Power Engineering articles from May 2005

Power Engineering archives from May 2005

The aftertaste of retirement cake.(OPINION)
May 1, 2005... Retirements are happy occasions--full of best wishes, sentimental gifts, embarrassing anecdotes and touching testimonials. Many companies proudly fete retirees, recognizing years of dedicated service and bestowing treasured parting gifts. After...

Modern gaskets can lower O & M costs.(UPDATE)(Sealing Corp)
May 1, 2005... In the face of spiraling fuel costs, regulatory and environmental issues, the power industry is always looking for better technologies and enhanced system integration. But while power plant engineers and maintenance supervisors focus on major...

Keeping old flames burning.(UPDATE)(Hamworthy Peabody Combustion)(Company Profile)
May 1, 2005... Oil and gas-fired burners last a long time and, as a result, many of them are still in use years after initial installation. Surprisingly, their lives can be extended and their performance upgraded to meet today's performance and environmental...

Kelly Engineering Resources announces Scholarship program.(UPDATE)
May 1, 2005... Kelly Engineering Resources, a business unit of staffing provider Kelly Services Inc., is now accepting entries for its third annual Future Engineers Scholarship program to recognize exceptional engineering students throughout the nation....

Biological dryers improve performance/economics of biomass projects.(UPDATE)(Wright Tech Systems)(Biodryer)
May 1, 2005... Greater use of biomass for power generation is often constrained by the high moisture content of these fuels. As water content increases, heating value drops, hampering the economics of the biomass utilization. Dryers can be used, but most...

Wind turbines need on-board power.(UPDATE)(ultracapacitors)
May 1, 2005... The rotor blades of today's variable speed wind turbines are adjusted and controlled via three independent electro-mechanical propulsion units for the pitch systems. The electronic controller on a pitch-controlled wind turbine checks the power...

Tenaska Capital Management.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Calumet Energy Team LLC)(CET One)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Tenaska Capital Management has agreed to acquire Calumet Energy Team, LLC and CET One, owners of a 308 MW gas-fired peaking facility in Chicago, from Wisconsin Energy Corporation.

Thermo Electron.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Thermo Electron has purchased NITON LLC, a provider of portable X-ray systems for metals, petrochemical and environmental markets.

Reliant Energy.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Viridis Energy Capital)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Reliant Energy has agreed to sell its six Houston area landfill-gas-fueled power plants, representing a combined capacity of about 30 MW, to Viridis Energy Capital.

Texas Genco.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Texas Genco has completed purchase of generation assets formerly held by CenterPoint Energy. The purchase includes a 30.8 percent share of the South Texas Project nuclear plant and coal plants previously owned by CenterPoint.

James River Coal Company.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Triad Mining Inc)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... James River Coal Company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the stock of Triad Mining Inc., which owns and operates six surface mines and one underground mine in Southern Indiana.

Fluor.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Tucson Electric has selected Fluor to complete the 575 MW combined-cycle Luna Energy Facility, which was 50 percent complete when construction was stopped by the original owner in 2002. Fluor will provide engineering, procurement, construction...

TEi Construction Services.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... TEi Construction Services, a subsidiary of Babcock Power, has received an award to upgrade three heat recovery steam generators at a Dow Chemical Company facility in Freeport, Texas.

Invensys Process Systems.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... We Energies has awarded Invensys Process Systems a contract to implement operator training simulators throughout its generating fleet including development and implementation of a SimSci-Esscor DYNSIM plant simulator for two existing 650 MW...

Siemens.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Siemens will be the turnkey plant provider for a new 534 MW combined-cycle project in Vineyard, Utah that will provide power to PacifiCorp. The plant will integrate two SGT6-5000F gas turbines, an SST6-5000 steam turbine and a distributed...

Westinghouse Electric Company.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Westinghouse Electric Company will replace moisture separator reheater bundles and a pump at PSEG Nuclear's Salem Nuclear Generating Station Unit 2 in New Jersey.

enXco Services.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... enXco Services has signed contracts with MidAmerican Energy Corporation to provide operations and maintenance services for the Intrepid and Century wind projects, which together total 310.5 MW

Hawi Renewable Development.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Hawi Renewable Development has started construction of its 10.56 MW wind energy facility on the Big Island of Hawaii, to be comprised of 16 Vestas V47 wind turbines.

Wartsila.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Wartsila has won an order for a 49.5 MW power barge for the island of Jamaica that will join an existing 74 MW Wartsila power barge delivered ten years ago.

North American Energy Services.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... North American Energy Services is providing O & M services for Liberty Electric Power's 568 MW combined-cycle plant in Eddystone, Pennsylvania.

