In This Issue
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Coal
Shifting Sands
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is made up of seven emirates, yet two dominate the demographic, economic, and geopolitical landscape. Download the report.
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Nuclear
Too Dumb to Meter, Part 10
As the book title Too Dumb to Meter: Follies, Fiascoes, Dead Ends, and Duds on the U.S. Road to Atomic Energy implies, nuclear power has traveled a rough road. In this POWER exclusive, we present the 18th and 19th chapters, “The Great Uranium Conspiracy” and “Breeding at the Turkey Farm,” the final two chapters of the “False Scarcity and Fools for Fuels” section.
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NewsHigh-Capacity Safety Valve
Pentair Valves & Controls’ newly introduced Crosby HCI ISOFLEX is a high-capacity safety valve to help power plant operators reduce lifecycle costs and minimize shutdown periods. The valve ensures cost-effective power plant operation with a unique full-nozzle, flanged design and adjustable lift option that reduces maintenance costs while maximizing plant efficiency. Specifically designed for 300 […]
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News
America’s Growth Corridors
The familiar Red State–Blue State map is a symbolic means of quickly communicating political preferences. The maps aren’t meant to be predictive of job, economic, or population trends, yet a recent think tank’s report suggests the metaphor may have broader significance.
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NewsNew Abrupt Arched Expansion Joint
The new Garlock 204 EPS (extreme pressure service) abrupt arched expansion joint is now available for applications where necessary rated pressures exceed those of the Garlock Style 204 and 204 HP designs. Fully customizable and available in concentric or eccentric designs, the expansion joint features a seamless tube to ensure a reliable seal from flange […]
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GasEurope Embraces Shale Gas
Several European governments have so far this year bucked a reluctance to extract shale gas via hydraulic fracking even as the practice continues to be strongly opposed in countries like France and Bulgaria.
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NewsVersatile Boiler Inspection Light
Larson Electronics announced the release of a boiler inspection light with folding boom designed to provide versatile deployment capabilities and high-output illumination. The WALBL-2X1000WMH Boiler Light features a right-angle extension arm, wheeled base, and a pair of 1,000-W metal halide lamps for effective illumination during the servicing and maintenance of boilers and tanks. The boiler […]
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BusinessBulgarian PM Quits Over Power Price Protests
Protests in more than 20 cities by tens of thousands of Bulgarians over January electricity bills that averaged more than €100 ($130) forced the country’s prime minister, Boyko Borissov, and his center-right government to resign in mid-February.
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NewsPV Panel Surge Protection Devices
The ABB Low Voltage Products division released a line of OVR PV UL 1449 3rd Edition, pluggable DC DIN Rail surge protection devices (SPD) specifically designed for photovoltaic (PV) applications. The new SPDs protect solar panels from damage from direct and indirect lightning strikes, which solar panels are especially susceptible to because of their large, […]
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BusinessTHE BIG PICTURE: Subsidy Tug-of-War
Government decisions to subsidize renewable power to increase its capacity for environmental and security reasons have spurred investments but also increased cross-border tensions. Increasingly, legal actions that seek to settle international trade disputes allege unfair subsidization.
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Commentary
The Pacific Northwest’s Wind Fleet Integration Struggles
Mae West said, “Too much of a good thing can be taxing.” The Pacific Northwest has a good thing—plentiful, carbon-free power from its huge wind and hydroelectric fleets. But wind’s huge variability can be taxing. The Northwest’s scramble to integrate growing wind generation, and the resulting litigation melee, underscore the importance of quickly solving the variable resource integration puzzle.
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O&MBattling White Rust
Does your power plant use a chiller for combustion turbine inlet air cooling or other processes that reject heat? If so, there is a good chance you also have an auxiliary cooling tower or a wet surface air cooler to cool these systems.
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Legal & Regulatory
Filling the Hole in California’s Capacity Procurement Plan
In February, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) yet again missed an important opportunity to correct structural flaws that have plagued the state’s wholesale generation market in the wake of the 2001 energy crisis.
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O&MTVA’s Paradise Unit 2 Sets New Continuous Operations Record
Paradise Fossil Plant Unit 2’s record-setting performance of 259+ days of continuous operation for a cyclone-fired boiler is attributed to excellence in plant operations and maintenance processes, a diligent and well-trained staff, and leadership that places high value on both. The Paradise experience proves that plants can’t help getting older, but they don’t have to get old.
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Business
Preparing for a NERC CIP Audit
Undergoing a NERC CIP audit is an ordeal, particularly when the ground rules are not clearly spelled out in advance. An experienced NERC CIP auditor lays out a comprehensive five-step plan that will show you how to prepare for a successful audit.
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EnvironmentalElectrostatic Precipitator Upgrade Opportunities
The results of stack emissions testing conducted at several coal-fired power plants during the past three years have provided useful guidance for plant operators who are required to meet new federal guidelines regarding the release of particulate matter. The data and guidelines presented here will assist those who operate plants with electrostatic precipitators to develop a strategy for filterable particulate emissions control.
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WindWind Power Incidents in China: Investigation and Solutions
China’s installed wind power capacity has doubled for six consecutive years. However, along with the increased capacity come wind power accidents, incidents, and failures. Considering the sharply rising amount of wind power, the authors examine and sort wind technology failures by type and explore their causes in an effort to offer solutions.
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EnvironmentalEnhancing Mercury Capture: An Asset-Based Approach
The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards will soon force many coal-fired plants to install mercury-specific emission control equipment. Planners can use particular characteristics of a plant to quickly screen for the best mercury removal technology.
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O&MSteam Turbine Rotor Vibration Failures: Causes and Solutions
Steam turbine rotors bend during operation, but the bearing and supports are designed to keep the static and dynamic forces under control. However, bending can cause impact between stationary and rotating parts—often cascading impacts. An operator of many utility-scale steam turbines shares its extensive field experience identifying the root cause of failures as well as […]
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NuclearNuclear Waste Disposal Sites Still Rare After All These Years
Nuclear power generation is well established, but efforts worldwide to develop permanent disposal sites for highly radioactive waste remain nascent at best. If this were a horse race, you’d have to say the smaller horses are winning.
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NewsCompact AC Tachometer Generators
The ATC DigiTec Division of Marsh Bellofram Corp. launched its highly compact 758-GF86/XF86 series of industrial open-face AC tachometer generators, part of its WESTCON product family. The tachometers are designed primarily for use on shaft ends to measure speeds of up to 100,000 rpm and extremely low torque burdens of less than 1 ounce-inch. Designed […]
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NewsShaft Alignment Phone/Tablet App
LUDECA released a new version of its “Laser Align” mobile application. The application provides a free reference tool for shaft alignment of rotating equipment. It allows users to access important reference material and learn about key laser shaft alignment concepts, and it now has an interactive “Tolerance Table.” When users input their machine’s revolution per […]