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118YEARSthe magazine of power generation

May 2014 www.power-eng.com

STEAM TURBINE REHABS THE BENEFITS AND OUTCOMES OF REHAB PROJECTS

WIND TURBINE O&M LONGER LIFE, LOWER COSTS AND HIGHER CAPACITIES

FUEL FLEXIBILITY INDUSTRIAL GAS TURBINES OFFER A WIDE RANGE OF OPTIONS

The Transition to Natural Gas:

A Roundtable Discussion

1405pe_C1 1 5/9/14 11:08 AM

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Power Engineering

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERSPennWell Corp.

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FEATURES118VOLUME

56 Steam Turbine RehabsSteam turbine upgrades offer power producers an opportunity

to optimize the entire turbine design. Power Engineering

examines the challenges and benefits of rehabilitation projects.

60 A System for Improved Water/Steam Chemistry Control and Plant Reliability

Learn about an intelligent system to provide automation for

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POWER ENGINEERING ONLINE : www.power-eng.com

Newsletter:Stay current on industry news, events, features and more.

Newscast:A concise, weekly update of all the top power generation news

Industry News:Global updates throughout the day

No. 5, May 2014

30 EXECUTIVE ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: The Future of

Gas-Fired Generation Executives participate in an eye-opening discussion about the future of gas-fired generation in the U.S., including the O&M challenges created by the nations growing dependence on gas-fired power.

40 Fuels, Combustion & Environmental Considerations in Industrial Gas Turbines

Gas turbines should be able to burn a wide variety of fuels for economic and

environmental reasons. Learn about the types of fuels available and the basic

types of combustion systems.

52 Independent Service Providers in Wind Turbine O&M

The rapid increase of wind power projects in the U.S. has led to a growth

in companies that provide services to wind farm owners, including

independent service providers that work in tandem with OEMs.

DEPARTMENTS

2 Opinion

4 Industry News

10 Clearing the Air

14 Gas Generation

16 View on Renewables

18 Energy Matters

20 Nuclear Reactions

22 Power Plant Profile

1405pe_1 1 5/9/14 11:05 AM

www.power-eng.com2

OPINION

increments. According to one analysis,

distributed generation capacity in the

U.S. is expected to grow to 20 GW by

2020.

A new report from the Electric Power

Research Institute highlights the dan-

gers of deploying large amounts of

DER without planning for its integra-

tion. The report, The Integrated Grid:

Realizing the Full Value of Central and

Distributed Energy Resources, pointed to

the rapid deployment of DER in Ger-

many and the problems it caused for

the nations grid and its utilities.

The large and rapid deployment of

DER in Germany created large spikes

in electricity rates, reliability issues,

and significant financial losses for

electric utilities. German utility RWE

reported a $3.8 billion loss in 2013 be-

cause they failed to recognize the ef-

fects of a disruptive technology.

German policymakers and utili-

ties now are changing interconnection

rules, grid expansion plans, DER con-

nectivity requirements, wind and PV

incentives, and operation to integrate

distributed resources, the report said.

A successful integration of DER should

recognize that the best solutions vary

with local circumstances, goals and in-

terconnections.

Distributed solar isnt the only DER

making serious moves in the power

generation market. Many industries

are turning to combined heat and pow-

er projects (CHP), also known as co-

generation, to power their businesses.

The number of CHP projects powered

by gas turbines and gas-fired recipro-

cating engines is on the rise.

In North America, CHP capacity is

projected to grow from 93,500 MW

now to nearly 116,000 MW in 2020,

Distributed generation pow-

er produced by homes and

businesses using batteries,

solar panels, reciprocating engines and

small wind turbines is, without ques-

tion, a burgeoning market in power

generation and a disruptive force for

the developers and operators of large

central power stations.

Distributed generation, or on-site

power, has become a central focus for

many engineering firms and technology

companies. In February, GE launched a

new Distributed Generation business to

capitalize on what it described as a $100

billion opportunity. According to GE,

distributed power will grow 40 percent

faster than global electricity demand be-

tween now and 2020.

The surge in distributed energy

resources (DER) is significant, and

some utilities and states are making

progress in modifying their business

models to reflect the increasing use

of DER. But claims that DER will lead

to the death of centralized power are

gross exaggerations, to say the least.

Jon Wellinghoff, former chairman

of the Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, told reporters last year

that, Solar is growing so fast it is going

to overtake everything.

Reports like these distort the true

state of the U.S. power generation

market and the direction its headed.

Distributed solar capacity in the U.S.

grew to nearly 10 GW last year. Thats

less than 2 percent of the nations total

generation capacity. Whats more, the

cost of rooftop solar is still much high-

er than power produced from coal, gas,

nuclear, wind and utility-scale solar.

The growth of distributed generation

will be measured in very small

according to GlobalData, a research

and consulting firm. Cheap natural

gas, new incentives for CHP projects

and a public demand for greater effi-

ciency and reduced emissions are driv-

ing the development of CHP projects

across the nation.

They make great economic sense

and the environmental impact is also

quite unique, said Scott Parent, Engi-

neering Leader for GEs new Distrib-

uted Generation business. What were

seeing is really good economics with

specialized factories and processing

plants that make great sense.

Last year, David Crane, chief execu-

tive officer of NRG Energy, described

the shift to distributed generation as a

mortal threat to utilities. In his latest

conference call with investors, Crane

reiterated DGs threat to the century-

old business model used by utilities.

Our industry is on the cusp of dis-

ruptive change, he said. New energy

technologies now cost effective and

available to be deployed at scale will

transform the traditional power sector

and the vertically integrated utilities

that have dominated it since the 1930s.

Think of 50 million American

homes, each with a distributed solar

system at $20,000 a pop on average,

Crane said. That representsa trillion

dollar market opportunity.

Crane has a different vision for utili-

ties. He sees a world where utilities

own and operate DER. In his call with

investors, he said the grid is becoming

increasingly obsolete and unreliable

for a population that is reducing its re-

liance on centralized power every day.

If you have a question or a comment,

contact me at [email protected]. Fol-

low me on Twitter @RussellRay1.

The Integrated GridBY RUSSELL RAY, MANAGING EDITOR

1405pe_2 2 5/9/14 11:05 AM

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www.power-eng.com4

INDUSTRY NEWS

Supreme Court overturns decision invalidating EPAs CSAPRThe U.S. Supreme Court has vacated a

decision by a federal appeals court that

ruled the U.S. Environmental Protec-

tion Agencys Cross State Air Pollution

Rule (CSAPR) violated the Clean Air

Act(CAA).

