved network load planning it will be possi-
ble to reduce the occurrence of the sort of ma-
jor blackouts that have caused havoc in Europe
and the U.S. over the last few years. “Without
smart meters, there would never be a smart
grid,” says Knaak. “Together with Siemens, we,
in our little town of Arbon, have laid part of
the foundation for this flexible network of the
future.” Andreas Kleinschmidt
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 37
Tomorrow’s Power Grids | Interview
Why a Smart Grid will Jump Start Use of
Dr. Dan Arvizu, 59, is a
physicist and the director
of the U.S. Department
of Energy’s National Re-
newable Energy Laboratory
(NREL) in Golden, Colorado.
An expert on photovoltaic
and battery technology, he
worked for international
engineering and
infrastructure company
CH2M Hill, as well as the
Sandia National Laboratories
in New Mexico before his
appointment as head of
the NREL in 2005.
One of his main objectives
is to push the development
of energy efficiency and
alternative energy sources.
38 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
Smart grids are a hot topic in the U.S.
What’s your vision of this area?
Arvizu: Of course no one knows for sure what
a smart grid will look like, but I would expect it
to be flexible, interactive, less vulnerable than
present systems, information-rich, and just
plain more sophisticated. Today we see elec-
tricity mainly coming from a network of big
cables that have central power stations at
various intersections. It provides a base load,
on top of which varying demand is met. The
future of the electric grid looks different,
though. The grid will probably not be central-
ized any longer. It will meet real time needs
better, and it will transport energy more effi-
ciently than the present-day grid.
Can you flesh this out a bit?
Arvizu: Today more than 60 percent of the
energy content in our supply gets lost in in-
efficient conversion to electricity at the power
plant or on its way to provide a service to the
consumer. Clearly, this has to be done much
more efficiently — for example, transmission
efficiency can be improved over long distances
by using a high-voltage direct-current trans-
mission system. The grid of the future will also
be able to integrate much more energy pro-
duced by solar, wind, and other renewable
energy sources. And since these sources will
be more widely distributed throughout the
country, energy will have to be bundled and
distributed more intelligently and the grid will
need to accommodate varying generation
coupled with varying loads. Finally, tomorrow’s
grid needs to be protected from physical and
cyber attacks.
What advantages does the smart grid of-
fer for consumers and energy producers?
Arvizu: Mostly it gives you one thing — the
opportunity to make wise decisions about your
energy use and ultimately save energy and
save money! The smart network will allow
consumers to monitor their electricity use,
make choices about appliances and their use,
and manage their overall energy needs based
on this information. This will also allow energy
providers to know how much energy their
costumers actually use. That in turn may help
them develop more accurate predictions of
energy demand and meet it accordingly.
How far has the smart grid advanced so far?
Arvizu: Worldwide, there are a number of pilot
projects. One particularly exciting example is
in Boulder, Colorado and is called “Smart Grid
City.” We are involved in this project, which
happens to be near our laboratory. One impor-
tant element of the project is the installation
by Xcel Energy, the sponsoring utility, of a
broadband interconnection infrastructure that
allows information to flow both ways between
the consumer and the electricity utility. Forty-
five thousand two-way meters are being in-
stalled. Additionally, a limited number of the
participating households will be able to see
online how they consume electricity through-
out the house. And in one test, some homes
will have Web-addressable appliances that
allow their power use information to be trans-
mitted to the Internet, where the total energy
use in one’s house could be calculated. This
opens up the prospect of eventually doing
away with the physical meter and measuring
use only on the Internet.
How does the U.S. compare with other coun-
tries regarding smart grid implementation?
Arvizu: When it comes to deployment of
renewable energy technologies, the U.S. lags
behind other industrial countries. Other coun-
tries have been driven primarily by heavy gov-
ernment subsidies for solar and wind energy.
That’s what Germany has done. This has
forced some countries, such as Denmark and
Germany, to successfully deal with some of the
interconnection challenges that renewable en-
ergy sources represent. Still, when it comes to
the smart grid, we have an even playing field;
everybody is facing the same challenges.
How has a new administration in the
White House changed your work?
Arvizu: It is still a bit premature to say, as
President Obama has not been in office that
long and is just now putting his team in place in
the various agencies. But over the past months,
senior officials visiting our lab all appear to have
a very clear priority in terms of solving our ener-
gy challenges — and they are very aggressive
about it. Carbon emissions are planned to be re-
duced by 80 percent from 1990 levels by the
year 2050, alternative energy sources will be
developed more, the energy infrastructure has
to be modernized, and household appliances
and homes have to be more energy-efficient.
Also, in the current stimulus package more than
$38 billion is dedicated to energy projects.
You often point out that energy in the U.S.
has to become cheaper and be competitive
with fuel in India and China. Today safety
regulations, labor costs, and commodity
prices keep energy prices high. How can
they be reduced? Alternative energy in the
U.S. continues to be more expensive than
conventional energy.
Arvizu: That has to change. When we speak
of alternative energy, we mean wind, solar,
hydropower, etc. These sources have to become
the rule, not the exception. And they have to
survive economically on their own, without any
subsidies. I believe this can be achieved through
technological innovation and market incentives
such as emissions trading for CO2. We also have
Renewable Energy Resources
to price the externalities of fuel extraction, con-
version, use, and emissions — e.g. environmen-
tal damage — into the prices consumers pay so
that fuel sources can be compared on the same
basis.
What are the innovations that you see
coming in the alternative energy sector?
Arvizu: A lot of what we see in laboratories to-
day will soon be on the market — and some in-
novations that were in the laboratory yesterday
are reaching the market today. For example,
I recently visited a company named RF Micro
Devices in North Carolina. Together, we will de-
velop commercial photovoltaic cells that have a
very high potential efficiency of over 40 percent
— that will make it one of the most efficient
products of its kind in the world. These efficien-
cies have been demonstrated in the lab and
Wind turbine blades the height of a church tower are transported by railroad from a Siemens plant in Fort Madison, Iowa, to their destinations.
now it’s time to see if they can be produced
commercially. In contrast, there is a company
named HelioVolt in Texas, which we helped to
develop thin-film solar cells. They are not as
efficient as those photovoltaic cells produced
by RF Micro Devices, but extremely inexpensive.
Both examples represent exciting next-genera-
tion technologies that may replace crystalline
silicon solar cells — and these are just two of
many exciting things going on in the lab.
What challenges will the massive integra-
tion of solar and wind power plants into
the modern power grid cause?
Arvizu: The main problem is that wind and so-
lar power are in variable, rather than constant,
supply. Additionally, these plants are often far
from urban centers. So one of the things that
we have to do is to intelligently interweave vari-
ous energy sources that produce the equivalent
of a base load, which today is still being met by
coal and nuclear power plants. Also, we should
learn to use power when it is available. For ex-
ample, we could use electric cars, refrigerators,
hot water boilers and industrial machinery in a
way that takes advantage of a cheap surplus of
energy when it is available.
What solutions do you see for the storage
of electricity?
Arvizu: Batteries will gain more prominence in
the future to meet fluctuating energy produc-
tion and demand. Battery-powered cars could
make excellent storage devices. One could even
envision a scenario where one charges one’s car
during the night when energy is cheap and uses
it or feeds it back into the grid during the day.
Hydropower is certainly the most straightfor-
ward storage solution, but that is not an option
everywhere.
In one of its studies NREL claimed that on
federal lands enough resources are avail-
able from wind, solar, geothermal, and
small hydro sources to meet all U.S. annual
consumption needs. That ‘s impressive —
but it’s not a serious proposal, is it?
Arvizu: Well, one can talk of various potentials.
Theoretical potential is what could be achieved
with alternative energy resources if finances,
politics, and technology were not an issue.
These are limitations to the potential that realis-
tically can be achieved. In one study we made
some realistic assumptions and asked if it’s fea-
sible to produce 20 percent of electricity in the
U.S. from wind by 2030. Our conclusion is that
this is not a crazy idea. The necessary technolo-
gy already exists. The current remaining hurdles
are politics, financing and transmission.
A consortium of companies, banks, and
European states recently announced it
intends to build a giant solar energy plant
in northern Africa to transmit electricity to
Europe. Is something like this conceivable
for the U.S.?
Arvizu: Sure. In the Southwest there’s plenty of
sun and the desert is huge. At this scale and
with appropriate transmission, solar energy be-
comes profitable. Interview: Hubertus Breuer
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 39
 Hydroelectric plants in Germany like those at
Tomorrow’s Power Grids | Virtual Power Plants
Ahausen and Niederense (below) have been in
operation for decades. They are now enjoying new
significance as part of a virtual power plant.

T he many hiking trails around the village of

Niederense in the state of Westphalia, Ger-
many, offer tranquility, bird songs, the Möhne
Externally, the nine small hydroelectric
plants in the project function as a single large
one. Their total initial output for pilot opera-
As part of a virtual plant, even small energy producers
can sell their power on the electricity market.
River and unspoiled nature. As idyllic as this tion was 8.6 megawatts. Even though this vir-
setting is, a small hydroelectric power station tual power plant is not yet actively participat-
built in 1913 does not look out of place here. ing in electric power trading, its constituent Using plant status information, such as fected by increasing supply from distributed
With an output of 215 kilowatts, the facility is plants have established a key prerequisite for electric power output, and combining it with and renewable energies (Pictures of the Future,
one of the region’s smaller power plants. Yet new forms of marketing. “Individually, such market forecasts, DEMS generates a forecast Fall 2007, p. 90).
its Siemens-Halske generators have been tire- plants are too small to market their capacities that also takes into account the next day’s In the background, communication systems
lessly producing electricity for nearly 100 through energy traders on the energy ex- prices and the total power available. Even ensure reliable connections between the con-
years. And now these hardworking old-timers change, or as a balancing reserve for load fluc- weather data is factored into the energy man- trol center and individual power plants.
have become a key part of a much larger, inno- tuations to power grid operators,” says agement system to provide a forecast of the Siemens communications devices in power
vative high-tech plan. Since October 2008 Kramer. “To market electric power on the en- power available from sources with fluctuating stations link the stations with the control cen-
they have been interconnected with eight ergy markets for minute reserves — the power availability, such as wind and sunshine. ter via wireless communication modems. The
other hydroelectric plants on the Lister and that must be available on demand within 15 Before a quotation is placed on the energy advantage of this approach is that it requires
Lenne Rivers in a rural part of Westphalia minutes — a virtual power plant is required to market through an energy trader, it is checked no costly cables or rented landlines.
known as Sauerland as part of ProViPP, the have a minimum capacity of 15 megawatts.” and approved by the portfolio manager. Once The virtual plant is highly distributed. Its
Professional Virtual Power Plant pilot project of Today, since the nine-member virtual power it has been approved and accepted by the mar- DEMS computer is in a control center in Plaidt
RWE (a power plant operator) and Siemens. plant does not reach that level, it feeds its ket, DEMS generates an operating schedule for near Koblenz, the operator stations are in
Just about everybody stands to gain from energy into the grid in accordance with Ger- the individual power plants in the virtual plant. Cologne, and the power plants are in the
the project — power plant owners, electricity
traders, power grid operators, and of course

Power in Numbers
Small, distributed power plants, fluctuating energy sources such as wind and
sunlight, and the deregulation of electric power markets have one thing in common.
They increase the need for reliable and economical operation of electric
power grids. The virtual power plant is an intelligent solution from Siemens.
It networks multiple small power stations to form a large, smart power grid.
Distributed Energy Management System software
shows the current status of all systems included in a
the end customer, who could profit from more many’s Renewable Energy Law (EEG). Follow- virtual power plant and generates an operating Sauerland. In spite of this complex mix, no
intense competition. The virtual power plant ing a planned expansion, however, its power schedule (right) for its power generation. This standards exist yet for distributed power plant
concept complements the big utility compa- will be sold directly in the energy market. schedule is controlled in the demand mode (left). communications. “Uniform interfaces and pro-
nies with their large, central power plants by tocols have yet to be defined,” says Werner,
creating new suppliers with small, distributed Cool Controls. At the heart of Sauerland’s who points out that each virtual plant there-
power systems linked to form virtual pools virtual power plant is Siemens’ Distributed En- The schedule specifies exactly when and how fore requires tailored solutions. “We need
that can be operated from a central control ergy Management System (DEMS). The system much power must be available from which open standards to substantially simplify the
station. Such a pool can unite wind power, co- displays the present status of systems, gener- plant. “DEMS does such a good job of model- design of virtual power plants,” he adds.
generation, photovoltaic, small hydroelectric, ates prognoses and quotations, and controls ing that its schedules can be run exactly the
and biogas systems as well as large power con- electric power generation as scheduled. The way it defines them,” says Dr. Thomas Werner, Lucrative Reserve Power. Existing business
sumers such as aluminum smelters and large system overview is subdivided into producers Product Manager, Power System Management models for virtual power plants already prom-
process water pumps to function as a single and loads, contracts, and power storage. at Siemens Energy. No manual corrections are ise attractive profits. As a case in point, power
supplier. With the Sauerland project Siemens Conveniently positioned at the center of the needed. grid operators need to maintain a constant
and RWE plan to demonstrate the technologi- display is the “balance node” (the sum of the Martin Kramer of RWE agrees. “The system balance in the power grid despite fluctuations
cal and economic utility of virtual power incoming and outgoing power must equal is working extremely well. Once a schedule in consumption and electric power genera-
plants and to expand their knowledge base for zero). Additional information is provided on has been generated, the energy management tion. This is where the virtual power plant’s op-
further applications. “The project — which will “forecasting and usage planning” and “moni- system controls the entire process — including erator can sell reserve power and make a spe-
continue until 2010 — and the technology are toring and control.” As a result, a portfolio the requirements of the individual power cific capacity available as a minute reserve.
working so well that we’re going to connect manager can view color bar graphs showing plants — fully automatically.” When needed, the purchaser places an order
some additional power plants,” says Martin which power stations are currently running at DEMS was developed by Siemens when it for the agreed-on power for a fee. The seller
Kramer, RWE Project Manager for Distributed peak load or at base load and how much became evident how the electric power grid then starts up or shuts down generators as
Energy Systems. power they are producing. and the electric power market would be af- specified in the contract within the agreed-on

40 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 41
Tomorrow’s Power Grids | Virtual Power Plants
Advanced IT is the Core Element of a Virtual Power Plant
E
Network
management
Energy
management
Biomass system system
power plant
Communications network
Block-type
cogeneration
power plant
Concentrator
PV system
Wind farm
Distributed mini block-type
Fuel cell cogeneration and
photovoltaic systems
timeframe to stabilize the net frequency at 50
or 60 hertz.
Prof. Christoph Weber of Duisburg-Essen
University estimates that an energy trader
with a virtual power plant can increase earn-
ings by several hundred thousand euros by
paying less to the power grid operator for
“compensation power.” Such payments are
due when less or more power is fed into the
grid than had been specified in the operating
schedule. To avoid this, the electric power pro-
ducer needs to adhere as closely as possible to
the agreed-on operating schedule — and
that’s the purpose of an energy management
system such as DEMS. An interesting alterna-
tive to generating additional power is for the
central control station to briefly shut down
large-scale consumers such as aluminum
smelters. Another useful alternative is to sell
electric power at the European Energy Ex-
change (EEX) in Leipzig, provided that the cost
of producing one megawatt hour is lower than
the current exchange price.
There are other uses of virtual power
plants, as was shown in the case of a munici-
pal power plant in Germany’s Ruhr district.
Augmenting electric power lines to supply en-
ergy for a new residential area would have re-
quired a large capital investment. So instead of
new lines, the area’s electric power needs
were met by installing distributed, gas-powered,
42 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
Energy
exchange
€ and Smart Grid Technologies
Invoicing
Weather service
Remote meter
reading
Influenceable
loads
Communications
unit
Distributed loads
mini block-type cogeneration plants and inter-
connecting them to form a virtual power plant
that delivers electric power and heating. This
made it possible to postpone a huge invest-
ment for several years. Virtual power plants
could also be “produced” from less obvious
components, such as by interconnecting the
emergency power generators in hospitals and
factories with the battery storage systems
common in telephone and Internet communi-
cations centers.
Virtual power plants also have a macroeco-
nomic advantage. “The benefit of a power sta-
tion network extends far beyond its present
applications,” says Werner. At present con-
sumption rates, for example, global copper re-
serves will be exhausted in 32 years (Pictures
of the Future, Fall 2008, p. 22). And if the in-
frastructures of countries such as India and
China consume as much copper as the indus-
trial countries, shortages and price increases
of this scarce metal are likely to occur even
sooner.
But if newly-industrializing countries base
the expansion of their energy infrastructures
on intelligent power grids and virtual power
plants that generate electricity near where it
will be used, i.e. in a distributed system, fewer
power lines will have to be built to transport
electricity, and the limited copper reserves will
last longer. Harald Hassenmüller
| Facts and Forecasts
Growing Demand for Renewables
ccording to the International Energy Agency (IEA) tent and often unavailable when they’re needed most. A
A and Siemens, by 2030, worldwide electricity genera-
tion will grow by 63 percent relative to 2008, to a total of
study performed by Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH
using data from the E.ON electric grid showed that there
How Renewables will Grow 2008-2030
Others 1%
33,000 terawatt hours (TWh). An increasingly large pro- are also days (March 17 and 18 in the graphic below) Worldwide power generation (in TWh) 33,000
portion of this power will be based on renewable energy when the available wind power exceeds grid demand. 17% Biomass 14%
Solar 29%
sources. The IEA and Siemens expect that the amount of With continued massive expansion of the number of wind
Sources: Siemens, IEA, World Wind Energy Report et al.
Solar 2%
Geothermal 13% 15%
electricity generated from wind, solar energy, biomass, power plants, this situation will be exacerbated and be- Biomass 47% 2.3% p.a.
Wind 52%
and geothermal energy will increase nearly ten fold from come more frequent in the future, even as the supply of 15%
3%
20,300
581 TWh to 5,583 TWh, with wind power driving much wind power continues to be well below demand on wind-
16%
20% Geothermal Renewables (without hydro)
of that growth. According to these projections, the less days. Wind 38%
13% 4% in 2030: 5,583 TWh (17%)
amount of wind-generated electricity fed into the grid will There is a two-pronged solution to this problem. On Renewables (without hydro) 21% Fossil 2%
energies
increase around thirteen fold. the one hand, energy storage (see p. 31) — whether in in 2008: 581 TWh (3% of all 6%
power generated)
Renewables Gas
Even more impressive is the growth in solar electric- the form of pumped storage power plants, compressed 41%
68% 54% 32%
Hydroelectric Oil
ity, which is expected to grow 140-fold, but from a much air storage, hydrogen caverns, or even the batteries of
Nuclear power Coal
lower level. If at least a portion of the Desertec project electric cars (see p. 44) — could be expanded. On the
2008 2030
(p. 19) is completed by 2030, much of this additional so- other hand, electric grids could be more comprehensively
lar electricity could be produced by solar thermal power linked — across regions, national borders, or even conti-
plants in the deserts of northern Africa and the Middle nents. The expansion of power grids is already unavoid-
East, in addition to photovoltaic systems. According to a able because offshore wind farms (see p. 16) and solar plan to invest €40 to €50 billion in the modernization of million. In the U.S. alone, the government hopes to have
recent study by Clean Edge Inc., a market analysis com- thermal power plants in the desert will have to be con- the grids, with €15 to €25 billion of that going into smart a good 41 million intelligent meters installed as part of 15
pany specialized in the clean technology sector, world- nected. Siemens is among the companies currently in- grid technology,” says Rolf Adam, a principal at Booz & projects by 2015. The U.S. Electric Power Research Insti-
wide sales for photovoltaic and wind energy systems and volved in the erection of a high-capacity, high-voltage di- Company. tute (EPRI) estimates that the creation of a nationwide
biofuels will increase from roughly $116 billion in 2009 to rect current transmission lines (HVDC) in China to link Smart grids (see p. 12) involve not only intelligent smart grid over the next two decades will cost around
$325 billion in 2018. (Sales of solar thermal systems, hydroelectric plants in the country’s interior with mega- electric meters and solutions for flexible billing, but also $165 billion.
which Clean Edge did not take into consideration, must cities more than 1,400 kilometers away on the coast (see energy management, grid status monitoring, and the in- Based on IEA and EPRI data, market analysts at Mor-
also be added to this figure). Wind power will generate p. 24). The State Grid Corporation, a grid operator in tegration of a wide variety of small, decentralized power gan Stanley Research estimate that the worldwide market
some $140 billion by 2018. China, expects $44 billion will be invested in HVDC tech- generators and consumers. All of this is intended to make volume for smart grid technologies will increase from
Despite this growth in renewable energies, roughly nology by 2012. power grids more transparent, more flexible and more roughly $22 billion in 2010 to $115 billion in 2030. This
54 percent of the electricity generated worldwide in 2030 According to the UCTE — the Union for the Coordina- secure. corresponds to an average annual growth rate of 8.8 per-
will still come from fossil energy sources such as coal and tion of Transmission of Electricity — some €300 billion Market experts at ABI Research expect that roughly cent, making smart grid technologies one of the most
natural gas. In order to protect the climate and to reduce must be invested in new power and gas lines in Europe 73 million smart meters will be installed worldwide in exciting growth markets of the decades ahead.
greenhouse gases, it is crucial that the efficiency of the over the next 25 years. “German utility companies alone 2009. Two years ago, the equivalent figure was just 49 Sylvia Trage / ue
associated power plants — in other words, the conversion
of the energy contained in the raw materials into electric-
ity — be increased. Technologies must also be found to
remove carbon dioxide — either before or after combus- Discrepancy: Wind Power and Grid Load Smart Grid Technologies: Growth Market
Source: Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH, E.ON grid February 2008
tion — so that it no longer enters the atmosphere. The 115
potential of the associated efficiency improvement meas- Output (MW) Billions of dollars
ures is best illustrated by the following example: If all 25,000 Supply greatly exceeds
demand 87
existing power plants were upgraded to the highest effi- Smart meters and
ciencies technically feasible today, this improvement their infrastructure
Sources: Morgan Stanley Research, IEA, EPRI et al.
20,000
8.8% CAGR
alone would reduce annual CO2 emissions by 2.5 billion Demand management
60
Vertical
metric tons. That is roughly ten percent of all energy- 15,000 grid load Power transmission
and distribution
related CO2 emissions worldwide or roughly three times
10,000 Estimated CAGR: compound annual 38
Germany’s CO2 emissions. Supply can’t wind power growth rate
If renewable energies were used, the amount of CO2 meet demand 2020 22
5,000
emitted during the generation of electricity would be Actual wind
power 2007
reduced to zero. But this comes at the cost of other prob- 0
lems. One such problem that should not be underesti- 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 March 2007
2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
mated is the fact that wind and solar power are inconsis-
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 43

