POWER

A pervasive drought in northeast Brazil has dried up power supplies from the region’s hydropower facilities, making the area prone to blackouts and crippling economic growth in one of the country’s emerging agricultural havens.

Construction of a $310 million repository about 250 meters below Earth’s surface for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste from the operation and future decommissioning of Hungary’s power plants reached a significant milestone at Bataapati.

Selected business news and deals in the power generation industry.

Here are some of the longest pipelines recently built as well as noteworthy ones in the pipeline.

Feedwater heaters are used to preheat boiler feedwater by condensing steam extracted from several stages of the steam turbine. Feedwater heaters enhance the thermal efficiency of the power plant by reducing the amount of fuel burned in the boiler to produce a specified power. At the same time, the steam energy extracted from the turbine by the feedwater heater helps to reduce the rate of energy rejection to the environment via the condenser.

More and more electricity is generated by natural gas. This trend is likely to persist. Hydraulic fracturing technology is increasing domestic supplies and enabling natural gas prices to remain at historic lows.

The use of low-grade coal is becoming synonymous with circulating fluidized bed (CFB) power plants. Although CFB technology may often be a better choice than pulverized coal technology, that is not always the case. Owners and developers need to consider several technical and economic factors before making this decision.

Covanta Energy and the City and County of Honolulu recently completed a $300 million expansion of a 20-year-old waste-to-energy (WTE) facility. The plant is now capable of processing up to 3,000 tons of municipal refuse daily, recycling all the metals, and generating up to 90 MW—enough to supply nearly 10% of Oahu’s electricity.

You may be surprised to learn that even with the increased demand for biomass fuels for power generation, construction and demolition fuel is classified as solid waste, not biomass. Reconsidering this designation is critical as U.S. environmental regulations tighten emission profiles for solid waste combustion units and renewable portfolio standards expand.

The lifeblood of the combined cycle plant is its water chemistry program. This is particularly true for plants designed for high pressures and temperatures as well as fast starts and cycling. Even though such plants are increasingly common, no universal chemistry program can be used for all of them.

Recent reports by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and others suggest that the emissions-reducing benefits of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar may have been overstated and the cost of cycling fossil-fueled plants underestimated. These findings may change how utilities and policymakers weigh the costs and benefits of wind and solar energy.

Steam turbine blade cracking often suggests the need for an upgraded blade design. Follow the process of reversing engineering a failed blade to produce a more reliable and efficient design.

A new modular and durable quick-release mount for popular fire-extinguisher sizes is now available from Off-Road Solutions (ORS). The system uses two pieces of 6061-T6 billet aluminum: one attaches to the extinguisher while the other piece secures to a fixed object. The 3/16-inch hinge pin and 3/8-inch quick-release pull pin with detent ball are made […]

Filtersense’s new continuous particulate emissions monitor and baghouse leak detector incorporates “Automatic Zero and Span Checks” to eliminate manual calibration audits, as required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards and other regulations for fabric filter particulate emissions monitoring. In addition to internal self-checks, the company’s field-proven induction-sensing […]

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 16th and 17th chapters, “Uranium Rush and the New ’49ers” and “Naked Shorts at Westinghouse,” the first two chapters of the “False Scarcity and Fools for Fuels” section.

ATCO Emissions Management (ATCO) announced the addition of heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) to its line of gas turbine auxiliary equipment for the power, oil, gas, and cogeneration markets. The new HRSG product, an energy recovery heat exchanger that recovers heat from a hot gas stream, will initially serve facilities with gas turbines up to […]

Controversy concerning natural gas exports flared the day the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its estimate that U.S. natural gas exports could begin in 2021.

Most professionals in the energy industry know about biomass; fewer of us are conversant with biogas. This commentary explains the basics of biogas, with a focus on its current use and future potential as a source of electrical power.

Mercury emissions from power plants in 137 United Nations member countries could be subject to strict controls and reductions if an international treaty is signed by participating nations this October.

Japan’s scramble to replace generation lost from nuclear power plants that were shuttered after the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident has forced it to rely on pricey imports of fossil fuels—and soaring energy costs are hammering the world’s third-largest economy.

A newly announced resource strategy could require Duluth, Minn.–based Minnesota Power to convert its 110-MW Laskin Energy Center in Hoyt Lakes, Minn., to a natural gas peaking facility in 2015, install environmental upgrades at its 558-MW Clay Boswell Energy Center Unit 4 in Itasca County, and retire one of three coal-fired units at its 225-MW Taconite Harbor facility in Schroeder.

Many power plants have sediment retention ponds that require control of pH for the effluent. The following guidelines for fossil plant sediment pond pH control will help you design a robust system while staying within budget.

Rick Tempchin, executive director, Retail Energy Services for the Edison Electric Institute, talks about the impact of distributed energy resources on utilities and their customers.

Final water intake structure rules from the EPA expected this June suggest the agency may be listening to industry and even moderating its tone. Stretch goals as part of the Section 316(b) rule are likely, but overall the rule may prove more reasonable than many expected.

ESAB Welding & Cutting Products introduced Warrior, a new multiprocess power source and feeder designed for processes including energy generation construction, pipe welding, general fabrication, and repair and maintenance. Designed for GMAW (MIG), FCAW (flux-cored), SMAW (stick), and GTAW (TIG) welding as well as ACAG (arc gouging), Warrior delivers up to 500 amps at 60% […]

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 14th and 15th chapters, “A Man, a Plan, a Canal” and “The End of the Exploding Game,” the final two chapters of “Eddie Teller’s Exploding Ambitions” section.

The VAC-U-MAX self-contained granular activated carbon (GAC) delivery system is mounted on a self-contained skid. This system is a complete prepackaged dilute phase pneumatic conveyor system to deliver or remove GAC from scrubber towers and holding tanks. Tubular probing wands, convey hose, filter receiver, vacuum pump, and control panel are included. (http://www.vac-u-max.com)

In case you neglected to mark it on your calendar, the Kyoto Protocol to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) expired at midnight on New Year’s Eve. The 15-year-old treaty was by every account a failure. Global carbon dioxide emissions are up over 50%, yet global temperatures decreased over the same period. Relying […]

Mott Corp. announced the availability of porous metal components and filters in a variety of refractory metal alloys including zirconium, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, and niobium. Known for outstanding chemical resistance, high strength, and thermal stability, refractory metals can meet the most demanding operating conditions. Mott can design porous components or entire filter assemblies using refractory […]

The new Torrent 50 tank-cleaning head from NLB Corp. delivers 3-D water jet action with the force of 600 horsepower water, and it fits through a tank or reactor opening as small as 6 inches. The Torrent 50, rated for pressures up to 20,000 psi and flows to 50 gpm, has two high-velocity water jets […]