WWW.RENTECHBOILERS.COM
121 YEARS
HRSG Design:
Meeting the
New Challenge
FEATURES 121
Email: globalpower@pennwell.com
No.10, October 2017
YEARS
CHIEF EDITOR — Russell Ray
(918) 832-9368 russellr@pennwell.com
8
ONLINE EDITOR — Robert Evatt
(918) 831-9835 roberte@pennwell.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR—Brad Buecker HRSG Design for
(913) 928-7311 beakertoo@aol.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR—Brian Schimmoller
(704) 595-2076 bschimmoller@gmail.com
Next Generation
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR—Robynn Andracsek
(816)-822-3596 randracsek@burnsmcd.com Cycling and
GRAPHIC DESIGNER IV — Deanna Priddy Taylor
(918) 832-9378 deannat@pennwell.com Efficiency
MARKETING MANAGER — Adrienne Adler The need for fast start up and cycling of combined cycle power
(603) 891-9420 aadler@pennwell.com
plants in response to the growth of renewables is well understood
CIRCULATION MANAGER — Linda Thomas
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER I — Jesse Fyler in the power industry. A unique approach for HRSG life assessment
PRODUCTION MANAGER — Katie Noftsger is now available.
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS—PennWell Corp.
1421 South Sheridan Road • Tulsa, OK 74112
18
P.O. Box 1260, Tulsa, OK 74101
Tel: (918) 835-3161 • Fax: (918) 831-9834
E-mail: pe@pennwell.com
Protecting Your Steam
World Wide Web: http://www.power-eng.com Turbine from Corrosion
For assistance with marketing strategy or ad creation, Chemistry upsets in a steam generator may cause
please contact PennWell Marketing Solutions
VICE PRESIDENT — Paul Andrews
severe corrosion and failure of boiler waterwall tubes
(240) 595-2352 pandrews@pennwell.com and other components. What are the best ways to
CHAIRMAN — Robert F. Biolchini protect this valuable piece of equipment?
VICE CHAIRMAN — Frank T. Lauinger
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER — Mark C. Wilmoth
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE
DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGY — Jayne A. Gilsinger
24 Continuous, On-line PD
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE AND
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER — Brian Conway
Monitoring for Generators
These case studies will help power producers plan corrective actions, improve
SUBSCRIBER SERVICE operating condition and defer the need for data analysis using a new technology
P.O. Box 3264, Northbrook, IL 60065
Tel: (847)559-7330 for PD monitoring.
E-mail: poe@halldata.com
38
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Stay current on industry news, A concise, weekly update of all Global updates
Power Engineering ® events, features and more. the top power generation news throughout the day
NSR Reform:
The Time is Nigh
BY ROBYNN ANDRACSEK, P.E., BURNS & MCDONNELL AND CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
F
orces are at work to update the Environmental Pro- • Remove the undefined exemption for “routine main-
tection Agency’s (EPA) archaic and perplexing New tenance” and replace it with a discrete definition for
Source Review (NSR) Rules. These rules, more so substantial modifications (such as changing the frame
than greenhouse gas or mercury regulation, prevent power model of a turbine) that trigger installation of Best
plants from making efficiency improvements, which would Available Control Technology (BACT) on existing facil-
reduce emissions on a per megawatt basis. ities. Simple and common repairs such as boiler tube
The lack of a basic definition of “routine” in determining replacements or turbine overhauls should not be limit-
if a replacement or upgrade requires a new permit with mod- ed by regulatory uncertainty and should be considered
ern controls leaves utilities fearing change. NSR lookback “routine maintenance.”
lawsuits have forced at least 113 power plants to install new • Provide an exemption for pollution control projects that
control devices, pay fines, or shutdown at a cost of more than will survive court challenge. The 2002 NSR Reform at-
$21 billion over the last 17 years. tempted to regulate projects which decreased emissions
The main guidance document for NSR remains the draft of one pollutant at the expense of increasing another
1990 New Source Review Workshop Manual, aptly nick- pollutant. For example, installing over-fire air on a boil-
named the “puzzle book.” Never finalized due to controver- er reduces nitrogen dioxides (NO2) but increases carbon
sy and EPA inertia, this document has been supplemented monoxide (CO). NO2 is arguable more important than
over the decades with guidance memos and applicability CO since NO2 contributes to ground level ozone and
determinations. The result is a confusing Frankenstein-like fine particulate (PM 2.5) formation. However, this reform
mess that leaves industry without a clear path to updating was struck down by the courts.
and repairing their infrastructure. This guidance document • Regulate emissions on an efficiency basis (pounds per
was finally updated Sept. 1, 2017, not by the EPA but by the megawatt-hour) to encourage innovation. Retrofitting
Air and Waste Management Associate (AWMA), and is avail- an existing boiler or turbine can be more cost effective
able for purchase. Although not EPA-reviewed or approved, than building a new unit. If the modified unit is more
it does provide clarity on the NSR rules and incorporates the efficient, its operation should be encouraged versus op-
few 2002 NSR reforms that survived court challenge. erating an older, less efficient unit.
However, outside of AWMA’s repackaging of the 25 years • Remove the NSR incentive to pollutant as much as pos-
of guidance documents, there remains a push to alter the sible the two years before a facility triggers NSR permit-
actual regulations. The current administration has called for ting. Currently, a facility’s post project emissions are
a rollback on regulations and the EPA has indicated it plans measured against its actual emissions in the five years
to overhaul NSR. Additionally, the Department of Energy preceding the modification on a ton per year basis, not
released a report in August 2017 on the “reliability and re- against the potential or even the permitted emissions. A
silience of the electric grid.” The report correctly states, “The project could decrease emissions on a pound per hour
uncertainty stemming from NSR creates an unnecessary basis but if the boiler subsequently increases its capac-
burden that discourages rather than encourages installation ity factor, it triggers NSR and control device retrofit. In
of CO2 emission control equipment and investments in ef- contrast, New Source Performance Standard regulations
ficiency because of the additional expenditures and delays require a short-term emission increase before triggering
associated with the permitting process.” new applicability.
• The following are common and sensible suggestions to re- Stable, affordable electricity and clean air are not mutual-
form NSR into a vehicle that encourages innovation and ly exclusive. It is time to reform regulations to permit tech-
pollution reduction instead of inhibiting modernization: nical advances in power generation.