Tomorrow’s Power Grids | Electromobility
From Wind to Wheels
Industrial companies and energy suppliers are working closely together to make the vision
of electric mobility a reality. Along with automotive engineering, the focus here is on the
interaction between vehicles, the power grid, and the technologies needed for storing and
bidirectionally transmitting energy derived from renewable sources.
W hen the west wind rises and the North
Sea begins to churn and send its heavy
breakers crashing against the dunes of Jutland,
thousands of windmills go into action on the
Danish coast. Today, 20 percent of Denmark’s
electricity is produced by wind power, making
it the world leader in this area, and this figure
is set to rise to 50 percent by 2025. Still, the
good feeling about so much renewable energy
is dampened by the fact that when the wind
blows too strongly, the wind-turbine rotors
generate more electricity than Denmark’s grid
can handle. Up until now, Danish power utili-
ties have had to send this surplus electricity to
neighboring countries — and pay for doing so.
It is therefore not surprising that Denmark
is a pioneer in the development of storage
44 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
technologies to accommodate excess electric-
ity, with researchers focusing mainly on the
batteries used in electric vehicles. Current
plans call for one out of ten cars in Denmark to
run on electricity from wind power in ten
years. Although this goal may seem ambitious,
given that there are hardly any electric vehi-
cles on European roads today, Denmark is
moveing ahead rapidly with electric mobility
through a broad range of projects — and
Siemens is providing support as a develop-
ment partner in two areas: connecting vehi-
cles to the grid and automotive engineering.
Road to the Climate Summit. For example,
together with Ruf, a German company that
specializes in custom vehicles, Siemens will
Tomorrow’s electric vehicles will redefine mobility.
Not only will they recharge in only minutes at fast-
charge stations. They will also function as mobile
power storage units for the smart grid.
present three electrically-powered Dakara auto-
mobiles at the UN’s World Climate Change
Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, in De-
cember 2009. These vehicles are based on the
Porsche Cayenne chassis and have an inte-
grated charging system with which they can
be charged from any power outlet that pro-
vides 230–380 volts. A plug for this applica-
tion has already been standardized. Charging
times will depend mainly on what type of out-
put the outlet offers. Developers expect to see
an initial charging power of around ten kilo-
watts (kW), and up to 43 kW over the medium
term, which corresponds to a charging time of
between 20 minutes and two hours. Charging
will take place via an electrical connection
under the fuel tank flap.
In Spring 2009 at the Geneva Motor Show
in Switzerland, Ruf and Siemens presented a
Porsche 997 Targa-styled model that had been
converted into an electric car known as the
eRuf Greenster (see Pictures of the Future,
Spring 2009, p.96). This vehicle, which offers
270 kilowatts of power and a top speed of
250 kilometers per hour, also boasts high
torque and impressive acceleration right from
the start. Whereas a combustion engine needs
some time in order to fully develop its power,
an electric motor delivers its full performance
immediately.
The Greenster is a pioneering vehicle that
demonstrates just how chic electromobility
can be. Still, because the model was devel-
oped in only three months, its individual com-
ponents were not all part of a new component
approach but instead represent a combination
of available standard components. “The suc-
cessor Greenster II model, which is already
being planned, will have optimally matched
components,” says Prof. Gernot Spiegelberg,
head of the Electromobility Team at Siemens
Corporate Technology (CT). Such components
include a fast-charge unit and precisely tuned
components for battery management, motor
control, and charging electronics. The Green-
ster II will be completed by the end of 2010.
Standardized Charging. The Dakaras, for
their part, will be charged at the UN confer-
ence with wind power and will be used in a
shuttle service between the conference center
and the airport. Each vehicle can accommo-
date four passengers and their luggage. The
Dakara concept includes a “power pump” from
Siemens that communicates with the vehicle’s
electronics. This is one of the key challenges
for electromobility — and not just in Denmark.
After all, drivers will want to recharge their
electric vehicles at any location — be it a
garage, supermarket, or company parking lot.
In a manner similar to cell phone invoicing,
the electricity used will be billed by a provider.
However, for such a system to work, it will be
necessary to reliably identify the vehicle and
exchange data between its onboard electron-
ics and the charge pump. In a project with
energy supplier RWE, Siemens will soon be in-
stalling 40 charging stations at locations in
Germany, with 20 stations planned for Berlin.
In addition, RWE is now staging a roadshow in
Germany that features the Greenster. Siemens
is participating in the tour, which also made a
Siemens covers all facets of electromobility — from
vehicle technology to power grid integration.
stop at the IAA International Motor Show in
September 2009 in Frankfurt am Main.
Siemens is pursuing the development of
electromobility through a comprehensive ap-
proach involving not only automotive engineer-
ing — as is the case with Greenster and the
Dakara — but also systems for connecting vehi-
cles to the power grid. Here, both the charging
process and communications are being ad-
dressed. Spiegelberg refers to these two areas as
“Inside Car” and “Outside Car.” “We’ve put to-
gether a team that covers all facets of electro-
mobility,” he says. In addition to CT re-
searchers, that team includes specialists from
Siemens’ Energy and Industry Sectors, who are
needed because future electromobility will be
about more than just the vehicles themselves.
The idea is that as electric vehicles enter the
market, the power grid will have to be updated.
It will, for example, be necessary to install sys-
tems that can accommodate the total electricity
requirements of the individual vehicles in pub-
lic areas such as inner-city parking garages and
sports stadiums. Here, one distribution trans-
former complete with switchgear will be
needed for every 50 vehicles. This means sev-
eral dozen such transformers will have to be
linked via medium-voltage switchgear. Having
several thousand vehicles parked in one place
will require major facilities, and these will have
to be installed in basements or separate build-
ings. After all, if 10,000 vehicles simultane-
ously tap the grid for 20 kW each, the resulting
required output will be 200 megawatts —
which is what a medium power plant produces.
Batteries on Wheels. The energy specialists
for “Inside Car” and “Outside Car” are currently
participating in Denmark’s EDISON project,
which stands for “Electric vehicles in a Distrib-
uted and Integrated market using Sustainable
energy and Open Networks.” EDISON, the
world’s first and most extensive project of its
kind, will bring a pool of vehicles to power out-
lets and connect them to the fluctuating
power of the wind. The associated technology
for vehicles and the grid will be developed and
prepared for use over the next two years.
Practical testing will begin in 2011 on the
Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea.
There, test vehicles will be charged with wind
power from the public grid. When demand in
the grid rises — at breakfast time, for example
— parked cars will feed electricity back into
the network. The Danes are hoping that a fleet
of thousands of vehicles will be able to offset
fluctuations in the wind-power supply in the
near future. Instead of having separate elec-
tricity storage units to buffer against the fluc-
tuations, the cars and their batteries will pro-
vide additional storage capacity, which is why
EDISON will focus on achieving a bidirectional
flow of electricity from the grid into vehicles
and back. The results could be significant. If,
for instance, 200,000 vehicles, each rated at
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 45
Tomorrow’s Power Grids | Electromobility
40 kW, are connected to the grid, a total out-
put of eight gigawatts would be available at
short notice — more than Germany requires as
a cushion against consumption peaks.
In addition to Siemens, the EDISON consor-
tium includes the Technical University of Den-
mark (DTU) and its RisØ-DTU research center,
as well as Denmark’s Dong Energy and
Østkraft power utilities, the Eurisco research
and development center, and IBM. In the EDI-
SON project, various working groups are re-
sponsible for developing all the technologies
needed for electromobility. Here, Siemens is
mainly responsible for fast-charge and battery
replacement systems. “Siemens’ portfolio al-
We can’t even begin to imagine the type of revolution-
ary breakthroughs that electromobility will lead to.
ready contains many components that we are
now adapting and reprogramming,” says Sven
Holthusen, who is responsible for the EDISON
project at Siemens’ Energy Sector.
Contaminated Grid? One of Holthusen’s jobs
is to study how the grid will be affected when
millions of electric vehicles are plugged into it
and disconnected every day. He is therefore
carrying out his research at the RisØ research
campus, which has its own electricity grid.
“This enables us to monitor the effects of such
a situation on a small scale,” he explains. In
this context, things become particularly tricky
if harmonics occur when batteries are hooked
up to the 50-hertz grid, as these can resonate
and unbalance the grid frequency. Such distur-
bances, which are referred to as “grid-quality
contamination,” can lead to failure of the en-
tire network if large waves form.
There are no quick fixes for such a scenario
yet — but Holthusen is working on answers. In
his tests, he connects up to 15 batteries, each
of which weighs 300 kg and has an energy
content of 25 kWh. By comparison, a mid-
46 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
range vehicle requires around 18 kWh to travel
100 kilometers. Holthusen then uses software
to measure how the batteries affect the grid
and to cushion the results of connection.
Another major obstacle to electromobility
is the length of battery recharging times. With
this in mind, Holthusen and his colleagues are
working on a fast-charge function that oper-
ates with much higher voltages and currents
— initially with 400 volts and 63 amps.
Holthusen’s approach is considered to be real-
istic since many European households already
have a 400-volt connection in the basement or
other storage areas for electric ranges and
other devices.
Prof. Gernot Spiegelberg (right). With the Greenster
model, Siemens and Ruf are demonstrating just
how attractive electric cars can be. When used as
grid-connected storage units, they can even earn
money with their batteries.
“We go a great deal further in our tests,
however, in order to determine what’s possi-
ble,” says Holthusen. More specifically, he
wants to raise charging power to as much as
300 kW so that batteries can be recharged in
six minutes. Electrics would then be on a par
with conventional vehicles. Lithium-ion batter-
ies with such fast charging capability are ex-
pected to be ready for market launch in the
near future. However, new battery technolo-
gies will have to be developed if a car is to be
charged in as little as three minutes.
Siemens’ testing activities are not limited to
Denmark, of course. The company’s re-
searchers are also active in Germany, where,
for example, they are working with
Harz.EE.mobility in a project designed to de-
termine how distributed wind, solar, and bio-
gas power systems can be better aligned with
the grid. Three participating districts in Ger-
many’s Harz region are looking at how to in-
corporate electric vehicles into such a system.
In this connection, Siemens will deliver charg-
ing posts, an energy management system for
the integration of electric cars into the smart
grid, and associated communications.
In addition, researchers at Siemens CT labs
in Munich are analyzing electronic compo-
nents, particularly with regard to bidirection
charging and discharging. Scientists at
Siemens Corporate Technology want to use
test rigs to simulate various load situations.
“First we’re going to test individual drive sys-
tems and then complete vehicles,” says Karl-
Josef Kuhn, who is responsible for construct-
ing bidirectional test rigs in Spiegelberg’s
team. “Later on, we’ll connect the vehicles to a
simulation of the grid that will be provided by
the Energy Sector.” This will be done to deter-
mine how smoothly a vehicle can be con-
nected to the grid infrastructure.
Where Motors Are Going. While the Dakaras
are being readied for their assignment in
Copenhagen, Kuhn and his colleagues are
testing a new drive system for the Greenster II,
the younger brother of the model presented
last March. Greenster I was a concept car —
but Greenster II will be the world’s first
Porsche-based electric vehicle to be manufac-
tured in a small production series. The key
component here is a double motor for the rear
axle. Whereas the Greenster I was equipped
with a rather large central motor, in the Green-
ster II each rear wheel will be propelled by a
small drive unit located relatively close to the
wheel. Usually, the output of a motor is distrib-
uted across the wheels via a differential, which
isn’t an ideal arrangement for fast cornering.
The double-motor concept, however, uses
an electronic control system that ensures opti-
mal propulsion of the right and left wheels,
which are exposed to different loads in a
curve. It’s thanks to this phenomenon, which
experts refer to as torque vectoring, that a
driver can still handle a vehicle perfectly in ex-
treme situations. With a central motor con-
cept, all the power must be transferred via a
bulky and heavy differential, which adds
weight to the vehicle. With the double motor
concept, however, a small control unit is all
that’s needed to send commands by wire to
the individual electric motors. Kuhn and his
colleagues are now studying how well the
electronic differential works. “It’s not just in
the ‘Outside Car’ area that we’ve still got a lot
of work to do,” says Kuhn. “The electric drive
system is also highly complex in its own right.”
If everything goes well with “Inside Car,” the
complete Greenster II will be put on a test rig
in 2010.
It’s already clear to Spiegelberg what will
happen next. “The coming years will see the
development of electric vehicles whose four
wheels will each be equipped with their own
small drive unit,” he says. These motors will re-
cover brake energy and eliminate the need for
a large central motor and the transmission and
axle shafts, thereby creating more space.
Moreover, unlike axle shafts, electronic
components can be installed anywhere in the
vehicle and don’t necessarily have to be located
near the electric motors. This will offer design-
ers completely new possibilities for things like
side-mounted wheels that also hold the drive
units. In addition, vehicle entry and exiting
could be facilitated in large multi-passenger
vehicles by removing the center console and
installing active fold-out seats. In general, vehi-
cle interiors could be completely redesigned
and made even safer — for example, by getting
rid of the hard steering column and replacing
it and the pedals with levers or joysticks for op-
erating the car. Completely new features are
conceivable. In fact, we can’t even begin to
imagine the type of revolutionary break-
throughs that electromobility will lead to.
Tim Schröder
In Brief
Tomorrow’s power grids will have to be in- PEOPLE:
telligent because they will have to integrate Offshore wind turbines:
large quantities of fluctuating wind and solar Jesper Moeller, Energy
power and a growing number of small, de- jml@siemens.com
centralized power producers. The key tech- Soeren Kringelholt Nielsen, Energy
nologies for such smart grids will include skr@siemens.com
intelligent electric meters and virtual power Nils Gneiße, Wind Power Training Center
plants. (pp. 36, 40) nils.gneisse@siemens.com
HVDCT:
Smart grids will have to store excess power Jürgen Sawatzki, Energy
fed into the grid from fluctuating power juergen.sawatzki@siemens.com
sources. That’s why experts are studying Prof. Dietmar Retzmann, Energy
underground hydrogen stores. Another inter- dietmar.retzmann@siemens.com
esting option is the rechargeable batteries in Susanne Vowinkel, Energy
electric cars. A pilot project is scheduled to susanne.vowinkel@siemens.com
begin in Denmark in 2011. (pp. 31, 44) Converter modules:
Dr. Hartmut Huang, Energy
By 2050, 15 to 20 percent of Europe’s energy hartmut.huang@siemens.com
needs could be satisfied with solar and wind Energy storage:
power from North Africa and the Middle East. Dr. Manfred Waidhas, CT
That’s the goal of the Desertec Industrial manfred.waidhas@siemens.com
Initiative, whose founder companies include Erik Wolf, Energy
Siemens. The technologies needed to accom- erik.wolf@siemens.com
plish this goal are available now, from solar Buildings in a smart grid / Masdar:
thermal plants that produce power from sun- Tom Ruyten, Siemens One
light in Spain and California to high-voltage tom.ruyten@siemens.com
direct current (HVDC) transmission lines, which Smart meters:
can transmit electricity over long distances with Alexander Schenk, Energy
low losses. Solar-thermally produced electricity alexander.schenk@siemens.com
is expected to be competitive in about 15 years, Dr. Andreas Heine, Energy
says Prof. Hans Müller-Steinhagen of the Ger- andreas.heine@siemens.com
man Aerospace Center in an interview. (p. 19) Philip Skipper, Energy
philip.skipper@siemens.com
Siemens is building the world’s largest off- Virtual power plants:
shore wind farm 30 kilometers off the coast Dr. Thomas Werner, Energy
of Denmark. In terms of technology and logis- thomas.werner@siemens.com
tics it’s a formidable challenge. The individual Electric cars:
components weigh dozens of tons and must Prof. Gernot Spiegelberg, CT
function flawlessly under rough North Sea gernot.spiegelberg@siemens.com
conditions for 20 years (p. 16) Sven Holthusen, Energy
sven.holthusen@siemens.com
Siemens is building the world’s most
powerful HVDCT system in China. In 2010 the LINKS:
system will begin transmitting electricity at U.S. Energy Information Administration:
a record voltage of 800 kV over a distance of www.eia.doe.gov
1,400 kilometers from hydroelectric plants to Smart grid platform of the EU:
the southeastern coast of China. This will cut www.smartgrids.eu
the country’s annual CO2 emissions by around Danish network agency Energinet.dk:
33 million metric tons. The HVDCT line will www.energinet.dk
transmit 5,000 MW — equal to the output of Desertec Foundation:
five large power plants. (p. 24) www.desertec.org
Pictures
Pictures of
of the
the Future
Future || Fall
Fall 2009
2009 47
47
 While Transparent Energy Systems specializes in
Pictures of the Future | Siemens Venture Capital
the utilization of waste heat (large image), Powerit
Solutions (below) develops software that helps to
avoid demand peaks, for example at wineries.
we can also develop such companies more
productively than our competitors can.” By dis-
cussing their strategy with Siemens experts
the companies benefit from Siemens’ technical
expertise and global presence.
Dr. Ralf Schnell, CEO of SVC, is proud of his
team. “Since its founding in 1998, SVC has par-
ticipated in over 150 companies — and a third
of the firms in our current portfolio offer solu-
tions that boost energy efficiency. We’re active
in all major markets — in Europe, Asia, and the
U.S.,” he says. SVC invests €2 to €5 million per
financing round in early-stage companies. But
recently, it started offering minority stakes of
€10 to €30 million of so-called growth-capital
financing to established companies. The first
such investment was made in German waste
heat specialist Maxxtec AG. Every investment
ends with either the sale of the company or an
IPO. “At that point, the bottom-line return
must be solid,” Schnell explains.
Coping with Demand Peaks. SVC is on track
for success with Seattle-based Powerit Solu-
tions, in which it acquired an interest in May
2009. Powerit, which has seen its sales double
year after year, helps industrial firms avoid
Energy companies justify this policy by argu-
ing that they must maintain generating capac-
ity to cover even extremely rare demand
peaks.
To avoid such peaks, Powerit Solutions links
and matches all key production power con-
sumers. Food production facilities, where re-
frigeration units account for a big share of
electricity consumption, are a good example.
Using predictive algorithms, Powerit’s soft-
ware determines when, how, and by how
much to turn off or down equipment without
affecting food quality or production. “Our ex-
perience with various industries gives us pre-
cise knowledge of the processes involved,”
says Zak. “We use this data to generate
complex decision-making matrices that help
us balance energy savings with productivity
requirements. And the systems are adaptive,
so they can adjust to a plant’s changing elec-
tric profile.” This strategy makes it possible to
reduce the power consumption not only of
ongoing processes but also of processes to be
carried out at a specific time in the future.
Powerit Solutions customers exploit such
capabilities to take advantage of demand re-
sponse programs — special contracts that al-
low providers to cap electricity supply at short
notice, for example in midsummer, when air
conditioners are running and the grid is in
danger of overloading. Customers can save
millions of dollars in just a few years through
these programs, enabling them to recoup their
initial investment very quickly.
Powerit Solutions’ industrial green technol-
ogy activities still largely focus on North Amer-
ica; around 70 of its solutions can be found in
the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. With the injec-
tion of financing by SVC, however, the com-
pany’s expansion can now be accelerated.
Bob Zak of Powerit Solutions and B. G.
Kulkarni of Transparent have a lot in common
in terms of business goals. Both intend to con-
quer the global market with their green tech-
nologies. And both have a partner in Siemens
that offers financial strength, a global net-
work, and industrial expertise, especially in en-
vironmental solutions.
Some environmental technology compa-
nies in the SVC portfolio call themselves “green
dwarfs.” Together with the “green giant” —
Siemens — they can more effectively make
their vision of efficient resource utilization a
reality. Andreas Kleinschmidt

Project Financing with Siemens

Green Dwarfs Major projects require solid financing; and strong financial partners are all the more important these
days, now that banks are restricting credit. With its numerous major projects, Siemens Project Ven-
tures (SPV) has demonstrated that Siemens can embark on new paths with its customers when it
Despite the current economic crisis, Siemens is comes to the issue of financing.
Siemens Venture Capital (SVC) financially participates in companies, whereas SPV provides financing
investing venture capital in agile, innovative companies, for major projects. SPV’s activities to date have included financing the construction of a large coal-
many of which work with green technologies. fired power plant in Indonesia (project volume: $1.7 billion), as well as the construction of Bangalore
Airport ($585 million). “Siemens provides a portion of the financing and helps to raise funding for
projects in bank or capital markets,” explains Johannes Schmidt, head of Equity & Project Finance at
Siemens Financial Services. The company is helped here by its excellent contacts in the banking and
financial community.

T ransparent Energy Systems began in a

backyard in Pune, India in the late 1980s
with the production of small industrial steam
boilers. Even then, the company’s boilers were
more energy efficient than any others avail-
able in India. “The energy yield was at least
five percent higher than that of boilers from ri-
val firms,” recalls CEO B. G. Kulkarni with pride.
Today, 20 years later, Kulkarni and his team
are involved in the production of major indus-
trial systems. Among the solutions they offer
are those that convert industrial waste heat,
such as that produced by cement plants, into
electricity. This saves money and helps protect
the environment. Systems from Transparent
Energy Systems generate up to 16 megawatts
of power — energy that used to be blown into
the air as unused heat.
“Our solutions meet our customers’ needs
— and not just in India,” says Kulkarni. So in
2008 he started looking for a partner who un-
derstood all aspects of his products and busi-
ness model — and reached an agreement with
Siemens Venture Capital (SVC) in May 2009.
SVC usually acquires a minority interest in
companies in the early phases of their devel-
opment or, as with Transparent, as key strate-
gic steps are about to be taken. SVC’s special
advantage here is that it can draw from
Siemens’ broad range of experience.
“Our connection to Siemens got started
when we were invited to participate in
Siemens’ India Innovation Program 2008 com-
petition, organized by SVC,” Kulkarni explains.
Transparent ended up winning, and almost im-
mediately after that it began talking with SVC’s
representative in India, Rajesh Vakil. Thanks to
Transparent’s expansion strategy, the com-
pany may soon significantly increase its work-
force of 150 contractual employees and 150
wage laborers at two sites in India.
“Transparent is an excellent example of
how we invest venture capital,” says Johannes
Schmidt, head of Equity & Project Finance at
Siemens Financial Services, of which SVC is a
part. “Our global network and expertise enable
us to identify extraordinary companies before
other venture capital firms. And in many cases
peaks in electricity demand during production
operations. Powerit Solutions President Bob
Zak has been overwhelmed by demand for his
product. “Today, everyone wants to improve
energy efficiency in production and have solu-
tions tailored to their processes. That’s impor-
tant, as avoiding demand peaks saves compa-
nies lots of money,” he says.
This is the case in the U.S. at least, because
many energy contracts stipulate that monthly
energy invoices for industrial customers must
be calculated on the basis of a single con-
sumption interval — the one with the highest
load — even if actual consumption over the
entire month is lower. The intervals used by
U.S. utilities are often only 15 minutes long.
SPV focuses on infrastructure projects in the energy sector, the traffic and transport infrastructure
(e.g. rail projects), and the healthcare sector. Siemens consistently plays a key role in SPV invest-
ments, whether as a general contractor or a supplier of important components. Like SVC, SPV also
seeks to gain a solid return through its financing ventures. “This means our most important skill has
to be the effective assessment of the risks of financing projects in relation to the potential earnings
they offer,” says Schmidt. “Siemens’ expertise and project experience is very helpful here, of course.”
Green technology projects are becoming more important for SPV as well. In May 2009, for example,
the company acquired 25 percent of BGZ AG, which is itself an investment firm with 140 employees.
The company implements solar, biomass, and wind power projects that also use Siemens technology.
Based in the northern German city of Husum, BGZ had installed 950 megawatts of wind power ca-
pacity worldwide by the end of 2008.
Volker Friedrichsen, the company’s founder, chief partner, and CEO, is glad to have SPV on board as a
new investor. “In Siemens, we’re pleased to have found a strong international partner to help us meet
our financing requirements in the high-growth market for renewable energies. Together with Siemens,
we’ll intensify our efforts to enter new markets,” he says.

48 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 49
Modernizing Infrastructures | Scenario 2025

Highlights
52 Investments that Pay
Many cities can’t afford to invest
in their deteriorating and ineffi-
cient infrastructures. However,
modern transportation and
supply systems not only improve
quality of life but also save
money. Pages 52, 72, 76

55 Simulation Tools on Tap

Designing networks of pipes,
pumps and valves to transport
drinking water and waste water is
a huge challenge. Siemens is
designing a simulation tool that
vastly simplifies all of this, long
before water flows.

56 New Life for Old Plants

Modernization could significantly
boost the efficiency of hundreds
of fossil fuel-burning power plants
all over the world. Siemens has
the necessary solutions.

60 Green Campus
Many educational institutions are
burdened with energy-hungry
and cost-intensive buildings.
However, help is at hand in the
form of efficient building
technologies that quickly pay for
themselves and then go on to
save their operators money.

80 A Model of Mobility
Vienna, Austria boasts an
excellent public transportation
system. The city has also invested
in LED traffic lights. The lights

The Living
save lots of money and power. here it is — the Manhattan of the desert!”
T After a short ride down some steep reddish-
brown cliffs, French architect François Runné is
overwhelmed as he gazes on the clay houses of

2025
The city of Shibam, once a trade hub of the Shibam. “Yes, it’s really amazing, isn’t it?” says

Arab world, was on the brink of ruin. Its
inhabitants were moving away, the clay
houses were collapsing, and the infrastructure
was crumbling. But a long-term modernization
program brought back prosperity and popula-
tion growth. In 2025 Shibam is one of the
most modern cities in the Arab world, as
urban planner Bassam Haj Ali proudly explains
to his old friend François Runné.
Desert
Yemen, 2025. The former-
ly flourishing trading city
of Shibam was once in
danger of becoming a ghost town. Urban planner Bassam
Haj Ali shows a former college friend how this ancient
city became attractive and livable again, thanks in large
part to high-tech infrastructure solutions.
his college friend, urban planner Bassam Haj Ali,
who has halted his horse next to Runné’s. “Five
hundred clay buildings, some of them 30 me-
ters high. And just imagine, the oldest house
was built when Columbus set out westwards to
find a sea route to India.” But then he sighs,
“Just a few years ago this magical place was al-
most destroyed.” “Yes, I read something about
that,” says François. “The city used to be a trade
hub of the Arab world, but with the advent of

50 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 51

Modernizing Infrastructures | Scenario 2025
modern means of transportation it lost signifi-
cance. People moved away, and the houses and
the infrastructure started to deteriorate. It was a
vicious circle.”
“That didn’t start to happen until the begin-
ning of this millennium,” explains his friend. “An
international development company came to
our city along with some government represen-
tatives. They built schools, dug deep wells to re-
vive oases in the surrounding region, and thus
helped local farmers reap rich harvests. Mean-
while, they trained local craftsmen to restore
the clay houses not only with the traditional
methods but also by combining these methods
with state-of-the-art technology whose effi-
ciency would offset the additional costs. Thanks
to the know-how they acquired, the craftsmen
became sought-after workers throughout the
country. As the years went on, the city regained
its former prosperity and was able to take over
responsibility for the project. Ever since then I’ve
wanted to be part of it.”
François, who is squinting because of the
bright sunlight, smiles at his friend. “By all re-
ports, you’ve been successful, too,” he says. Bas-
sam smiles back at him. “As you know, modesty
isn’t one of my strong points. Today Shibam is
one of the most modern cities in the Arab
world,” he says. François looks at him in sur-
prise. “Modern? I only see ancient-looking clay
houses,” he answers.
Bassam laughs and pulls a device resembling
a flashlight out of his belt pouch. “The impor-
tant thing is what’s behind the scenes,” he says
as he presses a button. The device emits a small
cloud of steam that settles to the ground at a
point between Shibam and the two friends. A
short time later, images start to appear in the
steam.
“Wow, it’s a pico projector that creates its
own monitor screen out of steam,” François
marvels, as Bassam once again presses a button
on the device. Now a deep well and a system of
pipelines appear in the cloud of steam. It looks
as though the pipeline system runs directly un-
der the city.
“This was one of the first modernization
projects — the reconstruction of the water sup-
ply and sewer systems,” says Bassam. “New
deep wells were dug, and the water supply net-
work and water treatment facilities were built
and equipped with fully-automatic control tech-
nology — initially in virtual form. That way we
could coordinate the countless components of
the network on the computer, so that every-
thing was working perfectly even before the
first section of the pipeline had been laid. As a
result, we were able to provide the city’s inhabi-
tants with access to clean drinking water as
soon as possible.”
52 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
François nods in approval. Bassam presses
yet another button. The water systems disap-
pear, and in their place one of the clay houses
opens up as if by magic, revealing a monitor
surrounded by sensors. “What’s that?” asks
François curiously. “That’s a very special feature
we’ve developed,” answers Bassam. “The clay
the houses are built of is at risk of damage from
the rains in this region, which are rare but tor-
rential. So we’ve installed radio sensors in the
walls of the houses. The sensors continuously
monitor the material of every building, auto-
matically analyze the data and display their
readings in an easily-understandable form on a
small monitor embedded in the wall. If the ma-
terial is becoming porous, the system sounds an
alarm and automatically contacts our construc-
tion office.”
“What do you do when it’s time to replace
the sensors?” François asks. “That is not a prob-
lem,” replies Bassam. “These sensors are self-
sufficient with regard to their energy supply.
They generate electricity from the heat of the
sun in the house walls thanks to microconvert-
ers, so they don’t have any batteries to change.
That way we only have to replace these won-
derful measuring devices when we regularly re-
pair the clay walls. Incidentally, we also use
such sensors to monitor the status of the pump
systems and motors of our water systems. But
in those locations they get their energy from vi-
brations.”
“I’m really impressed,” says François, who has
just seen something glittering on the horizon of
the plateau. “Are those mirrors over there?”
“That’s our solar thermal power plant, from
which we get our CO2-free electricity. We also
sell some of the electricity to other cities in the
region,” explains Bassam. “But I don’t see any
power lines,” remarks François.
His friend presses the button again and the
display cloud shows underground cables
stretching from the houses of Shibam to the
power plant’s countless parabolic mirrors. “As I
told you,” says Bassam with a grin, “most of the
action is behind the scenes. That’s even true of
the street lighting. We’ve put up streetlights
with energy-saving LED lamps in public squares,
but in the narrow alleys between the houses
we’ve equipped the outer walls with paper-thin
organic light-emitting diodes, or OLEDs, which
are invisible in the daytime.”
“That proves it,” exclaims François. “You al-
ways were a bright student, but when it came
to practical matters in our college days you
were a bit slow. Are you still that way today?” “I’ll
show you,” grumbles Bassam as he sticks his
pico projector back in his pouch and spurs his
horse on. “First one to reach the city is the win-
ner!” Sebastian Webel
Steam pipe explosions and tangled power lines
| Trends
in New York; leaks in London’s water network —
even in industrialized countries, cities are
struggling with dilapidated infrastructures.
N ew York, July 18, 2007. A column of dust
and smoke rises up from a street in Man-
hattan. Fire trucks, ambulances, and police
cars rush to the scene at Lexington Avenue
near Grand Central Terminal. But they’re not
responding to a terrorist attack, as initially
feared. Instead, an 83-year-old high-pressure
steam pipe has burst, creating a 20-meter hole
in the street. New Yorkers have suddenly be-
come aware of a serious problem in their city.
New York’s steam pipe system is not only
the largest in the world; it’s also one of the old-
est. Dating back more than 100 years, the net-
work for the world’s first municipal heating sys-
tem extends over 170 kilometers throughout
the city, supplying heating and air conditioning
units in large buildings with the steam they
need. New York is also home to an extremely
complex network of underground power and
gas lines, subway tracks, and sewers, all of
which run very close together, either next to
or above or below one another. It is therefore
Investments that Pay
Even as cities continue to grow, most are plagued by outmoded infrastructures.
With municipal budgets tight, too little investment is being made in sustainable
transport and energy networks. That’s counterproductive because modern
infrastructures not only improve urban quality of life; they also save money.
not surprising that there are often breakdowns lem. A survey of U.S. mayors initiated by all, responsible for around 80 percent of total In Istanbul, for example, the company is
and accidents. In some cases, manhole covers Siemens in 2009 (“Metropolitan Infrastructure global greenhouse gas emissions and also ac- equipping Bosporus Strait ferries that are used
have even become electrically charged. Sustainability Study”) revealed that 42 percent count for 75 percent of worldwide energy con- by some 250,000 people every day with mod-
New York is not alone in its predicament. of respondents viewed run-down and outdat- sumption. “Reducing urban CO2 emissions is a ern diesel-electric drive systems, which con-
London, for example, has a water main net- ed infrastructure and its maintenance and re- huge task,” says Miami Mayor Manuel Alberto sume much less fuel than the engines previ-
work that loses more than 30 percent of its pair as a key challenge (see p. 77). Diaz (see p. 76). “That’s because emissions ously employed. Siemens has also improved
contents every day. Many residents of the Speaking to the German magazine Der must be reduced very rapidly and the reduc- the efficiency of the Ambarli combined cycle
British capital were unable to shower for days Spiegel in the wake of the 2007 steam pipe tion has to be as sustainable as possible.” Still, power plant by five percent through design
in the summer of 2006 because water leaking explosion, New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg the solutions on offer are viewed by many ur- optimization measures, whereby the increase
from defective pipes was being absorbed by said: “Outmoded infrastructure always poses a ban planners mainly as high cost factors. corresponds to an added output of around 65
the dry ground underneath the city. danger, which is why we must continue to in- megawatts. In addition, Siemens has been op-
Infrastructure is vital for the survival of any vest in modernization.” The problem is that Why it Pays to be Green. The environment erating one of its most efficient production fa-
city, regardless of whether the subject is traf- most cities are putting off sustainable mod- and the economy need not be mutually exclu- cilities near Istanbul since 2008. The plant,
fic, transport, production, telecommunica- ernization measures because of the economic sive. On the contrary, energy efficiency meas- which makes switchgear, boasts 30 percent
tions, electricity, water, or waste. Roads in dis- crisis. That’s not surprising, given the immense ures generally pay for themselves quickly. higher production output than its predecessor,
repair, data and power networks with sums involved. Even back in 1998, an auditor’s Many projects that Siemens is implementing while also consuming 25 percent less energy
insufficient capacity, defective sewage net- report concluded that modernizing New York’s around the world through its Environmental and 50 percent less water (see p. 72).
works, or outdated rail and subway systems infrastructure would cost at least $90 billion. Portfolio clearly demonstrate how cities can In many cities around the globe, Siemens is
can paralyze a city’s economy. Many metropol- The picture is similar with regard to reduc- reduce their emissions and energy costs while equipping traffic light systems with state-of-
itan areas are all too familiar with this prob- ing greenhouse gas emissions. Cities are, after recouping most of the associated investment. the-art light-emitting diode (LED) technology
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 53

Modernizing Infrastructure | Trends
that consumes 80 to 90 percent less electricity
than conventional traffic lights, and also lasts
at least ten times longer (see p. 80). The invest-
ment pays off, as a large city with around 700
intersections can save €1.2 million each year
in energy costs just by replacing the lights. “In
this era of tight budgets, LED traffic lights of-
fer a perfect example of how ecological and
economic goals can be achieved simultane-
ously,” says Dr. Christoph Roth, a product man-
ager for signals at Siemens Traffic Solutions.
Airports are particularly big energy con-
sumers. In fact, the energy they use could
power tens of thousands of households. Den-
ver International Airport, for example, con-
sumed around 216 million kilowatt-hours in
2007. Unhappy with these figures, the air-
port’s operating authority asked Siemens to
identify energy saving potential at the facility.
Infrastructure investment accounts for around €700 bil-
lion of the total outlay for stimulus packages worldwide.
As a result of Siemens’ extensive range of
modernization proposals it will be possible to
reduce energy costs by ten percent (see p. 66).
The following example illustrates the type
of savings that modern infrastructure solu-
tions can generate: Taking the ratio of the
energy a country consumes and its gross do-
mestic product yields a measure of how effi-
ciently that nation utilizes energy. This value is
3.7 for Germany, 6.7 for the U.S., and 17.1 for
China. Raising energy productivity in the U.S.
and China to Germany’s level would reduce
global energy consumption by 21 percent, as-
suming the same volume of economic output.
The same applies to emissions. Reducing rela-
tive emissions in those two nations to Ger-
many’s level would result in a 25 percent de-
cline in global greenhouse gas emissions.
Companies like Siemens offer sophisticated
financing packages that enable significant en-
ergy savings to be achieved without placing ad-
ditional burdens on cities strapped for cash. In
54 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
the case of LED traffic lights, for example, the
resulting energy savings can be used to finance
the installment payments associated with the
investment. Siemens offers such energy per-
formance contracts for public buildings for 20
years (see p. 60). “With this combined package
of consulting, installation, and financing serv-
ices, customers don’t have to make an initial
investment,” says Andreas Schierenbeck, CEO
of Siemens Building Automation, which is re-
sponsible for the worldwide implementation
of the program. “Customers simply pay off
installments over a set period through the
energy savings they achieve.”
Government stimulus packages in the wake
of the economic crisis will also boost infrastruc-
ture expansion. According to a study by Ger-
many’s DekaBank, governments around the
world approved financial injections totaling
around €2 trillion between the beginning of
2008 and the summer of 2009. That’s equiva-
lent to 4.7 percent of gross world product. Al-
though most of this money is going toward tax
breaks, around €700 billion is targeted toward
infrastructure improvements. Indeed, the U.S.
government alone is making €253 billion
available for infrastructure projects (see p. 71).
Such huge investments are meant to jump-
start economies, and naturally Siemens is
looking to benefit from associated contracts.
“We’re hoping to receive contracts worth €15
billion worldwide, 40 percent of which should
be directly related to the green portfolio.
That’s around €6 billion,” says Barbara Kux,
member of the Siemens Managing Board with
responsibility for Supply Chain Management
and Sustainability. “The biggest opportunities
for Siemens are in the U.S. and China, al-
though we also anticipate contracts worth
some €2 billion in Germany between now and
2012. We expect the green share of these con-
Efficient solutions in the form of LED traffic lights,
diesel-electric drives in the Bosporus ferries (center),
and modernization measures at Denver Airport
dramatically reduce operating costs.
tracts to amount to around 50 percent, quite
high in view of the fact that Germany is al-
ready considered to be the world leader in en-
ergy efficiency.”
Cutting CO2. A study by McKinsey on infra-
structure in London and a study by the Wup-
pertal Institute for Climate, Environment, and
Energy regarding a CO2-free future for Munich
(see Pictures of the Future, Fall 2008, p. 58,
and Spring 2009, p. 6) indicate what a sustain-
able long-term investment might look like.
Siemens participated in both studies. In Lon-
don, for example, it would be possible to use
currently-available technology to reduce ener-
gy consumption, water consumption, waste,
and emissions by over 40 percent by 2025.
What’s more, it would be possible to do so
without negatively impacting the lifestyles of
the city’s residents. The investment required
over 20 years would be equal to less than one
percent of London’s annual economic output.
Munich, for its part, could reduce its CO2
emissions by 80 to 90 percent by 2058. Here
the emphasis is on measures for increasing en-
ergy efficiency. The list includes heat insulation
and heat recovery systems in buildings; the ex-
ploitation of energy-saving electrical devices
and lighting systems; more extensive use of
buses, trains, and electric cars; the construc-
tion of combined heat and power plants and
renewable energy facilities; and the transmis-
sion of low-CO2 electricity over long distances.
Some €13 billion would also have to be in-
vested in the modernization of existing build-
ings and the construction of new ones in ac-
cordance with the energy-saving passive
house standard. Such investments would,
however, be offset by annual energy-cost sav-
ings of €1.6 to €2.6 billion by 2058, which cor-
responds to savings of around €2,000 per resi-
dent. All in all, the savings achieved over 50
years would total over €30 billion — a figure
that should convince even skeptics that, when
it comes to energy and infrastructure modern-
ization, the economy and the environment go
hand in hand. Sebastian Webel
| Water Networks
Simulation Tools on Tap
Designing networks of pipes, pumps and valves for
the transport of drinking water and wastewater is a
huge challenge. What’s more, associated process con-
trol and automation technology must be tailored to the needs of the system. Siemens is
developing a simulation tool that vastly simplifies all of this — long before water flows.
W ater distribution networks are by no
means an invention of the modern age.
The Romans, for example, had an elaborate
system of aqueducts to transport water over
long distances. And towns in the middle ages
built systems made up of hollowed-out tree
trunks, water wheels, and water towers in or-
der to supply their citizens with fresh water. In
medieval Germany, this early form of hydraulic
engineering was known as “water arts.”
Some 500 years later, water supply net-
works really have become works of art. Often
stretching over hundreds of kilometers, today’s
networks are made up of an intricate combina-
tion of steel pipes, pumps, motors, valves, and
automation technology equipped with intelli-
gent software. The city of London, for example,
has 4,800 kilometers of mains that transport
more than 630 million liters of water a day.
This huge network, where over 30 percent of
the water is lost through leaks, is now in ur-
gent need of modernization.
Siemens researchers use virtual process
models to develop and refine the
automation technology required for
optimized operation of water networks.
“The bigger the water network, the more
complicated it is to operate,” explains Tim
Schenk from Siemens Corporate Technology
(CT). In order to help water suppliers optimize
their management of large-scale pipeline net-
works, Schenk, who represents CT’s “Model-
ing, Simulation and Optimization” Global Tech-
nology Field, is now working closely with
Siemens Water Technologies (WT), one of the
world’s leading suppliers of drinking water and
wastewater treatment systems. WT installs
turnkey water systems featuring automation
technology from Siemens Industry Automa-
tion plus process measurement and control
systems with pumps, motors, and pipelines.
The result of the collaborative work between
CT and WT is a virtual tool kit designed to en-
hance the management of water networks
and monitor such networks for leaks.
At the heart of this effort is SIWA (Siemens
Water) PLAN, a water management system
used to calculate, simulate and efficiently con-
trol the massive volumes of drinking water and
wastewater flowing through mains and sewer
pipes (Pictures of the Future, Spring 2005, p.
73). CT has supplied WT with the models and
algorithms for SIWA PLAN.
In addition to its use as an optimization tool
for the operation of water infrastructures,
SIWA PLAN can also be used for training.
“Thanks to preinstalled fault scenarios, the sys-
tem can be used to simulate what happens
when, say, pumps or valves fail,” explains Hol-
ger Hanss, product manager for SIWA PLAN at
Water Technologies. When devising simula-
tions for training needs, engineers construct a
virtual copy of the customer’s network, includ-
ing all associated automation technology, and
then incorporate this into a software applica-
tion providing a realistic user interface. In this
way, future plant operators are able to hone
their skills in a range of operational scenarios.
Digital Assistance. The training simulator,
which was introduced in 2003 in the United
Arab Emirates, was first used to create an ex-
act model of a 180-kilometer-long double-
walled pipeline that connects a seawater de-
salination plant with several cities and which
was to be commissioned at the same time as
the pipeline itself. Today, the network is pow-
ered by eight pumps with a combined rating
of 50 megawatts — the equivalent of the elec-
tricity consumption of a small town. With the
help of the training simulator, it was possible
to recreate, onscreen, the interaction between
various operational procedures, numerous au-
tomation functions, and the flow of water in
the system.
Compared to a pipeline, the water supply
network of a major city like London is vastly
more complex. Not only is the combined
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 55