The 6-2 decision in EPA v. EME Homer

City Generation, written by Justice Ruth

Bader Ginsburg, stated CSAPR is a per-

missible, workable and equitable inter-

pretation of the Good Neighbor Provi-

sion of the CAA. The Good Neighbor

Provision requires state implementation

plans to contain adequate provisions to

prohibit emissions within a state that

would contribute signifcantly to nonat-

tainment in any other state with respect

to any national ambient air quality stan-

dards (NAAQS).

CSPAR limitssulfur dioxide (SO2) and

nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissionslimits in

28 states and was the EPAs most recent

rule designed to prevent emissions from

one state from carrying downwind and

affecting another. Its previous attempt,

the Clean Air Interstate Rule, was also

struck down by a federal appeals court

but left in place.

The case will now return to the U.S.

Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Pattern acquires Texas wind energy project for $125mnPattern Energy Group will acquire a

179-MW interest in the 218-MW Panhan-

dle 1wind powerproject in Texas from

Pattern Energy Group LP.

Energy Future Holdings fles for Chapter 11 bankruptcyEnergy Future Holdings said it would

fle for Chapter 11 bankruptcy toreduce

$40 billion of debt while maintaining

business operations.

EFH said in a release it would separate

from its subsidiary, Texas Competitive

Electric Holdings, the holding company

for Luminant and TXU Energy. The plan

also calls for the elimination of $2.5 bil-

lion of funded debt from Energy Future

Intermediate Holding Co. LLC through

a capital infusion of up to $1.9 billion.

EFIH is the holding company for Oncor

Electric Delivery Co., which is not part

ofthe bankruptcy fling.

EFH said it expects to complete restruc-

turing in about 11 months and also ex-

pects day-to-day operations to continue

duringreorganization.

The Electric Reliability Council of

Texas (ERCOT) said it has been monitor-

ing the situation and has been in contact

with the subsidiaries to address concerns

that could impact system reliability or the

effciency of the market.

Toshiba to supply steam turbines for thermal power plant in Mexico

Toshiba Corp., a supplier of thermal

power generation equipment, will sup-

ply with two high-effciency 165-MW

steam turbines and related equipment for

the retroft and modernization of theAl-

tamira Thermal Power Plantin Tamauli-

pas State, northeastern Mexico.

Currently, Altamira is equipped with

Pattern Energy will pay the $125 mil-

lion cash purchase price to Pattern De-

velopment upon meeting certain con-

ditions, including the project reaching

commercial operation. The balance of

the project will be acquired from Pattern

Development by two institutional tax eq-

uity investors.

Panhandle 1 will consist of 118 GE

1.85-MW wind turbines and is expected

to begin operations in June 2014. Pattern

acquired the 181.7-MW Panhandle 2 in

December. That project is expected to

reach commercial operation in late 2014.

Construction of MOX fuel facility will continue through SeptemberSen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said

the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

would continue construction of

theMixed Oxide(MOX) Fuel Fabrica-

tion Facility in the state through Sep-

tember.

Graham said in a release that he

spoke with DOE Secretary Ernest

Moniz and was assured the DOE

would continue construction on the

facility through the end of the fscal

year, which ends Sept. 30. The facil-

ity would dispose of 34 metric tons of

weapons-grade plutonium.

President Obama did not include

funding for the MOX plant in the fscal

year 2015 budget and put the project in

cold standby, stating that the plant is

signifcantly more expensive than an-

ticipated.Areva said putting a project

in cold standby is a euphemism for

terminating the project. Joint venture

Shaw Areva MOX Services LLC has a

contract with the National Nuclear Se-

curity Administration to design, build

and operate the facility.

DOE also released a reportthat said

the MOX option is the best for fulfll-

ing the nonproliferation treaty with

Russia, according to Areva.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

1405pe_4 4 5/9/14 11:05 AM

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Expanding Talent and

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businesses, now expands resources for and in the Americas.

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1405pe_7 7 5/9/14 11:05 AM

www.power-eng.com8

INDUSTRY NEWS

and Pepco to create the largest Mid-

Atlantic electric and gas utility. The

combined utility businesses will have

around 10 million customers and a

rate base of around $26 billion.

Crane will remain president and

CEO of the combined company, while

Pepco Holdings Chairman, President

and CEO Joseph Rigby, who previously

announced his retirement, will remain

in his current roles with Pepco Hold-

ings until the transaction is closed.

Pepco Holdings will retain the region-

al headquarters used for their utilities.

Natural gas-fred combined-cycle power plant gains GHG permitThe U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) issued a fnal green-

house gas Prevention of Signifcant

Deterioration construction permit

forFGE Powerto build a 747-MW nat-

ural gas-fred power plant in Texas.

The frst and second phases of the

FGE Texas combined-cycle plant will

use Alstom Thermal Powers KA-24

platform. Both units will generate 747-

MW of capacity. The plant will cost a

total of $1.2 billion. The frst unit is

scheduled for completion in mid-2016,

while the second unit is set for comple-

tion in early 2017.

NRG, MidAmerican begin operations at 290-MW solar PV plant in ArizonaNRG Solar, a subsidiary of NRG En-

ergy and MidAmerican Solar completed

the 290-MWAgua Caliente Solar Photo-

voltaic Facilityin Arizona.

The Agua Caliente project will sell its

output to Pacifc Gas & Electric Co. un-

der a 25-year power purchase agreement.

It uses First Solar thin-flm solar panels,

and First Solar will maintain the facility.

It was fnanced with support from a loan

guarantee from the U.S. Department of

Energys Loan Programs Offce.

solutions that improve effciency, perfor-

mance and longevity of an Electrostatic

Precipitator (ESP). FGC specializes in

products and services for fue gas condi-

tioning systems, which improve the per-

formance of ESPs by modifying the prop-

erties of the fy ash particle.

DTE Energy fles renewal application for Fermi 2 nuclear powerDTE Energy fled an application with

the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

(NRC) to renew the license for itsFermi 2

nuclear power plant, in Newport, Mich.

The application includes safety and

environmental evaluations and can take

more than two years to complete.

The original license for the site is sched-

uled to end in 2025. A successful license

renewal process will allow power genera-

tion to continue at the facility for an ad-

ditional 20 years, until 2045.

Fermi 2 received its original operating

license in 1985. During the past 25 years,

the power plant has generated 190 mil-

lion MWh and represents nearly 15 per-

cent of DTE Energys total generation.