2 www.power-eng.com
wsp.com/usa
For career opportunities, visit wsp.com/usacareers
T
he windshield wipers on that operational impacts have been min-
new car you bought a year ago imal, the potential for counterfeiting
are leaving that annoying streak highlights the need for diligence in
right across your line of vision when it procuring replacement parts.
rains. No big deal, right? You stop by the • Obsolete parts: Not a new issue, but to procurement documents, includ-
auto parts store and pick up a new pair of as nuclear plants age and the popula- ing source evaluation and selection,
wiper replacements. Are you sure, how- tion of nuclear suppliers declines, the objective evidence of quality, inspec-
ever, that those replacement blades will population of obsolete parts keeps tion at source, and examination of
provide the same or comparable perfor- growing. Nuclear procurement engi- products upon delivery.
mance as the original wipers that came neers, in turn, need to provide assur- • Technical evaluations translate de-
with the new vehicle? ance that replacement parts perform sign and quality requirements into
Procurement decisions like this may their intended design functions. procurement requirements that are
seem unimportant, but wipers can im- • New technology: 3D printing and communicated to the supplier in
pact the safe operation of your car. They other additive manufacturing pro- procurement documents. For exam-
play a role in protecting your life, those in cesses introduce a new class of re- ple, the licensee is responsible for en-
the car with you, and those in other cars placement parts that may require a suring that regulatory requirements
on the road with you. fresh look with respect to procure- and the applicable design basis are
The importance is just as high for a ment practices. And as component correctly reflected in specifications,
nuclear plant when it purchases replace- suppliers look to modify or replace drawings, procedures, and instruc-
ment parts. Safety-related nuclear plant hardware with digital devices that tions.
equipment MUST operate successfully include software, the functional • Acceptance answers the questions of
when called upon to safely shut down a performance of the part may be the whether the licensee received what
reactor, MUST maintain the reactor in a same, but other differences must be was ordered and whether the item
safe shutdown condition, and MUST be addressed, such as software valida- meets the design requirements.
able to prevent harmful public exposure tion or the need for additional RFI/ Licensees must establish measures
to radiation. EMI shielding. to assure that purchased material,
In the United States, the legal and regu- • Employee turnover: Your friendly equipment and services conform to
latory importance of procurement derives procurement engineer is not get- the procurement documents.
from 10CFR50 Appendix B, which codi- ting any younger, which means that • Post acceptance and installation con-
fies the quality assurance criteria for nu- transferring knowledge from the trols provide assurance that the item
clear power plants. Many of the sections veterans to the newcomers is par- meets design requirements and can
in 10CFR50 Appendix B – from design amount. Incoming engineers will perform its intended function. This
control to handling, storage and shipping need access to modern training tools element encompasses handling,
– are applicable to procurement decisions that can accelerate their transition. storage, inspections, maintenance,
and actions. While regulatory compliance Procurement engineering is a core nu- testing, and corrective actions.
is a critical and consistent driver for effec- clear plant discipline. And despite the Basically, procurement engineers must
tive procurement engineering, there are new drivers, the principles that provide be familiar with everything from design-
recent and emerging issues that further the foundation for effective procurement ing, purchasing and handling…to install-
reinforce its relevance today: engineering remain the same: ing, maintaining, and repairing. Plus,
• Counterfeit parts: Counterfeit parts • Design and qualification establishes they need to be cognizant of challenges
are making their way to the receiving the suitability of the design. Design posed by counterfeiters, new technology,
docks at some nuclear plants. Com- control measures must be in place to and regulators. It’s like having someone
modity items such as breakers and control the original design. at home who will research the right parts
relays – which can be produced in • Supplier quality controls play an im- for your car, make sure they’re not fake,
large lots by counterfeiters to max- portant role in assuring product and then check to make sure they work
imize economic return – are par- quality. Procurement processes must as promised.
ticularly susceptible. Although the assure that purchased items conform Wouldn’t that be nice?
4 www.power-eng.com
A
mong generator starting pro- backup generator sets can provide a more ultracapacitors are capable of sourcing
fessionals, it is widely accepted reliable way to meet strict starting require- higher current with lower voltage drop
that the most prevalent reason ments, avoid losses associated with pow- during cranking than batteries. As a re-
for generator set (genset) failure-to-start er failures, and improve building safety. sult, cranking revolutions per minute can
is issues with the lead-acid battery start- When used to start backup generators, be as much as 20 percent higher than with
ing system. Service providers have said ultracapacitors can either completely re- batteries alone. This results in starting the
that approximately 80 percent of genset place lead-acid batteries or operate along- genset in a shorter period of time, often in
failures-to-start can be attributed to bat- side them, providing primary or backup the range of 10 percent to 20 percent less
tery system failure resulting from poorly assistance to the battery system. Seamless cranking time.
maintained batteries, charger failure, transition from ultracapacitors to batter- Electric utilities are beginning to adopt
or cable and terminal corrosion. After ies in a hybrid installation can take place ultracapacitors to start large engines that,
several decades of these challenges, the during cranking, yielding the fastest pos- in turn, start gas-fired turbines. This ben-
genset industry is embarking on a new sible starts. efits utilities because their smaller plants
trend toward ultracapacitor-based start- Applying ultracapacitors to gensets are in remote locations. The engine and
ing systems, which offer advantages over also reduces battery maintenance costs. turbine are started remotely by the grid
traditionally used lead-acid battery-based Ultracapacitor-based genset starting sys- manager in response to increased de-
starting systems. tems require minimal maintenance due mand. In this case, failure of the lead-ac-
Ultracapacitors are fast-responding, to their high cycle life and ruggedness id battery system to start the engine has
power-packed energy storage devices that in wider temperature ranges. Depending significant consequences to the utility be-
have been adopted in a variety of appli- on operation and use, ultracapacitors can cause power to the grid is not supplied on
cations and industries, including com- achieve 10 or more years without replace- demand. Alternate arrangements must be
mercial truck engine starting. Ultracapac- ment versus much more frequent battery made quickly to obtain power from an-
itors are successful in starting large truck changes. Batteries for genset starting gen- other source. Most often, personnel need
engines in the face of problems unique erally have to be replaced every two to to make an emergency service call from
to the trucking industry, like dead or dis- three years. Generally speaking, batteries the central site to the remote site to diag-
charged batteries. Depending on opera- must be inspected and tested on a weekly nose and correct the problem.
tion, an ultracapacitor stores energy in a or monthly basis. This involves checking Lead-acid batteries have been the stan-
static electric field, rather than in a chem- all cables and connections for corrosion dard technology for starting commercial
ical reaction like batteries do, which can caused by sulfuric acid fumes, checking engines since the 1930s and now, ultra-
slow dramatically in very cold weather. water levels in each battery, and load test- capacitors are emerging as an alternative
Because they don’t depend on a chemical ing each battery individually to ensure starting technology for critical applica-
reaction to produce electricity, ultracapac- that its cold cranking amperage (CCA) tions like backup generators. Ultracapac-
itors can operate in much lower and high- rating is still within specification. In addi- itors make a strong business case for re-
er temperatures than batteries. tion to costs of replacing batteries that fail placing batteries in a genset or specifying
When a power outage happens, com- testing, the cost of technician hours spent the starting system for a new installation,
mercial transaction-based businesses on maintenance is thrown in the mix. leading genset professionals to increas-
can be susceptible to exorbitant expenses With ultracapacitors, there is no sulfuric ingly rely on the technology. Ultracapac-
related to data loss and customer service acid to cause corrosion, no water levels to itor-based systems for genset starting give
downtime. Power failure in hospitals or check and no load test requirements. As a building owners and facility managers
hotels presents a high risk of injury or loss result, maintenance costs are significantly confidence that operations will always
of life to people in the facility. Ultracapac- less than those of batteries. run smoothly – even in periods of power
itors installed in emergency or standby Because of their low internal resistance, outages.