Modernizing Infrastructures | Water Networks
length of the mains enormous, but the com-
plexity of the network itself means that with-
out some form of computer support it would
be virtually impossible to assess the impact of
operational procedures on the pressures and
flow rates throughout the system. This is the
case when, for example, a water main has to
be temporarily shut off for upgrading or en-
largement of the network, which can result in
undesirable consequences such as an increase
in water pressure in nearby mains.
The planning, construction, and opera-
tional management of such networks present
a special challenge. “Problems in harmonizing
the control and automation technology are by
no means uncommon,” explains Dr. Andreas
Pirsing, an automation and process control
engineer at the Siemens Water/Wastewater
Competence Center in Nuremberg, Germany,
which is part of the Industry Automation Divi-
sion. Indeed, until recently the only way of as-
certaining whether the automation technology
in a new water network actually functioned as
The virtual engineering of water networks cuts planning
times, increases system efficiency, and reduces costs.
which, in turn, benefits the environment. In
fact, after airports, the supply of drinking
water and the treatment of wastewater are the
largest single sources of energy consumption
in cities.
With a view to putting his idea into prac-
tice, Pirsing has been busy feeding his com-
puter with benchmark data. But in order to
avoid duplicating steps, he is currently creat-
ing “physical” models of all the components
found in a water network — e.g. pumps,
valves, and storage tanks — and storing them
as software modules in a special digital library.
“We can drag-and-drop these ready-made
modules in order to rapidly put together a
complex new water supply network for a ma-
jor city onscreen or recreate an existing, anti-
quated system for the purposes of moderniza-
tion,” Pirsing explains.
In parallel, the real automation technology
that will be used in the project is assembled
using conventional engineering tools and then
incorporated in the computer-based process
The average age of steam turbines in the
| Power Plant Upgrades
industrialized world is around 30 years. Replacement,
upgrading, and new control systems (bottom right)
can boost efficiency substantially.
A ccording to Dr. Oliver Geden, an expert for
EU climate policy at the German Institute
for International and Security Affairs in Berlin,
effective climate protection begins when
“many people consume in an environmentally
sustainable way, without having to think twice
about what they’re doing.” For this to happen,
says Geden, it will take huge structural
changes in how we generate and consume
electricity, including expanded use of renew-
able energy, and more efficient conventional
power plants.
Significant progress has already been made
in the construction of new power plants. Over
the period from 1992 to the present, the effi-
ciency of the latest coal-fired power plants in
the industrialized West has risen from 42 to 47
percent. This amounts to a huge advance in
climate protection. For instance, for a 700-
megawatt (MW) generating unit, an increase
in efficiency of five percentage points trans-
lates into a reduction in annual CO2 emissions
of around 500,000 metric tons. This is particu-
larly important for China, where, according to
the International Energy Agency, one new

specified in combination with all of a system’s

innumerable pipes, pumps, and valves, was to
build it and test it in the real world.
According to Pirsing, however, such diffi-
culties should soon be a thing of the past. It
was the experience gained from the UAE proj-
ect that gave him the idea of using the process
model from the SIWA PLAN training simulator
for another purpose. “Our objective is to devel-
op and perfect automation technology for a
planned or upgraded water network on the ba-
sis of a virtual process model of that network.
In this way, we can be sure that the automa-
tion technology and the network are perfectly
coordinated, even before construction work
begins,” he explains.
Digital Library. In the manufacturing sector,
virtual planning is already used to design, en-
gineer, and test new products and their pro-
duction processes onscreen (see Pictures of
the Future, Fall 2007, p. 10–41). Such an ap-
proach is, however, new for complete water
and wastewater systems. As in other areas of
industry, this use of virtual engineering cuts
planning times, reduces costs for customers,
and helps to prevent unwelcome and expen-
sive system failures.
Just as importantly, the use of properly-
matched automation technology substantially
reduces water and energy consumption,
model with all its virtual pumps, motors, and
valves. Using virtual water flows, it is then pos-
sible to test the operation of the entire system
with all its open- and closed-loop control sys-
tems. This includes an examination of poten-
tial incidents such as a pump running dry due
to a valve being closed erroneously or leaks re-
sulting from excess pressure in the system.
Conversely, faults can be introduced — a stuck
valve, for example — in order to test how the
automation technology reacts. Once it has
been demonstrated that the real automation
technology is compatible with the virtual
process model, the solution can go to the cus-
tomer.
If all goes as planned, Pirsing will present a
prototype of his integrated engineering tool in
2010. “Using this technology, we will be able
to show the customer that a system functions
flawlessly long before construction begins,” he
says. “That’s something completely new in the
water industry.”
Pirsing is confident that this system will
help Siemens substantially increase its share
of the €4 billion water industry. At present, the
company holds around ten percent of the
world market. “Siemens still has plenty of room
for improvement in this area,” says Pirsing,
safe in the knowledge Corporate Technology’s
researchers are currently redefining the art of
water engineering. Sebastian Webel
coal-fired power plant with an efficiency of
over 44 percent enters commercial service
every month.
When it comes to upgrading existing power
plants, however, there is still massive un-
tapped potential, both in economic and envi-
ronmental terms. The average efficiency of Eu-
rope’s coal-fired power plants is a mere 37 to
38 percent. Only about one in 10 plants tops
the 40 percent mark. That’s hardly surprising,
given that steam turbines in Europe are, on
average, almost 29 years old. Gas turbines, on
the other hand, are usually of a more recent
vintage, with an average age of just under 12
years. Nevertheless, the German Association
of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) esti-
mates that around one-quarter of Germany’s
New Life for Old Plants
Worldwide, there are hundreds of fossil fuel-fired power plants that could, if modern-
ized, improve their efficiency by 10 or even 15 percent. Such upgrades would reduce
CO2 emissions accordingly, which would be a major contribution to climate protection.
The biggest potential lies in North America as well as parts of Europe and Asia.
power plants will need to be modernized in to be able to reach peak load rapidly to com- years. As a rule, Siemens also renews the con-
the immediate future. pensate for load fluctuations. The ability to re- trol system for the turbine set or the power
As Ralf Hendricks from Siemens Energy act rapidly not only secures a power company plant as a whole (Pictures of the Future, Spring
explains, the increasing exploitation of alter- high prices on the power market; an upgraded 2009, p. 27). According to Dr. Norbert Henkel,
native energy sources is also accelerating the power plant also reaches its operating point responsible at Siemens for the modernization
pace of modernization. “In Europe, power more quickly, which cuts CO2 emissions. of fossil-fuel and nuclear power plants, it costs
companies have to convert a lot of older Siemens is a specialist in upgrading steam between €20 million and €60 million to com-
combined-cycle power plants from base- to turbines, a job that primarily involves replacing prehensively upgrade a steam turbine system
peak-load operation,” says Hendricks, who is the rotor and the inner casing. The latest in for a medium-sized power plant. “By modern-
responsible for so-called lifetime management turbine blade technology and enlarged flow izing the turbine, we can tease an extra 30 to
and thus for power plant upgrades. areas boost the efficiency and performance of 40 megawatts out of the plant. As a result, the
The reason for the conversions is that Eu- the turbine. In addition, the use of new seals initial capital expenditure is amortized within
rope is ramping up use of land-based and off- in high- and intermediate-pressure turbines just a few years,” he explains.
shore wind farms. When winds are strong, reduces clearance losses, which likewise in- Power generator Energie Baden-Württem-
these farms generate lots of electricity, which creases efficiency. These measures lengthen berg (EnBW), for example, has invested
means conventional plants can scale back out- the service life of the turbine, allowing it to around €30 million on upgrading its cogenera-
put. But when winds die down, the latter have remain in operation for an additional 15 to 20 tion plant in Altbach, near Stuttgart, a meas-

56 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 57

Modernizing Infrastructures | Power Plant Upgrades
ure that will keep it in action for the next 30
years. Siemens renewed the plant’s control
systems and upgraded its steam turbine, re-
placing the blades and seals, which has made
it more efficient and boosted its output by 11
MW. The entire outer casing could be retained.
With around 4,000 operating hours at full load
per year, the plant has benefitted from the up-
grade with a reduction in its annual CO2 emis-
sions of 50,000 metric tons. As a result, the
plant is now classified as one of EnBW’s
“green” facilities and may, if required, rack up
additional operating hours.
North America’s power plants are even old-
er than Europe’s, with an average of 34 years
for steam turbines in the U.S. and Canada, and
17 years for gas turbines. Siemens is involved
in a number of major upgrades in this area.
Some of these cover more than just the tur-
In Europe, there are over 500 steam turbine plants that
now require modernization — in India, less than 50.
bines, with the company currently contracted
to renew the complete control system for a
number of plants, including a coal-fired facility
in Carneys Point, New Jersey, a combined-cy-
cle plant in Redding, California, and combined-
cycle installations in Syracuse and Beaver-Falls,
New York, all of which are being fitted with
the SPPA-T3000 web-based instrumentation
and control system. This system integrates the
power plant and turbine control functions in a
common, easy-to-use platform. For the opera-
tors of Carneys Point, for example, this will
provide greater flexibility to tailor operation of
the individual generating units to actual de-
mand, along with greater reliability and re-
duced maintenance costs.
Boosting Output by 100 MW. In contrast to
fossil-fired power plants, many of which were
commissioned over the last few decades, most
of the world’s nuclear plants date from the
1970s and 1980s. “The conventional compo-
nents of these plants, including the turbines,
all need upgrading at around the same time,”
Henkel explains. Whereas most of the nuclear
facilities in Germany have been almost com-
pletely updated over the past 10 to 15 years,
many of the plants in France, the U.S., and
Japan are still in need of modernization. In
2008, Siemens was awarded the Asian Power
Award for its upgrading of the Sendai nuclear
power plant in Japan. Following moderniza-
tion of the control systems and the three tur-
bines, the output of the plant rose by 40.5 MW
to 942 MW. At present, in a contract awarded
58 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
by Florida Power and Light (FPL), Siemens is
overhauling the generator and renewing a
high-pressure turbine and two low-pressure
turbines at the St. Lucie nuclear plant in Flori-
da. This will increase the output of each of the
two reactors by 100 MW. In addition, Siemens
is installing new high-pressure turbines and
modernizing the generator at FPL’s Turkey
Point nuclear plant, which will boost its output
by around 100 MW. Both projects are sched-
uled for completion by 2012.
With the exception of France, which gener-
ates the lion’s share of its power using nuclear
plants, the energy mix in Europe still includes
a major share of coal. This applies particularly
to Central European countries, including
Poland, which meets over 90 percent of its
power needs from coal.
At the same time, these countries have the
least-efficient power plants. In Europe, there
are over 500 steam turbine plants that are old-
er than 25 years and in urgent need of mod-
ernization. This figure includes all the aging
plants in Central Europe and is unrivaled any-
where else in the world. In India, for example,
where industrialization came much later, there
are fewer than 50 plants of a similar vintage.
China, on the other hand, still has a lot of coal-
fired power plants rated at efficiency levels of
between 26 and 30 percent. To cover the rap-
idly-growing demand for electricity from in-
dustry and households, China is currently
building a raft of new power plants, 60 per-
cent of which are ultramodern facilities.
According to the IEA, China has been able
A new control system and upgraded steam turbine
from Siemens boost output at EnBW’s cogeneration
plant in Altbach, Germany by 11 MW and
reduce CO2 emissions by 50,000 metric tons a year.
to radically reduce construction costs for such
plants, which feature extremely heat-resistant
steam turbines, by building a large number of
them at the same time and thus exploiting the
effects of standardization. China, which tends
to close unprofitable power plants rather than
upgrade them, has been decommissioning
around 50 GW of older fossil generating capac-
ity since 1997 — a process that is due to be
completed by 2010.
Rewarding Efficiency. Back in Europe, pow-
er companies in the western member states
are rapidly upgrading their facilities. In this
sector, climate protection is still largely a cor-
porate affair. Unlike its stance on the automo-
bile industry, the European Union is prepared
to let market forces, rather than regulation,
bring about power plant modernization. That
said, climate expert Geden foresees a major
upheaval in the power plant market from 2013
onward, when CO2 emission certificates in this
sector will all be auctioned.
Power companies will therefore have to pay
for a percentage of their CO2 emissions
through the purchase of emission certificates.
An exception, however, has been made for
many Central and Eastern European countries,
giving them until 2020 to catch up. During
this time, the most efficient power plants will
set the benchmark there too. Power plants
meeting this standard will receive emission
permits free of charge. Emissions trading will
thus ensure that old power plants become in-
creasingly unprofitable. And once the last inef-
ficient plant has been decommissioned, each
electricity consumer will have become a little
bit easier on the environment — without even
thinking about it. Katrin Nikolaus
Modern imaging systems and state-of-the-art
| Hospitals
networked IT from Siemens in the Children’s Cancer
Hospital in Cairo (right) and the Southern Medical
Clinic in Trinidad & Tobago (left)
Top-Notch Treatment
A diagnosis of cancer is not necessarily a death sentence — not even in emerging
economies. This is demonstrated by the clinical success of institutions such as the
Southern Medical Clinic in Trinidad and Tobago and the Children’s Cancer Hospital in
Cairo. Both demonstrate how Siemens technology helps improve cancer treatment.
I n 2008, on the day after the opening cere-
mony of the Millennium Wing of the South-
ern Medical Clinic in Trinidad and Tobago — an
levels were elevated. Doctors determined by
palpation that his prostate gland was en-
larged. An ultrasound exam and an MRI scan
Marianne Vorbuchner, an oncology work
flow manager at Siemens Healthcare, has sup-
ported the Southern Medical Clinic — a
oncology department within a 40-bed hospital using a Siemens Magnetom Espree, both of Siemens benchmark clinic for the entire
that is bringing new hope to cancer patients in which were performed on the same day, Caribbean — for years. The advantages of in-
the Caribbean — the mayor of San Fernando, showed that there was a malignant tumor — tegrating all diagnostic and treatment steps on
the town in southern Trinidad where the clinic as did the tissue sample. site are tremendous, she says: “Previously,
is located, proudly announced that “This insti- Although Rhampersaad’s diagnosis sound- patients from Trinidad and Tobago who want-
tution is equipped with the very latest technol- ed grim, there was a silver lining. For one ed to have first-class cancer treatment had to
ogy and is the most modern facility in the thing, the new oncology department had dis- travel to the U.S. or the UK. Today they receive
Caribbean region.” covered the carcinoma at an early stage that fully integrated care, all in one place.” Patients
For George Rhampersaad*, the day after was amenable to treatment; for another, are now being spared major inconvenience
the ceremony was to be one of the most diffi- Rhampersaad’s treatment, a combination of and significant travel expenses.
cult of his entire life. On that day he showed hormone and radiation therapy, could be ad- An additional advantage of the integrated
up for his annual checkup — with no symp- ministered at a single location that was close oncology ward is the generally shorter treat-
toms. That had also been the case when he to his home. Since then, he has benefited from ment periods it offers. A largely paperless and
went for his previous checkup the year before modern diagnostic and treatment devices filmless facility, the clinic has an excellent IT
at the same hospital. This time, his PSA blood made by Siemens. network. Diagnoses are automatically trans-
* Name changed
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 59

Modernizing Infrastructures | Hospitals
ferred back and forth between stations. The
facility’s efficient processes also save valuable
time in the struggle against cancer. And this,
in turn, often cuts costs, because a diagnosis
before a tumor metastasizes helps to avoid the
elaborate treatments that would be necessary
at a later stage of the illness. As Damian Rud-
der, a senior medical physicist at Southern
Medical puts it, “The way all of the systems are
integrated makes it easier for everyone to do
their jobs and improves treatment.”
Diagnostic and therapeutic equipment at
Southern Medical includes computed tomog-
raphy and magnetic resonance scanners from
Siemens, as well as ultrasound devices and a
Primus linear accelerator. In the field of radia-
tion therapy, every millimeter counts. Here,
the major objective is to damage as little
healthy tissue as possible. “With MR Molecular
Imaging (MRS), we’re able to accurately pin-
point the location of any malignant tumor and
direct our biopsies and even our surgical thera-
py or radiation therapy to that specific site,”
says surgeon Adrian Indar.
For George Rhampersaad, his treatment in
the new Millennium Wing of the Southern
Medical Clinic meant two things: a good
chance of a successful recovery, and treatment
that has fewer side effects and is less strenu-
Siemens not only supplied diagnostic and treatment
devices but also the entire building infrastructure.
ous than previous measures. In addition, the
Clinic’s modern oncology department is aes-
thetically pleasing. Visitors are welcomed by a
colonnade and tropical flowers grow around a
bubbling fountain.
A Unique Center in the Middle East. Mean-
while, on another continent, the architects of
a new children’s cancer hospital were also in-
spired by the philosophy that pleasant sur-
roundings promote recovery. The futuristic
buildings of the Children’s Cancer Hospital of
Egypt (CCHE) in Cairo are located not far from
the well-known Ahmad ibn Tulun mosque in
the city’s southern quarter of Sayyida Zeinab.
The building’s shape is modeled on that of a
felucca, the traditional sailing vessel used on
the Nile River. The clinic looks somewhat out
of place in this neighborhood, which Cairo na-
tives call “schaabi” — a traditional area with
many small houses and workshops along lanes
filled with shoeshine boys and tea sellers.
In the CCHE, young patients and their par-
ents are welcomed in a cheerful interior with
brightly colored mirrors and chairs, windows
60 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
of multicolored glass, and colorful floor cover-
ings. As you walk along the halls, you’ll often
encounter young patients zipping around with
toy trucks. In this clinic, laughing children can
sometimes forget that this is probably the
worst period of their lives.
The CCHE is the only pediatric oncology
center of excellence of its kind in the Middle
East. In fact, it is comparable only to advanced
cancer institutes in the U.S. and Europe — an
evaluation that was confirmed by distin-
guished participants in the First Scientific Sym-
posium held by CCHE in July 2009.
The CCHE’s services are available to all chil-
dren under 18, independent of the type of
health insurance they have or their parents’ as-
sets. However, a little luck is required in order
to be accepted at the CCHE, which is financed
exclusively through donations. If one of the
clinic’s 180 beds happens to be free when a
child’s cancer is first diagnosed, the child can
benefit from world-class treatment.
The whole hospital enjoys digital tech-
nology, with fully integrated state-of-the-art
radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy
departments. An advanced hospital informa-
tion system eradicates data flow inconsisten-
cies, which could otherwise slow down treat-
ment delivery and impair quality. Siemens also
delivered and installed five operating theatres,
a fully equipped intensive care unit with 30
beds, and a complete laboratory with highly
advanced equipment.
The director of CCHE, Prof. Hany Hussein, is
particularly pleased that the hospital could be-
gin operating so quickly. “In cooperation with
Siemens, we managed to implement the sys-
tems in just one third of the time we had origi-
nally planned,” he says.
In addition to diagnostic and therapeutic
devices, Siemens also provided the building in-
frastructure — including heating, ventilation,
and air-conditioning systems, the fire protec-
tion system, the electrical installations, and
the data network. Thanks to their high energy
efficiency, these systems help to minimize the
hospital’s operating costs.
Although far apart, the Southern Medical
Clinic of Trinidad and Tobago and the Chil-
dren’s Cancer Hospital of Egypt have much in
common. They are bringing ultramodern tech-
nology into regions that are emerging eco-
nomically, and, above all, are providing hope
to those in need. Andreas Kleinschmidt
| Universities
Green
Campus
While many institutions
of higher education
have seen their budgets
stagnate or dwindle,
others are profiting
from new investment
programs. In either case,
however, partnerships
with private companies
can help with building
modernization. The
resulting efficiency gains
lead to major savings and
CO2 reductions.
T he catacombs near the Bahnhof Zoo train
station in Berlin, Germany, are a place
where you might expect to find a phantom, or
perhaps creatures that would look good paint-
ed in acrylic colors on a canvas. Indeed, you
would think artistic inspiration is a given in
this winding labyrinth — a place where you
spend more time ducking down than walking
upright. Despite this fact, the approximately
4,000 students at the Berlin University of the
Arts (UdK) have never seen the tunnels in the
basement of their facility. Instead, the world
below is the realm of Robert Müller, head of
the UdK’s Technical Services Department.
Müller, who has a degree in architecture from
the UdK, is not searching for inspiration in the
19th century vaults, however. Instead, he’s on
the hunt for money — or more specifically
possibilities for saving it.
The old building, with its extensive heating
system and old technical equipment, most of
which dates back to the 1960s, had long been
a disgrace in terms of energy efficiency. Sever-
al years ago, however, modern heat control
valves and pumps were installed in the base-
ment. Müller gestures toward one of the big
wheels that can be used to shut down the heat
manually. “This is where we paved the way for
more efficient energy consumption — and the
less energy we use, the cheaper it is to operate
the building,” he says.
Since 2004, thanks to an energy perform-
ance contracting model, Siemens has been
helping the University save energy and money.
“Our budget has gotten tighter and tighter
over the last ten years, and when we started
looking at ways to save money, our high ener-
gy costs attracted attention,” Müller reports.
The Berliner Energieagentur energy compa-
ny then issued a European-wide call for ten-
ders for modernizing the UdK’s nine proper-
ties, ultimately selecting Siemens as the UdK’s
partner. “Siemens simply offered the best val-
ue for money,” says Kerstin Kallmann from
Berliner Energieagentur. The great thing about
the deal for the university is that it doesn’t
have to pay a cent for the project. “Even if we
had wanted to modernize the school com-
pletely by ourselves, we wouldn’t have been
able to do so because of the high cost,” says
State-of-the-art control technology from
Siemens is saving money behind the old walls
of Berlin’s University of the Arts (below). The
college and Siemens share the savings.
Müller. Instead, Siemens invested around €1
million in state-of-the-art control technology
and energy-saving equipment. The money
saved as a result is being divided between the
University and Siemens over a ten-year period,
so the more energy is saved, the more each
side profits. And thanks to Siemens’ help, the
UdK also received a Green Building Certificate
from the European Union.
Old but Efficient. Christel Meyer, an energy
engineer at Siemens Building Technologies, is
helping the UdK also boost efficiency in its old
buildings. “A lot of energy has been saved
through the installation of new heating cir-
cuits,” she says. “In the past, for example, the
heat used to stay on the whole weekend in
one school building just to keep the custodi-
an’s apartment warm. Another one of our
measures involved equipping all radiators with
thermostats.” While such measures didn’t
exactly turn the complex into a state-of-the-art
facility, they have led to more intelligent use of
the existing properties, and the investment
required has been relatively low.
The university’s contract with Siemens
guarantees it a minimum reduction in annual
energy consumption of 27 percent. That trans-
lates into savings of around €236,000 per
year. A total of 17 percent of these savings —
or €41,000 per year — remains in the universi-
ty’s coffers. But the amount can increase if
savings turn out to be even more extensive.
There’s also a positive environmental effect, of
course, as the project with Siemens results in
annual energy savings of 4,680 megawatt-
hours for the 52,000 square meters of floor
space. This corresponds to approximately
1,100 tons less CO2 emissions.
Siemens assists colleges and other educa-
tional institutions not only by providing them
with building management solutions, however.
“In the future, the winners in the international
competition to recruit the best professors and
students will be those universities that actively
pursue such talented individuals and support
them through the entire academic learning
cycle from first contact to graduation,” says
Joachim Brünner, who is responsible for Cor-
porate Account Management Research & Edu-
cation at Siemens.
Here, Siemens offers support with solu-
tions for administration process digitization,
such as those it provided to Poland’s four
largest universities. The annual market volume
for the research and education sector is around
€320 billion, of which at least €17 billion is
generated in areas such as building energy
modernization and IT solutions — i.e. fields in
which Siemens technology can create added
value. What’s more, the market is growing at
an annual rate of more than six percent.
Energy efficiency optimization measures
are very attractive for colleges with tight budg-
ets, because of their positive financial effect.
Siemens is an experienced partner in this field,
having implemented efficiency enhancement
projects in over 6,500 buildings worldwide to
date. Guaranteed savings here total nearly €2
billion, while CO2 emissions are being reduced
by well over 700,000 tons a year.
Siemens’ involvement with the UdK goes
back a long way. On one occasion, Meyer took
a walk with Müller on the grounds to discuss
the university’s energy-efficient future. How-
ever, on encountering the giant fans in the
concert hall, which was under renovation at
the time, their conversation turned to the
past. “Siemens installed these in the 1950s,”
Müller said. “They’re still functioning perfectly
and they’re not big energy users either.” So,
even back then, there was good reason to opt
for a Siemens solution. Some partnerships last
for years; this one has already lasted half a
century. Andreas Kleinschmidt
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 61

Modernizing Infrastructures | Steel Plants
Efficiency Catches Fire
The economic crisis is presenting steelmakers with a major challenge. Although most
producers can’t afford costly new plants, they still have to make their production
processes more efficient in order to reduce costs and emissions. Siemens VAI offers
innovative modernization solutions that cut costs and protect the environment.
T he economic crisis has hit the steel market
especially hard. After several very success-
ful years — driven by the boom in emerging
markets — demand collapsed dramatically. In
the Fall of 2008 the German steel industry, for
example, recorded the sharpest decline in or-
ders since the end of World War II. According
to the German Federal Statistical Office, raw
steel production in Germany in the first half of
2009 alone was down 43.5 percent from the
level posted in the first half of 2008. In the
U.S. during the same period, the World Steel
Association reports, production fell by more
than 51 percent.
In addition, energy-intensive industries in
particular are facing increasingly strict envi-
ronmental regulations. According to the Inter-
national Energy Agency (IEA), iron and steel
mills consume 20 percent of the energy re-
62 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
quired by industry and are responsible for 30
percent of industrial CO2 emissions. Energy
consumption alone accounts for about one
third of a steel mill’s operating costs. This
makes it possible to use energy-efficient tech-
nologies to fight both the economic and the
climate crisis. “Environmental protection and
cost savings are not mutually exclusive,” says
Olaus Ritamaki, General Manager at Siemens
VAI in Oulu, Finland. “In contrast, energy-effi-
cient technologies reduce operating costs and
ease the strain on the environment.
Red Hot Results. Among the biggest sources
of flue gas emissions in integrated steel mills
are coking and sintering plants. While some
newer facilities use the Corex or Finex
processes developed by Siemens and can thus
dispense with coking and sintering, many
Efficient Siemens solutions, such as those for
blast furnaces (large image) and electric arc
furnaces for melting scrap (right), can radically
reduce operating costs and emissions.
steelworks still use the traditional blast fur-
nace method, in which pig iron is produced
from iron ore using coke and sinter.
To make coke, coal is heated in a coke oven
to 1,000 degrees Celsius in the absence of air.
Afterwards, the hot coke must be quenched.
For the conventional wet quenching process,
water is used. Enormous white clouds of
steam are released, dust emissions and waste-
water harm the environment, and the energy
employed dissipates into the atmosphere. This
can be prevented with the help of the coke
dry-quenching process (CDQ) offered by
Siemens VAI. With CDQ, the heat from the red-
hot coke is used to produce steam, which in
turn is available for further processes, such as
heating, for example, or for generating elec-
tricity. A typical CDQ facility from Siemens
with a capacity of one million tons of coke per
year consists of three cooling chambers — two
in full operation and one on “hot stand-by.”
The latter is only charged with about ten per-
cent of its actual quenching capacity and is
ready in case a problem occurs. Quenching is
thus possible at all times, including possible
maintenance periods.
With CDQ, hot coke is cooled to 180 de-
grees Celsius, even as 1,000 degree coke is fed
into the cooling chambers from above. A circu-
lating gas flows in at the bottom of the cooling
chamber and absorbs the heat. The gas, now
at about 800 degrees Celsius, is channeled
with air back into the waste heat water boiler.
Here, more than 500 kilograms of high pres-
sure and high temperature steam can be pro-
duced per ton of coke. Connecting a steam
turbine yields 15 to 17 megawatts of generat-
ing capacity. That’s equivalent to the power
produced by five large wind turbines and ade-
quate for the requirements of about 30,000
four-person households. What’s more, as the
coke in the CDQ process is drier than wet-
quenched coke, less reducing agent is con-
sumed later in the blast furnace.
Modernization not only saves millions in
operating costs — leading to rapid amortiza-
tion — but environmentally-friendly CDQ also
reduces dust and gas emissions to almost zero.
With conventional wet quenching, about 500
grams of dust are emitted into the atmosphere
per ton of coke — frequently much more.
Many CDQ systems from Siemens VAI have
been operating reliably for years — for exam-
ple, at an ArcelorMittal plant in Kraków,
Poland, since 2000. Siemens is currently tak-
ing part in a project run by SAIL, India’s biggest
steel producer, which is building a facility that
is scheduled to open in 2011.
Sintering plants are another area in which
Siemens VAI offers innovative solutions that
reduce costs and improve environmental pro-
tection. With Selective Waste Gas Recirculation
technologies, for example, waste gas pro-
duced during sintering can be recirculated. In
a sintering plant the ore is baked on a sinter
strand, which is similar to a furnace grate. In
this way, the fine ore is prepared for the blast
furnace. Here, the ore is ignited on the sinter
strand, and wind boxes suction off the waste
gases from below. “The ore burns from the top
The heat from a coking plant can power a steam turbine
that generates enough electricity for 30,000 households.
down, like in a tobacco pipe,” says Andre Ful-
gencio, Product Manager for sintering plants
at Siemens VAI in Linz, Austria.
To allow some of the gas to be recirculated
into the process, it is first fed into a chamber.
Here it is mixed with waste gases from the sin-
ter cooler, to ensure the oxygen content is at
least 16 percent and thus high enough for
combustion. After that, the waste gas mixture
flows into a recirculation hood installed above
the sinter strand, from where it is blown back
onto the sinter strand — at the most homoge-
neous possible temperature and pressure. This
measure lowers a sintering plant’s CO2 emis-
sions by up to ten percent; the entire volume
of waste gas — which includes sulphur diox-
ide, various nitrogen oxides and dust — is re-
duced by 40 percent. Taken together, these
steps reduce fuel requirements and thus costs.
Each ton of sinter requires up to ten percent
less coke and about 20 percent less ignition
gas. An investment in CDQ is thus usually
amortized in under two years.
To date, this technology has been used at
three locations: a plant operated by Austrian
steel producer Voestalpine (in operation since
2005); a sinter plant operated by Dragon Steel
in Taiwan; and two sinter plants operated
by South Korean steel giant Posco.
Siemens VAI has also developed an energy
management system that focuses on a steel
plant’s total energy use with a view to cutting
its energy consumption, costs, and emissions.
This involves taking into account the complete
production process — from raw materials to
final steel products. Organized to be modular,
the system can be tailored to the customer’s
specific needs, and can even be integrated
into existing automation technology at very
old facilities. “In the ideal scenario all you need
to do is transfer and configure the software,”
says Franz Hartl, who is responsible for tech -
nical marketing of automation solutions at
Siemens VAI in Linz.
System-wide Savings. As steel mills use a
very large number of processes, it is often also
necessary to install additional measurement
systems, for example to determine levels in
tanks. Key values in terms of energy consump-
tion and distribution can then be recorded
every few seconds. Thanks to Siemens’ energy
prediction and optimization module, the energy
needed for an order can even be predicted on
the basis of production planning, enabling op-
erators to purchase fuels at attractive prices.
“Steel producers who use the prediction func-
tion are superbly equipped for negotiating
prices with their energy suppliers,” says Hartl.
The high degree of transparency of Siemens’
mill overview processes enables operators
to predict and prevent costly load peaks by
initiating load shedding — in other words, by
reducing energy consumption. This can be
achieved by shutting off energy-consuming
equipment like furnaces when they are not
needed. “Flaring” losses — the burning off of
surplus gas, which later must be replaced by
energy purchased at a high price — are mini-
mized. In most cases the savings amount to
about three percent of total energy, which is a
lot of money and emissions. Given energy sav-
ings of only one percent at an annual produc-
tion volume of five million tons of steel, CO2
emissions can be reduced by around 100,000
tons per year. Here, an investment in Siemens’
energy-saving solutions can pay for itself very
quickly. In fact, depending on the plant, its
degree of automation and annual tonnage,
the investment can pay off after just a few
months. Stephanie Lackerschmid
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 63