Exelon buying Pepco Holdings for $6.83 billionExelon Corp. has reached a defni-

tive agreement to acquire Pepco Hold-

ings Inc. for $6.8 billion in a deal that

has been unanimously approved by

both companies board of directors.

The agreement will combine Ex-

elons Baltimore Gas and Electric,

Consolidated Edison Co. of New York

and PECO with Pepco Holdings At-

lantic City Electric, Delmarva Power

two 158-MW steam turbines and gen-

erators that Toshiba shipped to Comisin

Federal de Electricidad (CFE), Mexicos

state-owned electricity utility.

CFE, the owner of Altamira,award-

ed an Isolux Corsn an engineering,

procurement and construction (EPC)

contract for the retroft and upgrade of

the plant.

Toshiba will deliver the equipment in

2016, and the upgraded power plant is

scheduled to go online in 2017.

B&W receives $2.5mn DOE award for clean coal tech developmentThe U.S. Department of Energy has

awarded Babcock & Wilcox Power Gen-

eration Group Inc. a $2.5 million award

for Phase 2 development ofiron-based

coal direct chemical looping (CDCL)

technology.

B&W PGG and The Ohio State Uni-

versity have collaborated on the devel-

opment of the technology, which was

developed and successfully tested at

bench scale at OSUs labs in Columbus,

Ohio. B&W PGG is continuing research

and testing at the B&W Research Cen-

ter in Barberton, Ohio and OSUs labs

as part of the commercial design effort.

In Phase II of the project, B&W PGG

and its collaborators will test the CDCL

process at a laboratory scale.

Fuel Tech buys two emissions control companies for $8.25mnFuel Tech Inc. acquired two air pollu-

tion control technology companies for

$8.25 million total.

Fuel Tech bought Cleveland Roll Form-

ing Environmental Division (PECO) for a

total cash consideration of $7.25 million

and FGC Corp. for a cash consideration

of $1 million. The deals for both compa-

nies closed on April 30.

PECO provides custom retroft

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

1405pe_8 8 5/9/14 11:05 AM

FOR A 60-YEAR OLD

INDUSTRY.

ITS A NU DAY

And the winner isNuScale Power. The US Department of Energy selected NuScale

Power for the second round of funding for Small Modular Reactor (SMR) development.

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of smaller, safer, simpler, more economical nuclear power. Its a Nu day.

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1405pe_9 9 5/9/14 11:05 AM

www.power-eng.com10

CLEARING THE AIR

Robert Nicolo Marco Mendoza

Oxidation air blowers designed with a

high stoichiometry may not require up-

grading or modification for the absorber

to work satisfactorily. Additional SO2

from adjacent units will lower the overall

oxidation stoichiometry, but may still be

conservative for adequate forced oxida-

tion.

To maintain the same reagent stoichi-

ometry, the capacity of the reagent feed

system may need to be increased. This

might be accomplished by increasing the

flow rate from the slurry tanks to the ab-

sorber or increasing the slurry concentra-

tion in the tank.

The existing absorber bleed system may

require operational changes to ensure the

density in the reaction tank is consistent

with the original design. This will ensure

that the dewatering system can remain

unchanged and reduce the overall cost of

the WFGD upgrade. The absorber bleed

system may require mechanical upgrades

if the increase in overall SO2 is substan-

tial and the bleed system cannot keep up

with the gypsum production.

The additional flow and higher exit ve-

locity will also affect the stack flow distri-

bution. Liquid collection devices may be

required to ensure that moisture droplets

are not entrained and discharged from

the chimney.

With MATS compliance just around

the corner, upgrading an existing WFGD

can be a viable solution for life extension

of marginal, older coal-fired units. The

increase in performance will support ad-

ditional PM removal, oxidized mercury

collection and HCI reduction. It must

be analyzed on a case-by case basis. De-

pending on site specifics, a viable emis-

sions control solution may only require a

few low-cost upgrades.

Increasingly stringent emissions

regulations are driving utilities to

shut down aging coal-fired units

rather than bearing the burden of install-

ing emission controls. For multiple unit

plants with an in-place WFGD system,

there is another solution: routing the flue

gas from nearby, untreated units to the

existing WFGD. Overall plant emissions

can be reduced at a relatively low cost by

upgrading and using the existing WFGD.

When deciding if an existing WFGD

can be used to treat additional flue gas, a

few things must be considered.

Depending on the location of the ad-

ditional units relative to the WFGD, up-

grades to the ID fan from the untreated

units or a booster fan may be required.

The added pressure drop from the ab-

sorber and absorber inlet duct may also

affect the performance of the absorbers

original, dedicated ID fan.

The tie-in location should be carefully

considered to allow sufficient mixing and

ensure that no flow perturbations are

formed near the absorber inlet. However,

due to the nature of retrofit design, this

is not always possible and tie-in locations

will be selected based on space available.

In that case, CFD modeling should be

used to evaluate potential flow problems

and the need for new vaning or mixing

devices.

The increased gas flow increases the

absorber velocity which will affect its

performance. The blended flue gas may

have a new SO2 concentration and the

increased gas flow lowers the absorbers

available liquid-to-gas ratio, effectively

reducing the absorbers SO2 removal ef-

ficiency. The type of absorber (open

spray tower, tray, DCFS, etc.), reagent,

nozzle type and other absorber specifics

should be carefully considered. Increas-

ing the absorber recycle pumps capacity

to increase the absorber L/G will ensure

proper SO2 removal and absorber per-

formance. Depending on the existing

pumps design, upgrades may include

changing out motors and gear boxes; of-

ten, upper spray level gear boxes and mo-

tors can be moved to lower spray levels

and new equipment purchased for the

upper levels only. Additionally, spray

nozzles can be upgraded to increase re-

cycle slurry spray rates and optimize head

on the recycle pumps. The increases in

flow and head may require that recycle

lines are replaced with larger piping. In

the worst case, spray levels would be re-

placed with configurations with higher

spray rates. Note that the increase in the

slurry spray rate may not increase pro-

portionately with the increase in flue gas

flow as the blended units SO2 concentra-

tion may be lower than the original de-

sign SO2 concentration.

Mist eliminator performance will

be affected with the higher velocities.

WFGD have been traditionally designed

for velocities of 10 12 ft/s. However,

today, ME can operate up to 16 18 ft/s

with low liquid entrainment. Upgrades

could include replacing existing ME with

new high velocity designs as well as add-

ing another stage of ME. Blanking plates

can be replaced with high velocity, flat

ME to fill in the area around the existing

ME. The ME wash headers should also be

added or upgraded to provide sufficient

spray coverage. If headroom is limited in

the absorber, upstream preliminary ME

could be considered.

