The cost of poor company knowledge management is high and getting higher. Managing knowledge in an era of compartmentalization and specialization is more difficult when organizations face layoffs, looming retirements, and the scarcity of trained, qualified workers.

Mexico enjoys considerable fuel diversity for powering its generating plants, and its goal is to become even more diversified.

Mexico has already developed substantial large hydro and geothermal resources. However, without policy changes and government-sponsored financial incentives, unconventional renewable sources are taking the equivalent of baby steps.

Seven years have passed since the world’s first low mass flux vertical tube once-through furnace was put into operation by Doosan Babcock at the Yaomeng Thermal Power Plant Unit 1 in China. That boiler replaced a boiler of another design that had become unreliable. The operating experience with the Posiflow design has been so positive that the owner has since ordered and commissioned a replacement for Unit 2’s boiler. Here’s what makes this furnace design unique.

Shrinking water supplies will unquestionably constrain the development of future power plants. A hybrid system consisting of concentrated solar thermal power and desalination to produce water for a plant, integrated with a combined cycle or conventional steam plant, may be the simple solution.

In 2006 and 2007, POWER ran a three-part series on the formation of SO₃, O&M issues caused by SO₃, and sorbent injection control for SO₃ control. Three years later, many plants still struggle with their SO ₃ mitigation systems or remain undecided on which mitigation path to follow. This article explores the advantages of dry sorbent injection technology.

Offers of nuclear loan guarantees are pending, construction permit applications are at an industry high, and the political stars seem to be properly aligned. However, there remains one obstacle in the development path of the next-generation of nuclear plants: How will these plants be financed?

Mexico’s federal government retains almost total control over who builds and owns what electricity infrastructure. But if you know how to work within the strict constraints, it is possible to engage in profitable projects.

E Instruments has just released its TH300 humidity and temperature sensor, which is ideal for applications that require a single, high-accuracy instrument. The sensor measures relative and absolute humidity, dew point, wet and dry temperatures, and enthalpy. The range of measurement is from 0% to 100% relative humidity and – 40F to 356F. Accuracy is […]

NAFTA was both good and bad for Mexico. In both cases, it required a different approach to doing business, and the effects of that shift are still playing out.

The Brattle Group released a provocative study paper in March in which the authors postulate that using more natural gas for generating electricity could reduce our dependence on coal-fired generation and reduce carbon emissions. Also discussed is an unexpected side effect: Renewables could push natural gas plants down in the dispatch mix in the future. […]

Despite the political kerfuffle over Obama administration loan guarantees for new nuclear generating plants, the ubiquitous hand-wringing about fossil fuels and climate change, and the hype about wind and solar renewable power generation, the new reality of natural gas may be a game-changer.

The demand for "green" electricity — electricity produced from renewable sources like wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, and biofuels — is at an all-time high in the U.S. Over the past decade, solar and wind capacity have increased dramatically due largely to mandatory renewable portfolio standards (RPS), which have now been adopted by 27 states.

State control of the electricity sector may mean fewer customers, but it also can mean clearer expectations.

The fear of losing electric power inspires thoughts about how vital electricity is to our lives. It is fundamental to modern living, and that’s entirely a good thing.

The Brattle Group released a provocative study paper in March in which the authors postulate that using more natural gas for generating electricity could reduce our dependence on coal-fired generation and reduce carbon emissions. Also discussed is an unexpected side effect: Renewables could push natural gas plants down in the dispatch mix in the future. Just because natural gas reserves are at a record high and the price is at historic lows doesn’t mean that gas demand will increase.

Laser shaping technology has evolved from a two-step process into a single process that drills and shapes holes through a TBC, bond coat, and airfoil base metal to create a finished product.

Wind power’s cost is hidden in subsidies; its value is overstated and based on false metrics that don’t account for reliability and dispatchability.

For the past 26 years, Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) has hosted an annual CERAWeek conference in Houston that is renowned for high-profile attendees from around the world. During the week of March 8, security was tight as oil ministers from the Middle East and CEOs from the largest oil and gas companies and electric utilities rolled into Houston to exchange ideas and forecasts. More than 1,200 delegates from 55 countries attended to hear more than 100 distinguished speakers discuss a business that seems to have renewed optimism about the future.

Extech Instruments introduced the EX845, a 1,000A AC/DC CAT IV clamp meter with new METERLiNK technology and a built-in infrared thermometer. METERLiNK wirelessly connects FLIR infrared cameras to Extech meters via Bluetooth to simplify inspections. During infrared inspections of electrical components, users can transmit key electrical readings such as current or voltage from an Extech […]

Some amount of NIMBYism should be expected when developing any new project. Good planning and actively engaging community leaders early and often will increase your success quotient.

This third and final installment addresses three more areas where an investment in good maintenance practices pays operating availability dividends.

Flowserve Corp. has added 24- to 48-volt DC-input power for all sizes of Flowserve Limitorque QX electronic valve actuators. The QX offers reliability for remote applications that require an uninterrupted power supply but cannot use single- or three-phase AC volts. The electronic controls in the Limitorque QX actuators with DC volt capability are 100% digital […]

The regulatory process functions well when citizens and regulators are fully engaged and knowledgeable about important issues. The regulator must also grapple with the ever-changing roles of consumers and utilities to optimize the value of the commodity to society.

There is no doubt that the year-plus since passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) has borne witness to a great deal of activity among the diverse groups of smart grid stakeholders.

The Fluid Components International ST51 flow meter is designed to measure the flow of biogases, methane, and other greenhouse gas mixtures. The flow meter comes in an explosion-proof instrument and features a no-moving-parts design that’s nonclogging and operates over a wide flow range with low-flow sensitivity. A big plus is that the meter calibration is […]

Employee communications is one of the hardest management jobs. It puts the burden of truthfulness on both management and its employees.

At least 10 workers have died from natural gas piping explosions in the past 12 months. The most recent disaster, which occurred during gas system purging at the Kleen Energy Systems plant, claimed five lives and injured 27 workers. It’s time the industry understood the unique design and safety requirements for working with and purging natural gas piping.

Lenox Instrument Co. announced its new FireSight Thermal Imaging Camera System designed specifically to provide clear, real-time monitoring and accurate, noncontact temperature measurement through combustion flames. Temperature data are transmitted from 110,000 individual temperature points via a high-speed digital connection. Designed to be installed through a small opening in the combustion chamber wall, the high-resolution […]

Do your employees really know what’s going on with your company? Don’t be worried that they can’t handle the truth. Here’s why it works to create a culture of corporate transparency—starting now.