Research and Development
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Nuclear
Could Advanced Reactor Technology Save the Nuclear Industry?
Constructing a new nuclear power plant is a massive undertaking. It involves years of planning and countless hurdles just to get the necessary regulatory approval to break ground. Once physical work begins
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Renewables
Report: Technology, Renewables Will Grow Turbine Market
The growth in power generation from renewable energy sources, along with the continued shift from coal-fired generation to natural gas, is expected to drive the global market for turbines over the next several years, according to a report released by international business analysts Research and Markets. The Dublin, Ireland-based company in an April 25 news […]
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Press Releases
DNV GL-led Consortium Finds Viable Business Case for Community Energy Storage
ARNHEM, Netherlands (April 4, 2018) — Small-scale, grid-connected energy storage solutions – or “community batteries” – can have a viable business case, supporting the ongoing growth of decentralized energy generation resources. This is one of the key findings of a feasibility study published today by DNV GL, based on work by an industry-wide consortium that includes […]
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O&M
Advanced Boiler and HRSG Designs Offer Improved Performance
Innovative boiler and heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) designs are improving efficiency, reducing emissions, and lowering maintenance costs. Some well-proven technology, such as circulating fluidized bed
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Research and Development
Novel Technology Featured at ELECTRIC POWER Event
The 20th annual ELECTRIC POWER Conference and Exhibition wrapped up on March 22. The event included nearly 200 exhibitors, with many offering interesting demonstrations of innovative new products. A sampling of some are presented below. Deep Trekker Inc. supplies high-quality, commercial-grade, remotely operated vehicles—underwater drones—specifically designed and developed to make underwater observation easy and affordable. […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Successful Torrefied Biomass Test Burn at a Coal Power Plant
The ability of a coal power plant to accommodate significant changes in fuel quality is often limited by many constraints. When faced with a challenging goal to test torrefied biomass fuel at its Boardman
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O&M
Design and Care of Reverse Osmosis Systems
Reverse osmosis (RO) systems offer power plant owners and operators a reliable and well-proven water treatment solution. However, designing and caring for an RO system requires a thorough understanding of a
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Press Releases
Westinghouse Electric Company Signs Cooperation Agreement for Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor Development
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Westinghouse Electric Company has signed a Cooperation Agreement for lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) technology development with the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) and Ansaldo Nucleare. The agreement demonstrates each party’s commitment to collaborating toward the development of a next-generation nuclear plant based on LFR technology, […]
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Press Releases
VIBSCANNER 2 The high-speed data collector sets new standards
ISMANING – February 21th 2018 – VIBSCANNER 2, the new high-speed data collector, increases the efficiency of vibration-based condition monitoring of machines and plants. PRUFTECHNIK, the Bavarian manufacturer, has developed and produced the new device according to the motto “keep it smart and simple”. The result is a vibration measurement instrument on the pulse of […]
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Press Releases
GE Hitachi, Holtec Announce Cooperation to Accelerate Commercialization of SMR-160 Small Modular Reactor
February 14, 2018—GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF), Holtec International and SMR Inventec, LLC (SMR, LLC), today announced a collaboration to advance the SMR‐160, a single loop, 160 MWe pressurized light water reactor based on existing light water technologies. In a Memorandum of Understanding, the companies have agreed to enter into a […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Trump Budget Backs Nuclear, Coal; Cuts Funding for Renewables
The Trump administration’s fiscal year 2019 budget request released February 12 asks for more money to support fossil fuel-based power systems, but seeks funding below current levels for other energy initiatives, including renewable energy and energy efficiency. The energy funding is part of a $4.4 trillion budget that features large increases in military spending, along […]
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Connected Plant
An Inside Look at Digital Transformation: GE Power’s Lessons Learned
GE has operated its monitoring and diagnostics center for nearly two decades, examining the performance and health of customers’ power plants and other generating assets around the world. Understanding some
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Renewables
Distributed Energy Resources Bring Benefits, Challenges and New Opportunities
Distributed energy resources have changed the power generation sector, disrupting traditional markets and distribution models. Those working in the field tell POWER that research and development will continue
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Renewables
Report: Trump Wants Deep Cuts in Clean Energy Programs
Documents obtained by The Washington Post show the Trump administration is prepared to ask Congress to cut the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) renewable energy and energy efficiency programs by as much as 72% in fiscal year 2019. The newspaper in a January 31 report says Congress likely would not support many of the cuts, but […]
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Press Releases
Voith Turbo Supplies 100th BHS Turbo Gearbox to Siemens