Other absorber auxiliary systems

should be carefully analyzed and their

maximum capacities understood.

Old Dog, New TricksUsing existing Wet Flue Gas Desulfurization to Control Emissions from Additional UnitsBY ROBERT NICOLO, DIRECTOR OF AQCS, AND MARCO MENDOZA, AQCS PROCESS ENGINEER, MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS AMERICAS

1405pe_10 10 5/9/14 11:05 AM


1405pe_11 11 5/9/14 11:05 AM

Sulzer has long been a leading service provider for rotating equipment due to a continued commitment to deliver advanced, customized service solutions. In

an effort to expand on that commitment and provide

customers with a full portfolio of services, Sulzer has

integrated Sulzer Turbo Services, Sulzer Pumps CSS,

and Sulzer EMS into a single Services division. The new

division combines services for turbines, compressors,

motors, generators and pumps, and expands Sulzers

geographical footprint to over 100 service centers

worldwide.

As a third-party service provider, Sulzer aims to offer

customers an alternative approach to maintenance,

repair, overhauls and upgrades. By leveraging combined

capabilities and integrated service centers, Sulzer is

able to provide customers with a single access point for

service, eliminating the need to source separate vendors

for varying types and brands of rotating equipment.

Turbomachinery

Sulzer is recognized as a technically-advanced service

provider for turbomachinery. With over 30 years of

experience and continuous investment and development

of in-house repair processes, we are able to provide

unrivalled responsiveness and superior service, even

when compared to the OEM. Our expansive service

centers feature capabilities ranging from component

repair and parts manufacturing to specialty coatings

and at-speed balancing.

Pumps

No matter how simple or complex the machine,

Sulzer is dedicated to improving customers pumping

systems and operational reliability. Our service team

responds to industry needs and is focused on ensuring

high performance with tools including operation and

maintenance training, performance and system analysis

and spare parts programs.

Electromechanical Equipment

With 3 North American electromechanical shops, Sulzer

specializes in a full range of electrical and mechanical

rotating equipment repairs. Services include complete

rotor and stator rewinds, and in-shop or onsite

mechanical repairs.

To discover Sulzers Services division, contact your local

Sulzer representative or email us at sulzertshouston@

sulzer.com.

Sulzers integrated services division gives customers a new approach to

rotating equipment repair

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A New Vision in Service

1405pe_12 12 5/9/14 11:05 AM

Sulzer is the leading service provider

for rotating equipment.

Our customized and innovative

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When turbines, pumps, generators

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Phone +1 713 567 2700

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Your Service Solution

for Rotating Equipment


1405pe_13 13 5/9/14 11:05 AM

www.power-eng.com14

VIEW ON RENEWABLES

A layer of systems controls,ensur-

ing the reliability of the physical

devices interconnected to hosting

infrastructures. This could include

monitoringandenergynetworkse-

curityassessment.

A dynamic market layer, respon-

sibleforaddressingeconomic,opti-

mization,regulatory,financial,and

policyaspectsoftheenergysystem

anditsenvironment.

ESIisabouttappingintothecombined

strength of these systems and squeez-

ingmoreefficiencyoutofeveryelectron

andeverydevice,boostingperformance

whilereducingcosts,allwhileminimiz-

ingenvironmentalimpacts.

Addtoallofthisthewrinkleofclimate

change, where global temperatures are

rising, droughts are more devastating,

andhurricanesbattercoastalcitieswith

greaterforcesomuchsothatonce-a-

centurystormsarebecomingonce-a-de-

cadestorms.Thisenvironmentalchange

isalsothreateningourenergyinfrastruc-

ture,knockingdowntransmissionlines,

sapping the capacity of hydropower,

stretchingelectricitygenerationcapacity

onhotsummerdays.

Americas aging energy infrastructure

mustkeeppacenotonlywiththechanges

inenergysupply,butwithclimatechange

andsecurity.

But, the challenge is achievable be-

causeAmericaleadstheworldinenergy

innovation.AfocusonESIisimperative

toAmericas response to itsaging infra-

structure, climate change, security, and

changes in energy supply. The response

mustbemulti-pronged,combiningpro-

tections, smarter technologies, and en-

ergyefficiency.ESIisjustthetooltohelp

Americaachievesuccess.

It sounds like something out of a

movie,butitisfictionnomore.To-

daysprogressiveenergyconsumers

drive electric vehicles, which plug into

theirsolarpoweredhomes.Beforegetting

home, the driver can look at her smart

phonetoseeiftheairconditionerisrun-

ning,or if thewashingmachinekicked

ononcetherooftopsolarsystemstarted

creatingcleanenergyfortheday.

The EnergyDepartments (DOE)Na-

tional Renewable Energy Laboratory

(NREL) is spearheading innovation in

Energy Systems Integration (ESI) re-

search and has a new facility to help

speedtomarketthetoolsneededforthe

nextenergyrevolution.

Recentlygiventheprestigioushonorof

LaboratoryoftheYearbyR&D Magazine,

thenewEnergySystemsIntegrationFacil-

ity(ESIF)isan182,500-square-footDOE

UserFacilitythatwillpreparetheenergy

systemoftodaytouploadanddownload

energyforvehicles,optimizestoragede-

vices, seamlessly load renewables onto

theelectricitygrid,andaddcontrolstrat-

egiesforpowerelectronics.

Over thepast decade, investments in

clean energy research anddevelopment

and incentives for commercial deploy-

menthavespurredadramaticincreasein

theperformanceandcost-effectivenessof

energy efficiency and renewable energy

technologies. Thedeployment of these

technologiesischangingtheenergyland-

scapetowardsamoresustainablefuture.

Insteadofaone-waydeliveryof elec-

tricity generated by fossil fuels making

steamtoturnturbinesatthelocalutility,

thisneweraisaboutintegrationofener-

gyfromcoalandwind,naturalgasand

solar, biofuels and geothermal, lithium

ionbatteriesandhydrogenfuelcells.

ESIFoffersutilityexecutivesandother

decision-makersaplacetoresearchnew

technologiesinaplacethatisfriendlyto

exploration.ESIFwillallowutilitycom-

paniesandinvestorstheabilitytotouch

the science and see it working in real

timeandonalargescale.

