O&M

The power generation industry is constantly evolving, with advanced technologies becoming more ubiquitous in power plants. Along with this evolution, instrumentation and control equipment continues to be key

Additional Diablo Canyon Power Plant Proposal Affirms PG&E’s Commitment to Meet California’s Renewable and Clean Energy Goals SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Reflecting the company’s commitment to address the growing threat of wildfires, PG&E is proposing a series of important additional safety investments as part of its 2020 General Rate Case (GRC) to help further protect the 16 […]

BARBERTON, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (B&W) (NYSE:BW) announced today that its subsidiary, Babcock & Wilcox Loibl GmbH (B&W Loibl), has been awarded a contract for more than $20 million to supply a co-firing conveying system and other equipment to RWE Generation NL’s Amercentrale power plant in Geertruidenberg, Netherlands. When complete, the transport line […]

Before industrial control systems (ICSs) were network-connected, operators had little to worry about in the way of cyber threats. But as industrial environments, such as energy utilities, become more connected, they’re exposed to vulnerabilities and attacks. ICSs are used in large amounts of critical infrastructure, including the electrical grid, transportation systems, and wastewater plants. How […]

Most operators know that air should be kept out of a heat exchanger’s cooling water supply line. Air can collect in pockets and block flow, increasing velocities, increasing system resistance, decreasing

Thousands of workers are involved, and billions of dollars are being spent, as U.S. utilities convert and close dozens of coal ash impoundments in an effort to meet government regulations and prevent future

For many years, air pollution control (APC) rules and regulations have governed the design and economics of the world’s power generation fleet. These rules have had a tremendous impact, improving air quality

Safety should always be a priority for any business, no matter the industry. This is particularly true for power generation facilities, which feature multiple pieces of complex machinery that can present risks

Supports modern plants with the digital transformation of OT and IT environments Combines Voith’s in-depth knowledge of the OT and IIoT domain with Kudelski’s expertise in hardware- and software-based cybersecurity solutions Delivers tangible cybersecurity products and services for power generation and other industrial sectors YORK, Pa. / CHESEAUX-SUR-LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Voith, a global technology group that […]

Twelve students from across the globe have spent the last six months, five days a week for eight hours a day in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the nation’s leading training program for wind turbine technicians. Friday, December 14, the 11 men and one woman will walk the stage at Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Groves Center as […]

Applied Flow Technology Releases New Version of Their Waterhammer and Surge Analysis Software Bordeaux, France – November 14, 2018 – Applied Flow Technology President, Trey Walters, P.E., announced the release of AFT Impulse™ 7 to help engineers visualize more at the prestigious Pressure Surge Conference in Bordeaux, France where AFT joins top authorities to discuss global advancements on […]

Optimizing power plant control systems can be challenging, but new tools are available to simplify and improve the process. On this episode of The POWER Podcast, Executive Editor Aaron Larson spoke with Jon Towslee, digital engagement leader for ABB Inc.’s Industrial Automation Power Generation & Water business. Towslee explained how ABB Ability is focused on […]

Analysis based on testing mostly conducted by energy companies shows that water near all but two coal plants in Illinois is contaminated with toxic waste. The Chicago Tribune on November 28 reported that a compilation of industry-supplied data from 24 Illinois coal plants shows harmful levels of arsenic, chromium, lead, and other heavy metals in […]

November 2018 – West Chester, PA – Metabo Corporation, a leading international manufacturer of professional grade cordless and corded hand-held power tools and accessories, announces two new tools; 18V Impact Driver (SSD 18 LTX 200 BL) and 18V High Torque Impact Wrench (SSW 18 LTX 300 BL). “We are excited about these strong additions to […]

Replacing two 40-year-old feedwater heaters at a plant of Oconee Nuclear Station’s size and age was fated to be a complicated project, but through meticulous modeling and planning, and seamless

Understanding which valve to use in which application is essential to operate a steam power plant as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. For example, a critical step in steam power generation is

The profitability of a wind farm depends directly upon reducing uncertainty when wind resources are being assessed and when wind turbines are being fine-tuned. Project risks vary from site to site, depending

A semi-automated and patented process for decontaminating and recycling radioactively contaminated heat exchanger tubes has been successfully demonstrated at the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania

Power plant piping with a nominal pipe size of four inches or larger that carries steam or water operating at greater than 750F or 1,025 psi is considered a “covered piping system.” That means the

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

Coal-fired power plants can significantly improve wet limestone scrubbing with advanced process control. One optimization system implemented at a Japanese facility utilized enhanced regulatory control

If you look up the history of users’ groups, you’ll find that many early organizations focused on computers. While it’s hard to confirm all the details, at least one source suggested that the first

A subsidiary of grid operator PJM Interconnection has joined with a Switzerland-based group to build and evaluate a blockchain-based tool to help the U.S. power generation industry. Energy Web Foundation (EWF) and PJM Environmental Information Services (PJM-EIS) on October 25 said they would collaborate on developing and testing a reference implementation of EWF’s open-source Energy […]

Proactive equipment maintenance continues to be a priority for power plant operators. ServiceMax, a GE Digital company that provides field service management software, on October 25 announced it has launched its Predix ServiceMax Asset Service Management (ASM), a new offering to help operators “transform their entire asset maintenance process from a break-fix model to a […]

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? […]

Test Your Knowledge The quizzes provided here offer an easy way to test your knowledge of various power-related subjects. If you want to learn more about the quiz topics, follow links to articles from the POWER archive, which are provided on each individual quiz webpage. Competitive Maintenance Strategies Quiz https://www.powermag.com/test-your-knowledge-competitive-maintenance-strategies/ Scaffold Safety Quiz https://www.powermag.com/test-your-knowledge-scaffold-safety/ Monitoring and Treatment of Closed-Loop […]

In July 2016, a coal silo collapsed at an Indiana power plant. The root cause was identified as cracking of the cone-to-skirt weld. Warnings to inspect this vulnerable weld were published widely in conference proceedings and trade journal articles. Nevertheless, coal silos continue to fail at an alarming rate (Figure 1), which suggests that the […]

The U.S. Senate has cleared a major water infrastructure bill that contains several provisions promoting hydropower development, sending it to the president’s desk. The Senate passed S. 3021, “America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018,” on October 10 through a bipartisan vote of 99–1. Because the House of Representatives unanimously passed the bill in a voice […]

New drawn arc welding technology increases productivity and quality Kennesaw, Georgia, USA, Oct. 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Industrial Specialists, a BrandSafway company and a member of the American Welding Society, is introducing BrandTech™ Precision Welding, a modular-welding system with built-in technology, which allows for one or two welding guns to be used at the […]

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