Power Engineering articles from February 2009

Power Engineering archives from February 2009

To the editor.(Feedback)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... I enjoyed your column "A Year of Uncertainty" (December 2008) but I did have one comment. You state "Perhaps not all carbon is alike..." in what I assumed was sarcasm based on context. The fact is that not all carbon is alike. A carbon...

Correction.(Correction notice)
February 1, 2009... An item in the January 2009 issue incorrectly identified the location of Primesouth, which was acquired by Wamar International. Primesouth is based in South Carolina.

Five principles for investment.(Editorial)
February 1, 2009... A lot of money seems destined to be thrown at the U.S. economy in the coming months and years. The energy sector stands to receive a substantial sum as part of the Obama administration's plan to fund infrastructure modernization programs. ...

Energy provisions of Obama stimulus plan.(Startup)
February 1, 2009... An economic stimulus package proposed in January by the Obama administration includes $150 billion to be spent over 10 years to spur next-generation biofuels, plug-in hybrid vehicles, a new digital electrical grid and new "low-emission" coal...

EPA asks for MACT review.(Startup)(Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Air and Radiation)(maximum available control technology)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Air and Radiation said in a January 7 memo that power plants under construction may now need to meet new-source maximum available control technology (MACT) standards. The EPA memo from...

Call for renewable energy tax reform.(Startup)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The most important thing the new administration and Congress can do to achieve President Barack Obama's vision for renewable energy is to make renewable tax incentives refundable, according to leaders of America's solar and wind energy trade...

A game changer for wind turbine output?(Startup)
February 1, 2009... Superconducting technology has been a long time coming to the power industry, in large part because the electric utility industry has historically been slow to adopt dramatically new and different technology. But after many years of...

SEPA study aims to improve solar power market.(Startup)(Solar Electric Power Association)(Report)
February 1, 2009... The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) last month released a new report, "Utility Procurement Study: Solar Electricity in the Utility Market," that is aimed at improving large-scale solar acquisition by electric utilities and that provides...

Wind integration study underway.(Startup)
February 1, 2009... State renewable portfolio standards differ widely. In the East and Midwest, for example, New York's target is 24 percent by 2013. Illinois and Minnesota aim for 25 percent by 2025 and Connecticut's goal is 27 percent by 2020. To hit such...

Duke Energy's.(Business Briefs)(Duke Energy Corp.)(Indiana. Utility Regulatory Commission)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The Indiana, Utility Regulatory Commission approved Duke Energy's revised cost estimate of $2.35 billion for its 630 MW clean coal gasification power plant under construction in southwest Indiana. Duke Energy filed its $365 million cost...

PPL Susquehanna LLC and Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc.(Business Briefs)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... PPL's Susquehanna nuclear power plant set a plant record in 2008 for the amount of electricity generated. The two-unit plant generated 19,046,000 MWh in 2008, beating the plant's previous record of 18,272,000 MWh set in 2005. The plant, near...

TransAlta Corp.(Business Briefs)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... TransAlta Corp. said its 96 MW, $C170 million Kent Hills Wind Farm began commercial operation on time and on budget. Located in New Brunswick, Canada, the Kent Hills Wind Farm includes 32 Vestas V90, 3 MW wind turbines.

NextEra energy resources.(Business Briefs)
February 1, 2009... FPL Energy, a unit of the FPL Group, is being renamed NextEra Energy Resources.

Dynegy Inc. and LS Power Associates L.P.(Business Briefs)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Dynegy Inc. and LS Power Associates L.P. agreed to dissolve the two companies' development joint venture. Under terms of the agreement, Dynegy will acquire exclusive rights, ownership and developmental control of all repowering or expansion...

Entergy Nuclear.(Projects & Contracts)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Entergy Nuclear said it will temporarily suspend reviews of two new nuclear license applications and will explore alternative nuclear technologies. The company asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to suspend reviews specific to GE Hitachi's...

Bechtel Power corp.(Projects & Contracts)(Bechtel Power Corp.)(American Municipal Power of Ohio Inc.)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... American Municipal Power-Ohio, Inc. and Bechtel Power Corp. said they would construct a 1,000 MW coal-fired electric generation facility in southern Ohio. AMP-Ohio signed the contract January 8, naming Bechtel the engineer-procure-construct...