Buildingasmarter,moreresilientener-

gysystemposesbothchallengeandop-

portunity.NRELisexcitedtobeleading

aworld-wideconversationonhowthese

new integrations of energy will change

thewaywegenerate,deliveranduseen-

ergy.Whilewecantanticipatethenearly

infinitenumberofcombinationsoftech-

nologies, data and devices that will in-

teractinanintegratedenergysystem,we

doknowthatESIismuchbroaderthan

justbuildingasmartergrid.Byfocusing

ontheoptimizationofourentireenergy

system,newESIcan increaseefficiency,

reliabilityandperformance,whilereduc-

ingcostsandminimizingenvironmental

impacts.

Looking ahead, we see ESI research

examiningthefollowinginterconnected

andevolvingelementsofourenergysys-

tem:

A layer of physical energy devices

that produce, consume, store or

transportenergy,suchashighvolt-

agewires,awindturbineorevena

refrigeratormotororadishwasher.

Anelectromechanical, electronicor

software-basedlocal controls layer

necessarytoallowthesephysicalde-

vicestorespondtoexternalsignals

inanoptimizedway.

Acommunications layer,consisting

of secure and private information

and computation platforms neces-

sarytosupportcontrolapplications

atthesystemlevel.

NREL: Energy Systems Integration is Bigger than Just RenewablesBY BRYAN HANNEGAN, ASSOCIATE LABORATORY DIRECTOR FOR ENERGY SYSTEMS INTEGRATION, NREL

1405pe_14 14 5/9/14 11:05 AM

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www.power-eng.com16

GAS GENERATION

community meetings to discuss what

the company was doing with its new

plant and getting feedback from the

neighborhood residents. The company

also worked to not create a disruption

with its construction.

NV Energy took a similar approach

when it modernized the Edward W.

Clark Generating Station in Las Vegas.

The utility doubled the generation of

the facility while cutting emissions by

half, and worked closely with the com-

munity during the project.

The 1100-MW power plant uses a

low-NOx combustion system and can

put 600 MW on the system within 10

minutes, letting NV Energy make a sig-

nificant upgrade to its generation fleet

without requiring any additional land.

NV Energy Generation Executive

Dariusz Rekowski said the company

did not use explosives during the de-

molition of the old plant in order to

avoid noise pollutions and managed

to bring in 24 turbines in 12 blocks

without major traffic interruptions or

As utilities work to modernize

their fleets and retire older, less

efficient resources, many are

turning to building new plants but on

land formerly occupied by older plants.

Reusing land has

several benefits for

companies. When

Chugach Electric As-

sociation decided to

build a new plant in

Anchorage, Alaska,

the company decid-

ed to build on the

site of an existing

plant. The new plant,

Southcentral Power

Project, is the most

efficient natural gas

plant in the state.

One notable ad-

vantage for the site is it was purchased

in the early 60s, and a power plant

had been here since the mid-60s,

Chugach Electric Association Senior

Vice President of Power Supply Paul

Risse said. A lot of people didnt even

know that.

Often, companies are replacing

power plants that are located inside cit-

ies in small footprints, as was the case

with the Southcentral power plant.

New gas plants, with low emissions

and quiet operation, can be ideal for

siting in areas many people wouldnt

consider ideal for power plants.

Putting a power plant in the mid-

dle of the city comes with complica-

tions, however, and companies have

been careful to work with residents

to be part of the community. Risse

said Chugach attended multiple

complaints from its neighbors.

That was a very big challenge to

construct the plant in the middle of

town, he said.

Siting also posed difficulties during

the construction of

NRG Energys El Se-

gundo Power Plant

in El Segundo, Calif.

The company and Sie-

mens added two units

to the power plant,

located on the beach,

and began commer-

cial operation of the

units on Aug. 1, 2013.

The El Segundo site is located be-

tween a cliff and the Pacific Ocean,

and the new units were being built at

the same time the facility was being

operated. The company had to find

solutions to work around the small

footprint, and even considered bring

in equipment by beach landing. The

plants design enables the use of air-

cooled heat exchangers, which are

smaller than conventional air-cooled

condensers and enabled the plant to fit

into a much smaller space.

The El Segundo repowering project

also serves as another example of a

company working with the local com-

munity to be as inconspicuous as pos-

sible. The plant has a low profile, is

and put up a custom-designed sea wall

to separate the plant from the busy

beach located next door.

Reusing land: Modernizing a generation fleet in small footprintsBY JUSTIN MARTINO, J.D., ASSOCIATE EDITOR

NV Energys Edward W. Clark Generating

Station is located in the middle of Las

Vegas and presented unique challenges

during its modernization.

1405pe_16 16 5/9/14 11:06 AM

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www.power-eng.com18

ENERGY MATTERS

that condense to form particulate

matter at ambient temperatures.

As such it passes through the flter

in a stack test.

Finally, PM2.5 is flterable mat-

ter less than 2.5 microns in size

plus condensable particulate mat-

ter and secondary PM2.5. Its this

secondary PM2.5 that is so little

understood. Secondary PM2.5 is

formed in the atmosphere after

pollutants from fuel combustion

leave the stack. In the presence of

sunlight and water vapor, some

of the SO2, NOx, volatile organic

compounds (VOC) and ammo-

nia (NH3) chemically react to

form PM2.5. Therefore, secondary

PM2.5 cannot be controlled di-

rectly; it can only be controlled by

reducing emissions of its precur-

sors, SO2, NO

x, VOC and NH

3.

EPA is currently developing

guidance for calculating second-

ary PM2.5. It is already true that

triggering major source (Preven-

tion of Signifcant Deterioration

PSD) review for NOx or SO

2

automatically triggers review for

PM2.5.

Additionally, the logic behind

regulating NO2 and SO

2 through

the Clean Air Interstate Rule

(CAIR), the Cross-State Air Pol-

lution Rule (CSAPR), or whatever

fnal iteration of this regulation

survives the court challenges, is

to control secondary PM2.5 emis-

sions. These new PM2.5 PSD re-

quirements, which are separate

from the grandson of CAIR rules,

were expected to be published

during the spring of 2014.

Greenhouse gases

(GHGs) may be the

newest pollutant regu-

lated by EPA, but since there are

no National Ambient Air Quality

Standards (NAAQS) for GHGs, a

facility is much more likely to be

affected by particulate matter re-

strictions. Dispersion modeling

of the various subsets of particu-

late matter, each with their own

distinctly different makeups,

often leads to changes in the de-

sign of a new facility or retrofts

of existing equipment. This is es-

pecially true for the smallest size

of particulate matter, PM2.5, since

the background air quality for

PM2.5 is often over 80 percent of

the NAAQS. This leaves very lit-

tle room for emissions from your

facility. Therefore, it is important

to understand the different types

of particulate.