Voith and Siemens have collaborated closely in the area of distributed power generation since 2009. Voith BHS turbo gear units are renowned for their precision and reliability. The Siemens gas turbine will contribute significantly to securing a stable power supply in Bolivia as of mid-2018. SONTHOFEN, Germany / FINSPANG, Sweden (January 25, 2018) — The […]
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Renewables
Experts: Innovative Financial Models Bolstering Rapid Growth of DERs
The rapid growth of distributed energy resources (DERs) is spawning new financing models that could send growth for the fledgling sector soaring, upending the power sector at an even more breakneck pace. Industry executives at Distributech 2018 in San Antonio, Texas, this week noted that several trends are driving the growth of DERs, which are […]
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Press Releases
Wärtsilä, Schneider Electric Join to Create New Backup Power Solution
Wärtsilä and Schneider Electric have signed a global cooperation agreement to bring together their individual products and services, along with those of third parties, for the purpose of cooperating on data center projects. The deal focuses on hyperscale data center projects with at least a 10-MW electrical load. The objective of the cooperation is to […]
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Renewables
Report: Clean Energy Investments Hit $333.5 Billion in 2017
Though some countries, including the U.S., have moved to support coal-fired power generation over the past year, investments in renewable energy continued to rise, according to a new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). The research group on January 16 said global investment in clean energy such as wind and solar reached about $333.5 […]
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O&M
Signs of Aging in Boilers
All power plant equipment has a limited lifetime, but not all components age at the same rate. Some equipment may outlast the useful life of a plant, while other machinery may be replaced more than once
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Press Releases
Equipment Showcase: Instrumentation and Control
The equipment showcase section includes products from a variety of vendors that serve the power generation industry. POWER magazine will feature a different power-related equipment category in several issues
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Renewables
India’s Ongoing Power Generation Course Correction
It is estimated that nearly 240 million Indians currently do not have access to electricity. In many cases that also means a lack of access to adequate health care or educational opportunities. It is no
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Gas
Efficiency Improvements Mark Advances in Gas Turbines
Engineers from several companies have worked on upgrades to the technology, including designs that emphasize faster starts, quicker ramp-ups, increased efficiency, and better performance in a tight global
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Connected Plant
Seven Software Tools for Energy Managers
There are many tools available to assist companies as they gain a better grasp on how their energy is being used, and what that means for the goal of efficient energy management. Not all solutions are created
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Commentary
Gas Power Generation Thrives, Turbine Manufacturers Struggle
The amount of electricity produced by gas-fired power generation has been increasing steadily in the U.S. for more than 25 years. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that in 1990 about 372.8
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Gas
Siemens Reaches for Higher Efficiency with Its HL-Class Gas Turbine [PODCAST]
Siemens claims to be paving the way for the next level of efficiency with the development of its HL-class gas turbine. In June 2017, the company announced it will validate the technology at Duke Energy’s Lincoln County site in North Carolina. Siemens is developing this class in an evolutionary development step derived from its proven […]
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Commentary
Alternative Materials for Alternative Energy
Moving toward sustainable manufacture of photovoltaics, Dr. Manuela Schiek’s research group in Oldenburg, Germany, has discovered how the latest technology in confocal laser scanning microscopy is enhancing both accuracy and efficiency of their research into organic semiconductors and transparent electrodes. Harvesting energy directly from the sun in order to generate electricity, solar cells appear to […]
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Gas
GE’s 9EMax Gas Turbine Solution – Eric Gray [PODCAST]
Earlier this year, GE’s Power Services achieved a significant milestone with its 9EMax gas turbine upgrade solution. The 9EMax completed initial validation testing and was offered commercially to gas turbine customers around the globe. The first 9EMax unit was installed at a customer’s site in Asia. “First fire is a critical test where the gas […]
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Coal
Clean Coal Test Project Set for Wyoming
A test plant that will be part of research into producing cleaner-burning coal for power plants is set to begin operation next year in Wyoming, with the company behind the project saying global demand for coal makes the project viable even as the U.S. reduces its reliance on coal for electricity production. Clean Coal Technologies […]
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O&M
Market-Challenged, GE Continues to Improve Gas Turbine Efficiency
GE Power said its 9HA.02 gas turbine reached a new milestone by exceeding 64% efficiency in combined cycle power plants. The company attributes at least part of the achievement to advances in additive manufacturing (3-D printing). “The HA is our most advanced gas turbine technology, and we’ve never stopped pushing the boundaries of what it […]
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Carbon Capture
Test of Carbon Capture Technology Underway at Iceland Geothermal Plant
The Swiss company Climeworks in October said it had begun another round of testing for a direct air capture (DAC) facility at a 300-MW geothermal power plant in Hellisheidi, Iceland. Climeworks, which is