POWER

Early last year, there were promising signs that electric transmission line construction would be facilitated by the convergence of the new administration’s emphasis on developing remote renewable generation resources, proposed legislative provisions expanding federal siting authority, and the granting by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) of generous cost-of-service returns on such investments. However, the stars did not align for transmission policy in 2009 as had been hoped, and the forecast is cloudy.

CAT PUMPS recently introduced two new stainless steel triplex plunger pumps featuring a 316 stainless steel liquid-end for corrosion resistance. The 7CP6111 and 7CP6171 are designed for pumping liquids like seawater in small seawater reverse osmosis installations, demineralized water for misting, or hot water and sanitizers for sterile cleaning systems. The 7CP stainless steel pumps […]

Greensburg was destroyed by an EF5 tornado on May 4, 2007. Instead of abandoning the Kansas town, the community quickly embraced the task of rebuilding it from the ground up, maximizing the use of renewable energy sources and energy efficient building techniques. Rebuilding continues, but the future of Greensburg has never been stronger.

Sensing and monitoring systems supplier Meggitt PLC launched the Endevco model 6634C, a microprocessor-based vibration amplifier that has been designed to condition and display rotating machinery data in simultaneous outputs, such as broadband, acceleration, velocity, and displacement. Model 6634C is designed to accept inputs from a single-ended, differential piezoelectric or ISOTRON (IEPE-type) accelerometer, velocity coil, […]

In response to Ontario’s provincial regulatory mandates to phase out the use of coal by the end of 2014, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is exploring its capability to employ biomass feedstocks to displace coal in some units within the OPG thermal fleet. The primary fuels employed during the respective trials at its Nanticoke and Atikokan Generating Stations have been agricultural by-products and commercial grade wood pellets. The Canadian utility has learned valuable lessons about fuel supply and logistics, and the technical challenges of safely handling and firing high levels of biomass.

ESAB Welding & Cutting Products’ LAF series of three-phase, fan-cooled DC welding power sources are designed for high-productivity mechanized submerged arc welding or high-productivity GMAW welding. Made for use in combination with ESAB’s A2-A6 equipment range and the A2-A6 Process Controllers (PEK or PEI), LAF welding power sources offer excellent welding characteristics throughout the entire […]

The EUCG Nuclear Committee has collected benchmarking data of U.S. nuclear plant staffing for many years. A summary of this highly desirable data was gleaned from EUCG databases and is now, for the first time, made public through an exclusive agreement with POWER.

Honeywell has added universal input/output (I/O) transmitters to its family of XYR 6000 wireless products. The transmitters allow manufacturers to wirelessly monitor more plant points with fewer devices. The company says that by transmitting signals from up to three different types of inputs — including measurement devices with a high-level analog, temperature or milli-volt, or […]

The power industry needs a straightforward definition of "fleet optimization" and a game plan to achieve the promised economic gains of optimizing. This need has become more urgent because integrating nondispatchable renewable resources requires more complex optimization strategies. The bottom-up approach presented here applies well-understood optimization principles and techniques that will help power producers minimize their fleetwide cost of production, independent of the technologies used to generate electricity.

UK-based Sherborne Sensors has introduced the LSI series of closed-loop gravity-referenced servo inclinometers to the North American market. The family of inclinometers is specially designed to withstand severe shock and vibration inputs for precise measurements in demanding environments. The series incorporates a unique, flexure-supported torque-balancing system that is rugged enough to withstand shock inputs of […]

Enhanced condenser tube designs can significantly improve the heat rate and performance of fossil and nuclear plants. Using the optimum number of tubes and replacement tube sheets will cost more than simply replacing plain tubes. However, the investment’s simple payback is measured in only weeks, which builds a strong case for using an enhanced tube design as part of your next condenser overhaul.

High-speed imaging systems manufacturer Photron introduced hardware to extend the normal operating temperature range of the Fastcam SA5 and Fastcam SA2 high-speed cameras. The Range Version (RV) is a new sealed case design that makes the camera models impervious to dirt, dust, and sand. Photron’s RV option includes two serviceable external fans that direct cooling […]

River deltas experience extreme seasonal changes in water quality that perplex conventional water treatment systems. Industrial development in China, including new power plants, has spurred the development of desalination processes that have tamed these brackish water sources to provide a virtually unlimited supply of boiler-quality water.

How much will a smart grid cost? It’s a question that has gained importance in light of massive cost overruns for one highly touted U.S. project.

During a recent meeting of state utility commissioners, the CEO of a Fortune 500 electric power company said natural gas prices promise reliability but "always break your heart." What breaks my heart is the electric power industry’s ongoing love affair with natural gas. Using natural gas for generating electricity is not the best or highest use for this clean, green, and domestically abundant resource.