6 www.power-eng.com
Reliable detection of low-combustion oxygen and/or high CO in a fired heater or boiler is critical
to burner management system effectiveness. The WDG-V analyzer monitors hot, wet flue gas
to minimize excess oxygen, lower NOx emissions, and improve operating efficiency in power
generation and petrochemical refining. It can also monitor methane levels to assure safe burner
startup and shutdown.
The all-new WDG-V. Combustion management and safety capabilities beyond expectations.
Learn more at www.ametekpi.com.
to Meet Next
geometry of components. Both the EN
and ASME codes provide guidance on life
Generation Cycling
and Efficiency assessment approaches, however
the simplified methods provided
Requirements
can result in either over or anticon-
servative predictions of component
life. GE uses an approach generally
based on EN 12952-3 and 12952-4
for fatigue and creep assessment along
BY DENIS BRUNO, WESLEY BAUVER, HAIYANG QIAN with robust transient modeling to define
T
AND SCOTT HERMAN, GENERAL ELECTRIC
transient operating conditions. This arti-
he need for fast start up and cycling of combined cycle power plants in cle outlines the approach used by GE for
response to the growth of renewables is well understood in the power HRSG life assessment.
industry. Both trends have been widely discussed. This need is support-
ed with the Rapid Response combined cycle system employing the new TRANSIENT ANALYSIS
7HA and 9HA gas turbines and others with hot start times around 30 It is necessary to define the transient
minutes and operational efficiencies as high as 62 percent. operating conditions that the HRSG
8 www.power-eng.com
Whether it’s a clean closure or a cap-in-place, no two ash ponds are exactly the same. Utilities need a partner
who offers a customized approach that provides unique solutions to the challenges you face. With Charah, you
get the proven experience and expertise to handle every regulatory, engineering and technical issue. Above all,
you can count on service that is on time, all the time.
For more information, contact us at 877-314-7724 or visit charah.com.
©2017 Charah LLC, 12601 Plantside Drive Louisville, KY 40299 U.S.A. For info. http://powereng.hotims.com RS#5
10 www.power-eng.com
L®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®b”®’®I®’®’k/V®”’®®® HRSG®,®®®®®®®®®®®®®®’®v®®y,
®®’®®®’®”®®®I®’®’k®”®®”®®® ®®’®F’’U®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®
I®’®’k®A,®“,®®®’®D®Ty®® ”®®”®®®®®®®®”®®®’®”®®®®®®’’®®®®®®
®®®®®®®®®®b”®’®®®®®®®®®b®®b®®”®®® T®®®”®®-®®®®®®’®®®’®®k®’®®®®®®®’
I®®®®®®®®®®®”®L®’®®®® A’®®®®®®k®®®®®®®®®®®’®®®®v®’®
®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®
I®’®’k®G®®®®®“’®’®®®®®®®®
I®’®’k®K®y®®®®®®E®®®®y®LL’ I®’®’k®P®®®®®Eq®®®®®®®®’®. I®’®’k®”®®”®®®’®®®®®®®®®®
E®®®,®PA®16510 W®®®”®®®,®I””®®®®®®60090 S®.®Hy®’®®®®®,®Q®®b®’®J2S8A5
12 www.power-eng.com
Sample Method with Default HTC 1 These HTC values reasonably represent
a general average value during a relatively
Location Ramp Rate 1 Ramp Rate 2 Ramp Rate 3
long transient. However, it does not ful-
860 574 300 ly represent the heat transfer conditions
Stress Range, MPa Tube nozzle
707 473 249 during the thermal transient. For exam-
Allowable Number 808 7,494 183,407 ple, if the constant HTC value for steam is
Tube nozzle
of Cycles 2,434 18,168 965,005 used, then the enhanced thermal transfer
due to condensation will be neglected in
temperature ramp rate can be subjective. reasonably conservative. However, the the analysis. The market is requiring fast-
The Ramp Rates 1, 2 and 3 in Figure 1 design requirement of today’s HRSGs is er response and the HRSG start-up period
illustrate different selections of the sim- for faster response time and more cycles. becomes shorter. A more detailed HTC
plified linear transient steam ramp rates. The selection of transient ramp rates is estimation is needed with respect to the
Ramp Rate 1 assumes a detailed transient critical in fatigue life assessment. As sug- associated transient. Correlations such as
analysis has been performed and uses gested in ERPI report, a detailed transient Dittus Boelter [5] can be used as the basis
the actual steam ramp rate of startup analysis is needed for HRSG fatigue life for calculating the convective inside HTC
and shutdown as the constant ramp rate. assessment. assuming well-developed turbulent flow.
Ramp Rate 2 assumes the transient starts Direct application of the Dittus Boelter
when the pressure starts to increase, ends EFFECT OF DISCRETE correlation on HTC considers the effect
when the steam temperature reaches the TIME STEPS AND HTC the fluid conditions, e.g., temperature,
operating temperature. For the shutdown, To take advantage of the time history flow rate, etc. It is a significant improve-
the transient is assumed to start and end of the transient details, one improve- ment on HTC estimation comparing to
with the change of the flow and pressure. ment over the sample method can be a constant average value during the en-
Ramp Rate 3 assumes the startup tran- separating the transient by discrete time tire transient. However, flow in a typical
sient starts with pressure increase and steps (hereinafter referred to as “dis- HRSG critical component, e.g., a mani-
ends when pressure, flow and tempera- crete method”). At each time step, the fold or a header, does not have the same
ture all reach the operating conditions. through wall temperature difference heat transfer coefficient characteristics as
The ramp rates can be significantly dif- can be calculated to reflect the condi- a well developed flow in a pipe.
ferent and result in errors of the fatigue tions provided by the advanced tran- Typically, flow enters from a pipe in a
assessment, as shown in Table 1. Ramp sient analysis. The resultant stresses due fully developed turbulent state, which is
Rate 1 considers the most conservative to thermal and internal pressure will be then decelerated by the expansion into
steam ramp rate only, in the entire start- combined at each time step instead of the cavity or by impinging onto the walls
up and shutdown transients, resulting in only maximum and minimum values in of the manifold. In addition to the de-
a very high stress range and low allowable the sample method. The discrete meth- celeration, the flow changes direction to
number of cycles on fatigue. However, od fully represents the results from tran- follow the path required to reach the exit
this information is not available unless a sient analysis and better calculates the from the cavity. Then at the exit of the cav-
detailed transient analysis is performed through-wall temperature distribution. ity the flow is accelerated through a con-
from a complete dynamic model simula- The stress calculation is still based traction and begins to redevelop a turbu-
tion. In many cases, the ramp rates will be on the equations and parameters lent boundary layer. These flow patterns
www.power-eng.com 13
14 www.power-eng.com
www.power-eng.com
For info. http://powereng.hotims.com RS#7
16 www.power-eng.com
Protecting Your
Steam Turbine from
Corrosion
M
BY BRAD BUECKER
any power plant per- and also lead to severe economic hard- high cycling duty of most plants, includ-
sonnel are aware that ships for the plant. ing formerly base-loaded units.
chemistry upsets in a However, often overlooked is that even With the aid of some excellent infor-
steam generator may trace levels of some impurities in steam mation presented at the recent 37th Annu-
cause severe corro- can induce severe to catastrophic corro- al Electric Utility Chemistry Workshop,
sion and failure of boiler waterwall tubes sion of turbine blades and rotors under the author will outline several of the most
and other components. certain conditions. important issues with regard to protecting
These failures place the staff at risk, These issues are often magnified by the this most valuable piece of equipment.