GE Energy.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... GE Energy's nuclear business has received a contract to upgrade monitoring and control systems at PPL's Susquehanna nuclear plant. GE will supply the plant with its Power Range Neutron Monitor system, upgrading Susquehanna's original power...

North Western Energy.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(Appointed Michael J. Hanson as president)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Michael J. Hanson has been named president of North Western Energy, which provides electricity and natural gas in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. He has been with North Western since 1998, most recently serving as COO.

Northern Indiana Public Service Company.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(Appointed Jerry Godwin as senior vice president )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Jerry Godwin has been named senior vice president of electric generation and transmission for Northern Indiana Public Service Company.

Wartsila.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(Appointed Jussi Heikkinen as marketing director)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Jussi Heikkinen has been named marketing director of Wartsila's power plants business.

enXco.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(Appointed David Corchia as chief executive officers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... David Corchia has been named CEO of enXco, where he will be responsible for all of the French-based company's U.S. business activities.

Omaha Public Power District.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Gary Gates, president and CEO of Omaha Public Power District, has been elected to the board of directors of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations.

Compliance Controls LLC.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(Appointed Ryan W. Dupnick as sales manager )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Ryan W. Dupnick has been named sales manager for Compliance Controls LLC.

Newnan.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(Appointed David Johnson as president and chief operating officers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... David Johnson has been named president and COO of Newnan, Georgia-based Yokogawa Corporation of America, which manufactures and supplies instrumentation, process control, and automation solutions for the power industry and other businesses.

Fuel-Tech.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Fuel-Tech has issued a NOxOUT license to the 125 MW AES Beaver Valley plant in Pennsylvania for its urea-based SNCR systems for N[O.sub.x] control on Eastern bituminous coal. The system will allow the plant to operate at managed set points to...

Dallas Airmotive and Siemens.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Dallas Airmotive and Siemens have achieved full operational capability for maintenance, repair and overhaul of Rolls-Royce Avon industrial gas turbines. The first engine start took place in February at Dallas Airmotive's Premier Turbines...

Shaw EMCON/OWT.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Shaw EMCON/OWT has completed a 1.6 MW landfill gas-to-electricity project at the Western Regional Landfill in Lincoln, California. Shaw used its Triton Powerpak engine generator units and designed, permitted and built the facility. Shaw will...

Repower.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The prototype of Repower's 5 MW wind turbine, the world's largest, has been connected to the German grid. The turbine, standing more than 610 feet high and with a rotor diameter of 413 feet, is located next to the Brunsbuttel nuclear power...

The Shaw Group.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The Shaw Group has expanded operations in its Charlotte, North Carolina office to meet growing energy industry demands, especially in the power generation sector. The company plans to add about 200 employees to its Charlotte office over the...

Kansas City Power & Light.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Kansas City Power & Light is seeking permission from the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) to add 500 MW of new coal-fired generation in Missouri and 100 MW of wind generation in Kansas and possibly another 100 MW of wind capacity beyond...

Senator's book boosts nuclear power.(Book Review)
May 1, 2005... Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) has published a new book, A Brighter Tomorrow, subtitled "Fulfilling the Promise of Nuclear Energy." As the subtitle implies, the book is a ringing endorsement of nuclear energy. Although the cover acknowledges...

Mercury control now on the table: testing and development of an array of capture and control technologies is proceeding to meet the demands of the newly issued Clean Air Mercury Rule.(Clean Air Mercury Rule)(Clean Air Interstate Rule)(mercury emissions)(Editorial)
May 1, 2005... March Madness this year wasn't confined to 65 basketball teams. The term might have also applied to the long-awaited announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of regulations to reduce the amount of mercury (Hg) emitted by...

The power of many: the HRSG User's Group convened its Annual Conference & Exposition in April, marking the 13th year that users, manufacturers, architect/engineers, consultants, and service providers have come together for the advancement of HRSG technology.
May 1, 2005... Since 1993, the HRSG User's Group has brought together users, manufacturers, service providers, and engineering consultants from around the world for an in-depth conference on heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs). This April marked the...

Beating the heat: gas turbine parts and components are exposed to extreme operating conditions that can lead to short- and long-term damage. Solutions exist that can reduce, and even eliminate in some instances, the degeneration of combustion components.
May 1, 2005... The push for higher efficiency has increased the firing temperature of industrial gas turbines (IGT) beyond the base materials' limitations, even for directionally solidified and single crystal materials (Figure 1). Gas turbine parts and...

