Managing a powerplant for top performance can be a thankless task. You always seem to be at odds with those controlling the purse strings who don’t fully understand how generating assets work. So you write a business case to illustrate that a better balance sheet would be possible were a given upgrade funded. Sometimes difficult […]
AIG upgrades slash ammonia consumption, tube fouling Read More »
The Australasian HRSG Users Group (AHUG) celebrates 11 years of service to the industry at the organization’s 2018 meeting at the Brisbane Conference and Exhibition Center, November 11-13. Review the agenda here. Of all the HRSG groups outside the US, AHUG has the second longest history, behind only IMechE in the UK. The shared purpose
HRSG hot topics: risk-based inspection, corrosion under insulation, water chemistry Read More »
We’re supposed to embrace change, but let’s face it, change is unavoidable. It occurs with every passing moment, even if you can’t sense it. So let’s talk about rates of change. In the gas-fired power industry, rates of change may be approaching chaotic effects. That’s the conclusion from 18 one-on-one half-hour interviews conducted over a
SPECIAL REPORT: Acute levels of uncertainty pervade the industry Read More »
The annual Combined Cycle Users Group (CCUG) conference and vendor fair, held in Louisville, Ky, Aug 27-30, 2018, proved once again to be an excellent barometer of what’s on the minds of those charged with making sure gas-fired combined cycles (CCs) start and stop when they are supposed to, make money for their owners, and
CCUG focuses on key aspects of combined-cycle inspection, operation, and maintenance Read More »
The state-of-the-art gas turbines (GTs), such as the H-class and J-class machines, are designed to maximize fuel-to-electricity efficiency, achieving and even exceeding 60% in combined-cycle mode. Already, there are an impressive number of these machines in the field; one supplier listed 80+ H-class GTs operating, in commissioning, being installed, or on order. This achievement is
Latest GTs pose special challenges for NOx, CO catalyst system design Read More »
Two of the biggest, bad-ass gas turbines currently operating in the US are proceeding through their paces at Exelon Generation’s 2 × 1 Wolf Hollow II facility, Granbury, Tex, southwest of Fort Worth. CCJ editors stopped in to visit with Plant Manager Jeff Klier during a recent swing through the state. Of utmost importance to
Wolf Hollow offers early glimpse into H-machine performance Read More »
A CCJ ONsite Special Report Welcome the 7HA Users Group into the pantheon of power-industry organizations seeking peer-to-peer interaction to solve problems expeditiously and provide a collective check on official OEM positions regarding fleet- and plant-level issues. Representatives from well over a dozen facilities and five countries, responsible for 30+ machines, attended the inaugural 7HA
7HA users wrestle with emergent issues at inaugural meeting Read More »
Exhaust systems are a presentation and/or discussion topic at most gas-turbine user-group meetings, particularly those supporting F-class and the more advanced frames. Cracking of components, broken struts, material distress, and leaks at joints are almost sure to occur in virtually any system handling a 1000 lb/sec or more of turbine exhaust at 1000F or higher
501F exhaust-system repairs never ending? Replace to eliminate the problem Read More »
The first five years of HRSG operation are critical for building the foundation necessary to assure a reliable and satisfactory service life, said engineers from HRST Inc participating in an editorial roundtable with CCJ staff. In the early years, they continued, control and organization of supplier documentation will benefit current and future decision-making. Plus, timely
At European Technology Development Ltd’s International Conference on Power Plant Operation and Flexibility, held in London in July 2018, ETD’s Dr Ahmed Shibli, the conference organizer, and David Robertson tag-teamed an in-depth presentation on life-prediction concerns for aberrant P91 components often found in electric generating stations worldwide. They are usually the product of not understanding