Modernizing Infrastructures | Steel Production
Knight in Shining Steel
In Cremona, Italy, steel is being produced in a new, continuous process that
does away with the need for cooling. As a result, energy requirements have
been almost halved. Inventor and major industrialist Giovanni Arvedi has
teamed up with Siemens VAI to build a “green steel mill.”
G iovanni Arvedi is a true cavaliere, a gen-
tleman of the old school, but he’s also —
in another translation from Italian — a Cava-
liere del Lavoro, a knight of work. That’s the
name of the order of merit awarded to him by
the Republic of Italy in 1984 in recognition of
his service in the fields of industry and com-
merce. In 2009 he received the prestigious
Bessemer Gold Medal from the International
Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining in
recognition of “his audacious approach to hot
strip manufacture.”
Arvedi’s success story actually began in
1973, when he founded the Acciaieria Tubifi-
cio Arvedi plant in Cremona, which was
equipped with what were then the most ad-
vanced technologies available for manufactur-
ing steel and producing hot-rolled tubes. In the
early 1980s Arvedi acquired a significant share
64 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
of the Falck Group and with the purchase of
Falck’s Celestri subsidiary acquired one of the
largest sales and service companies in Italy’s
steel processing industry. Today the Arvedi
Group has over 2,000 employees and annual
sales of more than €1.3 billion.
However, it was only recently, following a
series of impressive technological innovations,
that this industrialist from northern Italy real-
ized his greatest accomplishment: completely
endless strip production (Arvedi ESP) — a new
and highly efficient steel production process.
The idea behind Arvedi ESP is simple in
principle. In conventional plants, steel cools to
the ambient temperature during a number of
production steps and is then reheated (at con-
siderable cost) before being turned into the
end product — sheet steel — in a rolling mill.
In the Arvedi ESP production process, instead,
Arvedi’s new Endless Strip Production (ESP) process
saves energy and improves the quality of steel
sheet. The process requires an exact, precisely-tuned
controller. Siemens technology has the solution.
steel is rolled while it is still hot, thus saving
energy, and is processed into sheet steel in a
single, seamlessly-linked process.
In Cremona this process begins as it does in
every conventional steel mill. After tapping,
the molten steel is cast into a strand. Like a
very long carpet, the glowing-hot band flows
along the production line. In conventional con-
tinuous casting steel production, the molten
steel is cast into slabs that are typically 23 cen-
timeters thick, which are then allowed to cool
and harden. The slabs are stored until they are
subsequently heated again just prior to being
rolled to a customer-specified thickness.
“Thanks to Arvedi ESP’s innovative process
technology, remarkable savings in terms of en-
ergy use and costs are achieved in the new
Cremona mill,” explains Andreas Jungbauer,
sales manager at Siemens VAI, the company
that built the facility for Arvedi in late 2007.
“Instead of cutting the steel strand and storing
it for a period, in Cremona it’s left in one piece
and moves along the line in a single process
from casting to rolling to coiling the finished
sheet steel on a coiler. Because the process
doesn’t require subsequent reheating of the
steel, up to 45 percent of the energy that
would be needed in a conventional mill can be
saved. In Cremona, only 135 kilowatt-hours
per metric ton of steel are needed, an un-
precedented figure in the industry,” says Jung-
bauer. Naturally, the process also reduces as-
sociated CO2 emissions generated by the plant
to a similarly dramatic extent. It also lowers
process costs by as much as 50 percent.
Less Energy, Higher Quality. All of this may
sound simple, but in terms of process technol-
ogy it’s a very formidable challenge. Jung-
bauer explains: “In contrast to conventional
mills, the temperature of the steel strand in
the Arvedi ESP process falls only slightly after
casting. Then, as soon as it has attained the
solid phase in a temperature range from 1,100
to 1,200 degrees Celsius, it goes through the
first roll set in the high reduction mill, reduc-
ing the thickness of the strand to between one
and two centimeters.”
After initial rolling, the strand must be re-
heated only slightly in a ten-meter-long induc-
tion furnace. This electric furnace, with an in-
stalled power of 30 MW, is more precise and
therefore more efficient than the furnaces nor-
mally used in the more than 200-meter-long
gas-fired conventional steel mills that have to
heat steel from ambient temperature to more
than 1,000 degrees Celsius. In terms of heat-
ing demand, this means a saving on the order
of one magnitude (in other words, 10 times).
After heating, the second rolling process
begins in the finishing mill, in which the thick-
ness of the hot strip is reduced down to as little
as 0.8 millimeters, depending on customer
requirements.
“The rolling process in the finishing mill
demonstrates another advantage specific to
Arvedi ESP technology — endless rolling,” says
Jungbauer. “Previously, semi-processed hot
strips had to be re-fed individually into the
rolling mill. That’s a high-risk process that
From solidified steel to finished sheet in three-and-a-
half minutes — Arvedi ESP is setting a new world record.
tends to result in numerous imperfections on
every sheet, even when everything goes well.
Endless rolling in the Arvedi ESP process avoids
threading problems typical of conventional
batch production.”
Sophisticated Process Control Technology.
After leaving the finishing mill, the strip passes
over long roller tables and is cooled with water
before coiling. “Conventional processes are in-
ferior to this step,” says Jungbauer. “because it
is not possible to produce ultra thin gauges
without encountering production problems or
lowering productivity. But with Arvedi ESP
technology the steel band is always pulled
tightly. As a result, it is possible to avoid a wide
range of threading-related problems.”
The entire process for the production of a
hot rolled coil is carried out in only 3.5 minutes
on a line that is 190 meters long from the
point of solidification to the final hot rolled coil
— a world record.
But the uninterrupted process demands a
lot from its associated control technology,
which must precisely synchronize the individ-
ual production steps with a margin of error of
only fractions of a second.
In developing a customized control system,
Siemens applied its expertise gained through
many years of experience in other caster and
rolling mill projects. Pyrometers at various con-
trol stations, for example, continuously moni-
tor the temperature of the steel, which moves
through the plant at caster speeds of up to
seven meters per minute. In its role as an in-
dustrial partner at the Arvedi mill in Cremona,
Siemens is the first company worldwide to
have implemented this process on the basis of
Giovanni Arvedi’s patents.
Initially, annual production will be in the
range of two million tons of steel, with an op-
tion for expansion to over three million tons.
Industrial production got under way in June
2009 following a successful test phase.
Next to the steel plant is a field of sunflow-
ers, a fitting symbol of climate-friendly tech-
nology based on energy conservation. Here, in
one of the world’s most energy-intensive in-
dustries, steelmaking has succeeded in a
highly environmentally-friendly manner.
What’s more, the end product, thin steel
sheet in coils weighing up to 32 tons for deliv-
ery to customers, is of superior quality to con-
ventional steel products. Indeed, what sets
steel produced using Arvedi ESP technology
apart is its excellent dimensional precision,
surface quality, and homogeneous internal
structure.
In addition, the Arvedi process eliminates
the need for the otherwise commonly used
“cold-rolling” process, which entails subse-
quently rolling the steel, for instance for auto-
motive production. With its extensive experi-
ence in industrial automation and sensor
technology, Siemens was deemed the right
partner for industrial implementation of Gio-
vanni Arvedi’s vision. As licensee, Siemens
now markets the innovative technological
solution worldwide.
The cavaliere is proud of his pioneer steel
mill. But Arvedi is nothing at all like the classic
image of the knights of old. Those knights
disappeared from the scene, after all, when
unexpected innovations such as well-organized
infantry and the introduction of firearms made
their steel armor essentially useless.
The modern knight, Giovanni Arvedi, on
the other hand, is open to technological inno-
vations because they give him a decisive ad-
vantage over competitors.
Andreas Kleinschmidt
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 65

Modernizing Infrastructures | Airports
Flight from Carbon Dioxide
Rising energy prices, growing environmental awareness, and increasingly stringent
legal requirements are forcing airports to sustainably reduce their energy consumption.
Solutions from Siemens demonstrate the kinds of energy savings that are possible if
complex airport infrastructures are looked at holistically. Siemens already serves as an
energy manager at many airports in the U.S.
D enver International Airport is a majestic
facility. The roof of its passenger terminal
is adorned with 34 pinnacles made of translu-
cent Teflon as a tribute to the nearby Rocky
Mountains. With 51 million passengers in
2008, the airport is one of the world’s busiest.
Its passenger traffic is the 11th-highest in the
world, and its number of flights is the fifth-
highest. Its complex infrastructure also makes
it a huge consumer of energy, as it required
216 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity
in 2007, or more than four kWh per passenger.
In early 2008, the airport’s operating com-
pany therefore asked Siemens’ Building Tech-
nologies (BT) division to draw up concepts de-
signed to cut airport energy use. In mid-2009
BT released a study offering optimization pro-
posals aimed at reducing the airport’s overall
66 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
natural gas demand by ten percent and kWh
consumption by 12 percent. For its study, BT
examined the terminal, waiting halls, and
office and equipment buildings. Along with
energy-saving considerations, the study also
took into account the impact the proposed
measures would have on the environment,
operating capacity, and passenger comfort.
The study produced a total of 26 proposals,
the most effective of which involve measures
that would address heating, cooling, ventila-
tion, lighting, and baggage transport systems,
which together account for more than 80 per-
cent of total energy consumption. “Naturally,
airports are looking to achieve extensive sav-
ings in terms of not only costs but also energy
consumption and carbon dioxide emissions —
and to do so as simply as possible and at a low
Siemens is developing measures to save energy
for Denver Airport (below). Thanks to Siemens
technologies, Stuttgart Airport (right) has already
cut its energy bill by around 40 percent.
level of investment,” says Uwe Karl, head of
Airport Solutions at BT. There are also more
expensive measures, such as the use of alter-
native energy generation systems that would
immediately result in a high CO2 reduction but
would pay for themselves only after a long pe-
riod. To help the airport operator with its deci-
sions, the study lists the cost of each individual
measure, as well as the associated energy
reduction and its amortization period.
A good example of how to achieve a major
effect at relatively low cost is offered by sys-
tems that control terminal ventilation in line
with utilization. The installation of these
systems, which employ CO2 sensors and intel-
ligent ventilation control units, would cost
$215,000 — but would lead to annual energy-
cost savings of $425,000. Such an investment
would thus pays for itself after only six
months. Another relatively simple way to save
energy is to install energy-saving lamps and
LED lighting systems. Lights in the passenger
terminal at Denver International are left on 18
hours a day, seven days a week; those in the
parking garages and on the runways and
apron burn even longer. Use of energy-effi-
cient lighting systems could reduce electricity
consumption by more than 11 million kWh per
year, which, given the U.S. energy mix, corre-
sponds to around 10,000 tons of CO2.
Another measure involves the provision of
heat and hot water using biomass, which can
cover all requirements in the summer and
serve as a supplementary energy source in the
winter. Installation costs for such a system
would total approximately $3.5 million, while
energy savings would add up to almost
$500,000 per year, with an associated CO2
reduction of around 7,000 tons p.a.
After conducting a detailed analysis of the
proposals, the Denver International Airport op-
erating company will decide which measures it
will implement, and at which times.
The fact is that airports need to take steps
to increase their energy efficiency, since their
complex infrastructures make them major en-
ergy consumers. After all, thousands of air-
ports around the world are used by billions of
passengers and airport employees every year.
In addition, studies conducted by the Airports
Council International (ACI), the International
Air Transport Association (IATA), and the Inter-
national Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
show that passenger volumes are rising at a
consistent average rate of between 3.5 and
5.8 percent per year.
IT Solution for Energy-Hungry Systems
“Our energy-saving measures are implement-
ed in three areas,” says Karl. The first area in-
volves finding out which devices can be turned
off or modernized, as old machines are often
the biggest energy wasters. It therefore makes
sense at any airport to use energy-saving
lamps that operate in accordance with ambi-
ent light conditions and utilization require-
ments. “In many cases you’re dealing with just
one main switch for all the lights,” says Karl.
“But if you optimize lighting systems to func-
Energy-saving lamps alone would save Denver
International more than 11 million kWh per year.
tion in line with ambient light conditions and
the utilization of specific areas, you can cut
costs substantially.”
The second area addresses the use of re-
newable energy sources such as wind, bio-
mass/biogas, geothermal sources, and fuel
cells. “Here, decisions have to be made based
on individual circumstances,” says Karl. Den-
ver’s airport covers almost 140 square kilome-
ters, for example, making it by far the largest
in the U.S. in terms of area; so it makes sense
to consider the use of biomass/biogas and
wind energy.” The Siemens study thus pro-
poses such measures as well.
The third area focuses on solutions in the
fields of power generation, alternative energy,
baggage and freight logistics, IT services, and
building technologies. The goal here is to
manage the many energy-hungry systems in
use with the help of intelligent IT solutions
aligned with airport processes, and to regu-
larly monitor and compare energy consump-
tion over time. “Many airports have distributed
and independent systems, however, which
makes it difficult to gain a good overview,”
Karl explains. Here as well, the key is to imple-
ment intelligent controls that eliminate the
problem of constant energy consumption.
Investments that Pay for Themselves. The
comprehensive analysis of energy consump-
tion patterns at an airport forms the basis for
the generation and implementation of energy-
saving measures by specialists. This is the ap-
proach being taken at Detroit Airport, where
Siemens has been serving as an “energy man-
ager” since 2001 within the framework of a
multi-stage project. “Our objective here is to
increase the comfort and safety of existing sys-
tems and reduce energy and maintenance
costs — and to do so with as little expenditure
as possible,” says Karl. The airport operator
therefore sought out a company that had the
comprehensive expertise that was necessary
and could also offer energy performance
contracting. With this form of financing, the
vendor contractually guarantees the savings,
decides which measures will be implemented,
and finances them. In return, the saved energy
costs are paid to the vendor until its expenses
for financing, planning, and monitoring are
paid in full.
With energy performance contracting, the
customer doesn’t have to spend any of its own
money, but benefits from the savings once the
investment has been paid off.
The operator of Detroit Airport assessed nu-
merous energy service companies, and two re-
mained in the running following the call for
bids. Siemens offered the lowest price and
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 67

Modernizing Infrastructures | Airports
guaranteed the greatest energy savings — and
was awarded the contract. “Our systems are
like a puzzle; each piece is dependent on the
others so that the system functions as a
whole,” says Len Cranston, who runs the De-
troit airport’s machinery center. “Siemens had
to serve as the general contractor, decide for
itself which optimizations were necessary, and
then provide the entire scope of services
within the defined timeframe and on budget.”
BT experts identified the central heating
and cooling system with its 30-year-old,
2,000-ton compressors as the airport’s biggest
electricity consumers. They were replaced
with steam turbine-driven centrifugal chillers,
which use less energy and are easier to main-
tain. The boiler was modernized so as to main-
Radio sensors are particularly well suited for
| Radio Sensors
hard-to-access systems. The most advanced such
devices draw their energy from light, temperature
gradients, air flows (right), and vibrations (left).
BT is also active at Stuttgart Airport where
it is responsible for efficient energy manage-
ment on the basis of values calculated from
the counting pulses of roughly 500 water me-
ters and 400 heat and cooling meters. The set-
points as well as the controller settings from
the automation and field level are also docu-
mented and processed by the airport’s energy
management system. In addition to monthly,
quarterly, and yearly reports, hourly values
also play a key role in assessing the efficiency
of the systems. The program for analyzing the
energy data compares current values with the
building’s numerical model. Energy savings of
up to 40 percent can thus be achieved.
These examples illustrate how major en-
ergy savings can be achieved through smart

A CO2-free airport is possible if a facility’s complex

infrastructure is looked at holistically.

Tapping Ambient Energy

tain constant high temperature. Pumps, lines,
and flow sensors were also replaced. The
control equipment, which was so old that it
was no longer possible to get parts for it, was
completely replaced. A new computer control
system is the new nerve center of the system.
In addition, the lighting systems were modern-
ized and numerous smaller measures were im-
plemented. The cost of the complete energy-
saving project totaled $15 million. The project
reduces energy costs by 23 percent each year,
which corresponds to an impressive $2 million
in savings.
Siemens has also been working on an en-
ergy-saving project at Seattle Airport since
2003. In addition to modernizing the lighting
system, the project focuses primarily on up-
grading the airport’s 30-year-old heating, ven-
tilation, and air conditioning systems. Overall
electricity consumption in Seattle has been
reduced by four percent and natural gas
consumption by eight percent.
How to Exploit Savings Potential. Siemens
Building Technologies is also active as an en-
ergy manager in Germany, having served in
this capacity at Münster/Osnabrück Airport
since 2001. Here, savings were achieved not
with major investments but with systematic
optimization. The operation of the cogenera-
tion plant, for example, was continuously im-
proved in response to the prices of electricity
and natural gas. Many unnecessary lights
were shut off completely, incandescent bulbs
were replaced with LEDs, and the switch
points of the lighting circuits were optimized
with respect to time and brightness.
modernization and optimization. At the same
time, more pleasant temperatures and lighting
plus better air quality make the time spent at
airports more comfortable for passengers and
employees.
In new buildings, the energy required for
heating and air conditioning can be reduced
by up to 40 percent just through architectural
measures and new insulation and ventilation
concepts.
CO2 emissions can be reduced by 70 per-
cent or even more if alternative energy
sources, such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric
are used to generate the required energy, if
geothermal energy, biomass and biogas, and
cogeneration are used, if equipment is re-
placed with devices that use little energy, and
if this equipment is operated only on an as-
needed basis.
“A lot can be achieved if you look at an air-
port and its complex infrastructure from a ho-
listic perspective,” says Karl. Siemens is in an
ideal position to do just that, as it can serve as
a single source for all the required services and
solutions needed by airport authorities from
its various Groups. This brings the green, i.e.
CO2-free, airport almost within reach, which is
the stated goal of Airports Council Interna-
tional (ACI), an international association of air-
port operators with 567 members operating in
more than 1,650 airports in 176 countries.
“If the political and public environment de-
manded it, CO2-neutral airports could already
be in operation today. Even the CO2-free air-
port does not have to remain a vision if we
take advantage of all the opportunities avail-
able to us,” says Karl. Gitta Rohling
T he automatic wristwatch has been show-
ing us how it’s done for decades. Our envi-
ronment is full of energy sources that can be
used to drive equipment. In the case of time
pieces, a sophisticated mechanism uses the
wearer’s body movements to wind the spring.
The watch runs entirely without a battery, but
only if it’s moved often enough.
A similar idea is behind self-powered radio
sensors, which are currently making headway
in industry. They take all kinds of measure-
ments, transmit them via radio to a control
room, and obtain their energy by tapping
directly into environmental sources, such as
light, vibrations, temperature gradients, and
air flows. All of this is referred to as energy
harvesting because special converters harvest
ambient energy, generate electricity, and store
it in a capacitor until enough of it is accumu-
lated to power the sensor.
Self-powered sensors offer many advan-
tages. They are easy to install because they
eliminate the wires required for transmission
of signals and for the supply of power. And
Light, temperature differences, vibrations. Our environment is full of energy
sources. A new generation of radio sensors will harvest these sources, thus
achieving independence from batteries and power cables, while making it possible
to affordably equip industrial plants with self-powered data delivery electronics.
because there is no need to replace batteries,
they are practically maintenance-free in opera-
tion, while demanding nothing of the environ-
expect radio sensors to experience average an-
nual growth of around 77 percent and predict
that their worldwide market volume will total
There are also many potential industrial
applications. “Self-powered radio sensors are
particularly attractive wherever something is
ment. $3 billion by 2011. They consider industrial moving or rotating, such as the industrial
That saves real money, particularly in com- automation, building automation and control, robots in the automobile industry,” explains
plex industrial applications. “The use of wired and the status monitoring of machines to be Prof. Leonhard Reindl of the Institute for
sensors is expensive, especially if a large num- attractive areas of application. “And because Microsystem Technology at the University of
ber of devices have to be connected, which is radio sensors make the most sense when both Freiburg. “Wiring for such applications is very
the case in large plants such as steel or paper the power cord and the battery can be elimi- costly and time-consuming to install, and
mills,” says Dr. Leif Wiebking, a sensors special- nated, self-powered devices will carve out a rotary motions require expensive sliding con-
ist at Siemens Corporate Technology (CT). big piece of this pie for themselves,” predicts tacts,” he adds. Another interesting potential
“Installation often requires more than an Wiebking. field of application is in extreme environmen-
hour for each individual sensor, compared to Wiring would be extremely expensive if it tal conditions, such as the presence of high
only between five and ten minutes for radio were used to modernize existing systems that voltages or the monitoring of areas that have
sensors,” he adds. In many cases, use of radio are characterized by limited accessibility. to be protected against potential explosions.
sensors can obviate the installation of hun- That’s why sensors are the preferred method System condition monitoring is another
dreds of meters of wire — wire that in an in- for modernizing such systems. It was largely area that is tailor made for the use of radio
dustrial environment can be damaged, leading due to such scenarios that Siemens was the sensors. “It makes a lot of sense to monitor the
to additional costs over the service life of the first company to develop self-powered radio condition of machines for possible wear,” says
sensor. sensors that are tough enough for industrial Wiebking. Damaged bearings are not a rare oc-
The trend is therefore away from wire and use and require no wires. With these sensors, currence with electric motors. But if a motor
toward wireless data transfer — a trend that old systems can be monitored and utilized fails, production comes to a halt. “If the drive
will become increasingly important in the more effectively, and the cost of retrofitting is system for the rollers in a steel mill or a roll in a
years ahead. Market researchers at ON World not so high as to nullify its advantages. paper machine fails, for example, damages of

68 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 69
Modernizing Infrastructures | Radio Sensors
up to €100,000 per hour are not unusual,”
says Wiebking.
The condition of the bearing could be con-
tinuously monitored with the help of a sensor,
allowing the wear to be recognized in time so
that the component can be replaced while the
machine is shut down for some other reason.
This can be accomplished by bolting an elec-
tronic unit the size of a matchbox onto the
motor. The unit analyzes the motor’s vibration
spectrum roughly once a minute and sends
the data via radio to a control unit. In the
event of irregularities — if the machine is not
running smoothly, for instance — the control
unit issues an alarm so that a technician can
check and replace the bearing either immedi-
Radio sensors monitor production plants, warn of
failures, and thus prevent costly outages.
ately are during the next scheduled outage.
Such services have another major benefit: The
radio sensor draws its energy from a machine’s
vibrations. A piezoelectric converter continu-
ously generates electrical energy from the
vibrations and stores it in a capacitor during
the period between measurements.
Energy Everywhere. Radio sensors also help
to ensure that systems are utilized more effi-
ciently. “In process engineering, it is important
to operate complex systems as close as possi-
ble to their optimal level,” explains Reindl.
“The closer the systems are operated to their
limits, the higher the yield and the lower the
downtime. For instance, continuous measure-
ment of torque in milling and drilling ma-
chines enables operating parameters to be op-
timized, leading to longer service life, greater
machining performance, and improved sur-
face qualities.” Because the additional infor-
mation from sensors makes a valuable contri-
bution to this process with hardly any added
costs, radio sensors are making huge gains in
this area.
In this connection, since 2001 Siemens’
EnOcean spinoff has demonstrated that radio
sensors make a lot of sense. EnOcean special-
izes in “batteryless” radio sensors and primari-
ly for use in buildings with such products as
light switches that produce enough energy to
send a radio signal to a wireless light source.
Energy is produced in response to the pres-
sure applied in turning a lamp switch on or
off. Because no wires are needed for either
the power supply or signal transmission, the
switches can simply be glued or bolted to
walls.
70 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
The electronics in the switches operate on
mechanical energy. An electrodynamic con-
verter uses a magnet and a coil to generate a
short voltage pulse from the movement of the
switch. Other systems use piezoelectric con-
verters, special crystals that discharge electric-
ity in response to pressure.
Both processes are also suitable for utilizing
the energy of vibrations. “The best yield is ob-
tained with a constant vibrational frequency,
i.e. when a piezoelectric converter in a sensor
resonates with ambient vibrations. That’s
when it harvests the most energy,” says Reindl.
“But when it comes to variable frequencies, ef-
ficiency is much worse. It then takes much
longer to accumulate the energy required for
World Radio Sensor Market
Billions of dollars
3 and their electrical consumption. However, the
Structure monitoring
Environment monitoring
2 Safety
Emissions
Machine condition
1 eral tens of microwatts, for example. Another
0 eration accounts for most of a sensor’s power
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Source: ON World Inc.
the measurement and transmission of signals.”
This can be offset, however, by making the
resonant frequency of the converter variable
within certain ranges so that it can follow
vibrations in the environment.
And this by no means exhausts the list of
ambient energy sources. For instance, light is
a very attractive energy source because it is
available almost everywhere.
Temperature differences are another im-
portant potential source of energy. For in-
stance, voltage is created between two points
of an electrical conductor if the two points
have different temperatures. This phenome-
non, known as the Seebeck Effect, creates a
voltage that is proportional to the difference in
temperature between the two points and is
also a function of the material. Thermoelectric
generators (TEG) based on this principle have
been used for decades in space flight, and the
automobile industry also hopes to use the
waste heat in vehicles with the help of TEGs.
| Facts and Forecasts
Which source of energy is the best in a
given situation depends on the application and
the ambient conditions. “Solar cells are always
an option,” says Harald Pötter of the Fraunhofer
Institute for Reliability and Microintegration
Trillions of Dollars for the
(IZM) in Berlin. “However, they require a lot of
light, and the associated converters must re-
main free of dirt.”
Modernization of Infrastructures
Thermoelectric generators do not have any
problems with shadows, dirt, and dust, but
they do need a significant temperature differ-
ence — otherwise their efficiency is too poor.
The extraction of energy from vibrations, on
A well-developed, properly functioning infrastructure
is the prerequisite for prosperity and sustainable
growth. Roads in disrepair, data and power networks with
ciency of buildings. This is because the largest share by
far — 95 percent — of the energy used to provide heat,
hot water, air conditioning, lighting, and ventilation for
that China will account for approximately 80 percent of
the total infrastructure expenditures in East Asia.
Worldwide, stimulus programs for recovery from the
the other hand, is very highly dependent on inadequate capacity, and defective sewer networks crip- buildings in Europe is consumed by structures that were economic crisis with a total volume of about €2 trillion
the spectrum of the vibrations. “Since the con- ple the economy. Modernizing the infrastructure and pro- built before 1980, says an analysis developed by TH Pro- have been announced and are already being imple-
verters and the vibrations should ideally be in viding roads, rail lines, water and power supply systems jektmanagement GmbH in Berlin. mented in part. Roughly one third of this sum — €700
resonance, the vibration spectrum should be in emerging economies will require investments totaling The U.S. stimulus package — the American Recovery billion — will be in the form of infrastructure invest-
as narrow as possible,” says Pötter. “As you can $41 trillion worldwide in the next 20 years. That’s what and Reinvestment Act — calls for infrastructure expendi- ments, with the rest to be used for measures such as tax
see, there is no perfect solution for every case experts from Morgan Stanley Investment Management tures amounting to the equivalent of about €253 billion breaks for private households. For Siemens, analyses
— the optimal converter has to be invented conclude in a February 2009 study. for energy, transport, buildings, health, water supply net- show that the market volume relevant to the company in
anew for each application.” The European Union sees a need for $900 billion for works, security, and IT. Development of intelligent energy terms of planned spending on infrastructure in the three
expansion of transport infrastructure alone — from high- networks, known as smart grids will be supported along fiscal years from 2010 to 2012 is about €150 billion. The
Cutting Energy Consumption. A crucial pre- speed rail lines to satellite navigation. The EU is planning with expansion of high-speed rail lines and digitization of largest share of this total, more than €85 billion, will be
requisite for energy-efficient radio sensors is to realize a cross-border network of rail, highway and wa- data and processes in healthcare. spent in the U.S., followed by China with €25 billion and
the continued miniaturization of their elec- ter infrastructures by 2020, with a growing number of The government of China has also launched various Germany with about €5 billion. In all these countries,
tronics, which reduces the size of the devices seaports and airports. A major portion of the stimulus programs for infrastructure measures — with total fund- plans call for devoting major shares of the stimulus pro-
programs intended to invigorate the European economy ing equal to €250 billion, including €166 billion from pro- grams to green technologies. In China the figure is about
amount of power required for performing in coming years encompasses infrastructure projects for grams that existed before the economic crisis, and €84 52 percent, in Germany it amounts to 60 percent, and in
measurements and transmitting results varies transport and communication networks, energy effi- billion in the form of additional economic stimulus ele- the U.S. it adds up to 31 percent. Based on Siemens’ cur-
from case to case. ciency, building modernization, and hospitals. These ments. China is earmarking €73 billion for development rent share of the global market, calculations indicate that
A temperature measurement requires sev- measures add up to a total of about €42 billion in Ger- of the nation’s rail system alone. Also slated for extensive the markets served by Siemens could generate a potential
many, France, and Italy. upgrading are the drinking water and waste removal in- contract volume of approximately €15 billion for the com-
important factor is sensor power consumption The single most important factor in reducing energy frastructures in Chinese cities and the energy efficiency of pany, including about €6 billion, or 40 percent, for envi-
during periods of inactivity, since standby op- consumption and costs will be improving the energy effi- buildings. Market experts from Morgan Stanley predict ronmental technology. Sylvia Trage
needs. Thus the few microwatts required to do
nothing add up over the course of a day and
must be minimized to the greatest extent $41 Trillion Will Be Needed for Infrastructure Stimulus Spending
possible. Expenditures between 2005 and 2030 9.04 Approx. €700 billion Approx. €150 billion
Among a sensor’s components, it is gener-
ally the radio chip, which, although active for Trillions of U.S.$ Siemens’ markets
4.82 affected by stimulus
less than 20 milliseconds at a time, has the packages
highest power requirement. It consumes sev- 3.62
U.S.
3.12
eral tens of milliwatts. Radio protocols must 253
1.08 26 U.S. 85
therefore be kept as lean as possible — a diffi- 4.23
1.53
cult task since, in addition to sensor data, a 0.94
13 China 25
substantial amount of information for the 0.43 0.43
3 Germany 5
management of a network must also be trans- 2.11
14 Remaining
Source: Morgan Stanley, “The Infrastructure Opportunity, 2009”
North America Europe
mitted. Siemens uses modules from EnOcean China
countries 35
and ZigBee radio standard or IEEE 802.15.4 in 0.51 250
Share of
investment
its products but has also developed its own pro- in green
Asia/Oceania infrastructure
prietary, extremely energy-efficient methods. 4.97
All in all, the stage is set for broad deploy- Brazil 60
0.23 0.31
ment in the field. “Our developers have al- 0.18 0.14 Germany 18
Italy 16
ready demonstrated the technical feasibility of Middle East
Source: Siemens, June 2009
Spain 10
a wide variety of self-powered sensor types,” 1.46 Water ($22.61 trillion) France 8
1.01
says Wiebking. “We are now studying selected 0.54 Energy ($9.00 trillion) UK 3
0.23 0.31
reference applications. The next step will be 0.08 0.02 Highways / rail ($7.80 trillion) India 5
Government funding
for infrastructure Rest of world 77
test installations in the steel and paper indus- Central/South America Africa Air / sea transport ($1.59 trillion)
in stimulus packages
tries, among others.” Christian Buck
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 71

