Power Engineering articles from October 2003

Power Engineering archives from October 2003

Blame the blackout on Y2K.(Opinion)(Column)
October 1, 2003... While NERC, FERC, DOE, MISO, and every other electricity-related acronym debate the cause of the August 14 power blackout and whether or not some poor Joe literally fell asleep at the switch with his phone turned off, I'm going to cut through...

Blackout will impact power assets.(Update)
October 1, 2003... The power failure that occurred August 14th, affecting an estimated 50 million persons in the U.S. and large regions of Ontario, Canada, appears to have been caused primarily by deficiencies in the transmission grid rather than generation...

Switchyard transformers overlooked in power quality equation.(Update)
October 1, 2003... Plant performance measurement often stops at the point where power enters the plant switchyard. Yet minor transformer failures can have devastating impact on plant performance and system reliability. Such concerns can only be heightened in the...

GE Power.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The largest and most efficient gas turbine plant in the world has gone into commercial operation at Bagland Bay in Wales--a single-shaft 480 MW combined-cycle installation equipped with GE Power's H System. The GE 109H combined-cycle package is...

Cinergy.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Cinergy has announced its intention to make absolute reductions of its greenhouse gas emissions. The company is partnering with Environmental Defense, a national advocacy group, to develop a program to cut greenhouse gas emissions from...

FuelCell Energy's (FCE) Asia-Pacific strategic partner Marubeni Corporation has released for production its three MW order for Direct FuelCell power plants for new customer commitments.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... FuelCell Energy's (FCE) AsiaPacific strategic partner Marubeni Corporation has released for production its three MW order for Direct FuelCell power plants for new customer commitments. FCE has also invested $2 million in Versa Power Systems in...

Nuclear Energy Institute.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The Nuclear Energy Institute reports that 2002 marked the fourth consecutive year that U.S. nuclear power plants were the lowest cost electricity producers of baseload electricity. Production costs--meaning fuel and plant O&M--averaged 1.71...

In response to the Long Island Power Authority's request for proposals for new energy sources, KeySpan Corp. and American National Power have formed a joint venture to build power plants on Long Island, New York.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... In response to the Long Island Power Authority's request for proposals for new energy sources, KeySpan Corp. and American National Power have formed a joint venture to build power plants on Long Island, New York. Electricity demand on Long...

ADA-ES has entered into an agreement with Dominion Ash, a provider of fly ash products.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... ADA-ES has entered into an agreement with Dominion Ash, a provider of fly ash products, to further develop and market Dominion's microwave carbon burnout technology, a process that efficiently removes carbon from the ash residue at coal-fired...

Caterpillar and Eaton Corp. have announced a joint venture to provide a total systems approach to integrated electric power solutions.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Caterpillar and Eaton Corp. have announced a joint venture to provide a total systems approach to integrated electric power solutions. The venture combines the global resources and expertise of Caterpillar, its dealer network, and Eaton's...

Babcock & Wilcox has signed a 10-year wet electrostatic precipitator license with F.L. Smidth Airtech.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Babcock & Wilcox has signed a 10-year wet electrostatic precipitator license with F.L. Smidth Airtech giving B&W the right to sell, engineer, design, manufacture, construct, startup and service FLS-AT vertical and horizontal flow WESPs for...

Professional Systems Engineering and Proto-Power Corp. have announced a teaming association.(Business Briefs)(Proto-Power Corp)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Professional Systems Engineering and Proto-Power Corp. have announced a teaming association to provide nuclear security consulting, design and engineering services nationwide.

Kyowa Exeo Corp.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Japan's Kyowa Exeo Corp. has started marketing a wind power generation system featuring propellers that can create electricity regardless of the direction in which the wind is blowing. The Hybrid Wings power generation system has a set of two...

Southern States Power Co. has entered into a one-year product re-seller agreement.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Southern States Power Co. has entered into a one-year product re-seller agreement with Shell Solar Industries.

