Instrumentation & Controls

Creating a faster-than-real-time Energy Management System (EMS) is a huge challenge for the power industry. In order to be considered faster-than-real-time, the EMS must be capable of executing within a

The right level instrumentation is key to keeping boilers on an even keel. Guided-wave radar offers a critical combination of capabilities. If asked to make a short list of factors able to improve heat rate

When conversations around the power industry turn to computer hacking, more often than not experts say it’s not a question of if, but rather, how systems have been compromised. William Doering, adjunct professor in the online Master’s in Business Administration program at Maryville University and a director with Guidehouse—a management consulting services provider—said he has participated […]

The very low maintenance of optical sensors has transformed dissolved oxygen measurement at one of Brazil’s biggest power plants.

Real-time data analysis from 29 gas turbines across multiple locations will increase availability, reduce forced outages and enable proactive, prescriptive maintenance Digitalization to improve availability, efficiency, productivity and flexibility Siemens will install state-of-the-art Remote Diagnostic Services (RDS) for GAIL (India) Limited covering 29 gas turbines operating across the Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur (HVJ) pipeline and the Vijaipur C2/C3 […]

Houston, March 14, 2019 – BlueVoyant and IronNet Cybersecurity today announced a partnership to deliver advanced, collective cyber defense and threat-detection capabilities to small-to-medium-sized energy providers in the United States. The joint offering will deliver IronNet’s threat analytics platform along with the industry’s first and only real-time collective cyber defense capability through BlueVoyant’s superior managed […]

GE Blends Hardware and Software Technologies to Improve Performance at Sorgenia Power S.p.A.’s Combined-Cycle Power Plant in Termoli, Italy Project Provides Greater Operational Visibility, Flexibility and Plant Reliability to Enhance Sorgenia’s Existing Energy Infrastructure Project Aligned to Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development Principles Underpinning Sorgenia’s Growth Both as a Producer and a Supplier of Electricity […]

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could travel in time? From space travel and self-driving vehicles to video calls and virtual reality, innovations in technology continue to push the boundary between science fiction and science fact. In the power industry, we are witnessing a dramatic transformation, as wireless networking technologies drive advancements in the Internet […]

Brüel & Kjær Vibro (B&K Vibro) announced that it had received an order for the supply of VC-8000 SETPOINT® systems and services for monitoring a 250 MW gas/coal fired steam turbine, generator and main boiler feed pump at the Huntly power station, the largest in New Zealand. Huntly is owned by Genesis Energy, the third […]

Detecting machine problems has never been so easy. New portable sensor and intuitive mobile app from SKF puts simplified inspection, machine health data collection and expert analysis within everyone’s reach. Lansdale, Pa. — March 4, 2019 — SKF Pulse™ combines an easy-to-use handheld sensor with a new mobile app, allowing users to quickly monitor rotating […]

GE’s Total Plant and Digital Solutions Will Help GC Reduce Costs, Achieve Higher Availability and Increase Reliability and Efficiency at GC’s Rayong Facility GC is the First Company in Thailand to Install GE’s Asset Performance Management Software Signing Ceremony Held Today with GE and GC Executives Highlights a Strong 30–Year Relationship Service Agreement Will Cover […]

Modified form of tried and tested compact drive from Voith Turbo used in a hydropower plant for first time Installation and maintenance friendly design Energy efficiency and environmental compatibility Heidenheim. As part of an upgrade of the Storr Lochs small hydropower plant in Scotland, technology group Voith installed a new kind of turbine control unit, […]

Hawk Measurement Systems (HAWK), a global leader in measurement solutions, has announced that it has been awarded explosion proof, flameproof and dust ignition proof certification by FM Approvals for FM, FM Canada and ATEX standards. Adding to the existing IECEx rating, Hawk now covers all major market areas. FM Approvals is a globally recognized and […]

COLUMBUS, Indiana – Cummins, Inc. (NYSE: CMI) became the first power generator manufacturer to obtain the 2018 International Building Code (IBC) seismic certification. The IBC code ‘provides minimum requirements to safeguard the public health, safety and general welfare of the occupants of new and existing buildings and structures’. The IBC certification assures Cummins generators will […]

