Power Engineering articles from August 2003

Power Engineering archives from August 2003

Natural gas crisis revisited.(Opinion)
August 1, 2003... Did you follow the flurry of news reports in June about the natural gas crisis? Though the media has since moved on to newer crises, the underlying problems with gas supply and pricing remain. The situation suggests the following scenario: ...

In-shop turbine/generator repair can afford advantages over field fixes.(Update)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Among maintenance outage quandaries power plant operators face is whether to send components off site for repair or have the work done on site. In instances where the job can be accomplished either way, some believe the choice is difficult....

The wind blows across the coal fields.(Transmission Infrastructure)(Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator )(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2003... Wind power developers bemoan the fact that abundant wind usually exists in regions remote from load centers, where there is rarely adequate transmission to connect wind-generated electricity to population centers. Developers of new coal-fired...

Independent power group urges caution on natural gas issue.(Update)(Electric Power Supply Association )
August 1, 2003... The Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA) has sent a letter to Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham recommending against strict federal policies regarding fuel choices for power plants in the U.S. EPSA is the national trade association...

New reactor design achieves milestone.(Update)
August 1, 2003... Westinghouse Electric Co. President and CEO Steve Tritch says the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's issuance of a draft safety evaluation report (DSER) for the company's AP1000 nuclear power technology is a major milestone that will further...

American Securities Capital Partners and Private Power LLC have agreed to acquire six operating subsidiaries of Primary Energy, Inc. a subsidiary of NiSource.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... American Securities Capital Partners and Private Power LLC have agreed to acquire six operating subsidiaries of Primary Energy, Inc. a subsidiary of NiSource. NiSource will also sell its Columbia Energy Resources gas exploration and production...

American Electric Power is soliciting bids for the purchase of all generating assets.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... American Electric Power is soliciting bids for the purchase of all the generating assets of its AEP Texas Central Co. subsidiary (formerly known as Central Power and Light).

Allegheny Energy Supply Conemaugh, LLC, has completed the sale of its 83 MW share.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(UGI Development Co.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Allegheny Energy Supply Conemaugh, LLC, has completed the sale of its 83 MW share of the coal-fired Conemaugh Generating Station near Johnstown, Pa., to UGI Development Co.

Power Maintenance Resources.(Construction And Contracts)(Vogt Power contract)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Vogt Power has selected Power Maintenance Resources (PMRI) to provide field supervision, labor, tools and equipment for the removal and re-tube of the heat recovery steam generators for six GE combustion turbines at Portland General Electric's...

Fern Engineering.(Construction And Contracts)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... EPRI has chosen Cape Cod, Mass.-based Fern Engineering to investigate several technologies that have the ability to improve the operational flexibility of gas turbine power plants.

USEC Inc.(Construction And Contracts)(signs agreement with Exelon Generation Co)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... USEC Inc. has an agreement worth almost $700 million with Exelon Generation Co. to supply uranium enrichment services for the 17 nuclear power reactors operated by Exelon over six years.

TransCanda Corp.(Construction And Contracts)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... TransCanada Corp. has agreed to develop a 550 MW gas-fired cogeneration power plant in Quebec.

Open Systems International Inc.(Construction And Contracts)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... FPL Energy has chosen Open Systems International Inc. for implementation of a Generation Management System.

Babcock & Wilcox has entered into a 10-year alliance with Progress Energy Carolinas.(Construction And Contracts)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Babcock & Wilcox has entered into a 10-year alliance with Progress Energy Carolinas to supply environmental control equipment for the utility's North Carolina power plants.

GE Wind Energy and Airtricity, an Irish renewable energy company.(Construction And Contracts)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... GE Wind Energy and Airtricity, an Irish renewable energy company, plan to develop a 25 MW wind farm in the Irish Sea to provide power for the Irish electricity grid using seven 3.6-MW wind turbines.

Emerson Process Management.(Construction And Contracts)(wins power station modernisation contract)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Emerson Process Management has won a $16 million contract to modernize the Ataka Thermal Power Station in the Suez region of Egypt.

