Power Engineering articles from May 2004

Power Engineering archives from May 2004

Fade to blackstart.(Opinion)
May 1, 2004... The Blackout that plunged much of the country into darkness this past August caused millions to question the integrity and reliability of the nation's power grid. The bulk of the criticism has fallen on the lack of enforceable reliability...

Fast-starting combined cycles must beat the drum.(Update)
May 1, 2004... If a combined-cycle plant can acquire true fast start-up capability, millions of dollars in start-up fuel costs can be saved over the life of the plant. But these cost savings can come at a price--the reduced life expectancy of the heat...

Decades old chimneys require special care.(Update)
May 1, 2004... The U.S. generating fleet has a large and aging inventory of radial brick chimneys, popular during the early half of the 20th century. Radial brick chimneys require regular maintenance and repair, for which specialized rigging, scaffolding, and...

UV mercury removal process headed for commercialization.(Update)(ultra violet)
May 1, 2004... Commercial development is underway for a technology that uses ultraviolet light to oxidize and remove mercury from coal-fired power plants. The process, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL),...

Wind industry continues to surge.(Update)
May 1, 2004... Public policy and transmission access issues dominated the program as the wind industry showcased its march into the energy mainstream to 3,500 attendees and 225 exhibitors at Global Windpower 2004 in Chicago in late March. Randall Swisher,...

Two U.S. consortiums will apply for nuclear plant license.(Update)
May 1, 2004... Two consortiums have been formed that are in the process of applying to build new commercial nuclear power plants in the U.S. The applications they will file will be the first for new U.S. reactors in nearly three decades. One of the...

Mergers & acquisitions.(energy industries)(Rock Wood Equity Partners)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Calpine has completed acquisition from Aquila of the remaining 50% interest in the 585 MW Aries Power Plant in Pleasant Hill, Mo. Conbraco Industries has completed the sale of its RP & C forged steel valve division to Bonney Forge...

Construction & contracts.(Update)
May 1, 2004... GE Energy is supplying 30 wind turbines for two projects in France totaling 45 MW, representing an increase of nearly 20% in the country's installed wind capacity. GE Energy will also be the turbine supplier for the 30 MW Magrath Wind Power...

Business briefs.(Update)
May 1, 2004... Siemens Westinghouse has introduced its 1S.W501G single-shaft combined cycle reference power plant to meet the needs of the U.S. power market. The 400 MW class design allows the plant to be operated at more than 58% net efficiency during...

Personnel & promotions.(Update)(energy industries, appointments)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Charles W. Shivery has been elected chairman, president and CEO of Northeast Utilities. He has been leading NU since January 1 when he was named interim president following the departure of Michael G. Morris, who left to head American Electric...

New wind turbine design might have stationary power potential.(Update)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Developers of a radical aircraft design utilizing a high efficiency vertical axis wind turbine prototype believe the turbine could produce more than twice the power within the same area as a conventional horizontal axis wind turbine. Hunt...

Illinois wants FutureGen plant.(Update)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Illinois wants to be the location of the proposed FutureGen clean coal project proposed by President Bush. The 275 MW plant would use clean-coal technology to generate electricity and provide hydrogen. The Department of Energy will choose...

For Yucca Mountain, less is more.(Nuclear Reactions)
May 1, 2004... Utilities in Finland recently announced plans to build an advanced design nuclear plant, and they expect it to be in operation in only five years. In contrast, a consortium of seven U.S. companies is preparing a proposal for a new nuclear plant...

Gas turbines: on-line monitoring systems help silence combustor humming.
May 1, 2004... REAL-TIME MONITORING OF FLAME INSTABILITY CAN SAVE GAS TURBINE OWNERS FROM MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGE DUE TO "COMBUSTOR HUMMING." The development of dry low N[O.sub.x] (DLN) combustors for gas turbines has cut the industry's consumption...

Combustion turbine inlet air cooling--check your design point.(Gas Turbine Power Augmentation)
May 1, 2004... Editor's Note: At POWER-GEN International in Las Vegas this past December, a conference session on combustion turbine power augmentation raised a number of critical questions regarding the economics of inlet air cooling technologies. This...

Wind Power Project developers face many challenges.(Wind Power)
May 1, 2004... Harnessing the wind is nothing new. As far back as 200 BC China used simple windmills to pump water, and by the 17th century the Dutch were using wind power to reclaim thousands of acres of land by draining the Rhine River delta. Here in the...

Routine maintenance will reduce pump failures.(Pump Maintenance)
May 1, 2004... Given proper maintenance, pumps should provide years of flawless performance. Unfortunately this is not always the case. Poor system design, improper maintenance techniques and misdiagnosis of system problems can lead to premature failure....

Smart valves help make smart plants.(High Tech Valves)
May 1, 2004... Incremental advances in hundreds of technologies and sub-technologies collectively contribute to the ever-increasing performance, reliability and operating efficiencies seen in almost every product imaginable. Power plants are no exception....