18 www.power-eng.com
www.power-eng.com 19
as pressure increases. Consider for ex- values may seem very minute, but as • LP Inlet Steam: ~60 psia, ~610o F
ample the recommended boiler water we shall see, even slight impurity in- • LP Exhaust to Condenser: ~1.2
silica concentrations designed to limit gress, especially of chloride, can still psia, ~110o F
the steam concentration to 10 ppb. At present serious difficulties. This data clearly illustrates the drop
1,000 psia the general boiler water lim- in steam pressure and temperature
iting concentration is around 2.3 ppm,
Stress Corrosion Cracking. across the turbine sections as the en-
but at 2,500 psi the limit drops to about ergy is converted to mechanical work
0.18 ppm. Silica does not cause turbine and electrical output. We have already
corrosion, but as the steam pressure noted that silica will precipitate from
decreases during passage through the the steam as pressure drops in the IP
intermediate- and low-pressure tur- and LP turbines. But what about the
bines, the compound will precipitate really bad actors, chloride and, to a
and modestly degrade turbine aerody- lesser extent sulfate? Most difficulties
namic efficiency. with these salts occur in the LP tur-
An element that once was quite bine. The entering steam still has a
problematic with regard to vaporous reasonable amount of superheat, but
carryover is copper, especially in many as the steam reaches the last few rows
of the coal-fired units from decades of turbine blades, some of it begins to
past. A large number of these steam condense. This location is known as
generators were originally equipped the phase transition zone (PTZ), and it
with copper-alloy feedwater heater is in the PTZ that chloride and sulfate
tubes, where corrosion introduced cop- salts precipitate on the turbine blades
per and copper oxides to the boiler. At and rotor. During steady-state opera-
pressures above 2,000 psi and espe- HOW IMPURITIES, EVEN tion, the precipitated salts are neutral,
cially at 2,400 psi and above, vapor- AT TRACE LEVELS, CAN but in units that cycle on and off reg-
ous carryover of copper becomes quite DAMAGE THE TURBINE ularly (many plants nowadays) the LP
troublesome. Deposition typically oc- Power-generating steam turbines are turbine may be frequently exposed to
curs in the HP turbine, and just a few typically divided into three sections, humid, outside air. When the salt de-
pounds of copper deposits can cause high-pressure (HP), intermediate pres- posits become moist, they can initiate
the loss of several megawatts. Very few sure (IP), and low-pressure (LP). In pitting of blades and rotors. Pitting in
if any HRSGs have feedwater heaters, virtually all modern units, HP exhaust itself is a very serious issue, but other
so this is a non-issue in modern com- steam returns to the steam generator factors exacerbate the problem. Ro-
bined cycle units. And, of course, oth- for reheating, and then is introduced to tating turbine blades, and particularly
er materials besides copper alloys are the IP turbine, whose exhaust “crosses the long blades in LP turbines, develop
possible for any units that still have over” to the LP turbine(s). (Often, the stress points during operation. Pitting
feedwater heaters. configuration may have two or perhaps is often the precursor to stress corro-
Impurities may also be introduced occasionally even three LP turbines per sion cracking (SCC), in which the com-
to steam in a direct manner, via attem- overall system.) Consider as an exam- bination of a corrosive environment
perator sprays. This is normally not ple of common operating conditions and metal stress can induce severe lo-
an issue unless the feedwater has been the following approximate values from calized corrosion.
contaminated from a condenser tube a planned combined cycle project. The Another problematic mechanism
leak, or, less likely, a makeup water sys- data is based on an average summer is corrosion fatigue (CF), which, as
tem upset. Then, harmful compounds day at the site, with no supplemental the name implies, is influenced by re-
will enter the entire system. This is yet duct firing to the HRSGs. peated cycling. A simple example of
another example why comprehensive • HP Inlet Steam: ~2,000 psia, basic fatigue is to bend a paperclip at
on-line sampling, including conden- ~1,050o F one spot back and forth several times
sate pump discharge and feedwater, is • Cold Reheat Steam: ~570 psia, until it fails. Cycling duty in a plant
critical for protecting steam generators. ~700o F initiates fatigue points at many lo-
Current normal steam purity limits • Hot Reheat Steam to IP Turbine: cations, including rotating turbine
are outlined in the table below. These ~510 psia, ~1,050o F blades and attachments. If a corrosive
20 www.power-eng.com
environment exists, the time to fatigue (IAPWS). But, the author is aware from technique can provide accurate results,
failure is shortened. Weakening of tur- these sources that the values are con- it is expensive and requires trained
bine blades and attachments from SCC sidered to be too high, particularly chemistry personnel (something com-
and CF can lead to blade failure while with regard to chloride and sodium, if bined cycle plants unfortunately don’t
the turbine is in operation. The only the latter occurs in the form of caustic always have) to keep IC units in prop-
word that applies to this situation is (NaOH) carryover. (Caustic can also er working order. However, changes in
“catastrophe.” induce stress corro- the ability to monitor
sion cracking.) trace Cl and SO4 are
“Weakening of
INFORMATION FROM For years, the pri- imminent. Another
THE ELECTRIC UTILITY mary power plant turbine blades paper at the EUCW
CHEMISTRY WORKSHOP steam measurements
and attachments outlined results from
The corrosion issues outlined in this have included some several field tests of
article were the subject of an excellent or all of sodium, from SCC and a new trace chloride/
paper at the most recent Electric Utili- silica, and cation CF can lead to sulfate analyzer.
ty Chemistry Workshop (EUCW). The conductivity (more A key aspect of this
lead author outlined in the first half of properly known blade failure while technology is that
the paper that during scheduled out- as conductivity af- the turbine is in the instrument uses
ages on two power generating units at ter cation exchange a process with the
his company, non-destructive testing [CACE]). CACE is operation. The only ponderous name of
(NDT) revealed stress corrosion crack- essentially the elec- word that applies microfluidic capil-
ing in blade attachments within the last trical measurement lary electrophoresis
three stages of some of the LP turbines. of any anions, gen-
to this situation is to separate chloride
Prompt blade and blade attachment erally chloride and ‘catastrophe.’” and sulfate, which
repair prevented the problem from be- sulfate, after the may then be detect-
coming a serious issue. This work came cations (in steam generator water pri- ed at concentrations down to 0.1 ppb.