North American Energy Services Company has acquired Hanover Compressor Company's Turbine Field Maintenance group based in Houston, Texas.(Mergers And Acquisitions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... North American Energy Services Company has acquired Hanover Compressor Company's Turbine Field Maintenance group based in Houston, Texas. The field services group provides major maintenance services for rotating equipment.

A consortium of private equity firms comprised of The Blackstone Group, Apollo Management LP and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners has signed an agreement.(Mergers And Acquisitions)(Ondeo Nab)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... A consortium of private equity firms comprised of The Blackstone Group, Apollo Management LP and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners has signed an agreement to acquire Ondeo Nab from Suez N.A. in a transaction valued at $4.2 billion.

A unit of FPL Group has offered to pay $276.5 million for British Energy Plc's 50 percent stake in AmerGen, part owner of the Clinton, Three Mile Island and Oyster Creek nuclear plants.(Mergers And Acquisitions)(Florida Power and Light Co.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... A unit of FPL Group has offered to pay $276.5 million for British Energy Plc's 50 percent stake in AmerGen, part owner of the Clinton, Three Mile Island and Oyster Creek nuclear plants. Exelon abandoned a plan to sell its own 50 percent AmerGen...

Calpine has sold a 70 percent interest in its Auburndale, Fla. power plant to Pomifer Power Funding while retaining its remaining interest in the 150 MW cogeneration facility.(Mergers And Acquisitions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Calpine has sold a 70 percent interest in its Auburndale, Fla. power plant to Pomifer Power Funding while retaining its remaining interest in the 150 MW cogeneration facility. Calpine also plans to sell its unconsolidated 50 percent interest in...

AES will sell its interests in the Republic of Georgia.(Mergers And Acquisitions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... AES will sell its interests in the Republic of Georgia, which consists of three power plants, to Russian power monopoly Unified Energy Systems of Russia.

Green Power Energy Holdings Corp. and Cogentrix of North Carolina have agreed to an extension until Dec. 15, 2003.(Mergers And Acquisitions)(Green Power Energy Holdings Corp)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Green Power Energy Holdings Corp. and Cogentrix of North Carolina have agreed to an extension until Dec. 15, 2003 for its acquisition of the Kenansville, N.C. power facility.

NRG McClain LLC has agreed to sell its 77 percent interest.(Mergers And Acquisitions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... NRG McClain LLC has agreed to sell its 77 percent interest in the 520 MW McClain Generating Station to Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co.

TransAlta Power, L.P.(Mergers And Acquisitions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... TransAlta Power, L.P. has acquired an indirect 25 percent interest in the Sheerness Generating Station in Ontario, Canada.

Dynegy.(Mergers And Acquisitions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Dynegy has sold its 16 percent stake in the 37 MW Paris, Texas, plant; its 10 percent stake in the 83 MW Frontier plant in Grimes County, Texas; its 5 percent stake in the 12 MW Ferndale, Washington, plant; and its stakes in two plants in...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2003... On page 30 of the August issue of Power Engineering, the reference to APTEC in the text (third column) was misspelled as "Aptech." APTEC is owned by R-V Industries. The caption for the photo correctly sites Aptech Engineering Services. Power...

Capstone Turbine Corporation.(Personnel And Promotions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... John Tucker has been named CEO of Capstone Turbine Corporation. He was previously president and CEO of York International, president of AlliedSignal Aerospace Equipment Systems, CEO of Daimler Benz Aerospace Motoren & Turbine Union, and...

AEP.(Personnel And Promotions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... AEP has named Mano Nazar senior vice president and chief nuclear officer. He was formerly the senior vice president of nuclear operations at Nuclear Management Co. Christopher Bakken III has announced his resignation from AEP to return to PSEG...

U.S. Fuel Cell Council.(Personnel And Promotions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... John Goodman, president of the fuel cell market sector of Entegris, has been elected to the executive and policy committees of the U.S. Fuel Cell Council, an industry association focused on the commercialization of fuel cells in the U.S.

