In This Issue
-
InfographicsTHE BIG PICTURE: Small Modular Reactors
Interest in small modular reactors (SMRs) has ramped up of late owing to applications in niche electricity or energy markets where large reactors would not be viable—such as for cogeneration in countries with small grids, remote and off-grid areas, and for nuclear/renewable hybrid projects. Modular attributes may also enable SMRs to target the economics of […]
-
O&MUsing Throttling Valves for Blowdown and Other Power Plant Applications
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
-
CommentaryLatest Carbon Fee Initiative May Succeed Where Others Have Failed
Washington state’s latest effort to fight climate change, Initiative 1631 (I-1631), is on the November ballot. With a broad coalition of support from business, environmental, and special interest groups
-
RenewablesPOWER Digest [November 2018]
Ørsted Snaps Up Deepwater Wind in Major U.S. Offshore Wind Deal. Danish offshore wind farm developer Ørsted in October entered into an agreement with U.S.-based D.E. Shaw Group to buy a 100% equity interest
-
Coal
Advanced Coal Technologies Improve Emissions and Efficiency
New coal-fired generating plants are not showing up in the U.S. Elderly plants are retiring in large numbers. But other parts of the world continue to develop coal generation. Advances in combustion and
-
O&MLiDAR Technology Mated with Wind Energy Quickly Becoming an Industry Standard
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
-
O&MA Semi-Automated Metal Decontamination and Recycling Process
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
-
O&MImplementing an ASME Covered Piping Systems Program
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
-
CommentaryTax Reform Legislation Drives Increased Focus on Cash Flows
In the wake of the implementation of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), many utilities and their holding companies are experiencing increasing pressure on cash flow due to the elimination of bonus
-
CommentaryUsers’ Groups Provide Value to Plant Operators
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