Some combined cycle plants have two feedwater-control valves: a small startup valve with the extra cavitation protection needed during startup and low-load operations, and a larger main valve with the high flow capacity needed during full-load ops. This design is intended to yield a longer service life of these valves. However, as the plant ages, […]

ORLANDO, FLA. — GE Digital (NYSE: GE) today announced a powerful new version of iFIX, its award-winning HMI/SCADA software, used by nearly 20,000 industrial organizations around the world for plant-wide connectivity, visibility and control. Part of the Predix portfolio, the new iFIX 6.0 improves operational productivity by providing plant operators with high performance to give […]

Cambridge, UK (Feb. 5, 2019) — IQGeo announced today a new next generation geospatial platform that challenges the conventional role and capabilities of legacy GIS environments. Designed specifically for telco and utility network operators, the new platform dramatically accelerates productivity and collaboration, reducing field costs and enabling digital transformation. The platform, demonstrated at DistribuTECH 2019 […]

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Feb. 5, 2019) — Hexagon’s Safety & Infrastructure division has released a new software application that aids electric utilities in determining the location of faults more quickly and accurately. Launched at DistribuTECH 2019 in New Orleans, Hexagon’s Intergraph InService Fault Location helps utilities improve outage restoration by cutting fault location time from hours […]

San Ramon, CA  (February 4, 2019) – The Wi-SUN Alliance, a global ecosystem of member companies seeking to accelerate the implementation of open standards-based Field Area Networks (FAN) and the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced that the first wave of members have successfully completed interoperability testing to become the first solutions to achieve Wi-SUN […]

New Secure Media Exchange release goes beyond malware detection to identify next wave of USB attack types, keeping human authentication part of security  HOUSTON, Feb. 4, 2019 — Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today announced the latest release of Secure Media Exchange (SMX), a cybersecurity solution to protect industrial operators against new and emerging Universal Serial Bus (USB) […]

Visual MESA™ Multi-Period Optimizer (VM-MPO) 6 will reduce costly uncertainty in planning, scheduling and trading of energy over multiple time periods across portfolios of generation assets and different asset classes Houston, TX, February 4, 2019 – KBC (A Yokogawa Company) today announced the release of a new high-fidelity analytics technology, VM-MPO 6. It will allow […]

Allen-Bradley CompactLogix 5480 controller combines Logix control and Windows-based computing in one platform MILWAUKEE, February 4, 2019 — Industrial workers can strengthen their grasp of production and make more informed operating decisions with the new Allen-Bradley CompactLogix 5480 controller by Rockwell Automation. The controller marries a Logix control engine and the Microsoft Windows 10 IoT […]

San Jose, California – February 4, 2019 – Bedrock Automation, the maker of the world’s most secure open industrial control system (ICS), has established a partnership agreement with Wood, a globally recognized integration provider.  Under the agreement, Wood’s automation and control group will deliver Bedrock Open Secure Automation (OSA®) to its clients in energy and […]

A new distributed energy resources management system (DERMS) is being deployed in Western Australia, designed to manage distributed energy resources (DERs) across nearly 1 million square miles, with a focus on

Coal power plants today must find ways to operate economically if they are to survive. Every area of cost reduction must be investigated. On the maintenance side, time savings must be sought—to reduce

The threat to power grid resilience and reliability due to the continued retirement of coal-fired power plants has generated calls for immediate action. A severe weather event such as the “bomb cyclone” or

Power generators continue to expand their use of digital technologies. Data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are all part of a rapid transformation in how utilities are improving the

An Electric Power Research Institute-led collaborative utility project, called I4Gen (Insight through the Integration of Information for Intelligent Generation), is exploring new technologies for digitally

A key aspect of any digitization effort is providing easy access to data by engineersand other experts so they can perform advanced analytics to improve outcomes. In the March 2018 issue of POWER, an article