New Jersey's Public Service Electric and Gas Co.(Personnel And Promotions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Ralph Izzo has been named to succeed Al Koeppe as president and CEO of New Jersey's Public Service Electric and Gas Co. upon Koeppe's retirement in October. Izzo was senior vice president for utility operations.

Peabody Energy.(Personnel And Promotions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Gregory Boyce has been named president and CEO of Peabody Energy. He was most recently with Rio Tinto PLC, where he served as CEO for energy.

Cummins & Barnard.(Personnel And Promotions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... James Connell has joined engineering and construction management firm Cummins & Barnard as a principal and will assume the duties and responsibilities of president.

VRB Power Systems.(Personnel And Promotions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Timothy Hennessy has been named CEO and chairman of the board of VRB Power Systems.

We Generation.(Personnel And Promotions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Rick Kuester will replace Richard Grigg as president and CEO of We Generation. Kuester joins Wisconsin Energy from Mirant, where he was CEO of Mirant Asia-Pacific Ltd. and senior vice president-international. Grigg will serve as a special...

Hickham Industries.(Personnel And Promotions)
October 1, 2003... Darayus Pardivala has been named president of turbomachinery repair firm Hickham Industries. Allen Thornton has been named general sales manager.

NorthWestern Corp.(Personnel And Promotions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... NorthWestern Corp has named Gary Drook president and CEO and Michael Hanson COO.

World Coal Institute.(Personnel And Promotions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Roger Wicks, executive vice president of Anglo Coal, has been named chairman of the World Coal Institute, succeeding Dave Murray.

Westinghouse Electric Company.(Personnel And Promotions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... As part of an ongoing program to assure Westinghouse maintains its commitment to technology leadership within the commercial nuclear power industry, Westinghouse Electric Company has appointed Arnold Fero, Steve Byrne mid Tom Lytle fellow...

Great Plains Energy.(Personnel And Promotions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Great Plains Energy has named Michael Chesser chairman and CEO, succeeding Bernie Beaudoin who will retire at year-end. William Downey has been named president and COO.

Coal-fired opacity technology being demonstrated in the U.S.(Update)(Indigo Agglomerator technology reduces particle size of emissions)
October 1, 2003... A particulate agglomeration technology for coal-fired power plants, developed in Australia and brought to the U.S. by Southern Company and Indigo Technologies, Brisbane, Australia, is now being demonstrated on a Southern Company plant in...

Study aims at reducing power plant water consumption.(Update)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Power generation is second only to agriculture as the largest domestic user of water, accounting for 39 percent of all freshwater withdrawals in the nation. A project is currently underway to address one element of power plant water...

Stone & Webster.(Construction And Contracts)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Shaw Group subsidiary Stone & Webster has received an EPC contract valued at approximately $570 million from Astoria Energy, LLC for Phase I of a fully-permitted dual-fuel 1000 MW power project in New York City.

Syscom Instruments.(Construction And Contracts)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Syscom Instruments has received a contract for the seismic instrumentation of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Diablo Canyon Power Plant.

Exelon Generation has selected Westinghouse Electric Company to supply 16 reloads of commercial nuclear fuel for the Dresden 2 and 3 and Quad Cities 1 and 2 nuclear power plants.(Construction And Contracts)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Exelon Generation has selected Westinghouse Electric Company to supply 16 reloads of commercial nuclear fuel for the Dresden 2 and 3 and Quad Cities 1 and 2 nuclear power plants. The Tennessee Valley Authority has selected Westinghouse to...

Caterpillar.(Construction And Contracts)
October 1, 2003... Caterpillar has sold five G16CM34s--its largest gas-fired engines--to the City of Geneva, Ill. for use in a 29 MW peaking power plant scheduled for service in January, 2004.

