Power Engineering articles from August 2005

Power Engineering archives from August 2005

On the road again.(OPINION)
August 1, 2005... Slowly but surely, the nuclear industry is paving the road that it believes will lead to the promised land--the next round of commercial nuclear power plants in the United States. Significant, almost surprising, progress has been made in...

Are low N[O.sub.X] burners really low N[O.sub.X]?(UPDATE)
August 1, 2005... There is an optimal air-to-fuel ratio in the piping of fuel to all boilers fired with pulverized coal. And there is another ratio for the additional air needed to support final combustion in the boiler. The function of low-N[O.sub.X] burners is...

Reducing preheater leakage boosts output and availability.
August 1, 2005... Even the most seasoned power plant managers may not fully appreciate the extent to which air preheater function affects power plant performance. Nor do they likely realize how many elements of a power plant are affected by poor preheater...

Silicon replacement needed for solar PV manufacturing.(photovoltaic)
August 1, 2005... Silicon has long been the primary commodity of the microelectronics industry. Although silicon comes from silica, one of the most abundant elements on earth, converting it to a pure silicon compound in bulk is a fairly energy intensive...

COO of Xcel Energy.(Richard Kelly Replacing Wayne Brunetti)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Richard Kelly, president and COO of Xcel Energy, has been named CEO, replacing Wayne Brunetti, who has announced his retirement as CEO. Brunetti will remain chairman of the board until December.

PPL Corporation.(James Miller appointed )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... James Miller has been named president of PPL Corporation replacing William Hecht, who will continue to serve as chairman and CEO. Miller served as president of ABB Environmental Systems and also of former independent power company UC Operating...

American Electric Power.(Dennis Welch appointed)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Dennis Welch has joined American Electric Power as senior vice president--environment and safety, a newly created position. Previously president and COO of Northeast Utilities subsidiary Yankee Energy System, Welch is charged with unifying...

COO of The PIC Group.(Matthew Runyon promoted as Cheif Operating Officer)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Matthew Runyon has been promoted to COO of The PIC Group. He was most recently CFO. Todd Grzech has been named senior vice president and general manager of PIC with responsibility for consulting and technical services worldwide, including...

Wood Group Power Operations, Inc. (WPGO).(Rob Bendetti appointed)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Wood Group Power Operations, Inc. (WPGO) has named Rob Bendetti vice president of operations. Prior to his new appointment, he was facility manager for two power plants operated by WGPO on Long Island, New York.

NACE International.(Tony Keane appointed)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Tony Keane has been named executive director of NACE International, a professional technical association for leaders in corrosion control technology.

Thermo Electron Corporation's Process Instruments Division.(Ken Berger appointed)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Ken Berger has been named president of Thermo Electron Corporation's Process Instruments Division, which offers online measurement and analytical instruments and associated services to manufacturers worldwide.

Conforma Clad.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(appointed Alun Davies as market manager)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Alun Davies has been named market manager for Conforma Clad, provider of severe wear solutions. He was previously affiliated with ARD Enterprises.

Don Shanfelt.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Don Shanfelt has joined Enginuity--technology provider of engine efficiency, reliability, emissions compliance--as director of operations.

Manitowoc Company.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Michael Storms has been named director of operations for Waukesha Engine. He had been director of operations for Manitowoc Company.

Florida CFB demo plant yields low emissions on variety of coals.(UPDATE)
August 1, 2005... The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has reported results of tests conducted at Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA)'s Northside power plant using mid-to-low-sulfur coal showing the facility to be one of the cleanest burning coal-fired power...

Alliant Energy's Interstate Power and Light Company (IP&L).(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Alliant Energy's Interstate Power and Light Company (IP&L) has agreed to sell its 70 percent ownership interest in the 598 MW Duane Arnold nuclear plant near Palo, Iowa, to FPL Energy for approximately $380 million. In addition, the agreement...

Dominion.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Dominion has closed on its purchase of the Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant in northeastern Wisconsin from Wisconsin Power & Light, a subsidiary of Alliant Energy, and Wisconsin Public Service, a subsidiary of WPS Resources. The 568 MW facility...

Primary Energy Ventures.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Primary Energy Ventures has agreed to acquire two combined heat and power facilities located in Roxboro and Southport, N.C. from Cogentrix Energy. The two facilities can produce about 360,000 pounds per hour of process steam.

Saw Mill Capital has sold Clyde Bergemann.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Saw Mill Capital has sold Clyde Bergemann, provider of boiler cleaning equipment and services along with ash handling equipment to coal fired power plants, to a group of senior managers led by Jim McColl and Deutsche Beteiligungs AG.

Allied Power Group.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... PowerSpares and Turbine Blade Repair Specialist will join forces under new holding company Allied Power Group to offer industrial gas turbine owners a single source for turbine replacement parts and repair.