Particulate matter (PM) is

broken into three subgroups for

NAAQS compliance: PM, PM10,

and PM2.5. See Figures 1-3.

PM refers to dust of any

size (usually less than 30

microns in diameter) that

can be caught on a flter.

Particles larger than 10 mi-

crons (sand and large dust)

are not regulated by EPA but

may still be included in state

regulations.

EPA defnes PM10 as both

flterable (less than 10 mi-

crons) and condensable

particulate matter. Con-

densable particulate matter

refers to gaseous emissions

Why Particulate MattersBY ROBYNN ANDRACSEK, P.E., BURNS & MCDONNELL

Body Copy (each word capped)

HeadlineFigure 1 PM

Filterable

PM2.5

SO2

NOx

VOC NH3

PM10v

PM

Condensable

CondensableParticulate

Matter

Secondary PM2.5

Precursors


HeadlineFigure 2 PM10

Filterable

PM2.5

SO2

NOx

VOC NH3

PM10v

PM

Condensable


Matter

Secondary PM2.5

Precursors


HeadlineFigure 3 PM2.5

Filterable

PM2.5

SO2

NOx

VOC NH3

PM10v

PM

Condensable


Matter

Secondary PM2.5

Precursors

1405pe_18 18 5/9/14 11:06 AM

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www.power-eng.com20

NUCLEAR REACTIONS

in early 2012. In a blog post on the En-

ergy Economics Exchange, Lucas Davis

and Catie Hausman of the University

of California, Berkeleys Haas School of

Business use the SONGS closure to exam-

ine the value of transmission in electric-

ity markets. They found that the SONGS

shutdown increased the cost of electricity

generation by $370 million during the

first 12 months following closure.

SONGS sits in a load pocket between

Los Angeles and San Diego, and because

of transmission constraints, a large por-

tion of southern Californias generation

must be met locally. This resulted in a seg-

mentation of the market between north

and south. After the closure, there were

many more days with positive [price]

differentials, including a small number

of days in which prices in the south ex-

ceeded prices in the north by more than

$40 per megawatt hour.

The analysis found that, of the $370

million in increased generation costs,

about $40 million could be attributed to

the transmission constraints. The authors

acknowledged that this figure is not pre-

cise because there were other factors at

play during this time, but emphasized

that transmission constraints were rarely

binding before the SONGS closure.

What this all means is that the electrici-

ty marketplace is increasingly bearing the

markings of a modern family as it feels

its way through this transition period.

Nuclear will be part of the family, but its

role and its relationships with its siblings

will never be the same.

When Blockbuster was entering bank-

ruptcy, I recall seeing a top 10 list of

proposed new slogans. One said simply,

Blockbuster. We still exist. Macabre hu-

mor, admittedly, but I see it as incentive

to keep nuclear alive and well.

Remember Blockbuster Video?

Not too many years ago, Block-

buster was a business titan. At

one point, the company was valued at

more than $5 billion, employed about

60,000 people, operated more than 9,000

stores, and even had the naming rights to

a college football bowl game.

So what led to its demise? Some might

point to Redbox, which certainly played

a role, but the origins of the demise are

more fully traced back to the evolution

of the internet and personal electronic

devices. Thats what set in motion the

technological and commercial advances

that led to streaming video, kiosk video

delivery, and on-demand entertainment

advances that made Blockbuster irrel-

evant and bankrupt by 2010.

Its no great insight that disruptive

forces like the Internet and personal com-

puting can have far-flung impacts across

business, industry, politics, even culture.

Predicting the course and range of im-

pacts is folly. Recognizing that there will

be a new reality and planning for that

new reality is smart business.

Distributed generation and the natural

gas boom clearly have the look and feel

of disruptive forces. Horizontal drilling,

hydraulic fracking, energy storage, lower-

priced photovoltaic cells: all are heavily

impacting the electric power industry.

Whether or not they really are disruptive

forces is immaterial. Nuclear plants have

to behave as if they will be.

A looming question in this context is

how the value of generation assets, in-

cluding nuclear plants and other basel-

oad resources, will be recognized in elec-

tricity markets. A white paper by Samir

Succar of ICF International examines the

impact of distributed generation on U.S.

capacity markets. The statistics are heady

stuff: ICF projects 29 TWh of energy ef-

ficiency by 2020, offsetting most load

growth; 12 GW of solar by 2020, repre-

senting a 600 percent growth; and 5 TWh

of electric vehicle charging demand,

much of which could be supplied by dis-

tributed generation.

Succar points out that while net me-

tering and the intermittent availability

of distributed generation resources have

drawn the most attention, bigger impacts

may be in store. As variable, distrib-

uted generation increasingly becomes a

prevalent source of generation in regions,

changes in capacity market dynamics

will have a profound impact on generat-

ing assets and their future economic vi-

ability. Without commensurate changes

in capacity market structure to account

for these changes, system reliability will

be compromised.

The nuclear industry is already feel-

ing the pressure. A number of merchant

nuclear plants are at risk due to their

smaller size, lack of support in deregulat-

ed markets, and competition from other

generation sources. While some plants

may find refuge in new power contracts,

others may need help from state legisla-

tors. According to an article in Crains Chi-

cago Business, Exelon may be laying the

ground work with state leaders for legisla-

tion next year thatmay be necessary to

keep half its Illinois fleet from closing.

One option reportedly under consid-

eration is a new clean energy standard

that would give nuclear generation extra

payments for their round-the-clock, CO2

emissions-free power.

Another interesting nuclear-related

aspect of the changing nature of electric-

ity markets can be seen in California in

the aftermath of the San Onofre Nuclear

Generating Station (SONGS) shutdown

The Blockbuster ConundrumBY BRIAN SCHIMMOLLER, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

1405pe_20 20 5/9/14 11:06 AM


1405pe_21 21 5/9/14 11:06 AM

www.power-eng.com22

POWER PLANT PROFILE

temperature.

The plant uses a selective catalytic

reduction (SCR) system, which reduc-

es NOx from the combustion process,

while an oxidation catalyst removes

most of the CO and volatile organic

compounds produced.

Each gas turbine has a common

exhaust stack and a bypass stack that

is only used when the HRSG is not in

use. After going through the SCR sys-

tem, the remaining fue gas is chan-

neled through one of two 195-foot

exhaust stacks. Plant workers monitor

emissions to ensure air quality regula-

tions are being met.

