POWER
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News
Groundswell of Support Heats Geothermal Innovation
There’s new interest in one of the world’s oldest resources, as governments and investors worldwide look for advanced ways to tap geothermal energy. Geothermal wells have been producing energy for more
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Fuel
Renewable Natural Gas Emerging as Serious Decarbonized Gas Contender
Last December, two giant Virginia-headquartered firms—energy company Dominion Energy and food manufacturer Smithfield Foods—announced completion of a novel renewable natural gas (RNG) facility in Milford
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News
Japan Pulls Back from Coal, Though New Plants Move Forward
Japanese financial institutions and energy companies continue to move away from supporting coal-fired power generation, as the country’s leadership reiterates what it says is an “unwavering resolve to
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Nuclear
How the Department of Energy Is Helping Keep Nuclear Power Relevant
In the decade following World War II, the U.S. government took a keen interest in helping to create a commercial nuclear power industry. Although there were military leaders and members of Congress who
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Coal
Process Control Strategies for Reducing the Minimum Load of Fossil-Fired Plants
Recent Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) research aims to better understand the potential of process control enhancements, such as load control, sliding pressure control, and steam temperature control
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Hydrogen
Carbon-Neutral Blue Hydrogen Can Be More Than a Bridge in a Transformed Hydrogen Economy
Many advocates for a hydrogen economy believe “green” hydrogen, which is produced through electrolysis using renewable energy, will eliminate the need to curtail wind and solar generation. However, there
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Coal
Coal-Fired Power Station Provides Natural Ecological Environment for Fireflies and Birds
In the 1980s, Taiwan’s economy grew rapidly and its demand for electricity surged. New power plants were urgently needed. In order to reduce transportation costs of imported coal and to promote economic
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News
POWER Digest [May 2021]
Uzbekistan Wind Farm Project Expanding. Masdar, a global renewable energy company, has signed an agreement with Uzbekistan’s government to extend the capacity of its utility-scale wind farm project in the
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Commentary
America’s New Energy to Decarbonize Could Fuel Global Breakthroughs
The new U.S. administration’s policies could prove to be pivotal in the global fight to tackle climate breakdown. President Joe Biden signed a host of executive orders on “Climate Day” at the end of
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Coal
Are Model and Field Liquid Collection Efficiency the Same? No.
“Because droplet trajectories and deposition patterns cannot be modeled simultaneously with the liquid-film motion, physical-flow models cannot be used to accurately determine the collection efficiency of
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O&M
Crisis Management for Utilities: Lessons Learned from the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for business. Utilities have had to quickly overcome the challenges associated with this crisis, without letting critical services such as heat
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Connected Plant
How (and Why) Using DVR Modeling Will Improve Power Plant Performance
Traditional power plant performance indicators do not always provide reconcilable data. This means plant personnel may be making operational changes based on inaccurate information. An innovative data
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O&M
Custom Lift Safely Elevates Coal Ash Conveyor in Tight Space
A Midwestern power plant faced a logistical challenge when it came time to replace its coal ash conveyor. The new conveyor was 110 feet long and weighed a hefty 138 tons—and it needed to be lifted 10 feet
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O&M
Hybrid Heat Sink Manufacturing by Cold Spray Process
Electronic devices, including those in telecommunications and high-power systems, generate heat during normal operation. That heat must be dissipated to avoid junction temperatures exceeding tolerable limits
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Engineering
Advantages of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete
Concrete is an integral part of any construction project, whether you are building roads, a a ground floor in your private home, or a power plant. This is because concrete is very durable, but it can be susceptible to fractures as subsoil frosts and thaws, if it shifts, or if tree roots press upward on […]
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News
The Natural Gas Flame Continues to Burn Bright
The natural gas sector is well aware of the challenges facing the fossil fuel industry, but analysts say gas has attributes that will keep it a big part of the U.S. and global energy mix. Natural gas has moved
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Renewables
Oil and Gas Majors Focus on Renewable Energy, Hydrogen, and Carbon Capture
Although you’d be hard-pressed to find an expert who believes oil and gas companies will abandon exploration and production operations anytime soon, several oil and gas majors are expanding their businesses
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Fuel
First Commercial Deployment of Supercritical CO2 Power Cycle Taking Shape in Alberta
Siemens Energy and Canadian pipeline company TC Energy in February agreed to commission a novel waste-heat-to-power facility in Alberta by 2022 that captures waste heat from a gas-fired turbine operating a
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Nuclear
Chalk River, GE Hitachi Part of Canada’s Nuclear Focus
The nuclear power industry is brimming with technological innovation, particularly when it comes to small reactors that can provide power for several different applications. This is especially true in Canada
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T&D
Electric Power Transmission: Long on Planning, Short on Time
The mid-February blackouts in Texas have raised a lot of questions about power grid reliability. While investigations into the underlying causes of the outages could take a while to complete, and I don’t
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News
Ocean Power Developers Made Crucial Progress in 2020
Tidal and wave energy installations in 2020 brought global cumulative installations for ocean energy to almost 60 MW. Another 6 MW of wave and tidal energy is slated for deployment this year, suggesting marked
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Fuel Cells
Understanding Fuel Cells and Their Role in the Green Energy Revolution
Future propulsion and energy systems must be designed to meet the social challenges of climate change, increased energy requirements, and the mobility and energy demands of a growing world population. Fuel
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Hydro
Understanding Hydro Turbine Draft Tubes and Their Importance
Significant engineering goes into every hydropower facility. Among the items that require detailed design work are draft tubes, which are basically conical diffusers installed at the outlet of turbine runners
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Water
How to Effectively Treat Power Plant Cooling Water with Fewer Chemicals
Power plants across the globe are looking for an alternative to traditional chemistry to manage the water used throughout the cooling process. An innovative non-chemical water treatment technology may offer
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Legal & Regulatory
Biden Weighs Preserving Infrastructure EO Focused on Cybersecurity
President Joe Biden on his first day in office sent a clear signal that he would not follow his predecessor’s policies with respect to energy and climate issues. On Jan. 20, 2021, Biden signed Executive
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News
Troubleshooting Issues and Eliminating Headaches Related to Control Valves
An oscillating control valve may appear to be the source of control instability and repair efforts are usually focused only there. When this fails to solve the issue, further investigation often proves the
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Business
Top Utility Considerations for Truck Electrification
There are many challenges to overcome before electric trucks fill the road, and the timing for full adoption is many years away. However, now is the time to prepare for the inevitable shift toward
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Commentary
How FERC Order 2222 Will Bring the Power of Choice to Consumers
On a recent visit to my local hardware store, I was struck by all the products on display to help manage my energy needs. The store had LED light bulbs, weather stripping, and fiberglass insulation to help
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Management
Quality Control and Management in Power Industry Capital Projects
Owners must manage capital projects well to keep costs under control and ensure a high-quality product is delivered on time. Good communication, sound procedures and processes, and high-tech tools can help
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News
Valve Actuator Diagnostics for Predictive Maintenance
A predictive approach to finding potential issues with steam or gas turbine valve actuators can help power plant operators realize cost savings and avoid unit downtime. Having a way to analyze actuator