Modernizing Infrastructures | Istanbul
Refurbishing the Megacity
Istanbul is renowned as a bridge between East and West. Because most technical
innovations in Turkey first see the light of day here, the city is a beacon for this rapidly-
growing country. Siemens technology supports this journey into the future with
upgrades for the city’s power, transportation and healthcare infrastructures.
G ökce’s blue dress flutters in the wind.
Every morning she takes the ferry across
the Bosporus, from the Asian side, where she
lives, to the European side, where she attends
college and has a studio. The young artist,
whose work already has been shown twice in
art exhibitions in Turkey sponsored by
Siemens, loves the morning crossing. “Every
time, I am conscious of the fact that I am trav-
eling between two continents,” she says.
Jenny also makes the brief trip every morn-
ing, only in the opposite direction, from her
apartment on the European side of the city to
her job on the Asian side. In the coming
months she will be setting up a human re-
sources department for a Swiss company, and
then will move back home to Berlin.
72 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
Siemens technology allows Bosporus ferries to use
much less fuel, supports Formula 1 racing, and
provides switchgear for the world market from one
of the most modern production centers in Turkey.
of the ferries are showing their age. Their pro-
pellers are turned directly by heavy diesel en-
gines, running usually under peak load. “The
poor efficiency of this outdated technology is
bad for the environment and harmful for the
engines,” explains Emre Goren, a sales special-
ist at Siemens’ Drive Technologies Division.
“With conventional drive engineering, variable
adjustment of the engine speed isn’t possible,
so the engines wear out faster. And that
means they must be serviced more fre-
quently.” That’s why IDO, the company that
operates the vessels, has chosen diesel-electric
drive systems from Siemens for the latest gen-
eration of Bosporus ferries.
These systems convert the power of four
diesel engines into electrical energy, which is
then finely adjusted to serve the needs of each
propeller. Individual diesel engines can thus be
shut off, for instance while maneuvering to
moor at a landing. The remaining engines con-
tinue to run at their maximum efficiency —
with less sooty emissions, better fuel effi-
ciency, and cost savings. And thanks to the
reduced level of engine vibration, passengers
Gökce Er and Jenny Baylam: two women in
their late twenties who love Istanbul, work
here, and feel at home amid the charming
enjoy a more comfortable trip. “Some of our
captains were skeptical when Siemens deliv-
ered the first diesel-electric drives for ferries in
chaos of this megacity with it 13 million inhab- Turkey to us,” says Nejdet Oguz, Chief Engi-
itants. “Although maybe just a little less chaos neer on the Kadiköy, one of the new Bosporus
wouldn’t be bad,” says Jenny. Bringing the in- ferries. But skepticism has given way to satis-
frastructure up to the latest standards and faction. “We can maneuver the ferries with
making life in cities like Istanbul even more at- greater certainty now, save on diesel fuel, and
tractive — that’s also Siemens’ objective. And there is less maintenance work than before —
that begins with the morning “intercontinen- which means we can go home earlier to our
tal” ferry crossing. families,” says Oguz.
For decades the Bosporus ferries have The Bosporus ferries — although they
served as one of the main components in Is- travel at a modest 25 kilometers per hour —
tanbul’s traffic infrastructure, and as one of its are one of the fastest means of getting around
tourist attractions — in addition to the Hagia in Istanbul. They are used every day by approx-
Sofia, which is about 1,500 years old, and the imately 250,000 travelers, and each vessel has
city’s countless palaces and bazaars. But many a capacity of about 1,800 people. Seemingly
endless traffic jams on the city’s main thor-
oughfares turn even short trips of just a few
kilometers into journeys that can easily last an
hour. The two Bosporus bridges, in particular,
are chronically congested.
High-tech Race Track. For those who want
to see something that really moves fast —
albeit in circles — the place to be is Otodrom,
A new Siemens switchgear plant consumes 25 percent
less energy and 50 percent less water than the old one.
the Formula 1 race circuit east of the city. Solu-
tions that Siemens supplied for the circuit,
which went into operation in 2005, include
electric switchgear, optical fiber connections
for data transfer, the telephone system —
which more than 600 journalists rely on for
international connections during Grand Prix
races — and the crucial elements of every
race: the signalling system, complete with LED
starting lights, the chronometry system, and
the track video monitoring system, all of
which are from Siemens.
Levent Pekün, Technical Director of the race
circuit, is operating a joystick in the control
center. During races Charlie Whiting, the For-
mula 1 Race Director, sits where Pekün is, in
front of 30 monitors that provide an overview
of the entire circuit. Pekün selects one of the
cameras, zooms in, and moves it first to the
left, then to the right. “In the event of an acci-
dent, quickly getting an overview can save
lives,” he says, pushing a button to play a
video of an accident at the start of a race in
2008. All races are stored on servers and ac-
cessible for determining causes of damage
later. “This Siemens solution already has
helped us many times,” he adds.
Green Factory. Not far from the Formula 1
track, in Gebze, is a new Siemens plant for
switchgear systems, some of which are in op-
eration at the Otodrom. The Siemens plant,
which officially opened in April 2009, delivers
products to customers all over the world. “It is
one of the most modern plants in all of Turkey,
and one of the most modern Siemens plants
worldwide,” says Siemens Energy Power Distri-
bution Division manager Kerim Oal, who is re-
sponsible for the plant and has been involved
in switchgear manufacturing in Turkey since
1961. Istanbul’s favorable geographic location
between Europe and Asia, as well as its large
and well-qualified workforce, make it an ideal
location.
The number of panels produced at the
plant has reached more than 5,000 per year —
a 30 percent increase in production since last
fiscal year, which is when the plant was in-
augurated. What is remarkable about this is
that it has been achieved without increasing
the number of employees, but rather through
efficiency gains realized primarily by means of
lean production methods. Raw materials such
as sheet copper, for instance, are delivered at
the start of production and pass through the
big, light-flooded production hall in a single
process, instead of being transported to other
production sites after individual steps.
The plant’s efficiency has had profound ef-
fects on its energy demand. “Compared to our
previous location, we use 25 percent less en-
ergy and 50 percent less water,” says Oal, who
points out that the facility’s architecture makes
use of natural light. Desk lamps are equipped
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 73

Modernizing Infrastructures | Istanbul
with sensors that turn off the lights when no
movement is detected after an extended pe-
riod. And waste water is purified in one of the
facility’s two water treatment units and used
to water the thriving gardens in the plant’s in-
ner courtyards.
Top Hospital. While industrial production for
the global market takes place on the outskirts
of Istanbul, tourists from all over the world jos-
tle in the narrow lanes of the city’s center. But
not all the tourists who visit Turkey’s largest
city are there for the sights. Some are shop-
At Acibadem Maslak Hospital, which has converted to
digital processes, “no paper — no pain” is the motto.
ping for affordable medical care. Acibadem
Maslak Hospital attracts growing numbers of
foreigners seeking first-rate care without the
high cost of treatment in other parts of Europe
and the U.S. A visitor entering the hospital,
which is near a city park in the north of Istan-
bul, could easily mistake it for a luxury hotel. A
fascinating mobile made of white fabric sails
hangs from the lobby ceiling, and the terrace
restaurant with a view of Istanbul serves Turk-
ish and international cuisine. The ambience is
closer to that of a country club than a hospital.
On this particular day the hospital’s restau-
rant is especially full because Gülben Ergen, a
Turkish pop singer, happens to be giving birth
74 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
to her twins — and fans want to be able to say
they were there for the big moment. The fresh
orchids in the patients’ rooms aren’t the only
reason that the singer chose Acibadem
Maslak. The hospital has the most modern
equipment to be found anywhere in Turkey. In
this entirely digital hospital — the first in
Turkey — doctors, for example, can enter their
diagnoses and instructions on touch-screen
monitors next to the patients’ beds. And the
medication cabinet can only be opened if a
nurse enters a fingerprint and PIN number. In
other hospitals, the patients themselves have
to go back and forth to the pharmacy with pre-
scriptions printed on paper. Says radiologist
Cengiz Bavbek, “Here, thanks to Siemens, the
rule is no paper — no pain.”
What’s more, Hospital Director Öznur
Yeǧen Çoban insisted on having the latest
Siemens technology for the diagnostic equip-
ment in the radiology and cardiology depart-
ments, and for the ultrasound systems in gy-
necology. “We wanted only the best,” she says.
“Acibadem, the company that operates the
hospital, has been working with Siemens since
the 1990s,” she adds. “We felt that we were in
good hands during our expansion. After all,
only a strong partner can ensure nearly 100
percent availability of installed equipment.” In
order to achieve this target, Siemens technol-
ogy detects faults even before they happen.
For instance, should the level of helium —
which cools the magnet in magnetic reso-
nance tomographs (MR) — fall to a point ap-
proaching a critical value, a warning light is
displayed at the Siemens location in Kartal, in
the Siemens Uptime Support Center on the
other side of the Bosporus. In the center, Ege-
men Ozal, a Siemens service engineer, follows
data on a monitor that shows the status of the
MR equipment installed throughout Turkey.
“Instead of waiting for a call from the cus-
tomer, which usually doesn’t come until a
piece of equipment is no longer functioning,
we dispatch a technician with a view to avoid-
ing down time,” he explains. (see Pictures of
the Future, Spring 2009, p. 60).
Billions for Local Transport. Turkey is a de-
mographically young country, with about one
fourth of its population under age 14. What’s
more, the population is growing fast, and is
expected to reach 72 million people by the
end of 2009. And throngs of young people
from all over the country are moving to Istan-
bul to attend university and find employment.
A look at Istanbul’s traffic arteries makes
this very clear. Although the city wants to in-
vest $4.9 billion in streetcar and subway proj-
ects between 2007 and 2017 — in addition to
the $1.6 billion already in the pipeline for cur-
rent construction projects — planners hardly
Acibadem Maslak Hospital in Istanbul is equipped
with state-of-the-art technology — and not just for
medical imaging (center). Access to medications, for
example, is possible only via fingerprint (right).
expect to see any improvement in traffic con-
gestion during this period. That’s because the
expanding capacity of public transportation is
expected to be offset by population growth.
Currently a bit more than half of Istanbul’s
working population uses public transport to
get to work — which means, of course, that
around half travel by car.
However, the heavy influx of people —
mostly young men and women — into the
megacity on the Bosporus is making Istanbul a
beacon for Turkey. Innovations that are ap-
plied here sooner or later make their way
through the entire country. Siemens diagnos-
tic equipment that first appeared in Maslak
Acibadem Hospital, for instance, will no doubt
one day be in use in many other parts of
Turkey.
Siemens has also set standards in Istanbul’s
business district, where its advanced building
technology ensures an uninterrupted power
supply. A case in point is the Tekfen Tower,
which is home to the trading operations of
several international banks. A power failure in
such a setting, where millions of dollars in
shares are traded every second, would be a
disaster. That’s why Siemens is present. In the
event of dangerous grid fluctuations — which
unfortunately still happen now and then in Is-
tanbul — generators and batteries independ-
By guaranteeing an uninterrupted power
supply, Siemens technology in the Tekfen Tower
ensures that the lights never go out unexpectedly
in the bank’s trading rooms.
A Tunnel with an Eye on Safety
It usually takes some time to get used to new developments. In the control center of the Nefise Akcelik
Tunnel in northern Turkey, though, the surveillance cameras showed an amazing scene on opening
day. Before the tunnel entrance — where sensors automatically detect vehicles that are too big to en-
ter, and electronic variable message signs warn each oversize truck — a driver simply climbed down
from his rig, which was loaded up over the cab with tea balls, and let enough air out of his tires to fit
into the tunnel.
Meanwhile people in the region have gotten used to the 3.8-kilometer, high-tech tunnel, which is the
longest in the country and the fourth of a series of five tunnels along a 15-kilometer stretch linking the
Black Sea cities of Samsun and Ordu. Previously, the two cities were connected only by a winding coast
road known for its traffic accidents.
The Nefise Akcelik Tunnel project involved using numerous innovative technologies for the first time
in Turkey. Sensors, for example, register key variables including CO2 levels, visibility, and wind flow
speed, in order to maintain ventilation at the required level. This value depends on changing environ-
mental conditions inside the tunnel but is held at a constant level of three meters per second in the
event of a fire. If a fire can’t be prevented, it’s important that the flames and smoke spread in the direc-
tion of travel, not against the traffic. This reduces the danger to vehicle occupants who approach a
fire, allowing them to exit their vehicles and escape via fireproof cross connection doors to the other
tunnel tube or from the nearest tunnel portal opposite a fire zone. Of course, drivers traveling at a
normal speed away from a fire zone stand a good chance of reaching safety.
Program routines for these and other emergency scenarios are designed to proceed automatically and
without delay. For example, if a fire were to break out, the tunnel entrance would be closed, detours
established, and a power supply from two independent sources, backed up with emergency generator
sets, would be secured for both tubes. In this way, the unaffected tube could be used as an escape route.
In addition to monitoring the tunnel itself, cameras featuring smart image-processing software also
keep tabs on associated access roads. The cameras provide automatic, early detection of wrong-way
drivers, pedestrians, and objects on the road surface. The system then automatically notifies the ap-
propriate personnel. But that’s not all. To save time, image analysis is used to activate specific program
routines, such as, for instance, a speed limit reduction in an area where an object has been spotted on
the road.
“In many respects, the tunnel manages itself,” explains Enis Amasyali, the project manager at Siemens
Industry Solutions Division who is responsible for the tunnel. “And that’s worth a lot,” he adds, “be-
cause if a potentially dangerous event, such as a fire, takes place, people are hard pressed to take all
the essential steps to provide targeted intervention and prevent severe consequences.” Due to the
tunnel’s emphasis on safety, Siemens has been awarded follow-up orders for other tunnels in Turkey.
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 75
 | Interview
Modernizing Infrastructures
ent of the grid can supply the building with
power. The system is monitored by digital sys-
tems, meaning that fewer people are needed
than originally planned. Instead of a team of
eight for continuous monitoring of the electric
infrastructure, only two people are required.
Growing Energy Demand. When everything
runs smoothly, most of the power for Istanbul
comes from a nearby plant in Ambarli, where
gas turbines and steam turbines deliver reli-
able energy. In 2006, Siemens succeeded in
boosting the output of two of the plant’s gas
turbines by almost five percent by optimizing
design, which is why the plant can generate
1,362 megawatts today. During the modern-
ization phase, the overall lifespan of the gas
turbines was extended along with their main-
tenance intervals. This has driven down opera-
tional costs. At plants of this scale, even small
improvements have significant effects.
By 2020, however, Turkey’s energy require-
ments could double, as Devrim Aslan, Sales
and Marketing Manager at Siemens Energy ex-
plains. That means more capacity is needed —
a fact that has convinced some major users to
make themselves energy independent.
Take Istanbul Atatürk Airport, for instance.
Siemens delivered not only the switchgear
needed for construction, expansion, and mod-
ernization measures at the facility, but also the
digital infrastructure for the integration of var-
ious energy systems. Adil Akkaya, Electric and
Electronic Systems Coordinator at TAV Con-
struction, the sister company of airport opera-
tor TAV Airports Holding, explains that, “This
system enables us to generate our own elec-
tricity using gas-powered facilities. With our
energy requirement — 95 million kilowatt
hours per year — we have sufficient
economies of scale to cost-effectively gener-
ate our own power.” Should technical difficul-
ties emerge in the small-scale power plant, the
monitoring team can switch to power grid. Re-
gardless of which source they use, in both
cases the power is generated and transported
using Siemens technology.
For Jenny and Gökce, these innovations
remain behind the scenes — even though the
young women benefit from their effects. They
are enjoying life in Istanbul and looking for
opportunities in the megacity. For Jenny, the
human resources manager, Istanbul is a career
steeping stone, while for artist Gökce, Istanbul
is the realm where her creativity has taken
shape and matured. And even if the two never
meet during their ferry trips across the
Bosporus, they have one thing in common:
their love for Istanbul.
Andreas Kleinschmidt
76 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
The Road to Greener Cities
“Climate change starts
in the head,” says Miami
Mayor Manuel Alberto
Diaz, 55. In other words,
since driving to work is such
a deep-rooted habit, change
has to start from one’s mind
set. Well-designed cities
that are characterized by
technologies that enhance
energy efficiency can facili-
tate this process. Since his
inauguration in 2001, Diaz
has pushed for green poli-
cies, ranging from funding
the retrofitting of houses to
expanding public transport.
In addition to these efforts,
he also managed to turn
around Miami’s desolate
budget during his eight
years in office. During 2008
Diaz was president of the
U.S. Conference of Mayors.
He studied political science
and law and has worked as
a lawyer; he remains a part-
ner in the law firm of Diaz,
O’Naghten & Borgognoni.
As mayor, you have returned Miami to
financial stability. Putting the city on the
right track to deal with its carbon foot-
print should be an easier task…
Diaz: Sorry to tell you this, but you are
completely wrong. Curtailing the energy con-
sumption and CO2 emissions of cities is really
a huge task. You have to get reductions on a
large scale as soon as possible, and you have
to make those cuts sustainable. Our reduction
target for 2020 is 25 percent below 2006
levels citywide. Changing the design of a city
intelligently is the most important thing that
you can do with respect to climate change. A
large part of why we keep growing emissions
in U.S. cities is suburban sprawl. Sprawl simply
adds up to more cars and thus more straining
of natural resources. We are countering this
development with a program called Miami 21.
It is the master plan for making Miami, an
agglomeration of about half a million people,
more fit for the future. We will create mixed
use developments, where you have shops
within walking distance and public trans-
portation. After all, if you want to get people
out of their cars, you have to offer a viable
alternative.
What might this alternative look like in
Miami?
Diaz: We are currently planning an eight- to
ten-mile streetcar project that will connect
our most heavily-populated areas with the
employment centers. These centers include
the business district and developments on
the eastern portion of the city, as well as our
health district. In the latter, 35,000 people
work and more than 35,000 visit every day.
Getting that project right would mean a huge
impact on traffic streams and a reduction in
the total number of vehicle trips in Miami
every day. We project an investment of around
$200 million for the streetcar project, in large
part financed by the federal government, with
a local match. Unfortunately we have not se-
cured 100 percent of the financing, yet.
Are you looking at public-private part-
nerships as a way of financing projects?
Diaz: We are not only looking at them, we are
doing them. And I have to tell you, we love it.
Let me give you an example. Right now, we
are building a tunnel between the port, which
happens to be located in the city center, and a
Since taking office, Mayor Diaz has fought for
environmental improvements throughout Miami.
His plans cover energy conservation, public transit,
and concepts for sustainable land use.
highway. It’s a huge project that will help us
to keep a lot of heavy traffic out of the city’s
core. We are doing this with a private partner.
Such projects are a great deal for both sides,
because they build on the drive and creativity
of both the government and the private sec-
tor. And when it comes to large projects, like
public transport, our partners of choice are
obviously large companies — international
household names like Siemens.
Infrastructure projects are long-term
measures. Have you had some quick
wins in reducing emissions?
Diaz: The Miami city government tries to
motivate people by giving a positive example
Begins with Public-Private Partnerships
and providing incentives. To demonstrate private concern that took on the project. We Diaz: I came to Miami from Cuba at the age
that we are serious, we have set the emission are also changing our vehicle fleet. Last year of six. Miami is surrounded by outstanding
reduction targets for government buildings we bought our first hybrids. This new way of natural beauty, including two national parks.
at particularly ambitious levels. Our goal is to thinking is catching on in the private sector. So as a young kid, growing up in this area you
achieve a 25 percent cut by 2015, compared Our new baseball stadium, for instance, will are sensitized to this kind of environment and
with 2007 levels. Making air conditioning be a LEED-certified building. (Leadership in you start to appreciate it. I spent my formative
more efficient is one way of getting large Energy and Environmental Design is a rating years on the beach, took field trips to the
gains quickly. What’s more, we installed system established by the U.S. Green Building Everglades, and got to realize that in Miami,
about 40 solar panels at the city hall, thereby Council.) in terms of nature, you are really part of some-
covering about 10 to 15 percent of its energy thing special. However, it’s also something
requirements. The project also included a Was there a key moment for you, when very fragile. And this makes you think — hey,
lighting retrofit — including my office. The you realized how important sustainable I want the same thing for my kids and their
financial rewards have been shared with a development really is for cities? kids. Interview by Andreas Kleinschmidt
U.S. Mayors: Renewed Interest in Infrastructures
According to the Metropolitan Infrastructure Sustainability Study commissioned In 2006, Siemens asked urban development experts throughout the world
by Siemens, nearly two-thirds of the mayors in the United States see great eco- about the challenges facing megacities (see Pictures of the Future, Spring 2007,
nomic opportunity in technologies aimed at protecting the climate. In this con- p. 14). They considered obsolete infrastructure, such as crumbling bridges and
nection, measures that could be implemented include the more efficient and outdated water treatment plants, to play a secondary role. In fact, only 14 per-
thus more economical operation of all types of devices and systems. The survey cent of the participating experts considered this to be an urgent topic. However,
of 140 mayors from 40 U.S. states revealed that the most important issue for the latest survey of U.S. mayors tells a completely different story. It turns out
them was the current tightening of funds available for investments. that 42 percent of the respondents viewed run-down and outdated infrastruc-
On the other hand, federal stimulus packages include additional funds for ture and its costly maintenance and repair as one of the major challenges they
certain green investment projects in 2009. Four of five cities, however, report face in their jobs.
that their infrastructure budget for 2009 has declined due to the financial crisis. But the renewal of obsolete infrastructure also harbors opportunity. The replace-
Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, ment of outdated structures with efficient, sustainable solutions is generally
says, “We therefore have to succeed in making our infrastructure more sustain- amortized very quickly and also lays the foundation for livable cities. Siemens
able with the resources available.” sees special opportunities in innovative solutions that combine environmental
Within this context, roughly two-thirds of the mayors surveyed consider the and economic goals, since many of the technologies required to do so are al-
expansion of public transportation to be the most powerful tool for reducing ready available today. They just need to be deployed.
greenhouse gases. Among big-city mayors, a whopping three-quarters share For more information, read about studies on sustainable infrastructures in
this view. The results of the survey also make clear that the consequences of London and Munich, Pictures of the Future Fall 2008, p. 58 and Pictures of the
neglecting public infrastructure measures over the past decades are substantial. Future Spring 2009, p. 6. Andreas Kleinschmidt
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 77

Modernizing Infrastructures | Airport Transit
Riding on Air
Comfort, efficiency, and flexibility — these are the strengths of Airval, the new driverless
airport people mover from Siemens. Passengers and airport operators alike benefit from
this transportation system, which is scheduled to hit the market in late 2010.
T he shining silver, 11-meter-long prototype
rolls almost silently along the test track
near Strasbourg, France. Airval, the new air-
port people mover from Siemens, reaches a
top speed of 80 kilometers per hour. “And yet
you don’t hear the train coming,” says Marc
Zuber, Marketing Director for STS Turnkey
Systems at Siemens Industry Mobility in Paris.
Even on curves, nothing squeaks or rattles.
When this elegant train is in motion, the ride is
so smooth that passengers feel as though they
are already in the air, especially as the land-
scape races past the floor-length windows.
Even more exciting is the view of the test track
through the panoramic windows at the front
of the train — a view the passengers can enjoy
because Airval is a fully automated train. There
is no driver.
According to Zuber, large airports with
widely separated terminals will benefit most
78 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
from this automatic train system. A preview of
the system can be seen at Charles de Gaulle
Airport in Paris, where the predecessor of Air-
val has been in service since April 2007. Called
CDGVAL and based on Val 208, the train
connects the three terminals in only eight
minutes. “The trip used to take more than
20 minutes by bus,” recalls Zuber.
In a survey, passengers praised not only the
time savings but also the reliability of the
Siemens-manufactured train and the short
headways. CDGVAL runs every four minutes
around the clock. In the first year alone, the
switch from buses to the electric people mover
reduced CO2 emissions by some 2,000 tons.
Airval, an advanced version of VAL 208, is
expected to offer even more benefits to large
airports beginning in late 2010. “It is often dif-
ficult to predict airport passenger volume,”
says Zuber. Airval has thus been designed to
Starting in 2010, the Airval (below) will set new
standards for efficiency and comfort at airports.
Airval’s predecessor, CDGVAL, (right) already con-
nects three terminals in Paris.
in Paris (below).
be particularly flexible. Transport capacity can
be easily increased from 1,000 to 30,000 pas-
sengers per hour and per direction. Additional
cars can be sent on demand from a depot to a
route that is experiencing particularly high
loads; here, cars are automatically coupled to
the train within just a few seconds. An Airval
train can consist of one to six cars. The trains
can also reverse direction at any time. Accord-
ing to Zuber, this facilitates the around-the-
clock operation that is necessary at airports:
“Maintenance can be performed at night on
one track of a two-track route without shut-
ting down operation,” he adds.
Thanks to the latest version of Siemens’
Trainguard MT CBTC train control system, Air-
val can be operated with headways of just one
minute. “When a train leaves the station, the
next train is practically pulling in behind it,”
says Zuber. To make such short intervals possi-
ble from a safety standpoint, the train is in per-
manent contact with control points along its
route via a broadband radio link. This system
ensures complete safety through the exact
tracking of the relative position of the trains
along the line.
The cars are also monitored using high-res-
olution video cameras, whose images are
transmitted via radio to a monitoring center. In
addition, the radio link will benefit passengers
by allowing them to enjoy Internet access over
the train’s W-LAN network.
In addition to flexibility, passenger comfort
was another key consideration during develop-
ment of the airport people mover, which will
also be introduced under the name “Cityval” as
a metro system for large cities in late 2010. “If
you want people to get out of their cars, you
have to offer them an attractive alternative,”
says project manager Philippe Carpentier. “No
one feels comfortable in hot, noisy, over-
crowded subways. Our trains are air-condi-
tioned, we provide large monitors connected
to a dynamic information system, and our
designs are attractive.” The large windows are
intended to help passengers feel in touch with
the city during the route segments that are
above ground.
Rubber Tires. Perhaps the train system’s
greatest trump is the clever use of a surpris-
ingly simple technology. A look at the test
track outside Strasbourg shows why the train
is so quiet. Airval is equipped with rubber tires
that roll along a concrete guideway with two
wide, smooth lanes. In the center of the guide-
way is a guide rail to which Airval is connected
via two rollers arranged in the shape of a “V.”
Just beside the guide rail is a power rail. The
rollers automatically follow the rail and steer
the axle in the proper direction like a drawbar
coupling system “The rubber tires enable the
trains to accelerate faster, climb steeper
grades, and negotiate tighter curves than a ve-
hicle with steel wheels,” says Carpentier. Each
of the tires is driven and braked by an electric
motor. Mechanical brakes are used only for
parking or in case of emergency.
The train system is also very energy-effi-
cient. When it brakes, its electric motors
switch into generator mode to convert the
train’s kinetic energy into electrical energy.
Combining regenerative braking and ultracapacitors
can cut energy consumption by 40 percent.
The vehicle feeds the energy back into the
grid, where it can be transferred to an acceler-
ating train. “This process can be very easily
optimized in a driverless system because the
control system can coordinate braking and ac-
celeration,” says Carpentier. With conventional
service, you never know when the driver will
brake.
Siemens uses this control system in Turin,
Italy, where driverless Val 208 metro trains —
the forerunner of the Airval — have been in
use since the 2006 Olympic Games. There, use
of braking energy enables 30 percent of power
consumption to be returned to the grid.
Airval and Cityval are expected to be even
more frugal thanks to ultracapacitors (see
Pictures of the Future, Fall 2007, p. 74). These
double-layer capacitors have a very high
power density and can be charged and dis-
charged within seconds. This allows the train
to store its braking energy and use it for its
own acceleration. “We are confident that this
will enable us to reduce energy consumption
by an additional ten percent,” adds Zuber.
Trucks in the Family. Throughout the devel-
opment process, Zuber and his colleagues
took care to ensure that the Airval concept
would also be competitive in terms of procure-
ment costs. They thus made unconventional
choices in many areas. For instance, they com-
missioned Strasbourg-based French company
Lohr Industrie to build the cars to Siemens
specifications. “Lohr’s background is in trucks,
which enabled us to take several new ap-
proaches,” says Zuber. The tires of the Airval
are standard heavy truck tires, for example.
The chassis and the passenger cabin are
manufactured separately for now. “This allows
us to react more flexibly to the needs of our
customers,” says Zuber. For example, an air-
port operator can choose how many seats
there should be or whether the configuration
should allow passengers to move between
cars. And the train’s one-of-a-kind steering sys-
tem was adapted from a rubber-tired tramway
manufactured by Lohr Industrie. The concrete
guideway for the Airval train system is also
much less complex than that of a conventional
metro. In fact, according to Airval engineers,
in a few years it may be possible to do away
with the power rail. Future energy storage sys-
tems may be able to squirrel away enough en-
ergy to move the Airval from one station to the
next, where it would recharge them, as if it
were pulling into a gas station.
The Airval prototype is currently demon-
strating its endurance on a test track in Stras-
burg, where it is scheduled to cover a total of
30,000 kilometers by mid-2010. Tests are prin-
cipally focused on the interface between the
vehicle and its automatic control system —
and, of course, on the comfort of future pas-
sengers, for whom each trip should feel as
smooth as air. Ute Kehse
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 79
 Traffic control centers, low-floor streetcars
Modernizing Infrastructures | Vienna
(pictured left) and many other measures have
helped turn the Austrian capital into a role
model for holistic mobility concepts.