The steam produced by the plant

As utilities aim to modernize

their generation feet to cut

emissions and increase eff-

ciency, one method is to replace older

assets with modern assets. Duke Ener-

gy chose to do this with its $600 mil-

lion L.V. Sutton combined-cycle natu-

ral gas plant, a 625-MW facility that

replaces a retired 575-MW coal-fred

plant at the same site.

The natural gas-fred turbines at the

site began commercial operation in

November 2013.

The frst coal-fred unit at the Sut-

ton site began operating in 1954, with

additional units added in 1955 and

1972. The three coal-fred units were

retired in 2013 as their generation was

replaced by the new natural gas-fred

units.

Replacing older facilities with new

assets has been a major aspect of

Dukes efforts recently.

INSIDE THE PLANT

The plant was built by Kiewit Power

Engineers and The Industrial Co. It

uses two dual-fuel Siemens combus-

tion turbines. The exhausted heat

from the turbines is captured by two

Vogt triple-pressure reheat heat recov-

ery steam generators, which heat wa-

ter inside a series of tubes to produce

steam. Gas burners increase the steam

L.V. Sutton: Finding A New Fuel Mix BY JUSTIN MARTINO, J.D., ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The 625-MW L.V. Sutton combined-cycle

natural gas plant began commercial operation

in November 2013.

1405pe_22 22 5/9/14 11:06 AM


1405pe_23 23 5/9/14 11:06 AM

www.power-eng.com24

50 MW. Compared to the coal-fred units

on the site, the gas-fred units reduce SO2

by 99 percent, NOx by 97 percent and

CO2 by 41 percent.

We continue to transform our power

plant feet while maintaining our focus

on generating electricity that is both reli-

able and affordable, Sutton Plant Man-

ager Allen Clare said when the facility

went online. Our new natural gas plant

is another stride forward in meeting cus-

tomer needs using highly effcient, in-

creasingly clean energy sources.

turns a Toshiba steam turbine that

produces an additional 265 MW. This

turbine generator uses steam from the

HRSGs to produce electricity, which

increases plant effciency.

The plant can go from cold shut-

down to full capacity in about four

hours, and can ramp up and down or

run 24 hours a day.

Building the plant involved almost

35,000 cubic yards of concrete, more

than 295 miles of electrical cable, more

than 1,800 tons of structural steel and

more than 180,000 linear feet of un-

derground and aboveground pipe.

EMISSIONS CONTROL

The plants SCR system to remove

NOx from the combustion process, and

a oxidation catalyst removes most of the

CO and volatile organic compounds pro-

duced by the plant.

The technology and fring natural gas

has resulted in signifcantly lower emis-

sions than the coal plant it replaced while

increasing overall generation capacity by

The coal units at the site were retired in 2013, and their

generation has been more than replaced by the capacity of the

new gas-fred units.

1405pe_24 24 5/9/14 11:06 AM

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One of the challenges facing the con-

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The Sutton site presents one specifc

unique challenge a small footprint,

said Catherine Butler, associate commu-

nications consultant for Duke..

Duke Energy invested $9 billion in the last decade in building some of the cleanest natural gas and coal plants possible today.- Catherine Butler, Duke

The Sutton gas-fred plant uses two dual-fuel Siemens

combustion turbines, which send heat to two Vogt triple

pressure heat recovery steam generators. Photo courtesy

of Siemens.

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continues a long-term Duke strategy of

reducing emissions and modernizing

its feet.

Duke Energy invested $9 billion in

the last decade in building some of the

cleanest natural gas and coal plants

possible today, with high effciency

and start of the art emissions controls,

Butler said. This allows the company

to retire nearly 6,800 MW of older coal

and large oil-fred units. Nearly 6,300

MW of the capacity well retire is coal,

which represents 25 percent of our

coal feet. By the end of 2013, Duke

Energy retired more than 3,800 MW of

this older coal capacity, including the

Sutton plant.

The company added fve natural gas-

fred plants within a two-year period,

replacing some of its coal-fred genera-

tion with 2,760 MW of new generation

through moderinzation projects.

Other recent projects that reduce

emissions in the Duke generation feet

while maintaining generation capacity

include the Cliffside modernization

project, which retired several older

units while equipping another unit

with modern emissions control tech-

nology and building a new supercriti-

cal unit; the 618-MW Edwardsport In-

tegrated Gasifcation Combined Cycle

plant; replacing the 276-MW coal-fred

Dan River Steam Station with the 620-

MW Dan River Combined Cycle Sta-

tion and the construction of the 920-

MW H.F. Lee Plant.

The coal and natural gas plant sit in

close proximity to each other, which

presented challenges during the con-

struction phase of the plant. The chal-

lenge presented by the small footprint

at the site will continue as the company

moves forward.

As we begin the decommissioning

and demolition of the retired coal units,

we will face similar challenges due to the

limited space at the site, Butler said.

A TREND OF CLEAN ENERGY

The construction of the Sutton plant

Hydrogen rich fuels have been used with some success, but require the use of conventional combustion.

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www.power-eng.com30

its production projections for both plays

to a combined 25 billion cubic feet per

day by 2020.

Despite a slight downturn in the Mar-

cellus rig count over the past year, output

has grown as producers reduce drilling

time and increase the production per

well, said Frank Brock, senior energy

market specialist for ICF. The Utica,

which was originally expected to have

higher oil production, has had a signifi-

cant growth in gas production.

As a result, natural gas-fired generation

is projected to grow 3.1 percent a year

through 2038, adding 348,000 MW of

gas-fired capacity to the U.S. grid, accord-

ing to a report released earlier this year by

Black & Veatch.

Most, if not all, of that capacity will

be met with combined cycle gas turbine

technology (CCGT). Natural gas-fired

combined cycle plants are expected to ac-

count for 50.5 percent of U.S. power pro-

duction by 2038, up from 25 percent this

year, according to the report. By 2038,

coals share of the generation pie will

drop to 21 percent, down from 39 percent

in 2014.

In its 2014 outlook, the Energy Infor-

mation Administration said natural gas

will overtake coal as the dominant source

of power generation by 2035. Thats a

significant change compared with EIAs

2013 outlook, which projected coal

would account for most of the nations

power production through 2040.

The transition to CCGT technology is

being driven by low gas prices, stricter

regulation for coal plants, and the inte-

gration of growing amounts of renewable

power. Combined cycle plants compli-

ment wind and solar power because they

can start and stop quickly, and thus are

capable of offsetting the fluctuations in

renewable power.