Caprock Wind LP, an affiliate of Cielo Wind Power, announced plans to install up to 80 1-MW wind turbines near Tucumcari, New Mexico.(Construction And Contracts)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Caprock Wind LP, an affiliate of Cielo Wind Power, announced plans to install up to 80 1-MW wind turbines near Tucumcari, New Mexico, within the next 12 months, with output sold to Xcel Energy.

ABB and Saft brought the first three strings of the world's most powerful storage battery on-line in late August for the Golden Valley Electrical Association in Fairbanks, Alaska.(Construction And Contracts)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... ABB and Saft brought the first three strings of the world's most powerful storage battery on-line in late August for the Golden Valley Electrical Association in Fairbanks, Alaska. During commissioning tests, the battery energy storage system...

Framatome ANP.(Construction And Contracts)
October 1, 2003... Framatome ANP has been awarded a contract by Bechtel National Inc. to design, analyze and fabricate three evaporator systems in support of the Waste Treatment Plant Project at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Reservation near Richland,...

LaRoche Industries.(Construction And Contracts)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... LaRoche Industries has been selected as the supplier of an ammonia storage and handling system for a selective catalytic reduction installation at a power plant project in Iowa.

Restoring concrete.(Update)(Shaffer Group develops a system of design and repair for power plants )
October 1, 2003... Power plants have long experienced maintenance problems related to reinforced concrete structures such as cooling towers and flue stacks, typically manifested in age-related physical degradation and/or material corrosion via exposure to salts,...

Short-term focus creates nuclear roller coaster.(Nuclear Reactions)
October 1, 2003... This year marks a number of significant anniversaries. The Wright Brothers inaugurated the age of flight 100 years ago. Ford, Cadillac and Harley-Davidson all are celebrating their centennials. And GM introduced the Corvette 50 years ago....

Plant maintenance: lubrication and oil analysis: sampling and analysis of lubricating oil is now becoming standard maintenance practice.(Cover Story)
October 1, 2003... Electric generating plants with inadequate maintenance programs will invariably be unable to compete in today's very competitive industry. With the advent of deregulation, power plants can longer rely on the rate base to cover their maintenance...

Nuclear power worthy of public investment.(Nuclear Power)
October 1, 2003... There are significant difficulties in rejuvenating the U.S. nuclear power industry. With an energy bill moving to the front burner in Congress, however, a next wave of safe, reliable "Generation III" plants could be brought on-line after 2010,...

More efficient gas plants and improved gas alternatives needed.(Power-Gen Preview)
October 1, 2003... There will be no shortage of energy issues to discuss at POWER-GEN International, December 9-11 in Las Vegas. But uncertainties surrounding the price and supply of natural gas--for more than a decade the fuel of choice for nearly 90 percent of...

AEP goes plastic to improve coal handling efficiency.(Coal Handling Machinery)(American Electric Power Company Inc.)
October 1, 2003... The debate over stainless steel versus plastic in coal handling equipment such as bunkers, silos, hoppers and railcars has persisted for decades. Plastic advocates cite impressive numbers about coal flow, the elimination of plugging, and...

Major benefits predicted from DG interconnect standard.(DG Update)(Interview)
October 1, 2003... The first standard for interconnecting distributed generation resources with utility grids--IEEE 1547--is being published this fall. Power Engineering recently interviewed Murray Davis, vice president and chief technology officer of DTE Energy...

Events.(Calendar)
October 1, 2003... NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 3-4 North American Gas Strategies Conference, Ziff Energy Group (800/853-6252), Calgary, Alberta, Canada NOVEMBER 3-7 Fuel Cell Seminar, Courtesy Associates (www.fuelcellseminar.com), Miami Beach, Fla. ...

Stack lining retrofit has three-year payback.(Field Notes)
October 1, 2003... LIKE MANY POWER plants constructed in the early 1970s, Louisville Gas & Electric's (LG&E) 2,000 MW Mill Crock coal-fired power plant was re,tired to add a wet scrubbing systems to comply with EPA pollution control guidelines. As part of the wet...