in conjunction with upgrades to the marily ammonium and sodium) have The electrophoresis module is calibrat-
plant’s on-line chemistry monitoring been stripped from the sample. Be- ed at the factory, thus the instrument
system. Accurate and reliable mon- cause carbon dioxide (CO2) influenc- can be started up in the field without
itoring are aspects that seem to often es CACE, now being recommended is additional calibration. The field tests
be overlooked by the plant staff, even degassed CACE, where the sample is so far have provided excellent results.
though the cost for instrumentation routed through a reboiler or perhaps The technology could be expanded to
and training for plant personnel can a nitrogen-sparged compartment to detect other anions that may be in the
be recovered many times over by pre- remove CO2. For a long time, plant steam samples.
vention of chemistry upsets. Critical owners, startup personnel, and equip- A notable example is phosphate,
sample points include: ment manufacturers focused on a cat- which is often a mechanical carryover
• Makeup water system effluent ion conductivity limit of 0.2 µS/cm as product in those plants that utilize
• Condensate pump discharge a good guideline for steam purity. But, tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) for boiler
• Feedwater and economizer inlet CACE is only a surrogate for chloride water chemistry control. Although TSP
(economizer outlet is also a good and sulfate, and it is now known that is not a corrosive agent in the steam sys-
location) 0.2 µS/cm corresponds to a chloride or tem, carryover and deposition in super-
• Boiler / HRSG evaporator water sulfate concentration greater than 10 heater and reheater U-bends have been
• Superheat, reheat, and saturated ppb. This is at a time when many con- known to cause overheating failures.
steam sider 2 ppb of these ions to be exces-
With regard to steam chemistry, sive. The question has naturally arisen, DON’T FORGET ABOUT
Table 1 previously illustrated current “What about measuring trace chloride SHUTDOWNS AND LAYUPS
steam purity guidelines as established and sulfate directly?” Often, plant personnel tend to focus
by the Electric Power Research Institute Heretofore, such measurements have on issues that may occur during normal
(EPRI) and other top organizations been possible with ion chromatogra- operation. But, off-line corrosion is a
such as the International Association phy (IC), but from direct experience very serious issue that must be addressed
for the Properties of Water and Steam the author will attest that although the to ensure good unit reliability.
22 www.power-eng.com
NEW
and automatically correlating recorded
PD with operating condition parameters
such as active power and temperatures.
GENERATION
Periodical comparison of data recorded
at the same operating conditions pro-
vides reliable trending to trigger alarms.
Visual maps provide immediate under-
PD for Generators
Continuous, On-Line PD Monitoring standing of PD behaviour with respect
to copper temperature and load. This
comparison enables the machine owner
to manage machine loading and cooling
B
BY SAMUEL CLEMMONS, JAMES HOVIOUS, MARCO TOZZI AND ENRICO SAVORELLI
PDE
75.0 MT 20.0
most use only periodic tests. 18.0
70.0
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) 16.0
has engaged periodic on-line PD tests 65.0 14.0
for several years with mixed results re- 60.0 12.0
garding the agency confidence and un- 10.0
55.0 LT
derstanding of PD system results. Spo- 8.00
50.0 6.00
radic acquisition of PD data is one of the
4.00
barriers to widespread deployment of 45.0
0.00 40.0 60.0 60.0 60.0 60.0 60.0 60.0 2.00
permanent monitoring systems, and the
Load (MW) 0.00
clear understanding of results is another
drawback. In particular, TVA recognized
the need for an easy to interpret ‘picture’
that can intuitively show PD results to
Example weekly summary of 2
power-plant operators and asset manag-
PDE with respect to each phase
ers, without the need of an expert in PD
40.0
theory to review and to provide data in-
terpretation. 35.0
Phase A
This article details real case studies 30.0 Phase B
using a new technology, designed specif- 25.0 Phase C
ically for generators, which shows contin- 20.0
uous PD monitoring data in an intuitive
PDE
15.0
and informative format. This informa-
10.0
tion will help the plant to plan corrective
actions, improve operating conditions, 5.0
24 www.power-eng.com
PDE
the insulation and PD;
48.0 30.0
• Poor resin impregnation: leaving distributed air bubbles
44.0 25.0
within insulation and generating PD;
20.0
• Loose stator bars: due to the vibrations, the bar moves in 40.0
15.0
the slot, damaging and abrading the slot conductive coat- 36.0
10.0
ing and generating PD (Slot PD); 32.0 5.00
• Semicon coating: generating PD within the space between 0.00 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100 120 140 160 180 200 0.00
the stator and the coil (Slot PD) due to too excessive initial b) 65.0
resistance or poor application of the conductive coating; 68.0 60.0
• Semicon/Stress-grading junction: poor connection be- 64.0 55.0
50.0
tween the stress grading tape and the conductive coating, 60.0
Stator Temperature (°C)
45.0
generating PD between the junction between the two ma- 56.0
40.0
terials; 52.0 35.0
PDE
• Inadequate end-winding spacing: causing insufficient 48.0 30.0
clearance between the bars and generating PD between the 25.0
44.0
bars in the end-winding; 20.0
40.0
• Contamination: causing surface tracking in th e end wind- 15.0
36.0
ing. 10.0
32.0 5.00
It is well known that the analysis of PD trends over the years
establishes an effective method to assess the insulation degra- 0.00 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100 120 140 160 180 200 0.00
c) 65.0
dation rate, since an increase of the defect size (volume of void,
68.0 60.0
gap between coil and stator, surface tracking path, etc.) gener-
64.0 55.0
ally leads to an increase of PD intensity in terms of amplitude 50.0
60.0
Stator Temperature (°C)
www.power-eng.com 25
For example, high discharges can oc- generators are reported due to two of the plant was supplied with Qm+ and Qm-
cur at generator start-up, due to open generators showing no PD. These results levels from a testing vender, there was
gaps in the ground-wall insulation, and highlight the benefits of the applied tech- no indication of what was acceptable
disappear in few hours due to the coil nology within the TVA monitoring and or unacceptable. In addition, the data
temperature increase, which causes the maintenance program. seemed erratic. There would be a higher
copper to expand and fill the gaps [5-6]. magnitude PD level one year, followed be
In other cases, high load or high tempera- TVA ROUTINE a lower level the next. A PD expert had
ture can result in a sudden increase of slot MAINTENANCE to be contacted to translate the data to
discharges which would disappear at cold AND EXPERIENCE be beneficial for onsite employees. Still,
temperature or low load. For this reason, TVA Kingston Fossil Plant (KIF) has the information obtained did not contain
PD trend evaluations must take into ac- 9 generators, all of which were installed operational recommendations that could
count environmental and operating con- from 1954-1956. Four of them are rated be used to lower PD levels. As a result,
ditions. The key point is to compare PD 175 MW while the others are 200 MW. All partial discharge levels in Kingston gen-
intensity at nearly the same voltage/load/
temperature/humidity conditions.