Turbomeca has awarded Calnetix a contract for the development of 2 MW high-speed permanent magnet generator.(Construction And Contracts)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Turbomeca has awarded Calnetix a contract for the development of a 2 MW high-speed permanent magnet generator to be directly coupled to a gas turbine for power generation.

Foster Wheeler Power Group Inc.(Construction And Contracts)(wins contract from Indianapolis Power & Light Co)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Foster Wheeler Power Group Inc. has been awarded a contract worth about $126 million from Indianapolis Power & Light Co. (IPL) to supply and install two selective catalytic reduction systems for IPL's coal-fired Petersburg Generating Station,...

Spire Corp.(Construction And Contracts)(wins contract from U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratories)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Spire Corp. has been awarded a $5.2 million cost-shared contract from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratories to develop automated manufacturing processes for fabricating large-scale solar electric modules.

Wheelabrator.(Construction And Contracts)(turnkey electrostatic precipitator contract)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Wheelabrator has received a contract to supply a turnkey electrostatic precipitator system for the 536 MW Cinergy Cayuga Unit 1 in Cayuga, Indiana.

Wisconsin Energy Corp. subsidiary We Power has broken ground on the $640 million Port Washington Generating Station, part of the company's Power the Future plan.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Wisconsin Energy Corp. subsidiary We Power has broken ground on the $640 million Port Washington Generating Station, part of the company's Power the Future plan. We Generation will operate the 1,000 MW gas-fired facility that will replace the...

CH2M HILL and ADA Technologies Inc. have formed a company, Amended Silicates, LLC.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... CH2M HILL and ADA Technologies Inc. have formed a company, Amended Silicates, LLC, to commercialize an advanced sorbent technology to control mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants.

Under a new agreement, Competitive Technologies Inc. will be the exclusive agent for Novacon Energy Systems' patented process.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Under a new agreement, Competitive Technologies Inc. will be the exclusive agent for Novacon Energy Systems' patented process for reducing the major pollutants resulting from the burning of coal, wastes, petroleum and other fuels.

Fuel-tech N.V. announced that it has signed a strategic agreement with Peabody Energy.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Fuel-Tech N.V. announced that it has signed a strategic agreement with Peabody Energy to jointly market the company's proprietary Targeted-In-Furnace Injection technology to units using high sodium coals.

Mirant.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Mirant has reached an agreement between the New York Attorney General and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to install environmental technology at its Lovett power plant.

PG&E National Energy Group.(Business Briefs)(files for bankruptcy protection)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... PG&E National Energy Group, a unit of PG&E Corp., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Mirant, formerly a unit of Atlanta-based Southern Company, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Mirant, formerly a unit of Atlanta-based Southern Company, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company owns or operates more than 21,000 MW of generating, capacity worldwide.

Aviation, Power & Marine (AP&M) has announced the creation of AP&M Field Services Inc.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Aviation, Power & Marine (AP&M) has announced the creation of AP&M Field Services Inc., which specializes in inspections, field work and other related activities for GE LM2500, LM5000 and LM6000 engines.

Citing a dramatic decline in the construction of new power plants, Duke Energy Corp. and Fluor Corp. have announced.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Citing a dramatic decline in the construction of new power plants, Duke Energy Corp. and Fluor Corp. have announced they will dissolve their Duke/Fluor Daniel power contracting business over the next two years.

Environmental Power Corporation.(Personnel And Promotions)(Kam Tejwani)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Kam Tejwani has been named president and CEO of Environmental Power Corporation.

American Public Power Association.(Personnel And Promotions)(Glenn Cannon)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Glenn Cannon, general manager of Waverly (Iowa) Light and Power, has been named chair of the American Public Power Association's board of directors.

RealEnergy.(Personnel And Promotions)(John F. Paul)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... John F. Paul has joined combined heat power onsite energy generation company RealEnergy as CEO.

CH Energy Group., Inc.(Personnel And Promotions)(Steven V. Lant)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Steven V. Lant has assumed responsibilities as President and CEO of CH Energy Group, Inc.,

Constellation Generation Group.(Personnel And Promotions)(names Peter Katz senior vice president)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Peter Katz has been named senior vice president of Constellation Generation Group with responsibility for the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station in Scriba, New York.