A Model of Mobility In Brief…

Even a city like Vienna, which boasts an excellent public transportation system,
can gain added attractiveness through the use of the latest mobility concepts.
In cities worldwide, infrastructure is crum- PEOPLE:
bling. At the same time, urban areas account Water Network Simulation:
for around 80 percent of global greenhouse Tim Schenk, CT
gas emissions and 75 percent of total energy tim.schenk@siemens.com

A ccording to “Megacity Challenges,” a study

Siemens commissioned from UK transport
consultants MRC McLean Hazel in 2007, the
million inhabitants. Transport experts from
MRC McLean Hazel confirm that Vienna is one
the world’s most attractive places to live and a
central problem facing cities with ten million model city for modern mobility. As a key trans-
or more inhabitants is how to ensure mobility. port and logistics hub at the heart of Europe,
In a follow-up analysis — “Vienna: A Complete Vienna is currently reaping the rewards of a
Mobility Study” — the same company has now long-term strategy that embraces all modes of
shown that the study’s conclusions also apply transport. What’s more, the city plans to ex-
to smaller cities such as Vienna, with its 2.5 pand its public transport infrastructure while
assigning a low priority to automobile traffic in
the city center and promoting the interests of
cyclists, and pedestrians .
Lots of Light for Little Power “The study shows how successful Vienna
has been in implementing an efficient trans-
Outfitting traffic lights with light-emitting diodes port strategy that could serve as a model for
(LEDs) can help cities slash their power costs. These cities everywhere,” says Dr. Hans-Jörg Grund-
tiny 10-watt light sources consume between 80 and mann, CEO of the Siemens Mobility Division,
90 percent less electricity than the lamps in conven- in reference to Vienna’s “Transport Master Plan
tional stoplights. What’s more, to ensure safety, con- 2003,” which covers the period until 2020.
ventional lamps have to be replaced every six to 12 The Greater Vienna area has 227 kilometers
months, whereas LEDs are genuine long-burners. of streetcar tracks, one of the largest streetcar
“They run for around 100,000 hours, which means networks in the world. The mass transit net-
they only have to be changed every ten years,” ex- work run by transport operator Wiener Linien
plains Dr. Christoph Roth, product manager for signal is over 960 kilometers in length, including 116
generators at the Traffic Solutions Business Unit of the Siemens Mobility Division. When replacing subway, streetcar, and bus lines with 4,559
conventional bulbs with LEDs, it makes sense to renew the control unit and convert the light to 40- stops, from which any location in the city can
volt LED circuitry. “That means you can use signal light units with only six or seven watts,” says Roth, be reached within 15 minutes on foot.
who estimates that the upgrading of traffic lights at 700 intersections can save a city €1.2 million a On weekdays, public transport accounts for
year. For Germany as a whole and its 80,000 or so traffic lights, the reduction in power consumption up to 35 percent of total traffic, one of the
alone would bring savings of €140 million. Fitted with conventional lamps, Germany’s traffic lights highest mass transit quotients in the world.
would consume 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours a year. Refitting with LEDs has cut that figure to 175 mil- Wiener Linien plans to increase this share to
lion kWh — which corresponds to a reduction in generating capacity from 180 to 24 megawatts. 40 percent by 2013 with capital expenditures
“Municipalities can recoup the costs of replacing conventional lamps with LEDs within two to four of €1.8 billion, some of which will be used to
years,” Roth explains. “There are very few towns and cities in Germany that haven’t already converted extend existing subway lines and build new
in part to LEDs, and it’s a trend we’re also seeing worldwide.” In Europe, for example, Vienna (pic- streetcar lines in outlying districts.
tured above) and Budapest have already fully converted. In Germany, Freiburg, Memmingen, and Summer 2009 saw the launch of an over-
Mannheim have all taken advantage of a customized financing solution provided by Siemens Finance arching transport management system that
& Leasing, a subsidiary of Siemens Financial Services. “Our financing model has terms of between benefits 200,000 commuters each day. The
four to 15 years, with the repayment schedule calculated on the basis of potential savings, which system provides route planning and calculates
makes it very flexible compared to standard municipal loans,” explains Jörg Dethlefsen, a member of travel times in real time across all modes of
the executive management at Finance & Leasing. Freiburg, for example, has converted 53 traffic transport. It is supported with a host of traffic
lights to LEDs, a move that has brought it annual savings of €155,000 since 2006. These savings will data, most of which is gathered and processed
finance the repayments over the 15-year term of the loan and then flow into city coffers. “Assuming by sensor systems from Siemens. “We’ve already
the potential savings have been properly calculated, our financing solution won’t pose any financial provided a lot of a products and solutions in-
risk for the city in question. What’s more, it gives municipalities the scope to invest in other areas,” volved in the implementation of Vienna’s
Dethlefsen adds. Nikola Wohllaib transport master plan,” says Grundmann.
These solutions include 44 high-speed trains
for intercity connections and 40 subway trains
as well as the associated control, signaling,
and safety technology; 300 ultra-low-floor
streetcars, which Siemens is delivering to the
city’s transport operator at the rate of 15 to 20
per year; and, last but not least, a Siemens sys-
tem to control traffic lights on the basis of traf-
fic volumes, with a view to smoothing traffic
flow and to preventing gridlock.
Holistic Approach. “Vienna is pioneering a
holistic mobility strategy. And the city is now
putting our complete mobility concept into
practice,” says Grundmann. The goal of the
complete mobility approach is to network dif-
ferent transport systems with one another as
effectively as possible.
“The realization of this complete mobility
concept involves close cooperation with
Siemens IT Solutions and Services,” Grund-
mann explains. The fruits of this collaboration
include a control system for public transport
called “PTnova” that was developed with
Wiener Linien and is now running as a pilot
project.
PTnova controls all sales-related processes
such as ticketing, customer management and
the administration of season tickets. It also
automates the entire data flow. Any mobile or
static ticket machines, ticket printers, and
point-of-sale systems can be connected to PT-
nova. “The use of enhanced information and
communications technology can make mobil-
ity chains more efficient and public transport
more attractive,” says Grundmann.
PTnova’s capabilities are exactly in line with
the recommendations of transport experts
from MRC McLean Hazel. Their study proposes
the use of so-called personalized smart media
for the city. This smart card-based application
would combine ticketing not only with access
to leisure activities — for example, entry to
museums, libraries, and swimming pools —
but also with special incentives such as bonus
schemes for saved CO2 emissions. As a result,
it would help to attract more customers to
public transport. Nikola Wohllaib
consumption. Although city planners are
often interested in environmentally friendly
solutions, many at first see merely the high
Holger Hanss, Industry
holger.hanss@siemens.com
Dr. Andreas Pirsing, Industry
costs entailed. Analysts estimate that an infra- andreas.pirsing@siemens.com
structure expenditure of $41 trillion will be Power Plant Modernization:
required over the next 20 years. Siemens solu- Ralf Hendricks, Energy
tions in Istanbul, Vienna, and other cities illus- ralf.hendricks@siemens.com
trate that economic and environmental goals Dr. Norbert Henkel, Energy
fit together. (pp. 52, 71, 72, 80) henkel.norbert@siemens.com
Training Institutions:
The planning or modernization of a water Joachim Brünner, Industry
network is a complex business. An incompati- joachim.bruenner@siemens.com
bility between process control and automa- Christel Meyer, Industry
tion technology can rapidly lead to exploding christel.meyer@siemens.com
costs. Siemens is now developing a simula- Steel Plant Modernization:
tion tool that ensures perfect coordination Franz Hartl, Industry
between system levels long before any water hartl.franz@siemens.com
flows. (p. 55) Andre Fulgencio, Industry
andre.fulgencio@siemens.com
Whether for power plants or steelworks, ef- Olaus Ritamaki, Industry
ficiency is absolutely vital. Largely due to the olaus.ritamaki@siemens.com
economic crisis, many operators are avoiding ESP Steel Production:
major new capital expenditures and are mod- Andreas Jungbauer, Industry
ernizing existing plants instead. Thanks to andreas.jungbauer@siemens.com
smart upgrades, steelworks can cut their en- Radio Sensors:
ergy consumption substantially and fossil-fuel Dr. Leif Wiebking, CT
power can plants increase their efficiency by leif.wiebking@siemens.com
between 10 and 15 percent. (pp. 56, 62, 64) Bosporus Ferries:
Emre Goren, Industry
Cancer need not be death sentence, not emre.goren@siemens.com
even in the world’s emerging economies. This Siemens Factory, Istanbul:
is the lesson of modern facilities such as the Kerim Oal, Energy
Southern Medical Clinic in Trinidad & Tobago kerim.oal@siemens.com
and the Children’s Cancer Hospital in Cairo, Nefise Akçelik Tunnel:
where Siemens technology is helping improve Enis Amasyali, Industry
the chances of recovery and reduce costs with enis.amasyali@siemens.com
improved processes. (p. 59) LED Traffic Lights:
Dr. Christoph Roth, Industry
A new generation of radio sensors under roth.christoph@siemens.com
development by Siemens will exploit the
energy potential of light, heat, vibrations and LINKS:
wind. These sensors use special microconvert- Siemens Industry Sector:
ers to transform ambient stimuli into energy www.siemens.com/industry
and thus dispense with batteries. Such de- Southern Medical Clinic:
vices will make it possible to economically www.southernmedicalclinic.com
upgrade existing industrial plants with elec- Arvedi Steel: www.arvedi.it
tronic measurement systems. (p. 68) Morgan Stanley: www.morganstanley.com

80 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 81

Pictures of the Future | Science Express
Science: A Moveable Feast
An exhibition train called the “Science Express” is rolling through Germany. On
board are multiple themes illustrating how research and technology will change our
lives. Siemens is providing major support in the form of exhibits and accompanying
activities. The goal is to get young people excited about science and technology.
S tep back,” says a man on Track 7. “We’ll be
moving shortly.” Around 100 people are
standing on the wet platform. But they’re not
waiting for the train to chug out of the station.
That’s because this “Science Express” is much
more than just a train — it’s a mobile exhibi-
tion. And the exhibition has been rolling
through Germany since April 2009. By Novem-
ber, the Science Express will have stopped in
more than 60 cities, with some 1,500 visitors
coming to see it each day.
The train, which is 300 meters long, offers
a detailed look at the world of science and
82 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
technology, addressing questions such as:
Where will we be living and working in 20
years? How can our healthcare system remain
affordable given an aging population? Will
machines one day be able to think like us?
How can we provide a growing global popula-
tion with sufficient food and energy without
damaging the environment? Each of the train’s
12 rail cars is devoted to a different topic, pro-
viding a taste of things to come and how new
technologies will change our lives.
The train was designed by the Max Planck
Society, which also attracted millions of visitors
The “Science Express” exhibition train presents
the fascination of science and technology
to visitors. Pictured here is a light tunnel
containing 1,900 LED tiles from Osram.
in India with a similar train. The Science Ex-
press is being funded by the German federal
government and many institutes and research
groups as part of the exhibition series for
Science Year 2009 and the celebrations sur-
rounding the 60th anniversary of the founding
of the Federal Republic.
Siemens is one of three business partners,
along with Bayer and Volkswagen, that are
providing support. The company has made
available 13 exhibits on topics such as energy
and the environment, health, mobility, and
urban life. “The idea is to get young people
in particular interested in science and technol-
ogy,” says Siemens Chairman Peter Löscher. “In
my opinion, for example, sustainability is the
most urgent issue of the 21st century. It’s also
a key theme of the traveling exhibition. That’s
why we firmly support the exciting journey
into the world of tomorrow it offers.”
The Science Express spends an average of
three days in each city it visits, attracting so
much attention that long lines are not uncom-
mon. Many people therefore show up at the
platform as early as 10 a.m. “We’ve got school
classes going in every ten minutes,” says the
train’s “conductor.” Siemens has in fact organ-
ized tours of the train for around 80 partner
schools as part of its support program.
The company also placed several eight-
page inserts in Der SPIEGEL and other maga-
zines, as well as producing films for television
and various websites on the topics addressed
by the exhibition.
From Blue to Green-Collar Jobs. With fewer
students studying the natural sciences or tech-
nology-related subjects, campaigns like the
Science Express are urgently needed. Accord-
ing to the Association of the German Cham-
bers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), Ger-
many lost around €20 billion worth of gross
domestic product in 2007 due to a lack of spe-
cialists. But science-related opportunities are
great in fields like environmental technology,
where Germany is currently the world leader and
holds 16 percent of the market, while Europe
accounts for a 45 percent share of the market.
“I can see a clear trend from blue to green-
collar jobs,” says Löscher. Adds Dr. Reinhold
Achatz, Head of Siemens Corporate Research
and Technologies (CT), “To create green-collar
jobs, you need engineers who can squeeze
more and more power out of wind and gas
turbines. You also need sensor specialists,
materials researchers, and software develop-
ers — not to mention simulation experts who
can create products on a computer before
they’re built. Also to be considered are special-
ists for environmental life cycle assessments,
and biologists, who use nature as a model for
new technology solutions.” A study conducted
by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants predicts
that the global market for environmentally-
friendly technologies will grow to more than
€3 trillion by 2020, which translates into an-
nual expansion of over six percent.
“Sustainability is the most urgent issue of the 21st
century — and a key theme of the exhibition.”
In order to address such issues and initiate
a discussion about the jobs of the future,
Siemens organized a supporting program for
the exhibition train featuring two panel discus-
sions with distinguished experts in Munich
and Nuremberg. This will be followed at the
end of October in Berlin by an international
conference known as “Future Dialogue” that
will feature representatives from the realms of
science, business, and government. The con-
ference will focus on the key future issues of
climate change, healthcare, and urbanization.
“To shape the future, we need men and
women of diverse backgrounds who can con-
tribute their knowledge and unique cultural
perspectives,” Löscher explains. “In fact, the
sky’s the limit for such motivated individuals.”
Steffen Strobel is definitely one such indi-
vidual. A computer science student, Strobel is
one of the 13 winners of Germany’s nation-
wide Young Researchers 2009 competition.
Strobel developed an infrared camera system
that makes the veins that lie underneath the
skin visible on a computer, thereby enabling
doctors to make more precise injections, for
example. German Chancellor Angela Merkel
presented Strobel with a special award for the
most original work submitted for the competi-
tion. Strobel, 20, has always been interested in
medical and computer technology. “That’s why
I’m so excited to see how these topics are
addressed in the science train,” he said.
Fundamental Research and Applications.
The “Express” begins with questions concern-
ing where we come from and where we’re go-
ing. The second rail car takes visitors on a jour-
ney into the past. Inside it’s dark, the ceiling is
mirrored, and stars flicker on the walls. Here,
the visitor learns how the universe came into
being. Then it’s on to smaller things — more
specifically the nanocosmos — in the third car.
Like a giant zoom-in, the view homes in on the
earth, humans, and the materials of which
matter is made. Visitors to the fourth car pass
through a futuristic metallic web that unno-
ticeably transforms itself into a cell-like struc-
ture. Here, nanotechnology and biotechnology
merge in images.
Rail car Number 5 displays the digital com-
munication paths that span and crisscross the
earth. A globe is used to depict the distances
and paths covered when a website in a foreign
country is accessed, for example. Digital net-
works cover more than just the Internet, how-
ever, as industrial production is set to become
even more networked in the future — and
even more environmentally friendly.
Siemens presents the digital factory of to-
morrow in rail car 6. Here, the miniature facility
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 83

Pictures of the Future | Science Express
simulates the fully-automated production of
small soccer balls, as the eyes of interested vis-
itors follow the nine-meter long glassed-in
manufacturing line with its tiny humming
machines. The latter process the leather raw
material at various stations before the final
product emerges. All processes are controlled
and coordinated with one another from a con-
trol center. Over on the far left, machines vir-
tually press and punch the leather into small
pieces and sew these into balls that they pass
on to the next workstation. Other machines
later check final product quality, with all of this
done completely automatically.
Such facilities can be very interesting for
students. “A lot of the topics dealt with in the
train are really exciting — but soccer is some-
thing I and others can really relate to,” says
Anja, a twelfth-grader at a Munich high
school. Anja also thinks that the train is much
more exciting than a normal museum. “It
makes you really want to do research yourself
and learn new things,” she says. Anja herself is
mostly interested in the food industry, bio-
chemistry, and medical research.
Data isn’t the only thing that travels around
the world; more and more people are also now
traveling faster and further than ever before.
But this development also harbors risks, as it
enables disease organisms such as flu viruses
to spread more rapidly. Modern technology
such as that contained in the thermal imaging
camera in car 7 helps make things safer at
Membrane filters for drinking water processing (left), a CO2 sensor for building management systems, and new LEDs (right) will make life healthier and more pleasant.
84 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
places like airports by identifying people with
fever. Although there will always be illnesses,
it will be possible to identify and combat them
at an earlier stage than is now the case.
In general, car 8 looks like a real operating
theater. It’s cool, bright, and sterile looking.
Images projected on the walls show doctors
performing surgery in interactive films that
illustrate how state-of-the-art medical equip-
ment from Siemens can significantly ease the
strain of an operation on patients who are at
risk. For example, inserting a new heart valve
via a catheter no longer requires opening the
rib cage, as a small chest incision is now suffi-
cient. This is facilitated by equipping the oper-
ating room with a special X-ray system that
provides images from inside the body during
an operation. Integrated industrial robot tech-
nology allows the surgeon to position a so-
called C-arm X-ray device almost anywhere
around the patient. The system, which can
even generate 3D images, helps to make the
procedure more precise and less costly.
Flight through Energy Stations. Rail car 9
tackles the issues of climate change and to-
morrow’s sustainable energy supplies, one of
the most important topics for researchers and
developers at Siemens. Many visitors are fasci-
nated by an interactive table that shows the
complete energy conversion chain. Visitors
simply move their fingers along a touch-sensi-
tive monitor surface to fly through various
energy conversion stations that represent
everything from oil production facilities and
pipelines to power plants, wind power facilities,
power lines, transformer stations, industrial
consumers, and private houses.
A click sends the flight “down,” thereby al-
lowing viewers to gain a deeper insight into
the topic at hand. Users can also look at videos
and graphics that show what form the most
environmentally-friendly and efficient energy
supply and utilization systems might take in
the future. One example is wind power, whose
systems are more technologically advanced
than those of any other renewable energy
source. Siemens is building more and more
wind farms at sea; the ones off the coasts of
England and Denmark are the largest in the
world. The world’s first floating wind turbine
— located off the coast of Norway in waters
220 meters deep — is also now being tested.
To illustrate how people in poor countries
can be provided with clean drinking water,
Siemens is also presenting a membrane filter
system that can be set up anywhere at relatively
low cost. The system’s tubes have hair-thin
fibers with tiny pores that filter out all impuri-
ties and germs, ensuring that no bacteria, or
even viruses, can pass through.
Siemens is also working on solutions that
address challenges associated with the mega-
trend of urbanization. More than half of the
world’s population already lives and works in
cities, and that figure will increase to two-
thirds by 2050. A key question is therefore:
How will people live then? Car 10 examines
the most important aspects of the answer.
Among the things that will be needed are in-
telligent transport solutions and new building
technologies that will make living together in
large cities as comfortable as possible, while at
the same time protecting the environment.
One such system is the “comfort sensor”
from Siemens, which visitors can try out for
themselves. The sensor measures ambient CO2
content and humidity. If, for example, CO2
A “comfort sensor” warns if a room should be aired
out before the people inside begin to get tired.
concentrations should rise to a critical level in
a conference room, the system will issue a
warning that the room needs to be ventilated
to avoid participants’ becoming fatigued and
unfocused. Similar sensors could be used in
the future to further automate building man-
agement systems, thereby generating huge
energy and cost savings. That’s because, de-
pending on location and operating strategy,
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning sys-
tems account for 30 to 70 percent of total
building energy consumption.
Light-Emitting Ceilings and Wallpaper.
Energy-saving illumination with light-emitting
A 3D facial recognition system (center) and finger and hand vein prints (right) could make banking and Internet services more secure.
diodes is another car 10 topic. Here, Siemens
subsidiary Osram demonstrates how powerful
white and colored light-emitting diodes can
already shine today — so much so that they
can be used in general household lighting sys-
tems or as car headlights or traffic lights.
Osram also offers a look at the future in the
form of a small illuminated house which,
rather than using conventional lamps, is
equipped with flat organic light-emitting
diodes (OLEDs) embedded in windows, ceil-
ings and parts of the floor.
Like a cloudy sky, the OLEDs in the ceiling
create a pleasant diffuse light for the rooms. In
the future, it may thus be possible to equip
bedrooms with new types of light-emitting
wallpaper and children’s rooms with transpar-
ent, bendable light-emitting walls.
Osram has turned on the lights in another
special way in car 11, where visitors look
around to all sides, their faces illuminated in a
pulsating play of colors, as they walk through
a tunnel made of 1,900 colored LED tiles.
Strobel has now arrived in car 11, where he
finds an exceptional exhibit: a 3D face scanner
that experts from CT and Siemens IT Solutions
and Services combined with biometric recog-
Exhibits include a digital factory for producing
mini soccer balls (far left), the operating room
of the future, and an interactive table displaying
technologies for sustainable energy supplies.
nition systems for fingerprints and hand veins
especially for the science train. The system is
based on the use of infrared rays that pass
over an individual’s face to register its surface
in a fraction of a second, after which it calcu-
lates and generates a 3D image of the face
that is precise down to just tenths of a millime-
ter. Visitors can rotate their scanned image on
a computer screen and then send it in an e-
mail. The scanner can also identify visitors on
the basis of their fingerprints and by the
equally unique pattern of their hand veins. As
an expert for infrared cameras, Strobel is truly
in his element and gets right to work testing
the system. “It’s really exciting to be able to
experience this technology up close,” he says.
Scanners like the one on display could be used
to authorize access to automated teller ma-
chines or certain websites in the future.
Car 12, which contains a lab where school
classes can perform experiments, marks the
end of the exhibition. Visitors rub their eyes on
encountering daylight as they leave, visions of
the future still fresh in their minds.
It’s still raining at Munich Central Station —
and there’s still a long line at the entrance to
the science train. The world outside is still the
same — but perhaps the visitors to the exhibi-
tion have changed somewhat. After all, al-
though the train never moved, the people in-
side had the feeling they were on a fascinating
journey — a trip into their own future.
Nina Bastian
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 85
Virtual Realities | Scenario 2020

Highlights When the

Stars
92 Fused Realities
How can doctors better treat a
range of conditions in real time?
Thanks to new techniques from
Siemens that fuse information

95
from different diagnostic
modalities, many conditions are
becoming transparent.

The Illusion of Presence

Come Out
Tomorrow’s meetings, training and By 2020, even experienced
repair activities will take place in
cyberspace. The result will be
doctors will sharpen their
faster service, reduced travel, and skills on downloadable, life-
a sharp cut in CO2 emissions. like, virtual patients, allow-
98 Simulating a Monster ing them to prepare for the
Siemens is developing a most challenging emergen-
simulator for the gigantic bucket cies — and opening the door
wheel excavators used for
mining brown coal. The to new ways of meeting and
objective is to train operators interacting with colleagues.
without damaging machinery.

100 Dignity in the Digital World

Jaron Lanier, a pioneer in the field
of virtual reality, discusses values
in cyberspace and describes the
future of the virtual workplace.

101 Predictive Vision

Crowd flow simulation will make
public places safer. The technol-
ogy makes it possible to recognize
potentially dangerous situations
before they happen.

102 Small Worlds

Materials scientists at Siemens
use simulations to develop
materials with improved
properties. P ilots do it. Train engineers do it. Even
steam shovel operators do it. So why not
experienced surgeons and cardiologists? Sure,
most of our work is routine — isn’t every-

2020
2020. A patient who was just treated for a
cerebral hematoma experiences a heart at-
tack. How can doctors train to respond to
this and other highly unusual yet true-to-life
emergencies? The virtual world provides an
answer. Using haptic gloves and VR glasses
that allow them to interact with a life-like
patient, cardiologists in two cities race
against the clock to save a life while honing
their ability to collaborate and keep cool.
body’s? But when an emergency situation sud-
denly arises in the operating room or cath lab,
you’d better be able to keep a cool head and
know exactly what to do. So now we’re doing
it too: simulating high-risk situations in the
virtual world.
Take this morning, for instance. After
rounds, I hurried to one of our new training
rooms where I logged into the hospital’s Sec-
ond Life home. Unlike most sites, which ask
you to immerse yourself through a proxy, such

