Power Engineering articles from April 2007

Power Engineering archives from April 2007

A reasoned argument for coal.(Opinion)(Viewpoint essay)(Report)
April 1, 2007... Here's a statement you don't read every day: "We believe that coal use will increase under any foreseeable scenario because it is cheap and abundant." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] That declaration comes right at the start of a recently...

Modeling emissions performance in new coal projects.(Industry In Focus)(Report)
April 1, 2007... New-build coal-fired plant decision-making is a complex process requiring insight not only into the technical and logistical aspects of each technology, but also the direction of future regulatory requirements that may be promulgated during the...

Plains end marks a starting point.(Managing the Plant)(Plains End power station uses Wartsila 18V34SG reciprocating engines gas turbines from Wartsila Corp.)
April 1, 2007... The road leading to the Plains End power station in the Rocky Mountain foothills outside Denver was filling with snow at the start of a late-December blizzard, the second to hit the area in a week. Inside the 113 MW power plant building, 20...

AEP will capture C[O.sub.2] using two different technologies.(Startup)(American Electric Power Company Inc.)
April 1, 2007... The second largest electric utility in the U.S. has committed to programs to capture and sequester carbon dioxide (C[O.sub.2]) from coal-fired plants using two carbon capture technologies, one post-combustion and one pre-combustion. Both...

Canadian carbon pipeline could cost up to C$5B.(Startup)
April 1, 2007... Sequestering carbon dioxide(C[O.sub.2]) produced and captured by coal plants will require building a new network of pipelines to move it from plants to where it is used commercially or, in most cases, disposed of indefinitely in saline...

NRC will make hard "targets" harder.(Startup)(United States. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to improve designs of nuclear power plants to thwart terrorist activities)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Although the U.S. nuclear industry and those who regulate it have long believed that the nation's nuclear power plants could probably withstand a September 11-style attack, future reactors will be specifically designed to survive a crash by a...

Coal demand maintains pressure on railroads.(Startup)(Report)
April 1, 2007... In 2005, utilities dependent on Powder River Basin (PRB) coal complained about what they said were lax maintenance and overdue capacity expansions that led to train derailments and a logjam in coal deliveries. Dwindling coal inventories at...

Megawatt-scale flywheel nears market readiness.(Startup)(Report)
April 1, 2007... The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) confirmed last month the successful outcome of field trial testing of Beacon Power's scale-power flywheel frequency regulation system...

Emerson Process Management.(Construction & Contracts)(Emerson Process Management Inc. to replace existing turbine control systems)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Emerson Process Management will replace the existing turbine control system for Units 1, 2 and 3 at Southern Illinois Cooperative's Marion Generating Station. Unit 1 is a 173 MW coal-fired unit and the other two units are 73 MW combustion...

Gainesville Regional Utilities.(Construction & Contracts)(Gainesville Regional Utilities signs deal with CH2M Hill Companies Ltd. and )(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Gainesville Regional Utilities has selected CH2M Hill and Babcock Power Environmental to perform engineering, procurement and construction for a selective catalytic reduction system, dry flue gas desulfurization and fabric filter for Deerhaven...

Foster Wheeler's Global Power Group.(Construction & Contracts)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Foster Wheeler's Global Power Group has received a contract from Hanwha International to supply three 100 MW circulating fluidized-bed steam generators that will burn bituminous coal at a South Korean chemical facility. The Global Power Group...

Thermal Engineering International.(Construction & Contracts)(Thermal Engineering International Ltd. signs deal with TXU Corp.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Babcock Power subsidiary, Thermal Engineering International (TEi) has received a contract to supply condensers for TXU's 1,720 MW lignite-fired Oak Grove plant in north central Texas. Fluor will provide engineering, procurement and construction...

Burns & McDonnell.(Construction & Contracts)(Burns and McDonnell Engineering Co. signs deal with Kansas City Power and Light, Aquila, Empire District Electric Co, Kansas Electric Power Cooperative and the Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... TEi will supply feed water heaters and condensers for the 850 MW Iatan 2 coal-fired unit near Kansas City, Mo. Burns & McDonnell is providing detailed engineering design services. Iatan 2--expected to enter service in 2010--will be jointly...

Westar Energy.(Construction & Contracts)(Westar Energy Inc. signs contract with Black and Veatch Corp.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Westar Energy has selected Black & Veatch to provide engineering, procurement and construction services for the 600 MW Emporia Energy Center peaking plant under construction near Emporia, Kan.

Wartsila.(Construction & Contracts)(Wartsila Corp. signs deal with Midwest Energy Co.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Wartsila will supply engines for the Goodman Energy Center, a 76 MW gas-fired plant being built in Hays, Kansas by Midwest Energy and expected to be operating in time for the summer 2008 peaking season.