Armando Olivera has been named president of Florida Power & Light Co.(Personnel And Promotions)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Armando Olivera has been named president of Florida Power & Light Co., succeeding Paul Evanson, who has been named chairman, president and CEO of Allegheny Energy.

Electrical Generating Systems Association.
August 1, 2003... Founded in 1965, the Electrical Generating Systems Association, or EGSA for short, is a trade association made up of over 500 companies in the USA and around the world that make, sell, distribute, specify, service, and use On-Site Power...

New solution for intertie protection.(Distributed Generation Update)(Basler Electric)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2003... The Basler IPS100 provides protection at the intertie point between a Distributed Generation source and the electric power grid and is designed to meet the growing need for affordable utility grade intertie protection. Although the BE1-IPS100...

Retrofit obsolete excitation systems.(Power Plant Rehab Note)(Basler Electric )(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2003... If obsolete equipment, maintenance and servicing nightmares, and a lack of options when it comes to updating and upgrading are making your job tough, Basler Electric has the answer. Basler provides a full range of products and services to...

6th generation microprocessor-based voltage regulator.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2003... In 1958, Basler Electric introduced its first analog voltage regulator, the SR4A. It grew to become the leader in the solid state analog voltage regulator world. This design withstood the test of time and is still available. Today, Basler...

Distributed generation: it's all a matter of control: when it comes to DG assets, it's not so much what you have, but how you use it.(DG Dispatch And Monitoring)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2003... The total is often greater than the sum of its parts, and perhaps no better example exists in today's electric power business than distributed generation. Distributed power sources range from gen-sets with outputs of less than 100 kW, to...

Regular maintenance, monitoring and operator training critical to boiler safety.(Boilers/Fuel Systems)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... When the first steam boilers were introduced in the 18th century, in the U.S. and Europe, safety was a big issue. During a 12-year period, 1879 through 1891, there were 2,159 reported steam boiler explosions in the U.S. These explosions killed...

Water contamination in hydrogen-cooled generators lurks as serious operational threat.(Generators)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Water contamination in hydrogen gas can lead to significant problems in hydrogen-cooled generators, including electrical arcing and winding failures. The phenomenon of how water is introduced into generators, however, is not well understood,...

GPS-based time synchronization improves plant reliability.(Plant Control Systems)(Great River Energy)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
August 1, 2003... In the power generation industry, accurate time, keeping by supervisory control systems is of utmost importance. Operational failures can propagate rapidly across plant systems and trigger a chain reaction of equipment alarms and shutdowns....

Asia looks for power industry revival.(Asian Power Market)(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2003... Through the early 1990s, power purchase agreements were being written across Asia, in places as high as 8-9 cents/kWh. All well and good, particularly for the IPPs that flocked to the region to capitalize on the liberalization of the power...

Fuel cells power DoD facilities.(DG update: news & views on distributed generation)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... In 2002, the Watervliet Arsenal in upstate New York served as the host site for ten 5 kW Plug Power fuel cell power systems providing electricity to power a telecommunications facility, a research and development laboratory and base housing....

Ultrasonics speed detection of boiler tube and casing leaks.(Field Notes)
August 1, 2003... RECENTLY, ROBERT J. DELAUNE, Senior Technical Specialist, Entergy Inc. was asked to identify the location of a leak inside the furnace of a boiler at Entergy's Little Gypsy power plant. "Because the unit was using an excessive amount of make-up...

Mount Pleasant utilities.(Managing The Plant)
August 1, 2003... For years, the city of Mount Pleasant, in southeast Iowa, has had an interruptible power purchase agreement with its wholesale power supplier, buying power at wholesale rates and re-selling it at retail rates to its customers. In the summer, as...

Actuators.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... ROTORK INTRODUCES A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF SKILMATIC ELECTRIC FAIL-SAFE ACTUATORS Rochester, NY, June 20, 2002--Rotork has announced the introduction of a full range of Skilmatid[TM] electric failsafe linear and quarter-turn actuators that...