President Barack Obama’s January State of the Union speech called for incentives to make clean energy profitable — mainly through the construction of a new generation of nuclear power plants. That comment, an apparent effort to reach out to Republican members of Congress, drew furious applause. Within three weeks, the president’s backing of nuclear power had already made a significant impact on the U.S. nuclear sector.

Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California speculate that a prototype nuclear fusion power plant could be operational within a decade, thanks to a test of the world’s largest laser array that confirmed a technique called inertial fusion ignition is feasible. Their first experiments have demonstrated a unique physics effect that bodes well for NIF’s success in generating a self-sustaining nuclear fusion reaction. Fusion energy is what powers the sun and stars.

Could the transformation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbonates and oxides solve the problem of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from fossil-fired power plants? Some companies are betting that such processes could make everyone happy and even create new profits. Buzz has been growing about this approach, though the concept has been around for many years.

Ocean Power Technologies Inc. (OPT) announced on Feb. 1 that it had successfully deployed one of its PowerBuoy wave energy devices about a mile offshore from a U.S. Marine Corps Base on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The device generates up to 40 kW of power from the rise and fall of waves, and since its deployment in December 2009, it has been generating power within specifications.

I’m often asked about my source of ideas for this space each month. I have two primary sources of subject material. First, I read the industry news every day and save those items that either annoy or agitate me. At the end of the month, I go over the list, often a long one, and pick the one item that immediately motivates me to take virtual pen to paper. This month, no single item emerged as the topic for my bully pulpit, so I present a potpourri of loosely connected topics for your consideration. (It should be noted that other things bug other members of the editorial staff; we’re a diverse group and do not always agree about industry issues.)

In mid-February, the Geological Society of London raised the hopes of those promoting geothermal energy when results of exploratory drilling in Weardale, County Durham, revealed record levels of permeability in granite. Although the results are promising for the development of geothermal energy, they may have less welcome implications for the safe disposal of radioactive waste in deep repositories.

The atmospheric vortex engine exploits the natural energy content of the vortex produced during upward heat convection in the atmosphere. The heat source can be solar energy, warm sea water, warm humid air, or even waste heat rejected in a cooling tower. When mature, the technology — currently in the small-scale testing phase — promises to be an efficiency game-changer for fossil-fired power plants.

Harrington Hoists launched its new Universal Beam Clamps, a product line that complements its core product offering of hoists, cranes, and material-handling equipment. The beam clamps are available in metric tons rated 1 through 10; they meet ASME BTH-1 and ASME B30.20, and comply with portions of ASME B30.16; and they have a design factor […]

Offshore wind projects involve regulatory, technological, and economic challenges that are greater than those confronted by onshore wind projects. Overcoming these challenges will be necessary to permit offshore wind to achieve its full potential.

Sierra Instruments introduced a line of mass flow meters that conform to the new emissions reporting rule from the Environmental Protection Agency. That rule, 40 CFR Part 98, mandates that as of Jan. 2, 2010, U.S. companies that emit more than 25,000 tons a year of carbon dioxide equivalent must report their greenhouse gas (GHG) […]

NLB Corp. has extended the operating pressure range of its convertible NLB 325 Series water jet pump units to 40,000 psi — providing what the company calls the "industry’s widest operating pressure range available with up to 400 hp." These units can be converted in just 30 minutes to operate at 8,000 psi, 10,000 psi, […]

Huffman Corp. introduced model HP-245ACC, a laser welding system with a fully enclosed atmospheric welding chamber for welding in an inert gas environment. The system is designed for welding oxygen-sensitive or -reactive materials like titanium. The system can be configured with a variety of features like antechambers, inert gas handling and purification systems, oxygen and […]

A loosely knit coalition of state leaders and environmental activists petitioned the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in late 2007 for interpretive guidance on the corporate obligation to disclose material information about all aspects of climate change. The petitioners received what they asked for and a little bit more.

The new Navigator 600 phosphate analyzer from ABB Instrumentation greatly reduces the amount of reagents and maintenance associated with phosphate monitoring while providing high accuracy and reliability. Designed for phosphate-dosed high-pressure boilers in the power generation industry, the Navigator 600 phosphate analyzer provides accurate monitoring of phosphate concentrations (0 to 15 ppm PO4) in a […]

Venezuela, a country that relies on hydropower for almost three-quarters of its electricity, has been battling a deepening electricity crisis since a drought in 2009 and a sudden 7% surge in demand brought the country’s power system to the brink of collapse.