John Wood Group's Gas Turbine Services Division.(Construction & Contracts)(John Wood Group PLC signs deal with American Electric Power Company Inc.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... John Wood Group's Gas Turbine Services Division (WGPS) has received three turnkey contracts valued at about $195 million from AEP to build and commission three peaking facilities with a combined capacity of 680 MW. They are the greenfield Harry...

EnerNOC.(Construction & Contracts)(EnerNOC Inc. signs deal with Pacific Gas and Electric Co.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... EnerNOC has entered into a 40 MW demand response agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric Company to further expand its "negawatt" portfolio of more than 500 MW. The five year contract calls for EnerNOC to aggregate demand response capacity at...

Babcock & Brown Renewable Holdings.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(Babcock and Brown Holdings Inc. acquires interest of Gamesa Energia S.A.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Babcock & Brown Renewable Holdings will acquire all interest in four companies owned by Gamesa Energy USA and Gamesa Energia, affiliates of Spanish wind turbine maker Gamesa Corporacion Tecnologica. As a relatively new company in the U.S.,...

Energy Group's merger involving WPS Resources Corp. and Peoples Energy Corp. has been completed.(Mergers & Acquisitions)
April 1, 2007... Energy Group's merger involving WPS Resources Corp. and Peoples Energy Corp. has been completed. The newly combined company serves four Midwest states through its regulated utility operations. Integrys Energy Group also operates nonregulated...

EDP-Energias de Portugal SA.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(Energias de Portugal SA acquires Horizon Wind Energy LLC )(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... EDP-Energias de Portugal SA agreed to buy Horizon Wind Energy LLC of Texas from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. for $2.15 billion. The purchase will more than double EDP's wind-power production.

Exelon Generation.(Business Briefs)
April 1, 2007... The NRC has approved early site permits (ESPs) for Exelon Generation's Clinton site in central Illinois and Entergy's Grand Gulf site in Mississippi. The approvals culminate a multi-year project by both owners to demonstrate the previously...

Siemens Power Generation and Zolo Technologies.(Business Briefs)(Zolo Technologies Inc. signs contract with Siemens Power Generation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Siemens Power Generation and Zolo Technologies have signed business agreement to introduce advanced combustion optimization solutions in coal-fired power plants that will reduce emissions--including greenhouse gases--and increase generation...

Argonne National Laboratory.(Business Briefs)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois could be one location where nuclear fuel will be recycled. Argonne would be part of DOE's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership program to expand nuclear power production. If approved, the lab would be one of...

Siemens Power Generation.(Business Briefs)(Siemens Power Generation gets orders in the United States)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Since acquiring Bonus Energy in 2004, Siemens Power Generation has received orders in the U.S. for more than 1,400 MW of wind capacity. Siemens currently has more than 600 wind turbines on order in the U.S. representing about $1.7 billion in...

Reliant Energy.(Personnel & Promotions)(Reliant Energy Inc. chief executive officer Joel Staff resigns)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Reliant Energy Chairman and CEO Joel Staff will retire as CEO at this year's annual meeting and be succeeded by Mark Jacobs, currently EVP and CFO. Brian Landrum becomes COO.

PG & E Corporation.(Personnel & Promotions)(Thomas King appointed at PG and E Corp.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Thomas King has been elected president of PG & E Corporation effective July 1, replacing Peter Darbee. King is currently CEO of the Pacific Gas & Electric utility unit. Darbee will continue as CEO and chairman and William Morrow will succeed...

Constellation Energy.(Personnel & Promotions)(Sigval Berg appointed at Constellation Energy.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Sigval Berg has joined Constellation Energy's nuclear development organization, UniStar Nuclear, as senior vice president of infrastructure development. He most recently served as executive vice president of the Institute of Nuclear Power...

Dominion Energy.(Personnel & Promotions)
April 1, 2007... Keith Drohan, senior market originator for Dominion Energy, has been named president of the American Coal Council for 2007.

Public Service Enterprise Group.(Personnel & Promotions)(Ralph Izzo appointed at Public Service Enterprise Group)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Ralph Izzo has been elected chairman and CEO of Public Service Enterprise Group, succeeding E. James Ferland, who is retiring as the head of New Jersey's largest electric and gas utility company. Izzo remains president and COO of PSEG.

AES Corp.(Personnel & Promotions)(Dr. Andres Gluski is appointed at AES Corp.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... AES Corp. has named Dr. Andres Gluski executive vice president and COO responsible for generation and distribution businesses in its four geographic regions. Gluski was most recently EVP and president of AES Latin America.

Consumers Energy.(Personnel & Promotions)(Bruce Rasher appointed at Consumers Energy Co.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Consumers Energy named Bruce Rasher as manager of renewable energy, responsible for coordinating the utility's dealings with renewable energy developers, exploring opportunities for Consumers Energy to build its own renewable energy projects...

AES Corporation.(Personnel & Promotions)(Mark Woodruff and Ahmed Pasha are appointed at AES Corp.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... AES Corporation appointed Mark Woodruff as Executive Vice President and President of AES's Asia and Middle East region and Ahmed Pasha as Vice President of Investor Relations.

