Engineering
-
Gas
TVA Exploring Carbon Capture Feasibility for Two Gas-Fired Power Plants
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is poised to study the feasibility of retrofitting two gas-fired power plants—a combined capacity of 1.8 GW—in Mississippi and Kentucky with post-combustion carbon capture technology to remove more than 90% of their carbon emissions. The non-profit U.S. corporate agency and Canadian energy infrastructure firm TC Energy on Sept. 14 said they will […]
-
Nuclear
DOD Advances X-Energy Mobile Nuclear Microreactor as Second Project Pele Design
The Department of Defense (DOD) has moved to develop a second transportable microreactor under Project Pele, granting X-energy a contract option to advance the design of its mobile advanced nuclear microreactor prototype. The one-year contract option will continue to provide funding for X-energy’s nuclear technology development, allowing the firm to develop its design to meet […]
-
Nuclear
Wyoming Energy Authority Makes Investment Toward Microreactor Deployment
BWX Technologies (BWXT) said it was awarded a “two-phase, two-year contract” with the Wyoming Energy Authority (WEA) to assess the viability of deploying small-scale nuclear reactors in the state to augment existing power generation resources. The WEA says it combines the existing scopes of the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority, Wyoming Pipeline Authority, and the State Energy […]
-
Hydro
Hydropower Horizons: Pioneering a Pelton Turbine Breakthrough
Voith Hydro in 2022 replaced four vertical Pelton turbines at Verbund’s 75-year-old 326-GWh Gerlos 1 pumped storage facility in Austria with a first-of-its-kind horizontal six-nozzle Pelton turbine
-
Gas
South Korea’s First ‘K-Gas Turbine’ Begins Commercial Operation
Marking a significant inroad to establish a South Korean foothold in the world’s gas turbine technology market, heavy industrial company Doosan Enerbility this summer began commercial operation of its first
-
Fiction
Marnie Surfaceblow: Bowing Under Pressure
Just because something hasn’t failed doesn’t mean it won’t—especially when an “old dog” of a plant is taught new tricks. Two women wearing personal protective equipment waited impatiently in the
-
Trends
Lessening the Impacts of Extreme Weather—How Utilities Should Be Preparing
Climate change is a threat multiplier. Clean-up costs are ballooning and natural disasters are growing more expensive. In 2022 alone there were 18 natural disasters that caused more than $1 billion in damage, up from only three events in 1980. These are taking a bigger bite out of the energy sector’s operating costs and profits, […]
-
Hybrid Power
Arizona Site Will Host Long-Duration Energy Storage Project
An innovative battery energy storage project, using a non-lithium technology, will be deployed at a research center in Arizona. Salt River Project (SRP), the state’s community-based, not-for-profit public power utility, and Germany’s CMBlu Energy, which designs and manufactures energy storage systems, on August 31 announced a pilot project for a 5-MW, 10-hour, long duration energy […]
-
Wind
How Wind Turbine Pitch-Control and Sealing Systems Work
With over 350,000 wind turbines currently in use globally, wind continues to be one of the fastest growing forms of renewable energy. In 2021, 93.6 GW of new installations brought global cumulative wind power capacity to 837 GW, showing year-over-year growth of 12%. The Global Wind Report 2022 notes that 557 GW of new capacity […]
-
History
How the ‘Great Resignation’ and Disengagement Are Affecting the Power Industry
The “Great Resignation” is a term used to describe a widespread trend that took shape over the past few years of employees voluntarily changing jobs in large numbers. The phenomenon gained traction during
-
Water
A Model for ZLD Treatment of Blowdown from Cooling Towers—Even the Big Ones
Pilot testing under the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Pitch-to-Pilot desalination research funding proved an electro-coagulation, clarification, micro-filtration, reverse osmosis with vacuum-assisted
-
Waste to Energy
Integrating Flammable Gas Pressurization System with Online Ash Cleaning Device Improves Energy Efficiency
A stationary shockwave ash cleaning device combined with a pneumatic booster system is a solution to the hourly cleaning of accumulated ash in boiler tube bundles. The automated ash cleaning process stably
-
Press Releases
Inspiring a New Generation of Engineers: Miss America Grace Stanke to Speak at Experience POWER Week – Clean Energy, Cleaner Future
Grace Stanke is the current Miss America and graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she studied nuclear engineering. She is an advocate for clean energy and inspiring the next generation of engineers. During her year as Miss America, she is traveling the country using her national platform to advocate for “Clean Energy – Cleaner […]
-
Press Releases
Magnashear™ Motor Brakes Eliminate Pitch Drive Maintenance
Fairfield, OH – Maintaining yaw and pitch drives is a challenge because of the inherent time that it takes for maintenance personnel to ascend to the nacelle. But foregoing maintenance can lead to costly failures and even more downtime. The Magnashear™ motor brake from Force Control Industries eliminate pitch drive maintenance by eliminating the root […]
-
Press Releases
Curtiss-Wright’s Brea CA Facility Receives ISO 9001:2015 Certification
BREA, CA – July 14, 2023 – Curtiss-Wright’s Nuclear division announced today that its Brea, CA facility has received ISO 9001:2015 certification for its quality management system (QMS). This globally-recognized certification allows the company to provide valves, vessels, actuators, control systems, and engineering services for use in construction of next generation Advanced Reactor (AR) and […]
-
Connected Plant
The Future of the Utilities Workforce: Building Capabilities in the Digital Era
