To remain efficient and profitable, utilities must anticipate the ebb and flow of the market. That means companies must gain visibility into the generation and consumption of energy. With network-level

Advanced technology now makes it possible for computers to do many of the monitoring and diagnostic tasks that used to require seasoned experts. Artificial intelligence and machine learning tools are being

Competitive maintenance uses an analytical process and condition-monitoring tools to select the optimum maintenance strategy for each plant system. For example, the optimum strategy for the plant’s steam turbine will be different than that for its gas turbine, and vastly different than that of its feedwater pumps. How well do you know your maintenance strategies? […]

Built and developed in accordance with the principles of vaastu shastra, this 1.5-GW “mega” gas power plant in India imbues positivity and proactivity into all aspects of plant operation. It has resulted

Public perceptions can make or break a project. One municipal utility found that out firsthand. When resistance grew strong against a new power plant it needed, the company rebooted and engaged with local

Advanced digital technologies, including robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, are transforming the way electric power companies do business, in ways that benefit the companies and their

At the end of July, India’s Central Electricity Authority (CEA) noted in its annual load generation balance report (LGBR) for the year 2018–2019 that the country will likely have a peak surplus of 2.5% and

Low power factor reduces an electrical system’s distribution capacity by increasing current flow. Therefore, having a low power factor is inefficient and expensive. But what is power factor and what affects

Understanding the properties of bulk materials and how they interact with environmental factors is vital to safe operations, but having an honest conversation about the hazards, so risks can be properly

Corrosion products can form quickly in power plant systems if water, air, and metal are allowed to occupy the same space. Localized corrosion can take any of several distinct forms, such as stress corrosion

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in July issued a long-awaited decision in the case Cooling Water Intake Structure Coalition v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), upholding the EPA’s

Safety should be the top priority on any job site and goes hand in hand with operational excellence. Risk mitigation and safety are exceptionally important for power plants due to the nature of the industry

Scorching temperatures during the summer of 2018 forced a swathe of power plants across the world to reduce power or shut down temporarily, owing to warmer-than-usual temperatures of cooling water and other

Silicon Valley Power implemented a system using machine-learning technology to monitor critical power plant components. The solution has proven to reduce downtime and save money. Furthermore, its wireless

We’ve all heard that phrase about leading or following. In today’s energy world, and more so in tomorrow’s, this saying takes on a new meaning that can be summed up in two words: distributed generation

Innovative welding techniques can produce consistently better-quality joints. Special alloys, appropriate pre- and post-weld heat treatment, and proper weld procedures can all help prevent catastrophic failure

The California Independent System Operator’s Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) is a real-time energy market, the first of its kind in the western U.S. EIM’s advanced market systems automatically find low-cost

It’s no secret that U.S. nuclear and coal-fired power plants are struggling to remain viable in competitive markets. Many plants have been retired for economic reasons long before the facilities reached the

KivuWatt, a 26.2-MW power plant in Kibuye, Rwanda, was conceived to help reduce risk of an overpressure gas outburst at Lake Kivu. The first-of-its-kind integrated methane gas extraction and production

Every power generation facility is unique, as are the functions and maintenance requirements for their equipment. Keeping equipment in working order and avoiding downtime is critical. Plants will sometimes use

According to a recent maintenance study published by Plant Engineering, more than 50% of respondents said their plants are still heavily relying on reactive maintenance. However, organizations and industries (including the power industry) have slowly started to move toward a more proactive maintenance approach because of the numerous benefits its implementation provides. This article addresses […]

Unlike their regulated counterparts, merchant power generators have increasingly struggled to compete over the last few years and the outlook for many is that this won’t change any time soon. While regulated power companies often enjoy near monopolies in their respective markets, merchant power companies build out their power generating capacity on a speculative basis […]

Driven by increased energy efficiency and the relocation of electricity-intensive industries, electricity demand and consumption has steadily declined in many developed markets during the last decade, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Yet middle- and working-class households, as well as small businesses, are spending more of their income on electricity than their parents’ generation. […]

Power plant control and monitoring can be complex given the need to integrate many different platforms. Adding to the complexity is the fact that HMI’s (Human-Machine Interface) supplied by the OEM often only interface with the OEMs controller and not with ancillary systems. Lastly, ongoing support and updates from the common operating system may be […]

Mechanical Dynamics and Analysis (MD&A) was contracted after a forced outage to perform a major overhaul on a cogeneration unit’s MS5001PA gas turbine, and to remove, test and inspect the generator field. Because the unit dispatches as baseload and the turbine is a critical asset, MD&A was asked to complete the repair work as quickly […]

Mechanical Dynamics and Analysis (MD&A) was retained by a utility to perform a stub-shaft repair of a generator rotor collector-end shaft. The customer reported that the generator rotor had suffered a collector ring failure and also a ground to the main shaft. Major arcing and heat damage occurred to the generator rotor forging shaft. The utility weighed […]

Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) experts recently performed a thermodynamic analysis to assist our client in converting their coal and natural gas plant to combined cycle operation. The customer was able to locate a gray market Gas turbine and Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG). Our team modeled how each component would interact with one another, and were […]

MD&A’s San Antonio Service Center can extend the service life of gas turbine components whose OEM service limit has passed or whose configuration is no longer suitable to operate. Significant savings can be realized by opting for lower-cost repaired spares instead of new parts. Elevated temperatures take a big toll on gas turbine components. Repair […]

Mechanical Dynamics and Analysis inspected and repaired an A-10 frame High-Pressure rotor.   The unit was a 3600 rpm, 90 MW combined cycle unit.  MD&A’s Turbine-Generator Repair Facility performed the incoming inspections / evaluations, repair straightening of the rotor, final inspections, as well as high speed balance. Incoming inspections and evaluation consisted of blast cleaning, NDE, visual inspections, […]

New Jersey is yet another state expanding public access to cannabis for medical purposes and is poised to legalize access for recreational use. This means energy service providers and public utilities will