Reducing mercury via combustion optimization and sorbent injection.(Report)
April 1, 2007... Most utilities using coal-fired power generation are actively seeking efficient, cost-effective technologies for controlling multiple pollutants, including mercury. Activated carbon injection (ACI) is currently one of the most mature mercury...

Advances in combined-cycle steam turbines: steam turbines advance in technology to keep pace with gas turbines.(Report)
April 1, 2007... Steam turbines installed at early combined-cycle (CC) plants were relatively simple machines based on existing industrial turbine designs. Typically, they were rated 80 MW or less and would spin blissfully along at moderate steam conditions...

Measuring coal particles in the pipe.(Cover story)
April 1, 2007... Knowing the size and distribution of coal particles can significantly help optimize combustion and boiler performance. The traditional way to measure this important property is to collect samples from the coal pipe, then measure particle size...

Drive technology enables combustion optimization.(combustion optimization in air flow control)(Report)
April 1, 2007... With environmental and economic constraints driving power plants towards cleaner and more efficient operations, it is imperative that the main process in a fossil-fueled boiler, combustion, should be optimized. Precision combustion control...

Pump up the power: using a different kind of pump can help turn around plant performance.(Report)
April 1, 2007... An industrial pump is a small component in a power plant that may operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week over extensive periods. But failure of that small pump can cause catastrophic problems--even if a backup pump is available. Combined...

Digital measurement and control instrument.(Products)
April 1, 2007... Hach has introduced the sc1000 Universal Controller to its digital measurement platform. The sc1000 has two components: the probe module, to which analyzers and sensors are directly connected, and the portable display module. With a touch...

Baghouse software.(Products)
April 1, 2007... FilterSense has introduced FilterWare for baghouses and all types of dust collection systems, enabling automated control, maintenance management and EPA compliance needs simultaneously. FilterWare provides instant maintenance diagnostics,...

Portable balancing instrument and vibration analyzer.(Products)
April 1, 2007... Designed with an intuitive user interface that makes it easy to use, the Lord Corp. has introduced the Balance Check, which can be used to detect unbalance, identify the correction capacity required to offset unbalance and verify balance once...

Flexible piping system.(Products)
April 1, 2007... Abresist Corp. has introduced the KALFLEX flexible and wear resistant pipe system, a cost-effective solution for connecting structural components that move due to vibration, thermal expansion or as a result of intended movement. Simple and...

Noise reduction earmuff.(Products)
April 1, 2007... Pro Tech Communications Inc. has developed a safety earmuff featuring active noise reduction of low frequency noise. The NoiseBuster Active Noise Reduction (ANR) Safety Earmuff is an important hearing protection product for industrial workers....

Pump bearings.(Products)
April 1, 2007... SKF has introduced the 3300 DNR Series pump bearings, engineered with an exclusive double-row bearing design and steeper contact angle of 40 degrees to meet the higher thrust demands present in ANSI style pumps. These bearings are especially...

FuelCell Energy's 300 kW plant certified to California standards.(DG Update)
April 1, 2007... FuelCell Energy's (FCE) modular 300 kW Direct FuelCell power plant has met the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) distributed generation emissions standards for 2007. An earlier model of FCE's DFC300MA capable of producing 250 kW had...

Island's solar array will be Canada's largest.(DG Update )(Carmanah Technologies Corp. gets solar power system contract Public Works & Government Services Canada )
April 1, 2007... Public Works & Government Services Canada has awarded Carmanah Technologies Corporation a contract for $1.4 million (Canadian) for a 108 kW solar power system to be installed on the roof of the four-story Jean Canfield Building currently under...

Micro-utility can deliver Watts, water or wireless.(DG Update)(Ecosphere Technologies Inc. introduces Ecos LifeLink micro-utility)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... A California company has introduced a portable, self-contained "micro-utility" designed to use solar energy and--as an option--a wind turbine to provide electricity to convert contaminated ground water to purified drinking water and/or deliver...

Umbilical helps utilities meet Mercury Rule.(Field Notes)
April 1, 2007... It's been almost two years since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the final Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR), limiting mercury emissions from new and existing coal-fired power plants and creating a market-based emissions...

Dynegy benefits from alarm-management solution.(Field Notes)
April 1, 2007... The Baldwin Energy Complex is the flagship of Dynegy Inc.'s Midwest generation fleet. The complex is home to three coal-fired units with a total capacity of 1,800 MW. As a flagship plant, Baldwin boasts state-of the art automation. Legacy...

A bottom-line approach to knowledge retention.(Workforce)
April 1, 2007... The news has seen plenty of talk over escalating demand for power. Without rapid capacity build out, demand will outstrip supply in the near future. Similarly, the power industry is experiencing a supply shortage in another critical resource:...