7F Users Group

Richard Walton of SSE (formerly Scottish & Southern Energy plc), spoke to participants in European Technology Development Ltd’s International Conference on Power Plant Operation and Flexibility, London, July 2018, on thermal transients and their impacts throughout the company’s fleet, suggesting more targeted inspections, monthly monitoring and reporting, trending and investigating, and the need for improved industry guidance. Details […]

Part 2 of CCJ ONsite’s coverage (access part 1 here) of the Air-Cooled Condenser Users Group’s 10th annual meeting (October 2018, Colorado Springs) by Consulting Editor Steve Stultz focuses on air in-leakage, which increases vacuum and contributes to a loss in thermal performance. Ingress of oxygen and carbon dioxide also can cause problems in the steam/water cycle and

Capitalizing on work presented by Xcel Energy at meetings of the HRSG Forum with Bob Anderson, ETD’s Dr Ahmed Shibli and William Moore produced an extensive report for the consultancy’s Group Sponsored Project on drones and robots for powerplant inspection. The highlights of this work were discussed at European Technology Development Ltd’s International Conference on Power Plant Operation and Flexibility, London,

by Jason Makansi, Pearl Street Inc. In these days of heightened uncertainty in the power industry, it’s easy to have amnesia about long-term prospects in the electricity business. The opportunities may be shifting, for a few perhaps like the ground underneath you during an earthquake, but the long-term opportunities remain excellent. The short version of the

The 7F Users Group is a big supporter of CCJ’s Best Practices Awards program. For the last two years, owner/operators affiliated with this organization outpaced participants representing other frames and aeros. In 2018, fourteen 7F plants (chart) shared 26 best practices with their colleagues industry-wide. Recognize that the lion’s share of this material also pertains to most

CCJ ONsite’s coverage of 2018 award-winning best practices from 7F owner/operators concludes here. The five entries from four plants (Bastrop, MEAG Wansley, Nuevo Pemex, and Rathdrum), all operated by NAES Corp, were recognized for their value by judges with deep knowledge of this frame. In sum, fourteen 7F plants shared 26 best practices with their

The third International Conference on Film Forming Substances (FFS2019), chaired by Barry Dooley of Structural Integrity Associates Inc, provided a highly interactive forum for the presentation of new information and technology related to FFS, research results, case studies of powerplant and industrial applications, and open discussion among users, equipment and chemical suppliers, researchers, and industry

Silverhawk Generating Station underwent a period in which the safety valve for the plant’s auxiliary steam system failed repeatedly, NV Energy engineers Rishi Velkar and Frank Romans told the editors. Consequences of the failures included frequent valve replacement and loss of production through forced outages. Examination of the failed safety valves revealed seating-surface erosion associated

A valuable turbine operating tip provided by Dave Lucier, founder and GM of PAL Turbine Services LLC, applies to GE Frame 5 gas turbines—most specifically the MS5001D, K, L, and LA packaged powerplants manufactured between 1961 and 1970 and serving in peaking and emergency-power applications. Some users operating these engines have found that reliability issues associated

It’s no secret that many gas turbines are starting and stopping far more frequently than originally designed for. At the same time, independent system operators (ISOs) are imposing stiff fines for failure to meet startup and performance obligations. Most plants have adapted to these more aggressive operating tempos and performance challenges, but one component that