Fuel metering valve.(Products)
October 1, 2003... A new all-electric AVG3.0 Gas fMetering Valve for 25 MW and larger industrial gas turbines is now available from Precision Engine Controls. The metering valve provides precise flow control for main and pilot fuel supplies in difficult and dry...

Utility vehicle.(Products)
October 1, 2003... A light utility hauler from Polaris Industries "Professional Series UTV 1500 2x4," has a powerful 18-horse-power V-twin, air-cooled 4-cycle engine, heavy-duty transmission and lower gearing. The UTV 1500 2x4 can carry a payload of up to 1,250...

Vibration analyzer.(Products)
October 1, 2003... The next generation CSI Model 2130 vibration data analyzer, from Emerson Process Management, is faster and more powerful than previous Emerson models. It features the functionality and ease of use of a large color display, expanded memory,...

Simulator module.(Products)
October 1, 2003... An LVDT (linear variable differential transformer) Simulator Module is now available from Axiomatic Technologies. The module is used for operator simulation of the LVDT or RVDT (rotary variable differential transformer) feedback signal from...

Sensor catalog.(Products)
October 1, 2003... Macro Sensors' new power generation capabilities catalog details the company's AC and DC operated LVDT specifically designed for the electric power generation market. Among the units features are hermetically sealed AC and DC operated LVDTs...

Avista Kettle Falls.(Managing the Plant)(At the Kettle Falls Generating Stations a unique repowering project has boosted output)
October 1, 2003... When Avista Corp. (then known as Washington Water Power) brought the Kettle Falls Generating Station in northeastern Washington state into operation 20 years ago to meet rising demand for power, the company was also motivated by the...

Rotork introduces a comprehensive range of Skilmatic electric fail-safe actuators.(Actuators)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Rochester, NY, June 20, 2002--Rotork has announced the introduction of a full range of Skilmatic[TM] electric fail-safe linear and quarter-turn actuators that include modulating, isolating, emergency shutdown (ESD) and spring-return models....

X11CA computer annunciators.(Annunciators)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The newest Ronan Annunciator, X11CA Series, features PC configurable options and serial communications (DF1, MODBUS and OPC). The X11CA is a great compliment to DCS and PLC control systems. Field expandability, several window sizes, and...

New Honeywell Unified Energy Solutions reduce costs, maximize profits.(Advanced Control Solutions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Honeywell's new Unified Energy Solutions (UES) advanced control applications provide power and heat production control optimization. UES components run in conjunction with existing plant controls and measurements to achieve: a.. Maximum...

Belleville disc springs.(Supplier's Showcase)
October 1, 2003... Key Bellevilles, Inc. is the world's largest manufacturer of disc springs. Sizes range from .236" to 36" O.D., and .010" to 3" thick. Some of the material used to manufacturer our disc springs includes Inconel, 718, x750, Titanium, Hastelloy...

Air Pollution Control systems.(Air Pollution Control)
October 1, 2003... A global leader in the design and supply of pre-engineered and custom-engineered air pollution control equipment, turnkey systems and services, Wheelabrator offers fabric filters, electrostatic precipitators, wet or dry scrubbers, NOx control...

Bolt meter.(Supplier's Showcase)
October 1, 2003... Norbar USA Incorporated introduces its USM--2 Ultrasonic Bolt Meter for precise measurement of elongation and load in threaded fasteners. The compact, lightweight, field-portable unit operates on (4) standard "C" cell alkaline batteries, weighs...

Combustion Optimization.(Supplier's Showcase)
October 1, 2003... PROMECON USA, Inc. provides real time process measurement instrumentation for measuring coal, air and high temperature gas streams as well as unburned carbon-in-ash. The equipment is used widely in the utility industry--particularly in...