Western Wind Energy.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Western Wind Energy has acquired the Windridge Generating Facility in Tehaehapi, California.

Dresser-Rand.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... A wholly-owned subsidiary of Dresser-Rand will acquire certain assets of Tuthill Energy Systems, international manufacturer of single and multi-stage steam turbines and portable ventilators widely used throughout the power industry.

Emerson.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Emerson has acquired Solartron Mobrey from The Roxboro Group of the United Kingdom. Solartron Mobrey, whose measurement technologies include level, density, viscosity and flow computer products, will be renamed Mobrey Measurement and become...

Shaw Stone & Webster Nuclear Services.(has joined the AP 1000 Consortium)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Shaw Stone & Webster Nuclear Services, a business unit of The Shaw Group, has joined the AP 1000 Consortium, also comprised of Westinghouse Electric Company and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The consortium is seeking new orders for nuclear power...

Paragon Airheater Technologies, formerly Power Replacements, Inc.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Paragon Airheater Technologies, formerly Power Replacements, Inc., has been acquired by a group of investors. Under the new ownership, Paragon will continue to offer solutions-based air preheater components. Paragon has retained all patents...

Jacksonville Electric Authority will partner with Florida Municipal Power Agency in building the 800 MW coal-fired North Florida Power Project.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Jacksonville Electric Authority will partner with Florida Municipal Power Agency in building the 800 MW coal-fired North Florida Power Project. JEA will invest about $434 million in the $1.4 billion plant, scheduled for service in 2012.

Environmental Systems Corporation and CMC Solutions.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Environmental Systems Corporation and CMC Solutions have announced a joint partnership to bring better predictive emission monitoring solutions (PEMS) to utility and industrial air emission sources. The partnership agreement allows for either...

ALSTOM.(contracted with Duke Power)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... ALSTOM, in consortium with Shaw Stone & Webster, has been awarded a contract by Duke Power to retrofit the 2 X 1200 MW coal-fired generating units at its Belews Creek power plant in North Carolina. ALSTOM will design, engineer and install four...

Framatome ANP.(Contracts)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... AREVA subsidiary Framatome ANP has been awarded a contract for extension of its refuel floor and under-vessel services at TVA's Browns Ferry Units 2 and 3. The contract scope includes management and technical support, in-service inspection,...

Foster Wheeler's Global Power Group.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Foster Wheeler's Global Power Group has been awarded a contract for construction of a flue gas desulfurization system at American Electric Power Company's Mountaineer Plant, near New Haven, West Virginia.

Plug Power.(sale of twelve 5 kW hydrogen-fueled GenCore backup fuel cell systems)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Plug Power has announced the sale of twelve 5 kW hydrogen-fueled GenCore backup fuel cell systems to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to be integrated with uninterruptible power supply equipment to provide backup power...

Emerson Process Management.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Emerson Process Management has received a contract to upgrade the combustion and turbine control systems at PPL Generation LLC's 1,473 MW Brunner Island plant near Harrisburg, Pa. The Ovation expert control system from Emerson's Power & Water...

Electrical Generating Systems Association.(Special Advertising Section)
August 1, 2005... 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...

Comparison shopping: distributed vs. central station generation: various drivers are pushing distributed generation forward, but users must do some comparison shopping between DG and central station generation to ensure their decisions are properly informed.(Cover Story)
August 1, 2005... Large, central station power plants--often located hundreds of miles from the load they serve--have long been the foundation of the nation's energy supply. However, over the last decade, a number of factors have coalesced to push forward the...

Low-cost sync-check, voltage and frequency relay.(Protective Relay Update)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... Basler's new BE1-700V Digital Relay provides a low cost digital solution for almost any voltage-only relay application. The protective relay world continues to switch from solid state to multifunction numeric relays for an expanding range...

Negative Forcing provides improved system response.(Digital Excitation Control System)
August 1, 2005... Basler Electric recently introduced the new DECS-200N Negative Forcing Digital Excitation Control System. The DECS-200N is one of the most compact full-inverting digital voltage regulators available for synchronous generators. This compact...

DGC-500 digital genset controller now offers integrated Generator Protection.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Basler Electric has long been known for its utility grade protective relays and its very flexible genset controllers. Now these two great strengths have been combined in the integrated Generator Protection option for the DGC-500. The Generator...

Service to the (GT) fleet: while the building boom in gas turbine-based plants has been over for some time, repairing and refurbishing many machines commissioned during the boom remains an ongoing, essential industry. Repair shops stay active for both the OEMs and the many independent firms offering GT services.(gas turbine )
August 1, 2005... For the past two decades, the gas turbine (GT) has been the technology-of-choice for new power-generation projects in North America. During the last six years alone, new projects increased the total installed GT base in the United States by 290...