The use of permanent monitoring
Weekly summary of U6 4
systems, recording diagnostic (PD), op- 40.0
erational (voltage, active power, reactive
35.0 Phase A
power, copper temperature, cooling tem-
Phase B
peratures, H2 pressure) and environmen-
30.0 Phase C
tal (temperature, humidity) parameters
represent the only way to carry out a 25.0
meaningful correlation over the time at
PDE
20.0
the same identical operating condition.
The collected data shall be easily grouped 15.0
basing on the chosen parameters to show
a summary of the insulation status at 10.0
26 www.power-eng.com
50.0
62.0 A summary of the recorded activity is
60.0 45.0 performed every 10 minutes. The output
58.0
40.0
PDE
56.0 data includes the well-known parameters
54.0 35.0 such as Qmax (Volts and pC), Repetition
52.0 30.0 Rate (pulse-per-seconds), Qm+, Qm-,
50.0
48.0 25.0 NqN+ and NqN-. Additionally, Qmax
46.0 20.0 and Repetition Rate are combined into
44.0 a non-dimensional parameter called PD
15.0
42.0
40.0 10.0
Energy (PDE), which is evaluated for
38.0 each phase of the machine. Operational
5.00
60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 and environmental parameters (mega-
Load (MW) 0.00
watts, megavars, stator temperature, etc.
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27
0.400
0.300
0.200
0.100
Amplitude
0.000
-0.100
-0.200
-0.300
-0.400
-0.500
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360
b) After temperature change. Power 120 MW, copper temperature 65 °C
0.500
0.400
0.300
0.200
0.100
Amplitude
0.000
-0.100
-0.200
-0.300
-0.400
-0.500
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360
are recorded simultaneously and contin- availability. Each dot is coded by color corresponds to a certain operating condi-
uously with the PD data. A total report is using a scale from green (low PDE) to red tion with a certain active power and cop-
then produced with the correlated data (high PDE), depending on the PDE level per temperature. As a result, four areas
(PD and machine parameters). recorded. can be easily segmented in the plot:
Using the report data, a 3-D PDE map As an example, Fig.1 summarizes 4 • SS: Start-Stop region, character-
is created. A dot is plotted every N min- months of data from a 300 MW tur- ized by low power (below mini-
utes (N = data sample rate) with X, Y coor- bo-generator with a sample rate of 10 mum-technical)
dinates representing the operating condi- minutes. The X and Y axis are active • LT: low-temperature region, the ma-
tions. The user can choose the parameter power and copper temperature respec- chine operates at significantly low
to be used in both axes depending on tively. The meaning of the shape of the temperature, generally after the start
his needs, experience and parameter cluster is straightforward: each PDE dot • MT: mid-temperature region, it
28 www.power-eng.com
PDE
47.5 25.0
region, especially above 85°C, correlates to a higher PDE (red 45.0
20.0
predominance). 42.5
In this particular example case, the utility previously used pe- 40.0 15.0
37.5 10.0
riodic PD testing (every 6 months). The owner was not aware of
35.0
the correlation between PD and temperature. With the above 32.5 5.00
results provided, the owner took action to increase cooling at 30.0 0.00
0.00 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100 120 140 160 180 200
higher loads. Thus, they were able to bring the machine to op-
erate mainly in the MT area (even at high loads). The result gen-
erated a predominately green PDE map which depicts slower
b) 65.3 50.0
degradation.
62.5 45.0
In terms of trending PD, the monitoring system has the capa-
60.0
bility to extract a weekly summary indicating the PDE level at 57.5 40.0
Copper Temperature (°C)
PDE
47.5 25.0
weekly summary is in agreement with the PDE Map. It confirms 45.0
20.0
that PDE increases with temperature and it is maximum at high 42.5
40.0 15.0
temperature (HT), i.e. above 90 °C. The summary also shows
37.5 10.0
PDE for each phase, highlighting the predominance of PD activ- 35.0
ities in C phase (red). 32.5 5.00
The values shown in Fig. 2 are then generated weekly. These 30.0 0.00
0.00 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100 120 140 160 180 202
reports create meaningful trends at similar operating condi-
tions. Three different alarms can be sent to the owners/opera-
tors - one for each operating range (LT, MT, and HT). In addition
c) 65.0 50.0
to the three temperature ranges, the correlated PDE and opera-
62.5 45.0
tional data can separate start-up and shutdown periods. These
60.0
operational conditions provide the potential for two addition- 57.5 40.0
Copper Temperature (°C)
al alarms (start and stop). This feature is important for cycling 55.0 35.0
52.5
units, which sometimes show higher PD levels during these 30.0
50.0
periods due to voids and delaminations. Typically, these time 47.5 25.0
PDE
www.power-eng.com 29
same operational parameters on the X and Y axis, the maps As highlighted in the picture above, there is a clear ben-
are comparable between all three sister units. The comparison efit of the temperature change when looking at the PDE at
reveals that all three insulation systems are in different condi- around 120 MW. Before the change, the temperature was
tions. This fact alone stresses the importance of knowing which ranging between 52 and 58°C with the color of the PDE dots
factors (temperature, loading, voltage, etc.) of PD are contrib- mainly red. By increasing the temperature in the stator to
uting to the resultant PDE levels. From these initial maps, each 60-67°C at the same load, the PD activity is significantly
unit was analysed deeper. reduced (predominately green dots). To confirm the re-
2.0000
1.5000
1.0000
0.5000
Amplitude
0.0000
-0.5000
-1.0000
-1.5000
-2.0000
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360
30 www.power-eng.com
Editor’s Note: This article is based profitability of certain nuclear power coal units as well as shutting down of
on a paper presented at POW- plants due to lower natural gas prices. uneconomic coal-fired plants. Renew-
ER-GEN International on Dec. 14, Figure 1 shows capacity additions able resources started leveraging the fed-
T
2016. by fuel type in gigawatts from 2000 to eral tax credits and state level mandates
he United States electric 2020 while Figure 2 lists the retirement starting 2008, with occasional spikes in
energy sector that in- of power generating facilities during the construction activity following the ex-
cludes utilities, indepen- same time period. The first five years tension of federal tax credits, and con-
dent power producers, starting year 2000 saw the emergence tinue to grow at a steady pace. Nuclear
public power authorities, of merchant power facilities across the facilities, while currently facing losses
renewable developers etc. has been tra- nation followed by a period of high nat- in certain market areas in the country,
ditionally considered a relatively safe ural gas prices. While new coal facilities the Southeast is experiencing growth
and defensive investment due to its po- were being proposed around the 2009- for second generation nuclear facilities
tential for providing a steady stream of 2012 time frame, stricter environmental by 2020.
dividend income. regulations forced cancelation of new The current electric energy landscape,
The electric energy sector’s vulnera-
bility to shifting market conditions has Capacity Additions 1
become more evident in recent years
due to environmental regulations, a 70
Rise of the merchant PTC/ITC certainty
sustained push for higher penetration 60
of renewables and continued volatility PTC renewed 2nd
50 generation
in fuel prices. While part of the problem State RPS nuclear
40 High natural mandates
facing renewable developers includes gas prices New
a heavy debt burden and an inflexible 30 coal
market structure that is not necessar- 20
ily aligned with the changing mix of
10
resources, the conundrum that other
market participants are facing include 0
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020
the relentless pressure on coal market
participants due to various environ- Coal Gas Renew&Hydro Nuclear
mental regulations1 and lower natural
gas prices and the adverse impact on the Source: ABB EPM Advisors
32 www.power-eng.com
Capacity Retirement (GW) 2 The Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project near Tonopah,
about 190 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada.