It looks like a battery, but it's an ultracapacitor.(DG Update)
May 1, 2004... Batteries are among those things people can't live with and can't live without. The chemical composition of batteries undermines reliability and life cycle. Now, ultracapacitors are available in the form of a standard D cell flashlight battery...

Condenser cleaning saving $1 million annually.(Field Notes)
May 1, 2004... OMAHA PUBLIC POWER District's North Omaha Power Station has been operating on the west bank of the Missouri River for many years. The station has four coal-fired units with a total capacity of 600 MW. Although the station is primarily...

Bearing retrofit eliminates classifier problems.(Field Notes)
May 1, 2004... COAL-FIRED POWER plants use gearboxes located on the top of each coal pulverizer to drive the rotating classifier. Rotating classifiers ensure that the coal is of the appropriate size for proper combustion within the steam generator. These...

Tube cutter.(Products)
May 1, 2004... In a single process the Multi-Prep cutter from H & S Tools removes the membranes between boiler panel tubes, cleans corrosion and scale from outside of the tubes, and bevels the outside of the tube. The cutters, available in a wide range of...

Fuel Oil Treatment brochure.(Products)
May 1, 2004... Alfa Laval has recently published a new brochure, "Fuel Oil Treatment--Serving the Power, Oil and Gas Industries." This eight-page four-color brochure presents Alfa Laval's fuel oil treatment systems, including a range of modular separator...

Air filter.(Products)
May 1, 2004... A filter engineered specifically to maximize the performance and efficiency of gas turbines, compressors, turbo-charged engines and fans is now available from Airguard. With airflows of 625 fpm, the Vari+Plus GT filter captures over 99% of...

Wear plate.(Products)
May 1, 2004... Chromium Corporation has introduced CRODON Wear Plate, a cost-effective and durable alternative to traditional high-alumina ceramic and abrasion-resistant wear plates. The wear plate is produced through the use of a proprietary process...

Thermocouple.(Products)
May 1, 2004... A non-standard thermocouple, WAT-COUPLE, from Watlow Electric is designed to provide accurate measurements with three times less drift than Type K thermocouples. The thermocouple utilizes alternative metals (alloy 600 and nickel-silicon) that...

Cooling water skids.(Products)
May 1, 2004... A new Cooling Water Isolation Skid (CWIS) is now available from Waters Equipment Company. The CWIS is a practical way of maintaining on-line sample temperature where abundant cool surface water sources exist. The skids are designed to allow the...

Non-chemical water treatment.(Products)
May 1, 2004... Scale Free International has introduced their patented "Scale Defender" and "Tower Defender" systems. These products totally eliminate the need for chemicals in boilers, cooling towers, chillers and heat exchangers. Microprocessor controls...

Flow Monitor.(Products)
May 1, 2004... Universal Flow Monitors, Inc. announces CoolPoint, a vortex shedding meter for transmitting and monitoring cooling flows in power generation applications involving ash slurry pump seal water, heat exchangers, motors, boilers and turbines....

St. Clair Power Plant.(Managing the Plant)
May 1, 2004... There is no denying that as power plants age, they grow more susceptible to increased maintenance, higher forced outage rates, reduced efficiency and emission excursions. By the same token, however, sustained investment in an aging plant can...

June.(Events)(Calendar)
May 1, 2004... JUNE 2-4 Emission Monitoring 2004, Source Technology Associates and Emissions Monitoring Inc. (919/781-3824), Durham, N.C. JUNE 2-4 Advanced Condition Assessment Technology for Power Plants, EPRI (704/547-6072), San Diego, Calif....

Abbott & Costello's Computer Routine.(Cartoon)
May 1, 2004... ABBOTT: Ultimate Super Duper Computer Store. Can I help you? COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up a home office in the den, and I'm thinking of buying a computer. ABBOTT: Mac? COSTELLO: No, the name is Lou. ABBOTT: Your computer?...

Accurate bolt tensioning.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Use the Stress Tel BoltMIKE III to accurately verify tension on manway studs, turbine covers and to confirm loading of gasketed flange bolts. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Stress Tel's BoltMIKE III ultrasonically measures the elongation of...

Alloy analyzer.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Innov-X Systems manufactures a handheld alloy analyzer. It provides alloy chemistry and grade name in seconds. It utilizes an x-ray tube, not radioactive sources, to provide fast, precise analysis over a broad range of alloys and elements...

Baghouse Leak Detectors.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... FilterSense is the leader in Baghouse Leak Detectors and Leak Locating Systems. Field-proven since 1994 FilterSense's particulate monitors and leak locating systems provide simple operation and high reliability even with tenacious particulate...

Bolting solutions.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... 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...

Coal Feeder, Posimetric.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... The Posimetric[R] Feeder replaces all types of volumetric and gravimetric coal feeders in power plant and other applications. With only a single moving part, it's made feeder maintenance and downtime nearly a thing of the past. Some units with...

