O&M

  • PVD Coatings Extend Life of Gas and Steam Turbine Components

    Industrial gas turbine (IGT) manufacturers and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) personnel are continually seeking new ways to improve the performance and longevity of critical components. High-value

  • A Clean Sweep for Invasive Mussel Biofouling

    The rapid proliferation of dreissena rostriformis bugensis—the quagga mussel—has major implications for power plant reliability. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation installed a groundbreaking solution at Parker

  • BrandSafway introduces BrandTech™ Power Distribution

    Innovative, new PDU revolutionizes circuit breaker design and reduces equipment costs by up to 40 percent Kennesaw, Georgia, USA, June 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) –BrandSafway is introducing the new BrandTech™ Power Distribution Unit, an Underwriters Laboratories (UL)/Canadian Standards Association (CSA) International-listed power distribution unit (PDU) with circuit breaker (CB) and ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). It […]

  • How to Monitor and Predict Operational Performance with Digital Analytics [PODCAST]

    Power plants are capturing operational data in ever-increasing amounts. However, analyzing all the data can be challenging. A number of tools are available that can help. In this episode of The POWER Podcast, two experts from one technology provider explain how big data can be analyzed to identify trends and create actionable information to solve […]

  • Flender and Wikov announce service cooperation

    • Joint service for gear units from other manufacturers • Fast and competent repair centers • Global presence and reach Flender GmbH, Bocholt and Wikov Industry a.s., Prague announce a comprehensive service cooperation for gear units from other manufacturers. Both companies look forward to this long-term and sustainable partnership. Plant operators will benefit from Flender’s […]

  • Wärtsilä and Summit sign Bangladesh’s biggest-ever service agreement to maintain Summit’s 464-MW power plants

    The technology group Wärtsilä has signed two major maintenance management and operational advisory agreements with Summit Group, the largest independent power producer (IPP) in Bangladesh and longstanding partner. The seven-year agreements represent the biggest ever signed service deals, in terms of MW generation, in the Bangladesh energy sector. The orders were booked by Wärtsilä in Q2, […]

  • The Future Direction of Respiratory Protection

    An estimated 5 million U.S. workers wear respirators. Employers are required to provide National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-certified respirators using a written respiratory protection program enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Design and manufacturing focus on fit, comfort, and ease of use across product lines incorporating advanced technologies, such […]

  • Piloting Boiler Startup at Lightspeed

    Many combined cycle power plants are being operated as peaker plants, rather than as baseload units. That can pose a problem for economizer safety valves. Pilot-operated safety valves offer several advantages

  • Coal Power Plant Improves Pump Seal Performance

    A German power plant experienced premature wear and excessive seal corrosion in its boiler feed circuit and flue gas desulfurization slurry pumps. By upgrading the performance of the pump seals and

  • Temperature Monitoring Protects Low-Voltage Assets

    Early detection of increased temperatures helps avoid power distribution asset-related failures and unplanned shutdowns. Wireless technologies make implementing this predictive maintenance solution practical

  • Innovative Fabric Structures Offer Power Plants Options

    The design of a power plant often revolves around efficiency and mapping out operations in a manner that decreases unnecessary expenditures, while increasing productivity. This challenge produces the need for

  • Transformer Reliability: An Overview of Data-Driven Decision-Making

    Are you properly quantifying and assessing the health of your plant’s transformers? Oil testing, infrared scanning, electrical testing, and inspection provide a much deeper understanding of what is happening

  • Equipment Showcase: Valves, Pipes, and Fittings

    Proper valves, pipes, and fittings are important for the successful operation of power generation facilities. This equipment includes products with versatile designs to establish effective joining and sealing

  • How to Hire the Best Talent

    It’s no secret that the power industry workforce is aging and managers are struggling to find qualified candidates interested in filling open positions. In my April column, I referenced a

  • Harrington Hoists, Inc. Introduces Model HFH Fork Truck Hook

    Manheim, PA – Harrington Hoists, Inc. introduces their HFH Fork Truck Hook which is designed to lift and carry loads on the fork of a fork truck using a single latched hook or swivel hook. It is available to fit fork widths of 5¼ to 7 inches and 3¼ to 3 inches in height with […]

  • Enel Green Power First in North America to Deploy New Predictive Maintenance Technology at Geothermal Plants

