POWER

Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s (TEPCO’s) Fukushima Daiichi 1 reactor—a unit that suffered a core melt and hydrogen gas explosion after the March 11 earthquake in Japan and subsequent tsunami devastated the six-reactor facility—was fully encased in an “airtight” cover in October.

The newest member of the 60% thermal efficiency combined cycle club is GE Energy’s FlexEfficiency 50. In an era when flexible grid operation is growing in importance, this 50 Hz, single-shaft combined cycle also holds its design point efficiency down to 87% load and features turndown to 40% of rated load.

Since a 2008 University of Texas-Austin study showed that converting farm animal droppings into renewable power could generate enough power to meet up to 3% of North America’s consumption, interest in cow power has been piling up.

Geothermal power and conventional fossil fuel–powered technologies have similar power production cycles, and both generation types can be dispatched. Geothermal power’s primary advantage is its renewable fuel. Its primary disadvantage is that its fuel requires large investments over many years to characterize uncertain sources. Enhanced recovery techniques that use fracking may be the future of this renewable resource.

Fluor Enters Small Modular Reactor Market, Backs NuScale. Fluor Corp. on Oct. 13 announced it planned to invest more than $30 million in NuScale Power, an Oregon-based small modular reactor (SMR) technology company. As part of its investment, Fluor has purchased the company’s shares that had previously been in U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission receivership […]

Sierra Instruments has introduced a new lineup of its popular transit-time ultrasonic flow meters, which now include improved next-generation Innova-Sonic 203, 205i, and portable 210i models. The Innova-Sonic 205i is Sierra’s highest performing dedicated clamp-on instrument. It incorporates the latest developments in digital signal processing to offer excellent accuracy and repeatability for a wide variety […]

A structure or mechanical system that requires fasteners also demands tools to maintain it properly. In power sectors such as wind, fossil fuel, and nuclear, some work areas may be several hundred feet in the air. While working at those extreme heights, or even just 10 feet off the ground, it’s simply unacceptable to drop anything. That’s why the concept of “tools at height” is being embraced as a way to improve safety and efficiency on the worksite.

Hendrix Wire & Cable, a provider of overhead and underground power distribution products, introduced its Spacer Cable Systems, a “green” solution for overhead distribution circuits. Because Spacer Cable is more compact and can withstand temporary contact with branches without causing outages, Hendrix Spacer Cable Systems can help reduce the amount of vegetation that must be […]

Inlet fogging systems for combustion turbines achieve their effect at the molecular level: The cooling effect occurs by converting thousands of gallons of water into single evaporated molecules suspended in the air. The right fog pattern comes down to a matter of selecting the best nozzle design and proper placement in the inlet air stream.

Oil Eater Naturals is a new line of eco-friendly absorbent pads made of natural plant by-products. Featuring woven construction, the pads are designed to provide a safer and cleaner workplace and help users meet OSHA and EPA requirements. The line includes Oil-Only Pads and Rolls that soak up oil and repel water; Universal Pads and […]