Advanced control solutions.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... New Honeywell Unified Energy Solutions Reduce Costs, Maximize Profits Honeywell's new Unified Energy Solutions (UES) advanced control applications provide power and heat production control optimization. UES components run in conjunction...

Air pollution control.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Air Pollution Control Systems A global leader in the design and supply of pre-engineered and custom-engineered air pollution control equipment, turnkey systems and services, Wheelabrator offers fabric filters, electrostatic precipitators,...

Boiler cleaning.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Diamond Power's HYDROJET[R] boiler cleaning system is the new standard for precision, reliability and efficiency, it minimizes thermal impact while cleaning previously hard-to-reach surfaces. Four HYDROJET[R] devices clean an entire furnace,...

Bolting solutions.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... HYTORC's latest Bolting Machine, the AVANTI[TM], is not just the most user-friendly, it is the most universal Bolting Tool available. Convertible for regular-, medium- and highly critical jobs, from torque to tension, from an unprecedented...

Bolting solutions.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Bolting Solutions Catalog! The new edition of Superbolt's "Solution To Bolting Problems" catalog is now available. Catalog contains technical information on mechanical stud/bolt tensioners including new High Temperature designs, updated...

Brushholders--slip ring.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Fulmer Company uses their in-house foundry and spring shop as well as custom engineering, machining, finishing and assembly capabilities to provide: * "Magazine-type" brushholders to replace brushes on live equipment * Retrofit...

Diesel genset.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... 2.7 MW diesel genset delivers big power, low emissions The new PowerCommand[R] 2.7 MW diesel generator set is the largest standard production genset available, giving power producers a larger power block in a readily available production...

Emissions monitoring.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... The Lighthawk--Model 560 Compliance Opacity / Dust Monitor Meets All Proposed Changes to PS-1 and ASTM D6216 and utilizes a State-of-the-Art Patented Electro-dynamic Pulsed LED Light Source! Monitor Labs LightHawk Opacity/Dust Monitor...

Engineering services.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Utility Engineering--Your Power Solutions Partner Utility Engineering Corporation is a full-service, nationwide engineering firm with more than 900 employees and major offices in Amarillo, TX; Atlanta; Denver; Groton, CT; Minneapolis; and...

Filtration systems.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Mega EBS Provides High Flow Rates & Large Filtration Area The Mega EBS is the largest automatic, self-cleaning, fine-filtration system available. With flow-rates up to 17,600 GPM and filtration area of 6200 in_, the Mega EBS is ideal for...

Gas turbines.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... GE Power Systems is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation technology, energy services and management systems, with an installed base of power generation equipment in more than 120 countries. GE Power Systems provides...

Gearing unit parts.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Western Gear and WesTech Renewal Parts from Philadelphia Gear Philadelphia Gear Corporation announces the availability of genuine renewal parts for Western Gear and WesTech gearing units. Philadelphia Gear purchased the Western Gear and...

Generator & turbine repair.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Retaining Ring Forgings Industrial Repair Service now stocks 18Cr-18Mn blank retaining ring forgings for high speed rotors. We offer in-house and on-site services. For more information call our office today at 505-327-6363. Circle...

Generators.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Kato Engineering has released a new brochure for its military products. These products include generators for Navy ships as well as motor-generator sets and high-frequency generators for aircraft ground support and other precision applications....

Generators: MQ Power's new ultra-silent generators.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... MQ Power introduces the world's quietest and highest-performing portable power sources. With a patented soundproof housing, sound levels are up to 11 decibels quieter (56 to 63dBA full load at 23 feet) than the current WhisperWatt line. ...

Granulators.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Pennsylvania Granulator Handles Most Power Plant Requirements The Granulator is a ring hammermill used by many power plants to size coal. Offered in twenty-six models and sizes, it will handle coals that are wet, sticky or frozen with no...