The utility industry is facing a major challenge as it navigates the constantly evolving landscape of the electric grid. Managing the transformation brought about by the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, the rise of remote and hybrid work, and the growing reliance on renewable energy sources has become central to the industry. Operators must adapt […]
-
Press Releases
Watertight AUMA actuators for underwater hydro turbine control
An AUMA electric actuation solution ensures high-precision guide vane adjustment for a fully-submersible hydro turbine from Natel Energy at the Sauerbrunn hydropower plant near Graz, Austria, thus helping to boost green energy. California-based turbine manufacturer Natel Energy required an actuator that could operate continuously underwater, provide accurate positioning to optimally control the water supply to […]
-
Energy Security
Estrella del Mar III, a Visionary Floating Power Plant, Is POWER’s Plant of the Year
Winning POWER’s highest honor is Estrella del Mar III, a first-of-its-kind floating combined cycle gas turbine power barge that fulfills a remarkable assortment of modern power system demands. Nearly fully
-
Electrification
Space Solar Power Prototype Beams First Power to Earth
California Institute of Technology’s (Caltech’s) first space-borne prototype launched into orbit has demonstrated the ability to wirelessly transmit power in space and beam detectable power to Earth. The
-
O&M
Developing Coatings for Use in Harsh Biomass Combustion Environments
Corrosion is a constant battle for infrastructure of all kinds—the natural response of materials like metals to their environment, causing damage to everything from turbines to oil pipelines and vehicles. The costs are vast. A National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) IMPACT study published in 2013 claims that corrosion causes damage valued at $2.5 trillion […]
-
Trends
Digitalization Is Now a Power Sector Imperative: Takeaways from Connected Plant Conference 2023
Digitalization is now so firmly embedded in the power sector that if participants haven’t yet begun their digital journey, they’ve inherently fallen behind. That was a message repeated at the three-day 7th annual Connected Plant Conference (CPC), which took place this week in New Orleans, Louisiana. POWER magazine and Chemical Engineering magazine’s conference this year […]
-
Commentary
Zinc Batteries Fare Well in Life Cycle Assessments
As promising zinc-based battery technologies advance, Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) provided by certified, independent third parties can serve as differentiators in the crowded field of energy storage options. Several zinc battery developers have commissioned Boundless Impact Research & Analytics to provide LCAs, systematic analyses of the potential environmental impacts of these emerging clean technologies during […]
-
T&D
Essential Energy Lowers Costs and Carbon Footprint Across Australia’s Energy Sector
OpenUtilities Enables Substation Intelligent Digital Design, Reducing Environmental Impact and Saving 50% in Costs With a network spanning 737,000 kilometers, covering approximately 95% of New South Wales, Australia, Essential Energy distributes electricity services to more than 870,000 homes and businesses in 1,500 regional, rural, and remote communities. Despite their large coverage area, Essential Energy has […]
-
Sustainability
Supercharging Decarbonization: How Engineered Solutions Can Accelerate the Transition
As pressure mounts, energy leaders must build a more-resilient, lower-carbon energy system. Technical, digital, and engineered solutions will play a critical role in this transition, but which options are most viable? Driving the Transition Through Diversification: The Role of Hydrogen According to SHOCKED, one of the largest global studies conducted among the energy sector C-suite, […]
-
Press Releases
Boulden and Gulf Coast Bearing & Seal Release Integrated Portfolio of Products for the Power Generation Industry
CONSHOHOCKEN, PA – As part of its merger with Gulf Coast Bearing & Seal (GCBS), Boulden Company has announced the formation of a family of products and technologies aimed at the aftermarket power industry. Inclusive of material solutions such as DuPont™ Vespel® CR-6100, Boulden B-Series composites, and bearing & seal repairs and upgrades from GCBS, […]
-
Research and Development
Fusion Energy Projects Get Boost from DOE Funding
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the first round of awardees of the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program. The program is the latest in a series of efforts designed to align public and private sectors toward fusion commercialization. “The Biden administration obviously sees enormous potential in fusion—harnessing the power of the sun and the stars […]
-
Trends
Dynamic Innovation in Power Sector Digitalization
The power industry’s rapid adoption of digitalization is a striking example of its dynamic innovation—the continuous development and introduction of new ideas, products, or processes to meet shifting
-
Full Coverage
OTEC, a Long-Stalled Baseload Ocean Power Technology, Is Seeing a Swell
A project to deploy a 1.5-MW commercial-scale ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) platform in the African island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe by 2025 has gained a key design certification. The crucial
-
Nuclear
Japan Moving Forward on Nuclear Accident Tolerant Fuels
Efforts by Japanese nuclear fuel manufacturers to develop accident tolerant fuel (ATF) materials are making progress, and their commercialization is currently expected between 2030 and 2035 after key
-
Nuclear
DOE: MARVEL Microreactor Prototype Installed, Gearing Up for Testing
A full-scale electrically heated prototype of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) 100-kWth MARVEL nuclear microreactor has been successfully installed at a facility in New Freedom, Pennsylvania, and is readying for testing. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) fabricated the full-scale non-nuclear prototype—known as the primary coolant apparatus test (PCAT)—in January 2022 within nine months. PCAT was then […]