20 Low natural gas prices
18 Mats & CSAPR regulations
Coordinating Council (WECC) or ar-
16
eas covering California, the Northwest
14
Power Pool, Rocky Mountain Power
12
10 Area etc., under the ABB Base Case as
8 forecasted by ABB EPM Advisors2.
6 The ABB Base Case is a forecast of fu-
4 ture conditions based on fundamentals
2 of demand or load forecast and supply
0
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 or fossil-fired and renewable resources
as well as fuel prices (natural gas, oil,
Coal Gas Renew&Hydro Oil&Other Nuclear uranium, coal), non-power demand
curves, energy efficiency, demand re-
Source: ABB EPM Advisors
sponse, distributed generation, power
while promoting fuel diversity through into account the potential and limita- market, emission, and renewables rules,
the use of fossil-fired power plants run- tions of various regions in the country. transmission topology etc. Markets
ning on coal, natural gas, oil etc. along Figure 3 lists the resource mix, in per- covered include the Electric Reliabili-
with plants running on energy generat- centage for three representative years ty Council of Texas market or ERCOT,
ed from the sun, wind, nuclear fuel, hy- (i.e. 2005, 2016 and 2040) across five the MW region that includes the PJM
dro, biomass, geothermal, landfill gas, regions that include ERCOT or Tex- Regional Transmission Organization
fuel cell etc., also attempts to maintain a as, MW (Midwest), NE (Northeast), SE (RTO) covering 13 states and District
diversified set of resources while taking (Southeast) and Western Electricity of Columbia, the MISO RTO covering
www.power-eng.com 33
34 www.power-eng.com
HIGH RENEWABLE
PENETRATION SCENARIO
The High Renewable Penetration
scenario that reflects the same assump-
tions as those in the ABB Base Case ex-
cept for an additional 173 gigawatts of
renewable resources results in carbon
emissions that is 11 percent below
2005 levels. In contrast to the High Re-
newable Penetration scenario, carbon
emissions under the Nuclear Life Ex-
tension scenario are 13 percent below
2005 levels. The Nuclear Life Extension
scenario has the same assumptions as
the ABB Base Case except for the as-
sumption that all nuclear units receive
approval for life extension beyond their
current license period thus resulting in
the availability of approximately 100
gigawatts of nuclear capacity through
2040. Key takeaways from these sce-
narios is not the just the potential for
reductions in carbon emissions8, but
also the level of investment involved
and the cost-to-benefit impact.
Figure 5 that displays the resource
mix under the High Renewable Pene-
tration scenario9 depicts the expected
decline in nuclear and coal resources
For info. http://powereng.hotims.com RS#14
www.power-eng.com For info. http://powereng.hotims.com RS#14
36 www.power-eng.com
1,024 100
Wind Costs 1976
1985 Solar PV Module Cost ($/W)
Have Fallen
512 Module Costs have Fallen
50% Since 2009
1985 99% Since 1976
80% Since 2008
256 H2 2015 10
2009 Thailand 2003 2008
128 1999
2025
2014
64 1 Learning rate
Germany
Learning rate 24.3% Current
32 19% US Brazil 2015 price
16 0.1
100 1,000 10,000 100,000 1,000,000 1 10 100 1,000 10,000 100,000 1,000,000
Cumulative capacity (MW) Cumulative capacity (MW)
Note: Pricing data has been inflation corrected to 2014. Note: Prices are in real (2015) USD. ‘Current price’ is $0.61/W
We assume the debt rate 70%, cost of debt (bps to LIBOR) Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Maycock
of 175, cost of equity of 8%
Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance (2016)
price for the ZEC would be adminis- All the same, the Low Carbon or a transferred to a partner that can use the
tratively set by the NYPSC. Also like Carbon-free grid outlooks will need to credits to offset taxable earnings, or that
RECs, ZECs will be tradable, but the take into consideration challenges such can package those credits and sell them
two types of products would not be in- as vast dollar outflows to other parties with
terchangeable under the CES. related to strengthen- “Both wind and a tax appetite. When
ing of the transmis- the after tax rate of re-
LOW CARBON AND/OR sion infrastructure to
solar powered turn is achieved, usu-
CARBON-FREE OUTLOOK deliver power from re- facilities can ally timed with the
While there are undeniable bene- mote locations to con- 10-year expiration of
fits under a Low Carbon13 or a Car- sumption markets,
look forward to the PTC, the partner-
bon-free14 outlook in terms of lower financing difficul- lower capital ship structure flips,
carbon emissions for the future electric- ties, existing market
costs over the with the developer
ity grid, there are numerous challenges designs16, variable taking 99 percent
that need to be addressed. Both wind generation, rate struc- next decade of the equity in the
and solar powered facilities can look tures etc. or more.” project. The dearth in
forward to lower capital costs over the One of the many these types of innova-
next decade or more. Figure 7 displays challenges to highlight would be the tive mechanisms post expiration of the
the wind and solar experience curves15 lack of tax equity capacity posing a tax credits will continue to pose a chal-
which represents the percent decrease in strong impediment for further growth lenge.