HAI power augmentation.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Whether you're a utility, IPP, industrial site or pipeline compressor station operator, you can improve the output of your existing gas turbines by as much as 30% and reduce NOx emissions through Hill Energy Systems' Humid Air Injection ("HAI")...

Hoists.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... J.D. Neuhaus is a world class manufacturer of high-capacity (from _ ton to 100 tons) pneumatic, hydraulic and custom engineered hoists since 1745. Used all over the world, from shipbuilding to power plants, our hoists are designed and...

HRSGs.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Nooter/Eriksen is a designer and supplier of Heat Recovery Systems for the power and process industries. Our mission is to utilize our design, engineering, management and construction expertise to provide imaginative, high quality,...

Inlet air fogging.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... MeeFog[TM] the world leader in gas turbine inlet air power augmentation solutions, announces that their new gas turbine inlet air fogging brochure is now available. This descriptive, 12-page brochure presents an overview of the following: the...

Instrumentation tubing.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Swagelok company introduces two new lines of instrumentation tubing: Insulated Tubing and Jacketed Tubing. Swagelok Company offers two new lines of instrumentation tubing, Swagelok[R] insulated tubing is a cost-effective alternative to...

Lubricants: Krytox[R] fluorinated lubricants.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Developed for NASA, by DuPont, these high-performance lubricants offer the following advantages: Wide temperature range (-103[degrees] to 800[degrees]F)--Compatible with plastics, rubber, ceramic, & metals--Nonflammable--Insoluble in common...

Lubricants.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Krytox[R] oils and greases offer a unique combination of properties that provide exceptional, cost-effective solutions to difficult lubrication problems. Krytox[R] oils and greases combine high-temperature performance, nonflammability, and...

Measurement/controls portal.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Access a kaleidoscope of data about products that measure, control, verify and secure nearly every aspect of power generation. From combustion analyzers to revenue meters, from flame sensors to utility load management, from nuclear remote-seal...

Metallurgical services.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Power Systems now offers a full range of Metallurgical Services designed to identify the root cause of failures and provide viable, high performance solutions. Our world-class engineers perform failure analysis, metallography, and verification...

Piping inspection.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... NDT Piping Inspection System The PS 2000 Multi-Channel Inspection System for Service Water Systems and Fire Protection Piping in Nuclear Plants is fully volumetric and quantitative. Testing performed from the O.D. has the ability to detect...

Plant maintenance.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Western Tool, supplying the industry cutting tools since 1940, is proud to represent Michigan drill for all your cutting tool needs. * Eight pitch tap and dies up to 8" * Drill bits up to 4" in Diameter and 36" O/A * HSS, Cobalt,...

Power system services.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... People. Presence. Proximity. Mitsubishi Power Systems' dedicated Americas Service Center brings a "world of service" a half-world closer. Discover our new in-hemisphere resource for OEM-style turbine repair and component manufacturing;...

Remote viewing instruments.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Select from over 2,000 standard RVI's for inspecting or observing into inaccessible areas or hostile environments. New, exclusive Camera Dedicated Borescopes, and patented ProTecht[TM] Fiberscopes and Videoscopes. Custom and OEM scopes a...

Software.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... Piping System Design & Analysis CAESAR II is COADE's popular and easy-to-use Windows package for evaluating piping systems according to B31.1 and nuclear piping codes. Along with static and dynamic analysis of piping systems you get API,...

Valve, control.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... LincolnLog[R] Masoneilan's 78200/18200 Series LincolnLog, a control valve designed specifically to tackle high-pressure liquid throttling service, has established a reputation as the premier offering in these challenging applications....

Videoscope.(Supplier's Showcase)
August 1, 2003... New Storz 5mm diameter videoscope with advanced CCD technology produces bright, high-resolution inspection images. Videoscope features 4-way articulation, direct and side view tips, built-in microphone for voice annotating, and the only 2-year...

Flying Canaries Reader's Challenge.(efun@pe.laf)
August 1, 2003... Editor's Note: The "Flying Canaries" joke printed in the April issue of Power Engineering included a Reader's Challenge, asking readers to explain whether or not a bunch of canaries flying in an enclosed truck will reduce the load on the truck....