Vanishing varnish: power plant owners have discovered that lubrication health plays a big role in keeping turbines running smoothly. Identifying varnish in turbine oils and getting rid of it are key to maintaining machinery reliability.
August 1, 2005... Mineral-based turbine oils lubricate most of the power generation industry's stationary gas and steam turbines. As gas turbine technology continues to improve, the stress on the turbine oil increases and requires improved base oils and...

Digital leverage: technology advances that dramatically improve control loop design and function at nuclear plants can raise productivity and lower costs.(NUCLEAR PLANT I&C)
August 1, 2005... The nuclear industry is, as they say, on a roll. Availability, reliability, and capacity are way up compared to a few years ago. The safety record is impeccable and the plants are making money given the relatively low marginal cost of...

Capitalizing on coal: coal plants will play a big part in ensuring affordable and reliable power. The Edison Electric Institute is working to create an environment that is attractive to potential coal plant investors and builders.(COAL PLANTS)
August 1, 2005... The power industry's coal plants--the large (typically 500 MW and above) plants that run continuously to meet a market's minimum or "baseload" demand for power--generate about 51 percent of the country's electricity. Drawing on America's coal...

Dual fuel conversion can offer big advantages.(DG UPDATE)
August 1, 2005... Diesel engines comprise more than 80 percent of all on-site generation in the United States. But few diesel engine owners probably realize the advantages of converting their engines to use natural gas in combination with diesel fuel. Dual fuel...

Microturbines making inroads for Euro applications.(Soffimat)
August 1, 2005... Orders filled in recent months suggest an increased level of interest in microturbine applications by European energy providers. Los Angeles-based Capstone has recently filled orders from its European distributors for 6 MW of generating...

Events.(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... AUGUST August 29 - September 1, Yokogawa Conference and Exhibition, Yokogawa Corporation of America (www.yokogawa.com/us/is/usergroup/2005WashingtonDC.htm), Washington, D.C. SEPTEMBER 7 - 8, EPGA Power Generation Committee...

Converting flash steam to megawatts.(FIELD NOTES)
August 1, 2005... IN MARCH 2004, a large oil-fired power plant in the Northeastern United States had a predicament; flash steam released from a rooftop vent was inappropriately being viewed as environmental pollution by neighboring citizens. To compound the...

Coal Sizing system improves coal-handling performance.(FIELD NOTES)
August 1, 2005... Equipment wear is prevalent and constant in all coal crushing or sizing operations. Typically, all coal being transported to the silo passes through a crusher or breaker to maintain a consistent and acceptable size. Studies show, however, that...

Grease dispensing and transporting system.(PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2005... Providing industry with a convenient way to handle, transport and dispose of grease, ExxonMobil has introduced its GOLD (Grease One-Way Logistics and Distribution) System. At the heart of GOLD System is the protective, Fluid-Bag Flexi container...

High-speed motors.(PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2005... Direct Drive Systems (DDS), a recently formed subsidiary company of Calnetix LLC, is producing and servicing a new line of high-speed, high-power motors, generators and power electronics using a technology that allows the machines to turn up to...

Dry Gas Seals Handbook.(PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2005... PennWell has announced the publication of Dry Gas Seals Handbook written by John S. Stahley. This new book explains how to make informed decisions regarding dry gas seal technology. Dry Gas Seals Handbook helps engineers, operators, maintenance...

Oil purification system.(PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2005... ISOPur Fluid Technologies Inc. recently completed development of the HR-Series oil purification system utilizing the patented Balanced Charge Agglomeration (BCA) technology. The HR-Series system is specifically designed to remove and prevent...

High purity pH sensor.(PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2005... Hach has introduced the 8362sc High Purity Water pH/ORP Panel that improves online measurement accuracy. The 8362sc uses a self-pressurizing reference electrode to introduce a constant flow of electrolyte into the sample stream. This continuous...

Flue gas oxygen analyzer.(PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2005... GE Industrial Sensing has introduced OxyTrak 390, the latest addition to its line of flue gas oxygen analyzers. The OxyTrak 390 brings advanced programming and communications, as well as simplified maintenance and calibration, to the proven and...

Power plant control system.(PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2005... Siemens Power Generation (PG) has developed a new control system to enhance the cost effectiveness of power plant operation. The new system is called Siemens Power Plant Automation (SPPA) T3000. SPPA-T3000 combines high availability and...

Cold shrink splice jacket.(PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2005... The new 3M cold shrink foldback splice jacket kit SJ-FB provides a continuous tube from cable jacket to cable jacket with no seams, providing excellent environmental seal and splice protection. It requires a shorter parking space than...

Martin Drake power plant.(MANAGING THE PLANT)
August 1, 2005... Colorado Springs Utilities' Martin Drake power plant faces a number of unique challenges. Situated in downtown Colorado Springs, at the foot of the scenic Pike's Peak region, the coal-fired plant must meet tight environmental requirements while...