Summaries of MD&A’s spring 2022 webinars on topics of interest to all involved in the operation and maintenance of generating plants powered by gas turbines follow. Both experienced personnel and those new to the industry might benefit from a quick read to identify topics of immediate value and then follow up by listening to recordings […]
The road to net zero carbon by, well, pick your date, 2030, 2035, 2050, is paved with pledges, promises, mandates, and political rhetoric, but the landscape will most surely be dotted with gas-fired combined cycles making megawatt-hours when the variable renewable resources are not, according to Jeff Schleis, gas-turbine product manager, EthosEnergy. In a recent
Thermal performance audit key to extracting more dollars from older plants Read More »
While the industry makes progress towards the fully connected, largely automated powerplant with a meta-organization of onsite staff, remote monitoring and diagnostics (M&D) assistance, and market delivery setpoints, there are some serious and costly gaps that are overlooked in data links and industrial communications. According to Jeff Downen, business owner, Black Start LLC, these gaps
Plant-network, data-link, communications issues revealed during commissioning Read More »
Presentations by owner/operators are highly regarded at user-group meetings. The first-hand experience detailing how a particular job was conducted, what worked/what didn’t, lessons learned, etc, can be invaluable to someone considering a similar project. Plus, there’s the opportunity to ask questions and get straight-forward answers. You should be aware of the six user presentations from
User presentations: Benefit from your colleagues’ experiences Read More »
Encompassing 1300 GW of global capacity, 450,000 MW of that in the US, and 120,000 MW of combined-cycle capability, the Ovation control system platform, according to Robert Yeager, president of Emerson Automation Solutions Power & Water, is Number One in global power generation control systems. But Yeager, in the traditional “bragging rights” opening remarks at
Ovation users ponder big issues, knuckle down on knotty plant problems Read More »
The 7EA gas turbine’s many attributes—including generally high reliability and availability, and good efficiency in a wide range of applications on a variety of fuels—help make it the most popular mid-size (nominal 85 MW) industrial gas turbine. There are said to be about 1200 of these machines in service. Annual meetings of the 7EA Users
TILs critical to 7EA inspection success Read More »
This is the final part of a five-part series on the design, operation, and maintenance of reverse osmosis systems for powerplants compiled by Wes Byrne, U.S. Water’s consultant on membrane technologies. Parts I, II, III, and IV are identified below. Part I: Value proposition, how it works Part II: Importance of a pilot study in
RO Part V: When to clean, how to clean Read More »
It happens to all of us. One day we wake up and realize, we’re not young anymore. You can, in the same breath, decide you need to do some things differently. Or, you can ignore it, and pay a larger price later. The same thing is true with heat-recovery steam generators (HRSGs). Combined-cycle plants experienced
HRSG best practices: Plan now for old age Read More »
Ever stop to think about what’s going on with your HRSG’s steam drums, out of sight for the most part and all wrapped up in insulation? Even if you were to hike up to the drum level what could you see? Next question: How many people at your plant really think about the boiler? Their
Steam drums demand regular inspection, continual attention Read More »
It’s easy to forget about the “big box” selective catalytic reduction (SCR) unit sandwiched in your HRSG modules, even though it stands between you and compliance with your air permit, and your ability to operate. At the 2017 conference of the Combined Cycle Users Group (CCUG), held in Phoenix the last week of August, Andy
Consider the impact of new operating regimes on your SCR Read More »