A crippled condenser can cost you big money.(Condenser Solutions)
October 1, 2003... The RheoVac[R] System monitors key parameters to identify specific condenser problems. The instrumentation provides real time data to identify leaks and troubleshoot vacuum operations. This information enables power plant personnel to...

Coal mill exhauster.(Supplier's Showcase)
October 1, 2003... Robinson Industries' non-overloading coal mill exhauster provides improvements in wear resistance, energy efficiency and fan/ system flow relative to traditional "whizzer wheel" designs. The new design employs dust deflectors and a proprietary...

Controller.(Supplier's Showcase)
October 1, 2003... The Industrial Measurement and Control business of Honeywell [NYSE:HON] has introduced the HC900 Hybrid Controller, an advanced process and logic controller with data acquisition. It offers a modular, scalable design that is seed to meet the...

Don't let coal and dust suppressants get you bent out of shape.(Conveyor Built Compounds)
October 1, 2003... Dust suppressants and dry coal can cause power plant conveyor belts to crack and cup, making it harder for them to track and shortening their life. Goodyear's solution: The Style B-LE and MSHA flame-resistant ARMA-LE cover compounds. Using...

Non-metallic expansion joints.(Expansion Joints)
October 1, 2003... Brochure discusses applications of durable expansion joints that compensate for thermal expansion of flue gas ducting systems. Ideal in harsh environments with temperatures to 2000[degrees], where conventional metal joints are corrosion-prone....

The Lighthawk-Model 560 Compliance Opacity / Dust Monitor.(Emissions Monitoring)
October 1, 2003... Meets All Proposed Changes to PS-1 and ASTM D6216 and utilizes a State-of-the-Art Patented Electrodynamic Pulsed LED Light Source! Monitor Labs LightHawk Opacity/Dust Monitor offers advanced, patented and configurable technology for...

Mega EBS provides high flow rates & large filtration area.(Filtration Systems)
October 1, 2003... 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_, the Mega EBS is ideal for wastewater, pre-filtration, and industrial supply/cooling water....

Expansion joints.(Supplier's Showcase)
October 1, 2003... Become an Expansion Joint Expert Today. As a world-leading expert in expansion joint design and manufacturing Expansion Joint Systems (EJS) has a wealth of experience and knowledge that we'd like to share with you. This expertise, along with so...

Generators.(Supplier's Showcase)
October 1, 2003... Kato Engineering has released a new brochure for its military products. These products include generators for Navy ships as well as motor-generator sets and high-frequency generators for aircraft ground support and other precision applications....

Gas Turbines.(Supplier's Showcase)
October 1, 2003... 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. GE Power Systems provides...

MQ Powers new ultra-silent generators.(Generators)
October 1, 2003... MQ Power introduces the world's quietest and highest-performing portable power sources. With a patented soundproof housing, sound levels are up to 11 decibels quieter (56 to 63dBA full load at 23 feet) than the current WhisperWatt line. ...

Western Gear and WesTech renewal parts from Philadelphia Gear.(Gearing Unit Parts)
October 1, 2003... Philadelphia Gear Corporation announces the availability of genuine renewal parts for Western Gear and WesTech gearing units. Philadelphia Gear purchased the Western Gear and WesTech brands in 1996, and is the only proprietary source for...

Guardrail systems from Hollaender.(Guardrail Systems)
October 1, 2003... The Hollaender Manufacturing Company brochure describes the company's complete guardrail systems for the power industry. The literature provides information on guardrials, structural slip on fittings, flanges and all necessary accessories....

Hoists.(Supplier's Showcase)
October 1, 2003... J.D. Neuhaus is a world class manufacturer of high-capacity (from_ton to 100 tons) pneumatic, hydraulic and custom engineered hoists since 1745. Used all over the world, from shipbuilding to power plants, our hoists are designed and...

Metallurgical Services.(Supplier's Showcase)
October 1, 2003... 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...