Draining the talent pool: many utilities face the loss of 50 percent or more of their technical workforce in the next ten years. What can be done to head off this looming crisis in technical and engineering talent?
May 1, 2005... The movie "Space Cowboys" showcases Clint Eastwood, James Garner, Donald Sutherland and Tommy Lee Jones as aging engineers, technicians and former spacemen who are called upon to rescue a falling Russian satellite. Unfortunately, the movie's...

Sampling savvy: because power plant operating decisions often rely on water and steam chemistry information, a properly designed and operated water and steam sampling system must be in place to ensure accurate sampling data.(isokinetic sampling nozzle )
May 1, 2005... Corrosion in boilers and steam turbines is among the most expensive causes of outages in utility and industrial power plants. Deposits and scale buildup reduce efficiency and capacity in many units. To control corrosion and impurity ingress,...

LNG: lessons from long ago; author and philosopher George Santayana stated "those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Although he wasn't talking specifically about LNG, he might as well have been.
May 1, 2005... What Santayana said about those who fail to learn from the past being doomed to repeat the same mistakes is certainly applicable to the current evaluation of projects for the importation of liquefied natural gas (LNG). In February of 2004, FERC...

Ohio muni has one of the first U.S. utility-owned fuel cell plants.(NEWS & VIEWS ON DISTRIBUTED GENERATION)
May 1, 2005... One of the first utility scale fuel cell power plants in North America to supply power to a utility grid is approaching six months of operation in Westerfield, Ohio and continues to provide power as expected. The project, a joint effort by...

Events.(Calendar)
May 1, 2005... JUNE 1-3, Coal Power Project Development, Infocast (www.infocastinc.com), Denver, Colo. 5-8, Rapidpartsmart Annual Technical Conference and Exhibit, Scientech (www.scientech.com), Clearwater Beach, Fla. 5-9, ANS Annual Meeting,...

New hydraulic oil helps Seminole Electric improve efficiency and performance.(FIELD NOTES)(Chevron Clarity Hydraulic Oil)
May 1, 2005... SEMINOLE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE Inc.'s generating station experienced severe operating problems related to hydraulic oil quality, including pump failures, filter plugging and valve sticking. A switch to a new hydraulic oil drastically improved...

Quality tool needs foster successful partnership.(FIELD NOTES)
May 1, 2005... WHEN FIRSTENERGY CORP. was reviewing tool companies with which to form a partnership, it focused on two things: product quality and cost effectiveness. As contracts with vendor partners were soon going to expire, FirstEnergy began developing a...

Track safety audit and maintenance planning pay off.(FIELD NOTES)(management of OPPD's Nebraska City Power Plant )
May 1, 2005... Utilities are becoming more and more aware of the translation of business process to consumer prices. Still, many utility executives don't think about the track on which their coal is delivered until a train derailment occurs and coal delivery...

Renewable energy 2005: a mid-year review.(VIEW ON RENEWABLES)(Industry Overview)
May 1, 2005... As we enter into mid-2005, the prospects for renewable energy development in the United States are good overall, even if still fragmented into many state-level minimarkets. This brief article gives an overview of the markets today. ...

AC drive.(PRODUCTS)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Rockwell Automation has introduced the Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 7000 Medium-Voltage AC drive with new direct-to-drive technology, which allows power generation customers to connect utility power directly to the drive without an isolation...

Water filtration system.(PRODUCTS)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... The Inversand Co. has introduced GreensandPlus--an advanced water treatment filter media that removes contaminants from process water used in power, energy and utility applications. The new GreensandPlus for water treatment and filtration is an...

Fuel Gas Heaters.(PRODUCTS)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Gaumer's Fuel Gas Heaters can be used to preheat natural gas to keep gas above the dew point before combustion. The heaters are skid mounted and prewired for ease of installation. Each configuration is available in Class 1, for Division 1 or 2...

Power distribution strips.(PRODUCTS)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Emerson Network Power has released the Liebert MP Advanced Power Strips, a family of power distribution solutions that bring advanced control and visibility to rack-level power distribution. The Liebert MP Advanced Power Strips are available in...

High-voltage safety DVD.(PRODUCTS)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Mikron Infrared is offering a free DVD with a program by nationally recognized thermography expert Lowry Eads describing safe practices for inspection of high-voltage panels. Eads explains why the greatest risk of arc flash is from stored...

Serial Encrypting Transceiver.(PRODUCTS)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc. (SEL) has introduced the SEL-3021 Serial Encrypting Transceiver, designed specifically to protect existing and new communications links between power control centers, electrical substations and...

High-torque electric actuator.(PRODUCTS)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Harold Beck & Sons Inc. has announced the release of its new high-torque Group 22 control drive (electric actuator), designed for reliable, high-performance positioning of final control elements in critical applications. Ideally suited for use...