Basin Electric Power Cooperative.(Projects & Contracts)(building of combined-cycle natural gas plant)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Basin Electric Power Cooperative is moving ahead with plans for a 300 MW combined-cycle natural gas plant. The utility filed its notice to proceed with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. The company will need permits from the PUC and...

Neundorfer Inc.(Projects & Contracts)(contracts with Detroit Edison Co.)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Neundorfer Inc. won a contract from Detroit Edison to improve the operation and reliability of four flue gas conditioning systems at the company's coal-fired, 725 MW Trenton Channel Generating Station in Trenton, Mich. Neundorfer will provide...

Siemens energy.(Projects & Contracts)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Siemens Energy won orders to install instrumentation and control systems at a coal-fired power plant in Carneys Point, N.J.; a combined cycle power plant in Redding, Calif.; and combined cycle power plants in Syracuse and Beaver Falls, N.Y.

Westinghouse Electric Co. LLC and the Shaw Group Inc.'s Power Group.(Projects & Contracts)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Progress Energy Florida signed a contract with Westinghouse Electric Co. LLC and The Shaw Group Inc.'s Power Group for the engineering, procurement and construction of two 1,105 MW AP1000 nuclear power plants in Levy County, Fla. Cost of the...

AmerGen energy Co. LLC.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Exelon Generation completed integrating the nuclear generation assets held by its AmerGen Energy Co. LLC subsidiary into Exelon Nuclear and dissolved the AmerGen legal entity. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the formal transfer of...

Flexible, flexible and flexible: CFB plants are gaining a reputation for taking advantage of opportunity fuel while providing other substantial benefits.(Special ABMA Section)
February 1, 2009... The old adage about the three most important things in real estate being location, location and location has a corollary in the power generation business. In addition to other advantages, circulating fluidized bed (CFB) technology offers owners...

Control fugitive emissions: choosing the correct ball valve can help control external leaks and cut costs.
February 1, 2009... More and more attention worldwide is being focused on fugitive emissions (equipment leaks) as opposed to point-source emissions from reactor vents or boiler exhaust stacks. United States regulations are honing in on fugitive emissions in...

Pressure relief systems: proper maintenance can keep these crucial safety devices working effectively.
February 1, 2009... Pressure relief valves (PRVs) help ensure the reliability of equipment, help plants maximize output and help control operating costs. They also are crucial safety devices, typically serving as the last line of defense in an overpressure...

Wireless proves its value: smart wireless field devices provide useful data from remote, hard-to-reach locations.
February 1, 2009... The wireless field communication technologies currently gaining wide approval in the process industries are finding useful applications in the power industry as well. The low cost, reliability, security and ease-of-use of the newest wireless...

The triple crown: emulsified fuel technology can lower [NO.sub.x] and greenhouse gases and increase fuel efficiency.
February 1, 2009... Fossil fuel combustion, so fundamental to the economy of the nation, produces both [NO.sub.x] and particulate matter (PM) emissions. Fortunately, there is a technology that reduces both. This technology can also increase fuel efficiency and...

Mechanical carbon parts solve tricky lube problems: mechanical carbon materials can sometimes be the only workable solution for moving machine parts where rubbing must occur.
February 1, 2009... For more than a hundred years, machine parts composed of mechanical carbon have provided an alternative solution in applications where temperature and atmospheric conditions prevent the use of oil-grease lubricants. Mechanical carbon materials...

Eliminating varnish: facing the problem of increased operating demands.
February 1, 2009... Varnish, lacquer, deposits--no matter which word you use, it is never one that maintenance managers want to hear. Varnish is the thin, sticky brown or black film deposit occurring on the interior of lubrication systems that can eventually...

Removing turbine component coatings without damage.(Field Notes)
February 1, 2009... Superalloy components require coating systems to protect base metals from the extraordinary operating environments of gas turbines. These tenacious coatings are designed to resist the oxidation and corrosion created by the combustion process in...

Resistance temperature detectors at a hydro plant.(Field Notes)
February 1, 2009... After almost 25 years of service, the generator and transformer protection systems at the hydropower plant of a western U.S. dam and reservoir were upgraded, including the replacement of electromechanical relays with microprocessor-based relays...

Priming the skilled trades pipeline.(Workforce)(Turner Industries Group )
February 1, 2009... When Jay Butters, plant manager at Cane Island Power Park in Osceola County, Fla., talked about plans for a new 300 MW gas-fired unit, he was quick to point out to a group of visitors that it will be operated without hiring any new workers. ...