Combustion Optimization.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... OPTIMIZE BOILER PERFORMANCE/FLYASH QUALITY [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Commercial System--40 in Operation * Accurate On-Line Measurement of Unburned Carbon (UBC) * Optimization of Mill/Boiler Performance * Improvement of NOx,...

Combustor Dynamic Monitoring.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... The System The Control Center Combustor Dynamic Monitoring System (CDM) provides continuous monitoring of the pressure pulsations inside the combustors. The system displays the signals, allows for user controlled warnings, and sends the...

Cooling tower drive.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Universal Cooling Tower Drive from Philadelphia Gear [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This Universal Cooling Tower Drive from Philadelphia Gear offers a unique solution to the challenge of replacing cooling tower drives and spare parts. Base...

Emissions monitoring.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Ducon D7000 Extractive system package offers complete integrated continuous emissions monitoring to meet EPA 40CFR60, 40CFR75. It consists of sample probe, heated stack filter, electric heat traced sample lines, wet and dry oxygen analyzer, gas...

Engineering construction.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Experience gives us staying power. We know how to meet tight construction schedules, outage commitments and budgets. People are counting on you for power--you can count on us for staying power. We'd like to talk with you about your next...

Engineering text.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... A practical text covering the fundamentals of machinery diagnostics for anyone who works with rotating machinery. Written for operators, managers, design engineers, and machinery diagnosticians. This comprehensive book thoroughly explains and...

FGD Coatings.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... COATINGS FOR SEVERE FGD ENVIRONMENTS FlakeCoat[TM] novolac vinyl ester glass flake linings provide exceptional long-term corrosion protection under severe FGD conditions of immersion, corrosive gases, chemicals, high temperatures, and...

Filtration Systems.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Mega EBS Provides High Flow Rates & Large Filtration Area [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 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_,...

Gas turbines.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... 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. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Gas turbines gensets.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Clean, efficient turbines from Cummins, 1.4 to 17.0 MW [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Turbines from Cummins Power Generation have proven power outputs from 1,400 kW to over 17,000 kW and thermal capabiliites of up to 37,000 pounds of saturated...

Lubricants.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... In today's power plants, lubricants are used in a wide range of service applications. The Conoco brand provides a complete line of lubricants to keep all of your equipment running longer and cleaner, such as Hydroclear Diamond ClassR Compressor...

Measurement/controls portal.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... 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)
May 1, 2004... 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...

MRO Inventory control.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Imagine how much MRO parts availability could be improved by exchanging unnecessary overstocks for critical understocks. Our free MBA (Minimum Benefits Analysis) identifies your unnecessary overstocks and quantifies the minimum you'll save...

NOx reduction.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... The Topsoe Group produces a honeycomb SCR-catalyst, recognized for high activity, high tolerance for catalyst poisons, low pressure loss and low S[O.sub.2] to S[O.sub.3] oxidation. It is proven in coal- and gas-fired boilers, combustion...

pH Sensor.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Mettler-Toledo Thornton announces release of the pHure Sensor[TM], a new pH sensor for measuring low conductivity samples in pure water treatment and power plant cycle chemistry applications. Normally a difficult measurement, high purity pH can...

Pulverizers.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... B & W Roll Wheel[TM] Pulverizers [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Since introducing the roll wheel pulverizer in 1972, The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B & W) has made substantial and extensive modifications and improvements to the original design....

Software.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Piping System Design & Analysis [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 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...

Sootblowing.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Powerclean[TM] Intelligent Sootblowing [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B & W) has introduced the latest addition to its Field Engineering Services' line of Asset Performance Products. The new product, called...

Test valve assembly.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... INTEGRATED TEST VALVE ASSEMBLY OFFERS FAST VISUAL MONITORING OF STEAM TRAP PERFORMANCE [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With the Swagelok integrated test valve assembly, you can visually observe condensate removal and monitor steam trap...

Transition piece.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... IMPROVED 501F TRANSITION PIECE Power Systems Mfg. invests significant time and resources in the design and manufacturing of our parts. Instrumented engine testing, analysis and metallurgical testing on key components of the 501F has...

Tube Cleaning.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Goodway Technologies Corporation manufactures and distributes a complete line of Surface Condenser Tube Cleaning Systems and Projectiles as well other Tube Cleaners, Duct Cleaners, Drain Cleaners, Vacuums, Pressure Washers, and Vapor-Steam...

Water Filter.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Orival introduces it's latest Self-Cleaning Water Filter [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Orival Filters protect heat exchangers and prevent clogging of nozzles, tubes and other narrow passages by removing dirt particles down to micron size, of...

Wind sensor.(Supplier's Showcase)
May 1, 2004... HAND-HELD DEWPOINT METER FOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Vaisala's DRYCAP[R] DM70 hand-held dew-point meter offers excellent stability, rapid response time and [+ or -]2[degrees]C accuracy down to -60[degrees]C. It's...