AFS ball valves.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... With working pressures up to 6000 psig (413 bar) at 250[degrees]F (121[degrees]C) and flow coefficients from 4.0 to 13.8, new Swagelok[R] alternative fuel service (AFS) 2-way ball valves meet the demands of hydrogen and compressed natural gas...

Alloy Analyzer.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Hand-held Alloy Analyzer Innov-X's Hand-held X-ray tube design XRF Analyzers deliver fast and precise identification and elemental analysis of metal alloys. Exclusive "Smart Beam" Technology means better, faster analyses for critical alloy...

Brushholders--slip ring.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Fulmer Company uses their in-house foundry and spring shop as well as custom engineering, machining, finishing and assembly capabilities to provide: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * "Magazine-type" brushholders to replace brushes on live...

Controls.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Ergonomically Brilliant Control Rooms. Our designers combine the disciplines of industrial design, human factors, ergonomics and interior design to create custom workspaces that are both efficient and beautiful. We give special...

Cooling, wet/dry.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... GEA Power Cooling, Inc. provides wet and dry cooling solutions that deliver superior performance and years of cost effective service with minimal maintenance requirements. Its parallel condensing or PAC System[TM] combines wet and dry cooling...

Diesel genset.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... 2.7 MW "clean" diesel genset The new PowerCommand 2.7 MW generator set from Cummins Power Generation is the world's most powerful high-speed, production diesel generator set. It is also one of the cleanest. Ideal for distributed...

Emissions analyzer.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Brochure features the New testo 350 portable analyzer for Low NOx and Low CO testing. The 350 features pre-calibrated smart sensors for quick field changes plus high NOx and high CO measuring capabilities with specially hardened sensors and an...

Fault recorders.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Analyze Transient Events Faster, More Accurately AMETEK digital fault recorders provide fast answers when system upsets occur. Their sophisticated software instantly captures and analyzes line transients, longer-term disturbances,...

Filters, water.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Orival Filters protect heat exchangers and prevent clogging of nozzles, tubes and other narrow passages by removing dirt particles down to micron size, of any specific gravity, from once-through and recirculating cooling water systems. Line...

Filtration systems.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... 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_,...

Flow testing.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... 3D Duct Velocity Traverses [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Airflow Sciences Corporation has developed a data acquisition system and software tailored to performing duct and stack volumetric flow measurements according to EPA Methods 2, 2F, 2G...

Gas analyzers.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Thermo Electron Corporation launches iSeries line of gaseous pollutant analyzers. This line, with monitoring capabilities for a broad range of pollutants, has been introduced to enhance the many capabilities of Thermo's popular cSeries line of...

Gas turbines.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... GE Energy 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] GE Energy...

Instruments.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... New DAQSTATION Expandable Model [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new Yokogawa DAQSTATION DX200 Expandable model provides panel-mounted graphical display, alarming, and archiving of up to 200 process values sourced from external measurement...

Krytox[R] fluorinated lubricants.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... KRYTOX[R] FLUORINATED LUBRICANTS Krytox[R] Oils and Greases. These high-performance fluorinated lubricants are derivatives of Teflon[R] and offer the following advantages: Chemically inert. Wide temperature range (-103[degrees]F to...

Measurement/controls portal.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... 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)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... METALLURGICAL SERVICES 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,...

Power quality/protection.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Caterpillar announces brochure providing information on its complete, single-source offering of power protection and power quality systems. Brochure discusses the benefits of a continuous power solution that includes gaseous fuels and...

Preheater Gearboxes and parts.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Preheater Gearboxes and Parts Penn Machine is now an authorized source for Ljungstrom[R] Air Preheater Gearboxes, parts and service. Drop-in replacement gearboxes, gears, shafts, bearings, seals and housings are in stock for immediate...

Software.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... 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,...

Software, plant performance.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... * Cost-effective, industry-standard performance test procedures and calculation templates (Excel) for: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Boiler & Air Heaters (Coal/Oil/Gas) * Compressors & Pumps * Condensers & Feedwater Heaters *...

Wrenches.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Wright Tool's WrightGrip[TM], an innovative, high-strength, anti-slip design is standard on all Wright Tool open-end and combination wrenches in sizes up to 1-1/4". WrightGrip ensures the open-end wrench fits more snugly on the fastener,...

Weight training.(efun@pe.laf)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
May 1, 2005... An old man who had worked in a blacksmith shop as a boy decided to impress his grandson with the rigors of his training regimen. A favorite anecdote illustrated how he had developed his arm and shoulder muscles. He would stand out back...