Power Engineering articles from January 2004

Power Engineering archives from January 2004

Optimism and realism.(Opinion)
January 1, 2004... As I walked the aisles of POWER-GEN International in December in Las Vegas, I sensed a certain degree of optimism noticeably absent the past few years. Nothing like the euphoric feelings that pervaded the industry during the gas turbine boom,...

Renewed industry enthusiasm permeates POWER-GEN International.(Update)
January 1, 2004... Of course it was mere coincidence that on the concluding day of POWER-GEN International 2003, the Dow Jones closed at 10,000 for the first time in 18 months--five years after the Dow first achieved the mark that has become generally associated...

Reader comment.(Update)
January 1, 2004... Page 10 of your October 2003 issue included a quote by a representative of Doble Engineering stating General Electric is out of the large power transformer business ("Switchyard Transformers Over-looked in Power Equation"). This is not true. GE...

Personnel and promotions.(Update)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Michael Morris has succeeded E. Linn Draper Jr. as president and CEO of American Electric Power and will also succeed Draper as AEP chairman upon Draper's retirement on or before April 27. Morris joins AEP from Northeast Utilities System where...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2004... The story "Coal-Fired Opacity Technology Being Tested in the U.S.," which appeared in the October 2003 issue of Power Engineering, concluded with a reference to a greater than 350% reduction at 0.8 micron at the ESP outlet. Clearly, reduction...

World markets highlight need for U.S. nukes.(Nuclear Reactions)(United States)
January 1, 2004... Recent economic data show that the global economy has begun to rebound from its recent slow-growth pace. Historically, economic growth always creates greater demand for energy, and there is no reason to think that link has broken. Considering...

Renewables get into the mix: renewable energy has finally established itself as a respected member of the power generation mix, and growth prospects remain strong.(Cover Story)
January 1, 2004... The years of hard work are finally paying off for renewable energy advocates. After toiling in near-obscurity for decades, persevering in the face of significant technical and economic challenges, and enduring occasional ridicule from...

Wind technology catches up with utility transmission standards.
January 1, 2004... With more and more utilities introducing wind into their power mix, manufacturers are being pressured to meet more stringent transmission standards. A recent advance in power electronics known as Low-Voltage Ride-Thru (LVRT) enables a wind...

Maintenance workshop tackles: the challenges of P91/T91 and HRSG layup.(HRSG Maintenance)(heat-recovery steam generator)
January 1, 2004... With combined-cycle plants operating at tougher steam conditions and in more rigorous cycling duty, plant designers increasingly are specifying modified 9Cr-1Mo steel for critical sections of the heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG). This...

Plant optimization suffers without reliable valves, pumps and actuators.(Valves, Pumps and Actuators)
January 1, 2004... Pumps, valves and actuators play a critical role in power plant operations. Because generating plants use them in variety of applications it is not possible to specify just one type of pump, valve or actuator. Power plant pumps, valves and...

A utility perspective on the importance of pumps and valves in power plant applications.(Interview)
January 1, 2004... Joe Frazier, Manager-Engineering, SRP's Coronado generating station, St. Johns, Arizona Editor: Which pumps or pumping systems provide the greatest challenges at Coronado? Frazier: Recently the plant's boiler feed pumps, which are...

New protocol will enable comparison of different fogging systems.(Fogging Systems)
January 1, 2004... The inlet fogging of gas turbines for power augmentation has seen increasing application over the past decade, but little information about the physics and engineering of the process is available. Inlet fogging can be used to augment the power...

Vermont microgrid will showcase DG versatility.(DG Update)
January 1, 2004... Design is underway on a first-of-its-kind microgrid that will connect a cluster of propane-fueled reciprocating engines, energy storage devices, microturbines, wind turbines and photovoltaic panels to serve business and residential customers. A...

Reader comment.(DG Update)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... Regarding your item "Major Benefits Predicted From DG Interconnect Standard" (page 50, Power Engineering, October 2003): As a former member of the IEEE-1547 Working Group, I would like to express my opinion on this document. I believe the...

Noblesville Generating Station.(Manager the Plant)
January 1, 2004... Cinergy's Indiana operating company, PSI Energy, completed a repowering project in 2003 that transformed its Noblesville coal-fired power plant into a state-of-the-art gas-fired combined-cycle facility. In the process, Noblesville Generating...

Severe service control valve.(Products)
January 1, 2004... Flowserve Corporation announced the launch of its new severe service control valve, the Multi-Z, at POWER-GEN International 2003. The Flowserve Multi-Z is designed specifically to handle high-pressure drop applications where entrained solids...

Pneumatic actuators and valve testing.(Products)
January 1, 2004... Easi-Test, from Smith Flow Control, permits the independent testing of pneumatic actuators and process valves on operating systems. The Easi-Test is permanently fitted between the valve and the actuator. When testing is required a lever tool is...

Predictive maintenance software.(Products)
January 1, 2004... Emerson Process Management announces AMS Suite, an integrated family of software applications for predictive maintenance, performance monitoring and economic optimization. The launch of AMS Suite is spearheaded by Emerson's new web-based Asset...

Safety valve testing.(Products)
January 1, 2004... Furmanite has introduced the Trevitest Mark VIII Diagnostic Recorder for testing safety and safety relief valves, in place and on line, under normal operating pressure and temperature. This new product is significantly superior to previous...

Dissolved oxygen sensor.(Products)
January 1, 2004... Mettler-Toledo Thornton announces the release of a new high-performance dissolved oxygen sensor for ppb measurements. Featuring especially fast downscale response of 98% in 90 seconds, it is ideal for cycling power plants where dissolved oxygen...

Battery Monitoring System.(Products)
January 1, 2004... BTECH's Modular LVIRA Battery Monitoring System allows users to eliminate their risk due to failed backup batteries. Using impedance measurement data and advanced software trend analysis, weak batteries can be identified and replaced before a...

Electric testing.(Products)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The unique design of the new Megger TTR100 Hand-held Single-Phase Transformer Turns Ratio Test Set allows the user to operate the instrument while holding it in one hand. This effectively eliminates the user from having to kneel or bend over to...

Cabin conundrum.(Corporate communications)
January 1, 2004... A psychologist, an engineer and a theologian were hunting in the northern wilderness when the temperature suddenly dropped and a furious snowstorm hit. The hunters came across an isolated cabin, far removed from any town. They had heard that...