86 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 87

Virtual Realities | Scenario 2020
as an avatar, this one has such advanced com-
puting power that it provides the illusion of a
realistic interventional environment, complete
with a virtual “problem patient” drawn from a
vast library of documented emergency cases.
All you have to do is identify yourself, put on
your 3D virtual reality goggles and skin-tight
haptic gloves, and within seconds a virtual
patient — and they are disconcertingly lifelike
— is downloaded.
The goggles and gloves, by the way, auto-
matically establish two-way contact with the
virtual scene thanks to dozens of built-in nano
location sensors that are activated and pow-
ered by body heat and motion. The result is
that every movement of the head and fingers
alters the virtual environment exactly as it
would in the real environment.
As I pulled up the patient’s electronic file, a
chime alerted me that someone from another
hospital had logged on and had requested per-
mission to collaborate on this case. “Excellent
idea,” I said to myself as I touched the “Admit”
icon that appeared on the display; after all,
successful emergency care is all about good
teamwork, and you can never be too good at
that!
So a second later there she was, Dr. Janice,
a young cardiologist with — and I have to ad-
mit that this is my one real weakness — blond
hair and one of those little bunched-up pony-
tails that really gets me going.
But before my mind had a moment to wan-
der, a virtual electrocardiogram (ECG) on the
display began flashing and beeping, indicating
that the patient had gone into ventricular fib-
rillation — spasms of the cardiac muscle that
can lead to sudden death within seconds. At
the same time, an androgynous voice from the
patient’s file began calmly announcing “Fifty-
nine year-old male with a history of smoking,
obesity and poorly-controlled hypertension.
The patient was successfully treated earlier for
a cerebral hematoma. A ventriculostomy was
performed via the right...”
“Quick, apply D.C. shock,” said Dr. Janice
even as the file voice droned on. Gee, she’s re-
ally on her toes, I thought as the patient
twitched convincingly in response to the ther-
apy. But then his heart beat and blood pres-
sure began sinking. “Atropine,” I said authori-
tatively. A glance at the ECG, however,
indicated a developing myocardial infarction.
A treatment plan had popped up on the screen
and I chose a combination of Lignocaine, He-
parin and aspirin in quantities that had been
optimized for the patient’s condition to dilate
the vasculature and improve circulation. Dr.
Janice administered the virtual cocktail
through the patient’s intravenous tube.
88 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
Products are being developed using “mixed realities”
| Trends
in which elements of the real (left) and virtual
worlds (right) are visualized with augmented reality
(center left) or augmented virtuality (center right).
But we had to know more about the cause
of the impending infarction. “Coronary an-
giography,” Dr. Janice ordered, briefly looking
up at me with a wink. “Sharp as mustard,” I
thought, repressing my curiosity about what
Blondie might be doing for the weekend. A
moment later a 3D hologram of the patient’s
heart that fused the angio image with a pre-
existing volume CT scan appeared on the
screen. It clearly showed a total occlusion of
one of the coronary arteries. “Patient entering
acute atrial fibrillation,” announced the an-
drogynous file voice laconically.
“Oh brother, this is a tough one,” I said to
myself. “Ms ah, Dr. Janice, please administer
3,000 units of Heparin and Abciximab,” I said
with a tense smile, referring to a powerful an-
ticoagulant and a blood thinning agent that
would hopefully buy us some extra time. “And
I’ll get a catheter in there to clear that obstruc-
tion,” I added.
To avoid wasting a minute on routine pro-
cedures, the patient had already been outfit-
ted with a catheter, so that all I had to do was
grab a wireless, handheld device to steer the
virtual wire into position. I watched the ultra-
sound-equipped tip of the device snake its way
toward the obstruction as I looked down at the
patient, the goggles allowing me to see
through the patient as they would during a
real operation by superimposing a CT image
and the catheter’s coordinates on the patient’s
anatomy with flawless registration.
Mission-Critical Frontier
“Any plans for the weekend?” I asked non- From automated, virtual production lines for hearing aids to fully-functional digital
chalantly as the catheter reached its target and
its balloon tip began to inflate. I squeezed a duplicates of real buildings and the exploration of tomorrow’s surgical training avatars,
custom-sized stent into the vessel and began Siemens is a leader in the next competitive frontier: the virtual world.
withdrawing the catheter. “I’ll give the patient
twenty micrograms of adenosine to avoid any
potential inflammation,” said Blondie with ap-
parently undiminished concentration. Then
she looked up and added, “Were you thinking
T hink of reality as the dial on an old-fash-
ioned radio. On the left-hand end of the
spectrum is the real environment. At the other
varying amounts (see articles on conferencing
p. 95, commissioning p. 98, pedestrian streams
p. 101, and materials p. 102). But it is at the
How to Transmit a Product. Just how profi-
cient Siemens is becoming in the virtual world
is illustrated by its development of the first vir-
click “next” to continue. “When performed man-
ually, shell crafting and component placement
easily add up to 40 minutes for an experienced
of Friday or Saturday?” end is the computer-powered, immersive world far end of the spectrum — in the virtual world tual, semi-automated digital inner ear hearing worker,” reports Siemens Corporate Research
Suddenly, the procedure appeared to have of virtual reality. In between, as you adjust the — that the potential for revolutionary compet- aid pre-manufacturing system, which is now (SCR) Program Manager Dr. Tong Fang. “But with
been successful. The patient’s vital signs, in- dial, you can tune into “augmented reality” — a itive advantage is taking shape for major in- being tested in Shanghai, where highly-experi- the automation steps we have developed, that
cluding systolic pressure and sinus rhythm, part of the spectrum, left of center, where the dustrial companies such as Siemens. enced yet inexpensive labor is available. There, process is set to be reduced to only one or two
started to improve almost immediately. Dr. real world is amplified by additional sources of “For us, the virtual world is more than im- when a worker receives a digital mold of a pa- minutes, and eventually it will be completely
Janice and I agreed on a medical regimen that information. Here, a fuzzy ultrasound image, portant,” says Dr. Reinhold Achatz, who heads tient’s inner ear, which is taken by scanning a automated.” Following quality testing, the vir-
would carry our patient to an uneventful car- for instance, may be rendered crystal clear as Siemens Corporate Research and Technolo- real mold, programs help the worker to hollow tual devices are electronically transmitted to
diac recovery. it is enhanced with anatomical data from a CT gies, “it is mission critical. The value proposi- out the mold, while ensuring the smoothness production centers, most of which are in North
As we signed off on the training documen- scan (for more, see p. 92). And right of center tion is that when you can create and test of all inner and outer surfaces. Throughout the America, the largest market for such devices.
tation, Dr. Janice looked up at me from the on the dial you can tune into “augmented vir- devices before they exist in the physical world, process, programs help to ensure that the shell “Thanks to the new technology, the number of
other side of the virtual reality wall. My spirits tuality” — environments that are overwhelm- you save time and money, while potentially remains of uniform thickness and strength. products returned has already been reduced
lifted in anticipation. “So where do you live?” ingly virtual, such as a wind turbine in Second increasing quality and flexibility.” Precision is crucial since the digital version of from 20 percent to five percent,” says Fang.
she asked. “Sydney,” I announced hopefully. Life, but which can be enhanced by real-time And, as Achatz adds, Siemens is ideally po- the shell will be exactly duplicated when trans-
“Oh my, that’s a long way from Montreal,” she images from an on-site technician. sitioned to do exactly that: “There are automa- ferred to physical manufacturing. Mixed-Reality Buildings. Not only are very
said, but then added playfully, “Let’s meet in Across this continuum, scientists have been tion software companies, and companies that Once the digital shell is complete, other pro- small products such as digital hearing aids being
Second Life. I know a great little place where tuning into a steadily-growing spectrum of understand digital factories. But there is no grams suggest optimized placement of the hear- developed, personalized and perfected in the
we can have dinner and watch the stars come what they call “mixed realities” in which ele- other company besides Siemens that has the ing device’s minuscule components. Workers virtual world; so are major facilities ranging from
out.” Arthur F. Pease ments of the real and virtual are combined in ability to drive both of these areas.” need only check the system’s suggestions and skyscrapers to power plants. The U.S. military,
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 89
Virtual Realities | Trends
for instance, now requires that all its new build-
ings start out as computer-generated models.
“The reason that many organizations are mov-
ing in this direction is clear,” explains Dr. Mirko
Appel, a specialist in industrial augmented real-
ity with Siemens Corporate Technology in Mu-
nich. “Facilities that are born in the virtual world
can be upgraded there as well. And as technolo-
gies evolve, improvements can be planned
and tested on a virtual model before being im-
plemented in the real world. It all adds up to
potentially huge savings for the customer.”
But there’s a catch. Unlike hearing aids,
which are assembled by a single manufacturer, it
takes dozens of contractors to assemble a com-
plex facility such as a coal-fired power plant, and
many of them fail to follow the CAD model to
the letter. “Along the way, they produce new
technical drawings,” says Appel. “And the re-
sult is that, although a 3D CAD model can rep-
resent hundreds of man-years of work and mil-
lions of dollars of investment, the actual plant
often diverges significantly from its model.”
To pinpoint the salient differences between
a real plant and its CAD counterpart — and thus
make the digital model useful throughout the
facility’s life — a team led by Dr. Appel in coop-
eration with the Technical University of Munich
has developed software (patent pending) that
can superimpose digital photographic images
of individual rooms on CAD models such that
engineers can rapidly identify discrepancies
that exceed one centimeter. Performed at reg-
ular intervals during construction, the new
technique helps to catch potentially expensive
errors early and documents the plant’s actual
status digitally. “We use anchor plates — mas-
sive steel reinforcements that are built into
90 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
walls to support particularly heavy structures
— as geographical reference points,” says Ap-
pel. As long as some part of an anchor plate is
visible in a photo, the program recognizes the
room and the angle of view from a combina-
tion of geometric features and augments the
photo by overlapping the appropriate CAD de-
sign — in perfect registration — onto the im-
age. “The software needs a lot of reasoning ca-
pabilities to do this,” says Appel, who adds that
the technology is now being implemented on a
pilot basis in a power plant in northern Europe.
The value proposition is that when you create and test
devices in the virtual world, you save time and money.
Siemens researchers are
on the road to modeling
the morphology and
electro-mechanics of the
human heart — and are
already automating the
assembly of hearing aids
in the virtual world.
Once a building’s CAD design is proven to
be accurate, its virtual model can be dynami-
cally mixed with real-time views for any num-
ber of purposes. “For instance, evolving fire
safety regulations may require updates of
evacuation routes,” says Yakup Genc, PhD,
program manager for the 3D Vision and Aug-
mented Reality Program at Siemens Corporate
Research in Princeton, New Jersey. “In this
case, the building manager would be able to
perform a virtual fly-through of an entire
building by superimposing real-time camera
views of escape routes on CAD diagrams. This
would provide up-to-the-minute information
about potential obstacles, fire extinguishers,
exit signs and lighting — all of which could be
— in principle — automatically documented.”
Virtual copies of real buildings can also sim-
plify and reduce the cost of maintenance and
training services. As SCR President and CEO
Paul Camuti points out, “One of the things we
are working on is how to bring experts into a
building operation system in Second Life (for
more, see p. 95) to shorten the time it takes to
resolve a problem.” The concept, which is par-
ticularly valuable for complex, out-of-the-way
facilities such as wind parks and off-shore
drilling platforms, works as follows: At such lo-
cations, an on-site technician may tap a world-
class expert to resolve a problem with, say, a
wind turbine generator. “In this case, the ex-
pert — if authorized — can log into the wind
park’s web site and enter the virtual world
copy of the problem tower — no climbing
skills required,” says SCR’s Genc. “That’s full VR.
But if the expert wants to see and hear exactly
what the local technician is looking at, that can
be provided by a head-mounted mini cam, the
images from which can be superimposed on will come to include not just the physical char-
the virtual view — which might be called aug- acteristics and appearances of objects, but
mented virtuality.” The result, say Genc, is a their functional ones as well. Data on heat and
great system for troubleshooting and training. fluid dynamics, radiation, fatigue, and electro-
“For instance,” he adds, “the off-site person can magnetic characteristics, for instance (see
point to an item with a cursor that the on-site box), may be available on the virtual versions
person sees in exactly the same spot through of everything from hearing aid components to
augmented reality glasses. The 3D environ- auto parts, thus opening a new kind of econ-
ment makes distance collaboration possible by omy in which virtual products are optimized
combining physical and virtual realities.” for each other in terms of dozens of factors.
Duplicate World. As office buildings, wind Me, Myself or My Avatar? Just as models of
parks, power plants, roads, bridges (think inanimate objects are becoming hyper-real
Google Street View) and even private homes through simulation of a widening spectrum of
are added to the virtual landscape, a digital characteristics, human biology is coming into
duplicate of the real world is being pieced to- sharper focus — with amazing implications
gether. Add to that the fact that an ever-grow- when applied to the virtual world. “There is an
Bringing a product to life in the virtual world requires integrated analysis capabilities
that simulate the physical world in which the object will eventually operate.
Thermal behavior Dynamics / movement Structural analysis
The objective:
All analytical
capabilities
in one system
Fluid flows Heat flows Stochastic analysis
Radiation Electronic cooling Electromagnetism Composite materials
ing spectrum of products and components is analogy between manufacturing cells and hu-
being developed there as well, and you have man cells,” says CT Head Reinhold Achatz, a
the potential for something called “crowd specialist in automation; “and my expectation
sourcing” — the idea that content authoring in is that as we approach a deeper understanding
the digital world is so distributed that it comes of biology, we will be able to model the hu-
from everywhere. “If you’re planning a new so- man body down to the cellular, and perhaps
lar thermal installation, why not test it out on even the genetic level — much as we model
the virtual world’s copy of the local utility’s materials on the molecular level today.”
transmission network before you build it?” asks At Siemens, that process is already well un-
Genc. “There’s no need to reinvent the wheel.” der way. “Over the next few years, we expect to
What’s more, as computing power and the be able to model the human heart, for instance,
level of detail in simulations continues to in terms of factors such as morphology, dynam-
grow, information fusion in the digital world ics, electro-mechanics, tissue, myocytes, ion
channels, and molecular profiles,” says Dorin
Comaniciu, PhD, head of SCR’s Integrated Data
Systems Department. “But what is most impor-
tant in all of this is that as we combine macro,
micro and nano-levels of knowledge, the infor-
mation will be personalized. That’s where the
value for patient and physician becomes clear.”
Value indeed. Think electronic patient files
that contain up-to-date — albeit vastly simpli-
fied — functional models of their namesakes’
circulatory systems, livers, etc. Want to know
how a particular combination of agents will af-
fect the treatment of your arrhythmia? Run a
simulation on your avatar — not on yourself.
That’s the future. “If we build models all the way
out to molecular profiles, we will be able to an-
swer questions predictively in the virtual world
Fatigue Feedback simulation
Correlations
Systems in space
Source: Dr. Louis Komzsik, Siemens PLM Software
with a high level of accuracy,” says Comaniciu.
And what about training for surgical emer-
gencies? As is the case for pilots, there’s no
safer place for surgeons to earn their wings
than in the virtual world. “Ninety-nine percent
of surgeons’ time is routine. But it’s that one-
in-a-million emergency that demands one-
hundred percent of a team’s expertise,” says
Dr. Frank Sauer, head of the Imaging and Visu-
alization Department at SCR. “That’s the emer-
gency you can train for over and over again in
the virtual world.” Now all that’s needed are a
few willing avatars! Arthur F. Pease
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 91

Virtual Realities | Healthcare
A lthough medical imaging devices such as
ultrasound scanners and computer and
magnetic resonance tomographs have become
more and more effective in recent years, one
hurdle remains to be overcome: Technologies
are needed that can fuse the data provided by
these systems so that doctors and patients can
make better sense of huge quantities of infor-
mation.
Dr. Jürgen Simon, head of the Innovation
and Cooperation unit at Siemens Healthcare’s
Strategy department, believes that the devel-
92 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
Fused Realities
Whether it’s a fracture, an arrhythmia or a tumor, the
problem is, how do you treat it if you can’t see it? Now,
thanks to new techniques from Siemens that fuse
information from different diagnostic modalities,
many medical conditions are becoming transparent.
opment of image fusion (IF) and augmented
reality (AR) techniques offers a promising op-
portunity to achieve this objective. “With AR,
different data sources are merged into a single
image, thereby combining the strengths of
each system,” he says. “We can thus provide
doctors and device operators with more in -
formation to support their work.” Simon de-
scribes IF and AR as a “hugely interesting
topic,” that opens new possibilities in fields
such as trauma surgery and the early diagnosis
and treatment of cancer and heart disease.
Physicians at Munich’s LM University’s Surgical Clinic
are guided by a view that combines visible and X-ray
images on a monitor while they operate on a frac-
ture. Right: AR researchers Navab and Kamen.
area in question, after which the optical image is
superimposed on the X-ray image. The result is
that the surgeon not only sees the area of inter-
est on a nearby monitor exactly as it appears to
the eye, but also sees the underlying anatomy
in perfect registration.
“When a scalpel is placed on the skin in
preparation for the initial incision, the underly-
ing bones and fracture lines are clearly visible,
making it perfectly clear where the incision
should be made,” says Prof. Nassir Navab, one
of the inventors of the system and Chair for
Computer-Aided Medical Procedures & Aug-
mented Reality at the Technical University of
Munich (TUM). “Without this innovative tech-
nology, many patients would have to be X-
rayed several times before an operation could
begin,” Navab adds. The system also provides
additional support during an operation — for
example, by helping surgeons locate the exact
position where a drill should be placed in rela-
tion to the anatomical structure below. This is
important, for instance, when placing screws
at the right angle, as it prevents the exposure
of patients or medical personnel to unneces-
sary additional radiation.
Augmented reality is also providing hope
for more precise surgical treatment of breast
tumors. At Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Cen-
ter in Boston, Massachusetts, for example, Dr.
A case in point is a groundbreaking group
of orthopedic and trauma-related procedures
taking place at the Ludwig Maximilian Univer-
sity Surgical Clinic in Munich, Germany. There,
using technology patented by Siemens Corpo-
rate Research (SCR) in Princeton, New Jersey, a
modified Siemens C-arm X-ray system suitable
for use in operating rooms has been outfitted
with a camera-mirror module that produces an
optical image of precisely the same area being
imaged by X-rays. In practical terms, what this
means is that the surgeon takes one X-ray of the
John V. Frangioni has developed a new optical
examination procedure known as FLARE (Fluo-
rescence-Assisted Resection and Exploration,
see Pictures of the Future, Fall 2008, pp. 89,
91) that employs unique medical image fusion
and visualization software developed by
Siemens. In combination with a near-infrared
fluorescence dye, which was recently success-
fully tested in a clinical study and is now being
further optimized, the system is able to make
sentinel lymph nodes, which may be afflicted
with cancer cells, visible.
“Without AR, many patients would have to be X-rayed
several times before an operation could begin.”
The core elements of FLARE developed by
the Frangioni Lab are two near-infrared (NIR)
light sources and cameras that detect fluores-
cent substances in the body. With two separate
NIR fluorescent channels, one could show tis-
sues to be resected such as tumors, while the
other might show tissues to be avoided such as
nerves or blood vessels, thereby helping to
avoid damage. These NIR images are merged
in false color with images acquired by a color
video camera enabling visualization of the NIR
fluorescent dye in an anatomical context.
Meanwhile, at the National Institutes of
Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland researchers
— with support from colleagues at SCR — have
developed an image-fusion procedure de-
signed to locate life-threatening arrhythmias.
Based on the use of X-ray images and mag-
netic resonance (MR) scans, the system has
been used extensively at NIH to superimpose
views of the heart’s soft tissue structures
derived from MRI onto live X-ray images. For
example, using MR images to depict an ar-
rhythmia-causing scar in the left ventricle, a
catheter can be steered to the regions adjacent
to the scar most likely to benefit from treat-
ment.
Working along similar lines, this time in
collaboration with Johns Hopkins University,
NIH researchers used an image fusion system
in an animal study to provide precise real-time
images of the path instruments should take
through the jugular vein during minimally in-
vasive procedures targeting the portal vein,
which transports blood from the abdominal
cavity to the liver.
The researchers used a conventional Espree
MRI scanner from Siemens to produce high res-
olution 3D images of vessels in order to create
a ‘road map’ of the portal venous system. They
then combined these images with X-ray im-
ages from an Axiom Artis scanner. To ensure
that the image data sets from both devices
would fuse precisely to form a single picture,
the two systems were calibrated via markers on
a pig’s abdomen that were visible on both MR
and X-ray images. Physicians used the MR im-
ages to segment the portal vein and surround-
ing structures and superimpose them on the
X-ray images during navigation of a catheter in
the portal vein. Initial results showed that the
superimposed MR images allowed faster and
more precise entry into the portal vein.
The researchers still have more than enough
challenges to overcome before their X-ray-MR
fusion technique can be utilized in clinical appli-
cations. Says Christine Lorenz from SCR: “The
technique functions well when the organs be-
ing examined don’t move too much. However,
what we really need to make this kind of proce-
dure successful in the abdomen or heart is to
develop techniques to compensate for cardiac
and respiratory motion — we’re working on it.”
Ultrasound and CT. Another widely used di-
agnostic method is the ultrasound-echo tech-
nique, which provides immediate results with
little effort. Its resolution is low, however, and
a great deal of experience is required to prop-
erly interpret its 2D images. Researchers Ali Ka-
men, PhD and Wolfgang Wein from SCR want
to overcome these drawbacks by combining it
with CT imaging. “Ultrasound delivers a lot of
data, but no 3D information,” says Kamen. “We
can get that with CT images.” He describes how
the two modalities can work together: A patient
with a liver tumor, for example, would first be
scanned using CT. A doctor can use the result-
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 93
 SCR researcher Kalpit Gajera with a 3D-image of the Siemens researcher Dr. Steve Russell flies through
Virtual Realities | Healthcare | Conferencing
heart. Recently-developed software from Siemens Second Life’s virtual world as “Star Zanzibar“ where
fuses electrophysiological data with CT or MR data, he visits a Building Technologies site that could
helping cardiologists to locate and treat arrhythmias. eventually replace a real site in Dallas.
ing image to determine how large the tumor is
and how much blood is flowing through it,
which is an indicator of how dangerous it is. If
such information is not sufficient for a diagnosis,
the doctor can inject an ultrasound contrast
agent containing micro-bubbles into the blood
vessels. These tiny bubbles reflect sound
waves, and clearly show how much blood the
tumor is being supplied with, thereby simplify-
ing the diagnosis. “The stronger the blood
flow in the tumor, the more active and threat-
ening it is,” Kamen explains.
The goal is to allow doctors to merge both
applications to produce a single image. This will
not only help with diagnoses but also with
treatments, such as tumor removal. “Our re-
search project is designed to ensure that
equipment operators receive all information at
a glance regarding how and where a tumor is,
and from which direction it can be resected
without damaging important blood vessels,” physiological heart mapping and visualization The catheter operator in the electrophysiol-
says Kamen. “We’re now testing the system at (CARTO mapping). The 3D heart images pro- ogy lab sees the heart chamber on a monitor
the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.” duced with the tomography system are exact in real time, and can thus use the 3D image to
and precisely contoured. After these images maneuver the catheter safely and quickly. SCR
Mapping the Heart. Meanwhile, a team at SCR have been obtained, a doctor navigates an and Siemens Healthcare are working closely
headed by Dr. Frank Sauer is making progress in electrophysiological mapping catheter into the on this technology with Biosense Webster Inc.
the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias with the
help of AR technology. “We now have realistic
3D depictions of the heart, which enable us to
view catheter movements in real time during
intra-operative treatment much better than
heart chamber. Three alternating magnetic
fields underneath the operating table are used
to pinpoint the position of the catheter sensor
tips. These sensors record the spatial anatomy,
and their electrical signals create an electro-
(BWI), a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. The
navigation software has already been mar-
keted by BWI under the name Cartomerge.
Siemens Healthcare in Erlangen, Germany,
is also developing AR systems. Recently, for in-
The Illusion of Presence
ever before,” says Sauer. This development anatomical map of the heart. The electrophysi- stance, it presented a navigation system tar- Tomorrow’s meetings, training and repair activities won’t be what they used to be.
was made possible by an integrated system ological images are then merged with the CT geted at minimally-invasive spine operations
that combines CT or MR images and electro- or MR images with the help of software. and trauma surgery. With Cappa C-Nav, doctors Instead of high-energy expeditions powered by planes, rental cars and hotels,
put together a 3D X-ray data set of the area to be we’ll fly through virtual space on a kilowatt or two of server power.
operated on, allowing them to optimize the
planning of implants, for example. During the
Augmented Reality in Medical Systems operation, the doctor navigates using an in-
frared stereo camera that sees the system’s
small reflecting marker spheres, which are on
S tar Zanzibar often flies to meetings. In fact,
you can see him, arms outstretched, Super-
man style, effortlessly winging his way over
Unisfair and Second Life now have millions of
members, each of whom is represented by
one or more avatars, which may be realistic or
emissions — to hybrid forms of training and
service that aren’t possible in the real world.
Take Siemens’ “Virtureal” site in Second
Conventional medical imaging systems are used by doctors to examine parts of the body before most the surgical instruments. Software processes golf courses and office parks, coasting through fantasy representations of themselves. Life, for instance, a demonstration project that
operations. During treatment, doctors can view on a monitor images acquired by computer tomogra- these signals, allowing the doctor to continu- buildings, and touching down at a packed con- But virtual world sites are also home to the is ready for real-life deployment. The site was
phy devices, magnetic resonance tomography systems, or other imaging procedures. These days, such ally view the position of the instruments in the ference table or a neon-lit control center. To virtual counterparts of countless corporate inspired in part by an actual Siemens building
systems are also used to precisely measure and visualize the position of surgical instruments, whose patient’s 3D image. If necessary, the doctor the casual observer, Zanzibar’s peripatetic life and government organizations, many of which in Dallas, Texas. The Dallas facility contains a
locations within the body can be viewed on a monitor. Such a situation is not always ideal, however, can, for example, virtually check whether the has all the trappings of a video game — the have paid tens of thousands of very real control center that continuously monitors the
especially when difficult and complex treatments are required. That’s because images recorded be- implant screws are ideally positioned and the ability to levitate, choose from multiple identi- dollars to buy “land” and build often elaborate real-time status of a range of automated sys-
fore an operation do not always fully correspond to the actual situation at the time of the procedure. right size before inserting them. ties, and travel to far-off places in seconds. But facilities for a wide range of purposes. tems in buildings in other cities. But the Vir-
Moreover, such computer-generated images are spatially disconnected from the surgeon’s view — “How quickly such AR systems make their like the virtual world he inhabits, Zanzibar is Why are organizations as diverse as the U.S. tureal site (see left image on following page)
when the doctor looks at the monitor, he or she can’t see the patient, and looking at the patient way into hospitals depends on how well image the product of two opposite trends: the quest Marines, the University of Kansas, and Siemens can do the same thing from Second Life — of-
means losing the view of the monitor. Augmented reality combines these two levels into a single fusion systems can be integrated into the clini- to escape reality and the steadily improving ca- flocking to the virtual world? The reasons are as fering the potential of eventually replacing a
image — often in 3D — that doctors can view through a stereo-optical device or a semi-transparent cal workflow,” says Navab. “The key is to de- pability to duplicate and augment it. much psychological as practical. “When you’re real building with a virtual one.
mirror, for example. The key is that the virtual image be properly aligned with the patient’s anatomy, liver the images in real time.” Navab, who “The virtual world is undergoing a maturity in the virtual world, it’s very different from a Sites such as Virtureal open the door to
otherwise the doctor might misplace the surgical instruments within the body. Virtual images must worked at SCR in Princeton until a few years curve that is carrying over capabilities devel- phone call or a teleconference,” says Russell. dealing with problems that technicians might
thus be produced in real time during an operation. Physicians and medical device developers expect ago, is convinced that “augmented reality will oped for gaming into the world of training,” “Participants feel they are sharing a place and be unable to resolve today. For instance, such a
to reap many benefits from AR systems, since doctors will be able to focus more closely on surgery, become widespread in medical technology says Zanzibar’s real world incarnation Steve an experience. It’s social, you see expressions center can “fly in” a remote specialist for a visit
and not have to divide their attention between the patient and a monitor. AR also simplifies hand-eye over the next ten years.” It’s crucial, however, Russell, PhD, a member of the Integrated Data on avatars’ faces, you hear the real person’s to a virtual copy of the actual work site, which
coordination because doctors view real and virtual instruments from the same angle. Orientation he emphasizes that “this development occurs Systems Department at Siemens Corporate Re- voice. All this is good for team building.” At the can include live camera feeds from the on-site
within the patient’s body is supported by 3D AR images, thereby enabling doctors to work with much in close cooperation with doctors and hospi- search in Princeton, New Jersey. A specialist in same time, the practical advantages are clear: technician’s cell phone. “At that point, simply
greater precision and more easily avoid errors. tals; otherwise they won’t accept the new virtual world conferencing, Russell points out they range from greatly reduced time and tra- by knowing which panel the technician is look-
technology.” Rolf Sterbak that major virtual world sites such as OLIVE, vel costs — with associated reductions in CO2 ing at, the specialist can embed his avatar into

94 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 95

Virtual Realities | Conferencing
the virtual environment, walk it to the techni-
cian’s exact location, and see what’s on the
read-outs,” says Russell. “The on-site technician
and the off-site specialist see the same thing,
and they have the illusion of being together.”
Defended by multi-level security or hosted
within a company’s own powerful firewalls,
facilities such as Virtureal can be effectively
invisible and “unsearchable” to unauthorized
individuals. Virtual worlds thereby offer an
ideal venue for a variety of other purposes, in-
cluding employee motivational events, train-
ing, and everyday meetings. Earlier this year,
for instance, according to Linden Lab / Second
Life, IBM’s elite Academy of Technology held a
conference in which the avatars of over 200
people attended some 37 breakout sessions.
IBM estimates that the event cost one-fifth of
what it would have in the real-world, with
much of its price tag going for virtual real es-
tate, buildings and associated design services.
Just Face It. For those who find that avatar-
based environments do not offer sufficient re-
Virtual meetings can take place in Second Life (left) or in Siemens’ ViviConf conferencing environment.
alism in terms of eye contact and facial expres-
sions, Siemens has developed ViviConf — soft-
ware that allows people to see each other as
they really are in the context of a virtual meet-
ing using nothing more elaborate than a single
off-the-shelf PC video camera and microphone.
Unlike other dedicated conferencing systems,
which partition views of participants in boxes
or use specialized meeting rooms painted in
exactly the same color, ViviConf uses patented
software developed by Siemens’ Technology-
to-Business Center (TTB) in Berkeley, California
to subtract each participant’s background from
each image in real time. This allows users to
choose from a number of common, shared
backgrounds that can add just the right atmos-
phere to a meeting. All that’s needed is a very
brief training phase in which the camera sees
the background alone. After that, participants
in a ViviConf meeting can move their heads,
hands and arms, and these movements will be
96 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
accurately and clearly seen by all other partici-
pants without background-associated artifacts.
“A common background is the key point in
terms of maintaining the illusion that partici-
pants are in the same place,” explains Stuart
Goose, who, along with Jinhui (Jason) Hu, PhD,
developed ViviConf at the TTB for Siemens En-
terprise Networks, which is now analyzing a
number of implementation scenarios. The illu-
sion of presence even works for people who
don’t have a video camera, since ViviConf al-
lows them to insert an avatar of themselves
into a meeting. “Having a visual representation
of each participant is important,” says Goose,
“because then people can’t forget that you are
present, even if you are very quiet.”
The illusion of presence in ViviConf meet-
ings is also being extended to the audio do-
main. At Siemens Corporate Research (SCR) in
Princeton, New Jersey, for instance, develop-
ers have come up with a system that connects
people’s voices with their faces. “When some-
one speaks, the software synthesizes a stereo
effect in order to give the other participants a
sense of the direction of the speaker’s voice
that matches his or her location in the virtual
environment,” says Yakup Genc, Program Man-
ager for 3D Vision & Augmented Reality at SCR.
“The critical feature here is to make this tech-
nology automated and absolutely dependable.”
Although it relies on a single inexpensive
desktop camera for each participant, ViviConf
offers plenty of potential for advanced applica-
tions. “We would like to carry this technology to
the point where groups of engineers can use it
to collaboratively design CAD models, perhaps
even using haptic gloves,” says Goose. Already,
he points out, participants can use it to virtu-
ally walk inside relatively simple models. “But
imagine,” he says, “if you could invite your cus-
tomers to walk — or even fly — through part
of a virtual plant, complete with animations of
production lines and associated sounds.” Now
that’s the kind of flight that even Star Zanzibar
might wish to take. Arthur F. Pease
| Multimedia Documentation
M any people have enjoyed the benefits of
virtual product planning at one time or
another — for instance when buying a cus-
tom-tailored kitchen. Whether on your own or
in conjunction with a sales assistant, you can
conjure up a model of the kitchen on a moni-
tor and select the desired modules. Everything
can then be revised with just a few clicks of
the mouse.
The end result of such exercises is usually a
static digital image. But suppose you could
view the image from any desired angle, aug-
ment it with written or voice annotations, or
even insert video clips — that’s the promise of
3D documentation and archiving.
“We expect this process to become stan-
dard for the development of complex products
such as engines and medical equipment,” says
Sylvia Glas, an electrical engineer who heads a
pilot project for multimedia applications in
technical documentation at Siemens Corpo-
rate Technology (CT).
“The benefits of developing products in the
virtual world are wide-ranging. “The most no-
table are that many processes are simplified,
shortened, and made more cost-efficient,”
says Glas. In digital engineering the model
data is available long before production of a
prototype. This means that detailed brochures
can be printed before there is a concrete ob-
ject to photograph. What’s more, the product
can also be depicted on a monitor so clearly
that sales personnel can refer to a “look and
feel” experience.
The pioneers in creating objects in the vir-
tual world are the aerospace and automotive
industries. In these sectors it is routine for
models to be developed using computers and
then tested in the virtual world before the first
physical prototype is produced. This can dra-
matically reduce the cost of development —
sometimes by as much as 50 percent.
This exciting new world works only, how-
ever, with products that are designed, devel-
oped, and visualized using a computer right
from the beginning. “That’s the only way to
have full availability of all the data needed for
a virtual model,” says Glas.
For the CT pilot project, Glas’s team chose a
new drive system from the Siemens Industry
Sector’s Large Drives Division — the HT-direct
motor, which works using a permanent mag-
net. The product was selected because all of
its engineering data was already available in
digital and 3D form.
Interactive Animation. Using this data,
Glas’s team tested a range of potential pro-
grams to see which was best suited for gener-
ating virtual and spatial models. “Ultimately,”
Live Documents
From new products to lung scans, the need is growing
to visualize things interactively. Researchers at Siemens
have developed a cost-effective documentation and
archiving technology that opens new perspectives.
says Glas, “We decided on 3D PDF from Adobe,
because it is a free program within Adobe
Acrobat Reader, which is standard on all office
computers at Siemens.” The reasoning was
that no one wants to install a special program
suitable for only one project.
Thanks to the CT team’s work, the HT-direct
motor now exists as an interactive virtual
3D digital images of objects allow users to see
products from any desired perspective. Objects
can be augmented with written or voice data.
The technology may even replace user manuals.
model. It can be viewed from all sides on a
monitor. And a 3D computer animation even
illustrates how the motor is put together.
A generic tool, 3D documentation offers
plenty of potential applications across a spec-
trum of fields. Take healthcare, for instance.
Here, if doctors need to share a lung scan with
colleagues or patients, the only way to do so
today is to copy it to a CD and physically mail
it. And recipients may still require a specialized
program to view it, explains Sarah Witzig,
project manager for Integrated Data Systems
at Siemens Corporate Research (SCR) in Prince-
ton, New Jersey. But if such a scan exists in a
standard format such as 3D PDF from Adobe, it
can be viewed on any computer, complete
with annotations.
Replacing User Manuals with Images.
Siemens’ new 3D documentation system of-
fers a number of time-saving advantages.
From a product life cycle management point of
view, it offers the potential of accelerating de-
velopment times, particularly when it comes
to small-batch business, where start-up times
and manufacturing runs are extremely short.
It also offers the huge potential advantage
of sharply reducing written product descrip-
tions, user instructions, and spare parts cata-
logues, thus significantly reducing translation
costs. “Virtual models will greatly simplify
things, not only by cutting costs but also by
minimizing sources of error,” says Glas.
Video-based user manuals for assembly
work can be understood by skilled workers
everywhere. Interactive training for assembly
processes or for operational functions can be
provided using few words and with minimal
need for translation. Training content can be
changed at every location and digitally up-
dated to include the latest developments.
Even a model’s inner workings can be easily
displayed, for example by clicking a mouse to
make the product’s shell transparent.
The new 3D documentation technology
will also help to accelerate business interac-
tions, whether it’s connecting product devel-
opment with the production line, or marketing
with sales, or ordering and billing with human
resources. Before this can happen, however,
standards will have to be agreed upon. “Right
now, we are working on the tools for convert-
ing data from different systems into formats
that are required for creating a 3D PDF in an
automated fashion,” says Witzig.
One format that will be supported by this
process is the JT data format, which has be-
come established as today’s standard format
for visualization and exchange of 3D data.
It will soon make cooperation between com-
munication partners much easier. The JT data
format is a technology from Siemens PLM soft-
ware, which is used by Siemens itself as well
as by many automotive industry companies.
As in the real world, the virtual world consists
of many small jigsaw pieces that slowly come
together to form a complete picture.
Katrin Nikolaus
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 97