    The software technology, created by NarrativeWave, will enable Enel Green Power North America to better anticipate maintenance needs at its geothermal sites saving the company time and money The technology has now been deployed at all of Enel Green Power’s North American geothermal sites, Cove Fort, Salt Wells and Stillwater BOSTON, May 30, 2019 (GLOBE […]

  • FLIR Launched Addition to High-Performance T-Series Thermal Camera Family

    FLIR T840’s Integrated Color Viewfinder Simplifies Inspections Outside in Bright, Challenging Light Conditions WILSONVILLE, Ore., – FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) launched the FLIR T840, a new thermal camera in the high-performance T-Series family. The high-resolution T840 offers a brighter display and an integrated viewfinder to help electrical utility, plant managers, and other thermography professionals […]

  • Monitoring Solutions Acquires Optimal Air Testing Services

    Announces Expansion into Source & Compliance Testing Services May 7, 2019, Indianapolis, Indiana: Monitoring Solutions, Incorporated is excited to announce the acquisition of Optimal Air Testing Services (“Optimal”), a Casper, Wyoming based provider of stack and source testing to support compliance, guarantee, and engineering services. Addition of the Optimal staff brings tremendous industry knowledge, experience […]

  • Safety a Major Focus of CTOTF Conference

    Marc Yeston kicked off the Combustion Turbine Operations Technical Forum (CTOTF) spring conference on April 29 in St. Augustine, Florida, with a keynote presentation focused on safety, and how power plant managers and supervisors can improve safety programs. Yeston (Figure 1) has worked as a flight paramedic, a federal and state law enforcement officer, a […]

  • Extending Turbine Life to Meet Wind Power’s Potential

    Meeting increasing worldwide demand for wind energy depends on reliable turbine performance, and performance can significantly benefit from optimized main shaft and gearbox bearing selection. Wind turbine

  • Outstanding Combustion Turbine Operators Recognized by CTOTF

    The Combustion Turbine Operations Technical Forum (CTOTF) recently announced the winners of the first CTOTF/POWER Innovation Excellence awards, which recognize outstanding performance in various combustion

  • Double-Tube-Sheet Heat Exchangers: A Solution to Cross Contamination

    Heat exchangers are vital equipment for power plant operation. Many different types of heat exchangers exist, but for applications that cannot afford cross contamination of shell-side and tube-side fluids

  • Equipment Showcase – CEMS, Analyzers, and Sensors

    A continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS) is required in the U.S. under Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations to continuously collect, record, and report emissions data from industrial

  • PURE SAFETY GROUP UNVEILS LATEST SELF-RETRACTING LIFELINES

    HOUSTON (Apr. 22, 2019) — Pure Safety Group (PSG), the largest company dedicated solely to fall protection, has unveiled a new lineup of three self-retracting lifelines (SRLs). The SRLs are part of the company’s robust schedule of new product launches in 2019, during which it will release more than 20 new products for keeping workers […]

  • Framatome delivers GAIA fuel assemblies containing the first complete Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel concept

    Framatome delivered the industry’s first full-length Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel (EATF) concept containing both pellets and claddings to Georgia Power’s Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant. Southern Nuclear, operator of Plant Vogtle, inserted the GAIA lead fuel assemblies containing EATF during the Unit 2 spring refueling outage. Framatome delivered the fuel to the plant in […]

  • CenTrax belt tracker for RWE Eemshaven power plant

    RWE Generation’s Eemshaven power plant is the largest coal and biomass power plant in the Netherlands. Covered conveyor belts ensure dust-free transport of the coal from ships to the power plant or the storage yard. This process was always accompanied by jerks and jolts due to frequent belt mistracking. The constant downtime of the conveyor […]

  • Vestas turbines to feature nacelle Lidar

    01 April 2019: Fred. Olsen Renewables places order with ZX Lidars for integrated nacelle wind Lidars on every turbine at the 105 MW Högaliden Wind Farm Fred. Olsen Renewables, a leading global developer, owner and operator of renewable energy assets has confirmed its most recent order of turbines features nacelle Lidar for both wind farm […]

  • Optimizing Kaplan Turbine Efficiency with Minimal Cost, Effort, and Time

    When the blades of individual Kaplan turbines are not continuously adjusted to achieve peak efficiency, the result is non-optimal performance and unnecessarily high mortality of downstream migrating fish

  • Is a Faster-Than-Real-Time Energy Management System Within Reach?

    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

  • Controlling Boiler Level When Operating Conditions Change

    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