prices with the doubling of worldwide in the renewables market. The Produc- Another potential area to re-evaluate
installed capacity. For onshore wind, tion Tax Credit (PTC), a key driver for is reconciliation of policies that require
the percent decrease in prices is 19 per- wind projects has allowed developers economic competitiveness as well as
cent with four doubling of capacity in to monetize tax credits17. The mon- cost effectiveness for consumers at the
the past 15 years and for solar PV mod- etization involves a ‘partnership flip’ same time. As an example, let’s look at
ules, the percent decrease in prices is 24 structure that removes the tax credits the potential conflict arising from the
percent with 7 doubling of capacity in and delivers them to an equity owner re-design of the Regional Greenhouse
the past 15 years. The extension of fed- in a partnership. The project developer Gas Initiative (RGGI) market versus
eral tax credits also bodes well for the thus holds a minimum level of equi- state of Maryland’s objectives. In 2014,
renewables sector. ty with about 90 percent of the equity CONTINUED ON PAGE 41
www.power-eng.com 37
POWER-GEN
International 2017:
Convergence and
Collaboration
BY RUSSELL RAY, CHAIRMAN, POWER-GEN INTERNATIONAL,
T
CHIEF EDITOR, POWER ENGINEERING
38 www.power-eng.com
HOOVER DAM
Just a short drive from the glitter and
glamour of Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam
executive officer of OSIsoft; Stefan Bird, that will be offered at POWER-GEN: is a testimony to America’s ability to con-
president and CEO of Pacific Power; Stan “Smart Analytics to Improve Plant Per- struct monolithic projects amid adverse
Connally Jr., chairman, president and formance;” “Cybersecurity: Avoiding the conditions. Built during the Great Depres-
CEO of Gulf Power; Blake Moret, presi- Dark Side;” “Energy Storage Project De- sion between 1931 and 1935, thousands
dent and CEO of Rockwell Automation; ployment Around the World;” “Integrat- of men and their families came to Black
and Paul Browning, president and CEO of ed Energy Storage;” “Combined Cycle Canyon to tame the Colorado River. It
Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Amer- O&M Considerations in Today’s Dispatch took less than 5 years to build the largest
icas. Market;” “Technology Solutions for Fast dam of its time.
Conference sessions will be held under Starting Natural Gas Fired Plants;” “Gas Now, 82 years later, Hoover Dam still
14 tracks or topics: Emissions Control; Turbine Maintenance, Upgrades and Field stands as a world-renowned structure.
Flexible Generation and On-Site Power; Experiences;” “Gas Turbine Fuel Flexibili- Hoover Dam is a National Historic Land-
Plant Performance; Gas Turbine Technol- ty;” “Making CHP Work for You;” “Materi- mark and has been called one of the Sev-
ogies; Energy Storage; Business Trends al Handling and Maintenance Upgrades;” en Engineering Wonders of the Modern
and Regulatory Issues; The Digital Power and “Financing Trends in Grid-of-the-Fu- World. This engineering project not only
Plant; Power Project Financing; Material ture Power Projects.” enabled the industrial development of
Handling; Utility-Scale Renewable Pow- Six mega-sessions are also scheduled: the Pacific Southwest, but it also forms
er; Distributed Renewable Power; Clean “Large Frame Combustion Turbine Tech- Lake Mead, the largest man-made reser-
Coal Technologies; and Gas-Fired Power nology Update;” “Remote Monitoring voir in the Western Hemisphere.
Plants; and Nuclear Power. and Diagnostics: Opportunities for Ana- Before your guided tour of Hoover
“We’ll be doing a deeper dive into areas lytics to Improve Plant Performance and Dam, you will have a short presentation
such as performance and efficiency gains Reliability;” “North America is Long on on how the west was won with. Next,
and other trends and developments,” Natural Gas: Will Power Generators Be your guide will take you over 500’ down
Ghesquiere said. “I’m really looking for- Able to Get It;” “Can Carbon Capture one of our enormous elevators to the Ne-
ward to some excellent sessions through- Save Us?” vada wing of the power plant, where you
out the Gas Turbine Technologies Track.” POWER-GEN International attendees overlook the massive 7-story tall genera-
Here’s a sample of some of the sessions will see or hear about new technologies tors. From there you will go on your own
www.power-eng.com 39
During POWER-GEN, about 280 speakers will share their thoughts on trends, technology and project de-
velopment in 60 conference sessions. A wide range of topics, from data analytics to gas turbine design,
out to the Observation Deck on top of the will be discussed by high-ranking regulators, developers, power producers and manufacturers.
Tour Center, where you can view the river
flow, the lake and the massive expansive compressor station, which is then circu- Power Project professional,” “Secrets to
of the Hoover Dam. lated to the Goodsprings power plant Executing a Successful Turbine-Generator
equipment and is utilized to vaporize Outage,” “Energy and Electricity Storage:
WALTER M. HIGGINS an organic working fluid into a gas. The Grid and Distributed Storage with a Dis-
GENERATING STATION expansion force of this gas drives a small cussion of Variables Related to Storage
The Walter M. Higgins Generating Sta- turbine generator to make electricity. Options,” “Cycle Chemistry for the Pow-
tion is a clean-burning natural gas-fueled This creative renewable energy ap- er Industry: A Practical Course on Best
Practices,” “Machine Learning for Power
Plant Managers,” “HRSG Fundamentals:
Operations, Inspections, Trouble Shoot-
ing and Maintenance of Combined Cycle
HRSGs.”
For a complete list of pre-conference
power plant located in Southern Nevada proach to making use of such waste heat workshops, go to http://www.pow-
near the California border. The plant uti- is the first in Nevada. In the normal oper- er-gen.com/conference.html.
lizes two highly efficient Siemens-West- ation of the Kern River Gas Transmission Several sessions at POWER-GEN will
inghouse 501FD2 combustion turbines Co. compressor station – which primarily be devoted to the industry’s transition
to produce electricity. Additionally, the is used to move natural gas through Ne- to power fueled with natural gas and
exhaust from the two turbines is recycled vada to California – some waste heat is renewable resources. This trend will
to produce steam for an Alstom STF30C released to the atmosphere. This thermal continue, which means gas-fired plants
steam turbine to make additional electric- energy is captured and converted to elec- must be faster and more flexible to ef-
ity for NV Energy customers. tricity in much the same way that some fectively offset the inherent fluctua-
The plant went into service in 2004. geothermal energy power plants cap- tions of renewable power.
Unlike conventional power plants that ture heat from hot water deep below the In addition to speed and flexibility,
use substantial amounts of water for cool- earth’s surface. POWER-GEN speakers will be explor-
ing, the Higgins Station uses a six-story- ing new methods and strategies for
high dry cooling system. Similar to a car PRE-CONFERENCE maximizing net fuel efficiency. Air
radiator, 40 massive fans (34 feet in diam- WORKSHOPS AND quality control system upgrades for ex-
eter) are used to condense the steam and CEU CREDITS isting coal-fired plants and operation
cool plant equipment. Attendees of POWER-GEN Interna- and maintenance practices for nuclear
tional can also choose from 18 pre-con- plants will continue to be chief staples
GOODSPRINGS ENERGY ference workshops on Sunday Dec. 3 and of our conference program in 2017.
RECOVERY STATION Monday Dec. 4. All workshop attendees What’s more, we will be taking a clos-
The Goodsprings Energy Recovery Sta- receive a certificate of completion. Certif- er look at the technologies driving the
tion achieved commercial operation in icates of completion may be submitted to digital transformation of power gener-
2010 and uses hot exhaust from a neigh- your professional organization for Profes- ation.
boring natural gas compressor station sional Development Hours. To attend POWER-GEN, to www.
to generate electricity. The hot exhaust Some of the workshop topics include: power-gen.com to register. See you in
heats a thermal oil transfer fluid at the “Effective Project management for the Las Vegas!
40 www.power-eng.com
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