Virtual Reality | Excavators
Simulating a Monster
Siemens is developing a simulator for the gigantic bucket wheel excavators used
for mining brown coal. The objective is to test new automation systems and to train
tomorrow’s machine operators without risking damage or increasing downtime.
H ow can one of the world’s largest indus-
trial machines fit into a room measuring
only 15 square meters? Just ask Dr. Thomas
Baudisch. He and his team, which goes by the
name of FINE (Functional and integrative engi-
neering of mechatronic systems) deal with the
development of systems in virtual space.
The team proceeds as though this lab — on
the grounds of the Siemens Corporate Tech-
nology (CT) campus in the Neuperlach district
of Munich — contains a bucket wheel excava-
tor weighing as much as 14,000 metric tons.
Such steel colossi are some 90 meters tall and
about 200 meters in length — almost as long
as a bridge across the Rhine River. Neverthe-
98 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
less, the electronics required for the operation
and control of such giant excavators fit into
three rather modest control cabinets in Baud-
isch’s laboratory. There, scientists simulate the
actions of the huge machine on a computer
that’s connected to the electronics cabinets by
a thick cable.
A large poster on the wall of the lab depicts
such a bucket wheel excavator extracting
brown coal. “The image constantly reminds us
of what a monster we’re dealing with,” jokes
Baudisch. Since November 2008, Baudisch has
been working with an interdisciplinary team of
experts from the fields of mechanical engi-
neering, information technology, mathemat-
Siemens researchers are using sophisticated
simulation technology to test the controls of a huge
bucket wheel excavator. The operator interface
(small photos) is identical to that of the real thing.
ics, and electrical engineering to develop a
simulation system that is customized for the
bucket wheel excavators owned by the RWE
power company. “Our excavators are between
15 and 50 years old,” explains Thomas Nieß,
who is responsible for the electrical engineer-
ing of conveyor systems at RWE. If the steel
structure of a bucket wheel excavator is prop-
erly maintained, i.e. protected against corrosion,
and its welding seams are repaired periodi-
cally, it is practically indestructible.
Not so with the electrical system that con-
trols the machine. After 40 years at the latest,
the electric cables have deteriorated so much
from exposure to UV radiation and from wear
that they must be completely replaced. “And
the innovation cycles in electrical engineering
have become so much shorter that we have to
replace the system sooner and upgrade it at
ever shorter intervals,” says Nieß. That’s a
trend in all sectors — even in the mining in-
dustry, which generally ranks on the conserva-
tive side.
New Technology — New Features. For
RWE, the time has come to upgrade its bucket
wheel giants to the latest state of technology.
With this in mind, the company is working
with Siemens in Cologne to develop a com-
pletely new automation system for 16 excava-
tors it uses in open-pit brown coal mining in
the Rhineland coal fields — a triangle between
the cities of Aachen, Mönchengladbach, and
Cologne.
“We have to pre-test the new automation
programs in order to minimize excavator
downtime during the implementation phase,”
explains Nieß. This is where the research team
at Siemens comes in. It’s developing a simula-
tor for testing the new automation system.
”The industrial use of simulation is increas-
ing everywhere,” says Roland Rosen, head of
the Digital Product program within the Global
Technology field of Modeling, Simulation and
Optimization at CT. Rose explains that simula-
tions are part of a larger trend toward digital
products, which means that future products
are increasingly being created entirely on com-
puters, from concept and development to doc-
umentation and testing.
Siemens’ new software enables the excava-
tors to perform many tasks automatically that
the machine operator previously had to con-
trol. For example, electronic commands tell
the excavator’s control system which portion
of the terrain it must excavate, and they cause
it to automatically position the boom accord-
ingly. The control system checks via GPS
whether the machine is positioned correctly.
Sensors measure the distance to the slope and
they actuate an alarm if the machine is too
close. “That’s a very important part of provid-
ing machine operators with an assistance sys-
tem for their daily work,” explains Baudisch.
The control system also senses how much
coal the excavator’s buckets pick up, and it reg-
ulates the angular velocity at which they dig
through the material so that the quantity of
material transported by the conveyor belt re-
mains constant.
Many new functions are designed to ensure
that the excavators operate as efficiently as
possible and without stoppages. That’s be-
cause the impact of downtime can be quite
Siemens control systems operate the excavators as
automatically, efficiently, and reliably as possible.
severe. “An excavator mines up to 240,000
metric tons of coal a day,” says Nieß. The enor-
mous machines are relatively robust, but they
have some potential vulnerabilities that can be
electronically guarded against.
One sensor, for instance, will monitor the
current flow of the track drive for the crawler
units. The current must conform to a specified
profile. Any variation is indicative of a problem
with the crawler drive. Should such a problem
occur, the drive immediately stops in order to
prevent damage.
“We use algorithms to simulate both the
motor current and possible faults in order to
test the operation of the control system,” ex-
plains Baudisch. “Simulation means replica-
tion, analysis, and optimization of the physical
and automation functions of a system within a
specified timeframe,” says Rosen. This can be
achieved by using diverse mathematical mod-
eling approaches, such as time-discrete mod-
els or equations. The data are evaluated using
software, and any variance in the parameters,
such as velocity or weight, is displayed on vir-
tual measuring instruments.
But the simulator will be used for more
than just testing the new automation systems.
“We’ll also be using it to train new excavator
operators,” explains Nieß. Generally, these are
people with an electrical or mechanical engi-
neering background. But since they are new to
this equipment, it is best not to have them
practice on a real excavator right from the
start, not only because such machines are in
use almost all the time, but also because the
equipment is expensive.
“But before our simulator can be used for
training, it will need some additional function-
alities,” cautions Baudisch. For instance, he
and his team plan to connect the simulator to
a moving platform, so that future excavator
trainees get to feel like they’re in a real excava-
tor cab. “It’ll work exactly like a flight simula-
tor,” explains Baudisch.
Once the simulator is ready in the spring of
2011, excavator operators-to-be will be able to
practice with particular emphasis on those
functions that cannot be controlled automati-
cally. For instance, the groundwater drainage
holes that are commonly encountered in
open-pit mining must be avoided with room to
spare during excavation. They will also be able
to learn how to plan the routes taken by exca-
vators in open-pit mines.
Self-Assembling Simulation Models? The
development of simulation models is still very
costly and complex. To begin with, the re-
quired information must be gathered from en-
gineering drawings, circuit diagrams, path-
time diagrams and other sources. These data
are augmented by process-specific know-how,
such as material properties, digging process
models, and control models.
Today, simulation engineers still have to
perform extensive manual operations in order
to create simulation models. But Siemens re-
searchers are thinking ahead. “We expect to be
able to develop methods that automatically
search out the needed data and assemble
them into a complete simulation model,”
Baudisch predicts.
“The first prototypes for the virtual commis-
sioning of control systems already exist. It’s
still difficult to predict how soon these meth-
ods can be widely used in the development
process,” says Rosen. At any rate, Siemens
scientists are already focusing much of their
attention on the future. Katrin Nikolaus
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 99

Virtual Realities | Interview
Dignity in the Digital World
Jaron Lanier, 49, is widely
credited with having either
coined or popularized the
term “Virtual Reality.”
Lanier received an
honorary doctorate from
the New Jersey Institute
of Technology in 2006
and the IEEE Virtual Reality
Career Award in 2009.
Over the years, Lanier has
played a key role in the
development of tele-
immersion and real-time
facial impression tracking
for avatars. He and his
colleagues at Microsoft
are working on intriguing
unannounced projects.
100 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
What are the major trends driving the
introduction of virtual reality systems?
Lanier: Moore’s law and materials science. On
the Moore’s law side, pretty good levels of 3D
rendering have become commoditized and are
already miles ahead of what we could do not so
many years ago for millions of dollars. Cheap,
fast computing power is thus the muscle that’s
driving this today. Materials science, on the oth-
er hand, is bringing us better chips, improved
optics, sensors, actuators and displays. These
things are driving our experiences in the virtual
world and opening up great new possibilities.
Such as?
Lanier: Such as improved sensing that allows
us to detect all the details that produce the
expression on a person’s face in a truly 3D
way. If you can do that, you can project your-
self through your avatar in virtual worlds in
contacts with others — be it through realistic
telepresence or through fantasy worlds in
which you are another creature. This is impor-
tant because humans developed in such a
way that face-to-face communication was es-
sential for our survival. We respond to things
such as changes in the shape of the mouth
and eyes in a fundamental way. So facial
sensing is very important in supporting this.
Could advances in this area trigger a sig-
nificant reduction in transportation use?
Lanier: If you look at humanity’s carbon foot-
print, about 20 percent of it is accounted for
by transportation. So, hypothetically, we
should be able to implement communication
technologies that reduce the need for at least
some of that movement. Yet that has obvious-
ly not happened as a result of the existence of
telephony or email, or websites, or based on
the current technology level of video-confer-
encing. So the question we have to ask is,
could it happen if there were a more satisfy-
ing level of communication? I believe the
answer is yes. So reducing our global carbon
footprint could come down to how good an
algorithm is at sensing the corner of some-
body’s eye. Speaking very roughly, I think that
top-quality services along these lines could
probably reduce humanity’s global carbon
footprint by a tenth in ten to fifteen years.
Wouldn’t whole-body haptics be the
ultimate in VR sensing?
Lanier: This is a fascinating modality because
it’s the one with the highest bandwidth. It
would open access to cognitive powers that
seem to be innate, such as the ability of the
hands to find harmonically correct paths be-
tween chords on a piano without the need for
conscious thought. Whole body haptics would
allow us to enter, explore and virtually experi-
ence structures that we cannot even see.
Will immersion in virtual worlds eventu-
ally demand a connection between the
human brain and computers?
Lanier: If, like me, you see people as sacred
centers of experience that should be surround-
ed by a kind of moat of respect, you might find
it a little creepy to find yourself in a world in
which software can be connected directly to the
brain. This could create extraordinary artifacts
of power where some people might control a
transpersonal phenomenon, while others would
have no power at all. So I think it’s worth being
conservative about the core of personhood.
In what ways might the virtual world
enhance our personhood?
Lanier: There is a grand process that has been
present throughout the history of humanity
that is called neoteny. This process refers to the
carry-over of the child phase of life into adult-
hood. If you look at human history, you find
that as we have become more successful, child-
hood has become longer. The virtual world fits
into this because it helps make dreams real.
Children flip between the world as they imag-
ine it and the world as it is. But by being able to
build a shared objective world that is as fluid
as imagination they — and adults — can bring
some of the qualities of imagination into a
world that is shared with others. I believe that’s
what’s actually started to happen. I see VR as
an accelerator for the process of neoteny.
How might the virtual world change the
world of work?
Lanier: That’s complex because there are so
many different kinds of work. But my vision is
that the virtual world will become the place in
which each individual can achieve a form of
success that suits his or her character. That’s
what a successful future for mankind looks like.
Over the last couple of centuries, every time a
technology has gotten better, it has put some
people out of work. But it has also created new
jobs. And the new jobs are usually more digni-
fied and pleasant than those they replaced.
Looking ahead, therefore, the question of hu-
man dignity is the only question that matters. It
is the only purpose of developing technologies.
Interview conducted by Arthur F. Pease
| Crowd Flow Simulation
Predictive
Vision
Crowd flow simulations will enable us to make public
places safer. The technology makes it possible to
recognize potentially dangerous crowd congestion and
take appropriate measures — before an incident occurs.
E very year people die when panic breaks
out in crowds — in settings ranging from
stadiums to amusement parks to train sta-
tions. “The victims suffocate or are trampled to
death,” says Dr. Gerta Köster of Siemens Cor-
porate Technology (CT) in Munich, Germany,
describing the most extreme cases. Köster and
her ten-person team are working on making
busy places safer by simulating crowd flows,
using a method known as “crowd control.”
Team members simulate to what degree cer-
tain scenarios, involving different crowd densi-
ties, affect the movement of a group as a
whole. “Thanks to tremendous advances in
computing power, there has been intensified
research in this area worldwide for about ten
years now,” reports Köster.
CT’s Crowd Control team has expanded on
work that began as basic research at the uni-
versity level. The idea is to apply the resulting
knowledge to improve solutions at several
Siemens Groups — for example at the Mobility
Division — in order to improve the design of
products such as train interiors and thus re-
duce the time needed for passengers to board
and disembark trains in stations. Plans also call
for crowd flow simulations to be applied to lo-
gistical planning of events, infrastructures,
and transportation systems at Siemens’ Build-
ing Technologies Division.
In her lab, Köster’s computer displays a
range of colors — green represents low crowd
density, yellow is medium density, and red
stands for high density. If an area is spacious,
Siemens researchers can simulate
pedestrian flows over time. Using this new
technique, threatening situations can be
recognized before they develop.
people tend to keep a good distance from one
another and from walls. But as soon as people
approach a narrow passageway, they change
their behavior, moving closer to one another
and pressing closer to the walls as they try to
advance through the bottleneck. This is how
crowd congestion develops. When they once
again have more space, people move away
from one another — and the dark red color
reverts to yellow and green.
“We can simulate and visualize the behavior
of tens of thousands of pedestrians moving si-
multaneously,” says Köster. “Our simulations
are based on a special mathematical approach
known as cellular automata.”
The technique involves using a hexagonal
grid to divide a 2D space into cells, each of
which must have an unambiguous state: “emp-
ty” or “occupied.” If a cell is occupied, this
means it is occupied by a person, an obstacle,
or a destination. The status of the cell is contin-
uously and automatically updated according to
set rules. A program calculates how pedestri-
ans approach a destination, how they interact
with one another, and how they maneuver
around an obstacle. “This is similar to the
movement of electrons,” says Köster. “Destina-
tions attract, obstacles repel, and people keep
a certain distance from one another.”
Accelerated Simulation. To better depict hu-
man behavior, Köster’s research team has
gradually refined its computer model. Instead
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 101

Virtual Realities | Crowd Flow Simulation
of considering the age, gender, and fitness of
each person individually, the effect of the pro-
gram’s parameters is collectively allocated to
pedestrian movements. This makes it possible
to reproduce a fundamental relationship with
great accuracy. The denser a crowd becomes,
the slower it moves. “We have succeeded in
keeping the algorithms lean by combining, in
a very concentrated way, many factors that af-
fect the behavior and movement of pedestri-
ans. This is why our simulator can run such
fast calculations,” explains Köster.
Speed is particularly important when using
the simulator to make short-term forecasts.
The goal is to provide event managers with de-
cision-making aids before an incident occurs.
In a scenario in which a large crowd is waiting
on a train platform after a concert or soccer
game, for instance, and a delayed train packed
with passengers is due to arrive at the station,
the control center supervisor can call for a
short-term forecast by just pushing a button.
With a warning from Köster’s simulation three
minutes before life-threatening crowd conges-
tion forms, an extra train might be rushed into
service.
The simulator uses time-lapse motion, which is ten
times faster than real time in simulating 5,000 people.
“Our simulator calculates such a scenario in
time lapse motion. This means that it is ten
times faster than real time when dealing with
5,000 pedestrians,” says Dr. Wolfram Klein,
who played a major role in programming the
simulator. The speed of the simulation tool is
unique worldwide. It is clearly superior to that
of simulators based on a process known as the
“multi-agent approach,” which requires hours
to run. Although the multi-agent algorithm
can determine positions of individual people
more precisely, Köster points out that “we are
more concerned with being able to calculate
crowd density as quickly as possible.” Siemens
has already submitted patent applications for
eight associated inventions.
The mathematical approach employed by
Siemens was first used by the theoretical
physicists Prof. Kai Nagel and Prof. Michael
Schreckenberg in their “Nagel-Schreckenberg”
model for traffic simulation. Siemens re-
searchers have refined the model in collabora-
tion with Prof. Ernst Rank’s Department of
Computation in Engineering at the Technical
University of Munich.
Simulating Evacuation Scenarios. Köster’s
team plans to develop a simulator to process
102 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
real time data, collected with camera systems
and wireless technologies. The researchers
want the simulator to accept data online and
then filter out essential information so that it
can be added to an algorithm — a prerequisite
for fast simulation calculation.
This area of research is an important part of
a project called “Regional Evacuation: Plan-
ning, Control and Adaption” (REPKA), which is
sponsored by Germany’s Federal Ministry of
Education and Research. Siemens, the Techni-
cal University of Munich, the Kaiserslautern
police, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Inte-
grated Circuits in Erlangen are participating in
the project. REPKA monitors and analyzes
crowd flows after soccer games played in the
Fritz-Walter stadium in Kaiserslautern. The pro-
ject’s goal is to provide better, more flexible
planning and control of stadium evacuation
into an area with a radius of one kilometer.
Köster’s job is to develop the evacuation
model such that the movement of 50,000
pedestrians can be calculated in real time —
without the need for powerful computers. At
the same time, information on the behavior of
groups of people, such as fans or families, who
also interact with one another, is to be incor-
porated. Topographical conditions around the
stadium are also part of the model, since the
facility is on an elevated site right in the mid-
dle of a densely built-up residential area. All
this must work not only with high precision
but also in real time. “These are major chal-
lenges,” says Köster. “We have to improve our
models, test them, and adapt the software
code so that it will still be very fast.”
REPKA includes plans for a virtual training
simulator, which by 2011 will enable opera-
tions leaders to run through rescue operations
and see the impact of their decisions. “We want
to give people experience with situations that
can’t be tested in real life,” explains Köster.
The scenarios are to show what would hap-
pens if stadium exits became blocked because
of fire, how crowds would respond to public
announcements, in which directions they
would run, and where dangerous crowd con-
gestion could develop. Plans also call for the
training simulator to show in real time what
happens if an emergency exit is opened. “We
add these interactive factors to our crowd flow
simulation. And that puts us once again on
new terrain in this field of research,” says
Köster. Nikola Wohllaib
| Materials
Small
Researchers at Siemens
use simulations to develop
materials with improved
properties. In doing so,
they identify relationships
between a material’s
microstructure and
chemical composition,
thus determining which
alterations will have the
highest probability of
success in the real world.
T oday’s production materials are character-
ized by high performance. But as researchers
seek to further improve them, the parameters
that influence their performance become so
varied that it becomes impossible to compre-
hend and experimentally detect their numbers
and complex interrelationships,” says Dr. Wolf-
gang Rossner in describing the challenges
materials researchers face. Rossner works at
Siemens Corporate Technology (CT), where he
supervises the development of ceramic mate-
rials, which are used in everything from light
emitting diodes to detectors in medical sys-
tems and coatings for gas turbines.
So where do you begin when optimizing
materials? Should you start with their struc-
tures, chemical compositions, or the processes
used to manufacture them? This immediately
raises other questions. If, for example, you
want to give a porous substance a different
structure, you can change the size, shape, or
distribution of its pores; but which measure
will be most effective?
It’s as if researchers were standing at a con-
trol panel full of switches whose effects they
were only vaguely familiar with. What’s more,
changing one parameter may cause changes
in others in unpredictable ways. Producing and
testing every conceivable variant in a labora-
Worlds
tory takes too much time and costs too much
money.
But there is one tool in particular that can
help to accelerate this process significantly:
computer modeling (see Pictures of the Future,
Spring 2006, p.70). By developing a material in
the virtual world, scientists can analyze the
effects individual parameters will have on its
behavior. They can thus identify relationships
between material properties, specific micro-
structures, and chemical compositions, and
then use this information to induce a desired
behavior. In this way, they know which
changes are likely to be successful even before
lab testing begins. Virtual materials are also
perfectly defined — free of the unknown side
effects that occur in the lab, which can easily
mask the presence of the effect being pursued.
Models of virtual materials work under pre-
cisely defined conditions, so if a material alter-
ation does not produce the desired effect in a
simulation, you can assume with near certain-
ty that it won’t work in the real world.
Researchers thus use models to determine
the physical limitations of a material, while at
the same time overcoming the physical limita-
tions of an experiment by means of the virtual
materials the model produces. Scientists can,
for example, use a computer to simulate loads
— such as those occurring under extremely
high temperatures that cannot be recreated in
a lab. The model allows them to assess which
mechanisms determine the lifespan of a spe-
cific material, and thus to select the compo-
nents it should be used in. “You don’t want to
find out how a material will behave in an appli-
cation after the component has been pro-
duced; you want to get that information while
its still being developed,” Rossner explains.
This is an important issue — and not just for
Siemens, as new or improved materials pro-
vide competitive advantages and serve as en-
gines of innovation. Germany’s Ministry of Ed-
ucation and Research therefore funds virtual
material development to the tune of €20 million
annually, and two of its current 14 joint projects
are being coordinated by Siemens CT.
Analyses at the Atomic Level. Researchers
want to precisely understand how the struc-
ture and composition of a material will affect
its behavior in each application, since that’s
the only way to find out how they can give a
material the desired properties, or ensure that
a component will not fail. Their work takes
them deep inside a material. Around four
years ago, for example, Rossner’s colleague Dr.
Stefan Lampenscherf began experimenting
Dr. Stefan Lampenscherf tests the heat conductivity
of a ceramic sample. Materials research has had a
huge impact on Siemens’ business from light
emitting diodes to gas turbines.
with multiscale modeling, which combines var-
ious simulation methods to enable scientists
to completely describe a material all the way
from its atomic structure to its behavior in a
component. The models address the most di-
verse dimensions: Microstructures such as
pores, grains, and cracks typically measure only
fractions of a millimeter, for example. These
structures can be accurately described using
the Finite Element Method (FEM), a procedure
that subdivides a virtual material down to the
smallest building block — all the way to the
size of individual grains that typically measure
anywhere from a few tenths to several hun-
dredths of a millimeter.
To examine a material’s chemical composi-
tion, on the other hand, researchers require
methods that can describe interactions on an
even smaller scale, namely those involving
atoms. Here, the most precise technique is pro-
vided by the density functional theory (DFT),
which describes the quantum mechanical inter-
actions between atoms. Extremely high com-
putational requirements, however, which can
amount to several days, severely limit the use of
this method. As a result, DTF methods can
address only around 1,000 atoms.
In contrast, simulating a structure measur-
ing only one-thousandth of a millimeter at the
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 103
Virtual Realities | Materials
atomic level necessitates calculating the inter-
actions of billions of atoms. This is beyond the
scope of available resources, of course. But one
possibility for solving this problem is to con-
struct less detailed molecular-dynamic models
that describe in a simplified manner the move-
ments of atoms in a force field known as the
interatomic potential, whereby the quantum
The foundation for successful materials development is
the close interplay between experiments and models.
mechanical processes in the material are con-
tained in the definition of this potential.
The skill of the materials scientists on Ross-
ner’s team lies in their ability to select the right
model for any question they pose. They do this
by extensively analyzing materials in the lab
and then continuously comparing their results
with model calculations. Rossner believes this
approach forms the basis for successful mate-
rials development. “The close interplay be-
tween our experiments and models is what
makes our team so exceptional,” he says.
Another major challenge lies in linking
models — i.e. using the atomic model to derive
properties for the elements of the FEM model.
That’s one reason why the team is constantly
in touch with universities and research insti-
tutes around the world, including the universi-
ties in Cambridge and Oxford in the UK and
the Max-Planck-Institute for Iron Research in
Düsseldorf, Germany.
Many atomic model experts work at these
institutes, and their deep understanding of
methodologies and quantum mechanical
processes within materials allows them to help
develop effective material models from the
atomic to the macroscopic scale. Rossner be-
lieves that such models will become much
more practical in the future. And, just as FEM
104 Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009
is well established at many development de-
partments today, it will become possible over
the long run for materials experts to utilize
atomic models without having a profound
understanding of quantum mechanics.
Efficiency through Simulations. Rossner
and colleague Dr. Philip Howell point out that
heat insulation coatings for gas turbine blades
provide a good example of how FEM and mi-
crostructure analysis affect materials develop-
ment. These ceramic coatings, which are only
a few tenths of a millimeter thick, protect
turbine blades from temperatures in excess
of 1,300 degrees Celsius and can withstand
Researchers refine the microstructure of highly
porous ceramics using a virtual copy of the original
(right), which was created based on digital measure-
ment data (center) from a computer tomograph.
temperature differences of several hundred
degrees.
Ramesh Subramanian, an engineer at
Siemens’ Fossil Power Generation Division, ex-
plains the benefits of using improved ceramic
coatings: “A heat insulation coating that with-
stands higher temperatures and displays lower
heat conductivity reduces the cost of cooling
the turbine. For instance, a temperature in-
crease of 100 degrees can boost energy effi-
ciency by around one percent, which can save
a turbine operator about one to two million
euros in fuel costs per year.”
In their search for ceramic materials with
better heat insulation, scientists initially focus
on the influence of microstructures. Using
computer tomography (CT), they measure a
ceramic section and transfer its microstructure
as precisely as possible to an FEM model. This
virtual sample is compared with its real-life
counterpart to determine whether its simulat-
ed heat conductivity corresponds to lab val-
ues, thereby confirming the validity of the
model. Only at that point do researchers begin
altering the structure and composition of the
virtual material.
A case in point is zirconium oxide, a high-
performance heat insulation ceramic material.
Researchers want to test whether adding other
atoms can reduce the material’s heat conduc-
tivity. To estimate the effect of this measure,
Howell is developing atomic models for such
ceramics with other researchers — for exam-
ple, with colleagues at the Fritz Haber Institute
in Berlin. He says the main challenge lies in
making adjustments in line with pertinent
questions. “The molecular-dynamic model we
want to use to describe heat conductivity re-
quires a suitable interatomic potential, in this
case for zirconium oxide. Scientists engaged in
pure research are mostly interested in basic
questions, however — for example, whether a
certain model is capable of describing the de-
sired property at the atomic level, in our case
heat conductivity. All that’s required for that is
evidence gained with a model material for
which a potential exists. We in industry, how-
ever, have to develop components for use in
products, and we need to make definitive
statements regarding a specific material. Po-
tentials for specific substances therefore need
to be developed.” Howell is currently studying
whether his molecular-dynamic approach is
suitable for generating useful trend state-
ments regarding the heat conductivity proper-
ties of zirconium oxide ceramics.
Physical Limits. Howell has already attained
his goal in another area. After an Osram rival
announced it had achieved a dramatic in-
crease in lamp efficiency, inquiries revealed
that a patent had been registered describing a
metallic photonic crystal that would emit a
higher proportion of visible radiation than the
coiled filaments used in today’s lamps. Such
filaments primarily emit heat. Photonic crystals
behave like very precise light filters because
their structure enables them to emit or absorb
only light of a particular wavelength. Instead
of trying to produce such a crystal in the lab,
which would be a very complicated process,
Osram engineers turned to Siemens CT to find
out if the structure described in the patent
would actually deliver the result claimed.
Rossner’s team initially attempted to create
the described structure in the lab. But as was
expected, even the first few steps proved to be
extremely difficult to carry out. However,
there was a chance that the rival had already
come up with an effective manufacturing
process. Howell therefore began working in
parallel with experts whose speciality was the
Combining Simulations
Molecular dynamics
(e.g. for thermal conductivity)
Multiscale
modeling
Atomic properties
(e.g. regarding phonon dispersion)
computer modeling of photonic crystals. And
the specialists created perfect virtual struc-
tures that no lab had previously been able to
produce. Then, because the simulation did not
lead to the behavior described in the patent,
the researchers became convinced that the
claim regarding the revolutionary light source
ultimately would not hold up. Their suspicion
was later confirmed when the patent applica-
tion was withdrawn.
Dr. Klaus Orth, Director of Thermal Sources
Development at Osram Consumer Lighting,
was satisfied with the outcome. “The idea of
using metallic photonic crystals isn’t new, but
we were certain they would not be able to
withstand temperatures of up to 2,700 de-
grees Celsius over a lamp’s entire life,” he says.
“The simulations also showed that the struc-
tures described in the patent could not be suc-
cessful. Without positive simulation results,
we wouldn’t have started to conduct that type
of complex work in the lab.” Christine Rüth
In Brief
From automated, virtual production lines PEOPLE:
for hearing aids to fully functional 3D copies Linking imaging systems:
of actual buildings and training applications Dr. Jürgen Simon, Healthcare
in cyberspace, Siemens is the leader in busi- juergen.simon@siemens.com
ness applications in the virtual world. (p. 88) Christine Lorenz, CT
christine.lorenz@siemens.com
Siemens researchers have successfully Frank Sauer, CT
fused images using data from CT, MR, ultra- sauer.frank@siemens.com
sound and other modalities and used aug- Virtual conferencing:
mented reality for visualization, which can Dr. Steve Russell, CT
significantly improve diagnoses and treat- steve.russell@siemens.com
ments. (p. 92) Stuart Goose, CT
stuart.goose@siemens.com
More and more activities are being Yakup Genc, CT
transferred to the virtual world. Siemens yakup.genc@siemens.com
“Virtureal” site, for instance, can do the same Multimedia documentation:
things as its real world counterpart, opening Sylvia Glas, CT
the possibility of replacing a real location sylvia.glas@siemens.com
with a virtual one. Such capabilities are set Sarah Witzig, CT
to sharply reduce travel-related energy costs sarah.witzig@siemens.com
and improve service availability. (p. 95) Virtual bucket-wheel excavators:
Dr. Thomas Baudisch, CT
Siemens has developed a cost-effective thomas.baudisch@siemens.com
documentation and archiving technology Roland Rosen, CT
that makes it possible to visualize everything roland.rosen@siemens.com
from diagnostic images to virtual models of Crowd flow simulation:
industrial objects interactively and in a multi- Dr. Gerta Köster, CT
media context. (p. 96) gerta.koester@siemens.com
Dr. Wolfram Klein, CT
Siemens is developing a simulator for wolfram.klein@siemens.com
huge bucket-wheel excavators. The goal is to Virtual materials:
test automation technology and train equip- Dr. Wolfgang Rossner, CT
ment drivers on virtual machines. (p. 98) wolfgang.rossner@siemens.com
Dr. Stefan Lampenscherf, CT
Simulation of crowd flows will make it pos- stefan.lampenscherf@siemens.com
sible to improve safety in stadiums and other Ramesh Subramanian, Energy
public places. With software developed by ramesh.subramanian@siemens.com
Siemens and the Technical University of Mu- Dr. Klaus Orth, Osram: k.orth@osram.com
nich, dangerous crowd congestion can be
predicted and visualized, and steps can be Jaron Lanier: hello@jaronlanier.com
taken to intervene before situations become Prof. Nassir Navab: navab@cs.tum.edu
critical. (p. 101)
LINKS:
Researchers at Siemens use computers to Jaron Lanier’s web site:
develop materials in the virtual world, ad- www.jaronlanier.com
dressing everything from atomic structures to Prof. Nassir Navab’s web site:
questions regarding material behavior in a http://www.navab.in.tum.de
component. Using models to recreate a ma- Computation in Engineering, Munich TU:
terial’s behavior, they can test their ideas be- www.inf.bauwesen.tu-muenchen.de
fore investing time and money in producing Biosense Webster Inc.:
the material in the lab. (p. 102) www.biosensewebster.com
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 105
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Molecular Detectives
They are invisible to the naked eye and therefore all the more dangerous.
They are microorganisms that threaten our safety in hospitals, in foods
and beverages; pollutants in industrial environments and in our air and
water; molecules in patient exhalations that may be harbingers of diseases;
and particles that may signal the presence of explosives. What can be done
to combat these threats? Our armamentarium ranges from electronic
sniffers that can detect threatening substances in drinking water, food, and
power plant flue gases to systems that can spot the presence of antibiotic-
resistant bacteria or identify markers for cancers and other diseases.
Open Innovation:
Globalizing R&D
Partnerships with leading universities and institutes
are indispensable for Siemens’ research and develop-
ment activities. If the company is to keep abreast of
the times and integrate diverse cultures and research
approaches it cannot work in a vacuum. Open
Innovation is therefore the key. With this in mind,
Siemens launches over 1,000 research partnerships
every year with universities, research institutes, and
industrial partners all over the world. This global
collaboration network offers Siemens deep insights
into the latest results in basic research across a broad
Visions of Greener Cities spectrum of fields, while the company’s partners
benefit from close contact with industry and its
Cities account for 75 percent of global energy consumption and are practical research activities.
responsible for 80 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. In light of
climate change, city governments, scientists, and companies are there-
fore discussing new concepts for achieving sustainable urban develop-
ment. These range from new mobility solutions and innovative systems
for storing heat and cold to visionary ideas that include vertical agriculture
and surfaces that bind carbon dioxide. Pioneering projects can be found
around the world in Asia, the Americas and Europe. The European Green
City Index, a study conducted on behalf of Siemens, has examined which
European cities have made the most progress on the long road to environ-
mental sustainability.
Pictures of the Future | Fall 2009 107
www.siemens.com/pof

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