Enclosure manufacturer Rittal Corp.’s latest products are designed to be incorporated into electrical systems to help ensure safety against arc flash hazards. Data interface flaps, shown here, provide rapid system access via integrated USB, SUB-D9 RJ 45, and NEMA 5-15 sockets when needed. The affected enclosure remains closed and is thereby protected from ambient influences […]

Republican presidential candidate John McCain made reference to the word “fight” 25 times during his September 4 nomination acceptance speech. While watching McCain’s histrionics, my mind wandered back to another historic fight—the “Rumble in the Jungle.” Muhammad Ali, arguably the best boxer who ever stepped into the squared circle, was pitted against then-World Champion George […]

GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies’ new family of ultrasonic flaw detectors incorporates conventional and phased array ultrasound technology in three upgradeable models: Phasor CV, Phasor 16/16 Weld, and Phasor XS. Each solution, designed for applications ranging from corrosion monitoring to defect detection and sizing, is compliant with all major inspection codes. The Phasor XS (shown […]

Top Plant: CPS Energy’s J.K. Spruce Power Plant, Unit 1 was recently recognized by the EUCG Fossil Productivity Committee as the best performer in the large coal plant category over the 2002-2006 evaluation period. The competition was tough, with more than 80 plants in the running, but Unit 1 emerged as the clear winner by earning top points for high plant reliability and very low nonfuel O&M costs.

In the wake of a recent federal case, large power plants are off the hook for now as far as complying with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 2004 rule intended to protect fish and other aquatic organisms by controlling cooling water intake practices.

An advanced seal technology for hydraulic bolt tensioners recently developed by UK-based Boltight Ltd. takes advantage of the latest composite materials to eliminate oil leakage while allowing the tensioning piston to be retracted more easily after use. The new seals are a two-piece self-energizing design with an “O” ring made from a self-lubricating and durable […]

No U.S. federal standards exist to limit worker exposure to hand-arm vibration (HAV), but the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health suggests that high HAV acceleration levels (5-36 m/s2) can cause physical effects—and even permanent injury—if left unchecked and untreated. A new series of triaxial accelerometers launched this August by PCB Piezotronics’ Larson Davis […]

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Pranab Mukherjee, her Indian counterpart, signed a pact Friday that allows U.S. equipment and service providers to support India’s plans to increase the country’s nuclear capacity.     The accord seals the “123 Agreement,” an historic deal that lifts a 34-year-old ban on U.S.-Indian civilian nuclear trade. After three […]

Hawk Measurement Systems has launched a new line of “fourth generation” sonar transducers designed for improved sensing of interface levels in clarifiers and thickeners. The new transducer designs include three to seven sonar crystals mounted in a single head. Each sonar array produces a concentrated sonar beam, providing more emitted power and collecting more returned […]

How often do you get a clash between two great Lone Star icons?