In addition to rapid-response times,

combined cycle plants emit significantly

fewer emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2),

sulfur dioxides (SO2), nitrogen oxides

(NOx) and other air emissions. CO2

emissions from power plants using com-

bined cycle technology are about 50 per-

cent lower than most coal-fired plants.

Emissions of NOx and SO2 are 80 to 90

percent lower.

What does the future of gas-fired gen-

eration in North America look like? I

Across North America,

more than a handful of

natural gas-fired power

projects are in some stage

of development amid low-

priced gas created by a boom in the pro-

duction of unconventional gas supplies.

According to most projections, gas

prices will hover between $4 and $6 per

million Btu for several years. According

to ICF International, gas production from

the Marcellus and Utica shale plays will

continue to increase. The company raised

The Shift to Natural Gas: Steady but SLOWBY RUSSELL RAY, MANAGING EDITOR

Billed as one of the most energy efficient and respon-

sive power plants in the U.S., the new 550-MW, gas-fired

El Segundo Energy Center illustrates how far the power

generation industry has come in the last 50 years.

Photo courtesy: Siemens

EXECUTIVE ROUNDTABLE

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1405pe_31 31 5/9/14 11:06 AM

www.power-eng.com32

in mid 2016 In addition,

our integrated resource

plan projects a similar

size unit would be re-

quired by 2019.

PARENT: We see this

regionally in the U.S.

We see the Northeast up.

We see the Southwest up.

We see the rest of the country

kind of flat. Theyre not up by

huge ticks, so the question

would be are we seeing a

big enough gap around

capacity that people

are going to make

those investment deci-

sions? Or are they going

to hold them off a little

longer? In the Northeast

and the area around the Gulf,

where there is a lot of economic

activity, we think those de-

cisions might be made a

little sooner.

POWER ENGINEER-

ING: Weve seen a

substantial increase

in capacity factors

for gas-fired power

plants for a number of

reasons. Clearly, power

producers are counting on

gas to supply a larger

share of baseload ca-

pacity. As these plants

run longer and

harder, how impor-

tant is it for power

producers to revisit

and adjust their O&M

strategies to reflect

the actual operation of

these plants?

JAMES: The amount of money power companies want us to spend on

research related to preventive main-

tenance activities to extend the life of

components and life extension activities

of various sorts has increased steadily

heard some interest-

ing stories about

people taking a

little more time

and little more

effort to get sites

permitted and ap-

proved than they

used to be.

MITCHELL: There are a

number of factors which

influence demand for

new power projects,

including eco-

nomic develop-

ment, unit retire-

ments and other

factors such as re-

newable generation

growth and demand-

side management. At

Dominion, weve been

very fortunate to enjoy

continued growth

in our regulated

markets even dur-

ing the economic

downturn. The

PJM load fore-

cast indicates the

Dominion Zone has

the highest projected

growth rate at 1.8 percent

a year. We have actu-

ally been building

quite a bit of new

generation. We

completed a coal

plant in 2012 and

have converted

some of our older,

smaller coal units to

biomass or gas peak-

ing units. We currently

have two 3x1 combined cycle

power plants under construction. That

includes our 1,329-MW Warren County

project, expected to be in service late

this year, and our 1,358-MW Brunswick

County project, expected to be in service

recently moderated a roundtable discus-

sion with executives from GE Power &

Water, Dominion, Bechtel, and the Elec-

tric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to

address that question. The participants

were: Scott Austin, business development

manager for Bechtels thermal genera-

tion business; Mark Dennis Mitchell, vice

president-generation construction at Do-

minion; Revis James, director of Genera-

tion Research and Development at EPRI;

and Scott Parent, Engineering Leader for

GEs Distributed Power business.

What follows is a transcript of that dis-

cussion.

POWER ENGINEERING: Several new

combined cycle projects are in some

stage of development throughout

North America. But the construction

boom most were expecting did not

take place. The construction of new

gas-fired projects has been well be-

low the industrys early expectations.

Why?

AUSTIN: We all know electricity de-

mand in the U.S. has been relatively low.

In addition to that, youre seeing a lot

of the energy efficiency measures and

demand response being very effective.

Theyre producing better-than-expected

results. Those two things together have

really reduced the demand for electricity.

In 2013, electricity demand was still be-

low the 2007 peak. Then you look at the

supply side. While we saw quite a few coal

plants retire, the capacity factors of those

plants were on the low end. The effect of

those plants retiring didnt result in the

need for additional capacity to the extent

that was predicted.

JAMES: I think theres risk aversion

not only from the merchant standpoint

but also a little bit of discomfort getting

overinvested in an asset that if there were

changes in fuel prices, there might be

some added exposure there. Even though

theyre very cost effective and very flex-

ible, its getting more expensive and

more difficult to build inside a gas-fired

turbine than it was 10 years ago. Weve

REVIS JAM

ES, EPRI

MARK M

ITCHELL, DOMINION

SC

OTT PA

RENT, GE POWER & WATER

SCOTT AUSTIN, BECHTEL

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needed to support these changes as the

market demands. For our newer com-

bined cycle units, they are expected to

run as base load units with O&M forecast

based on that expectation.

AUSTIN: You can look at this issue in

two ways. You are running these units

longer and harder. But if you look at a

combined cycle plant, one of the biggest

O&M challenges result from frequent

starts and stops. When youre running at

these high temperatures and youre us-

ing a advanced nickel based alloys and

coatings, that could lead to some of the

more significant O&M issues. Running

these units as a true baseload operation

may, in fact, not be negative from an

O&M perspective. Having said that, we

work closely with our combustion tur-

bine suppliers and advise clients they put

in rigorous training programs during the

commissioning stages to get that hands-

on experience prior to going into the op-

erations phase of a project.

PARENT: Were seeing both the inter-

est in uprating equipment to squeeze

another 5 or 10 percent load capability,

which could have significant lifting ef-

fects on all of these products. People are

looking at their fleet and saying Is there

a way I can manage to squeeze a little bit

more life or capacity? That would be the

first piece. The second piece is, I think in

terms of age/mission knowledge of the

equipment, going to see a doctor for the

first time when youre 55 is a mistake, you

cant get a trend. You get information, but

it doesnt give you an understanding of

how the equipment was performing or

has been used historically. We need to

wire and collect historical data to bet-

ter estimate and optimize a products

over the last several years for combined

cycle and gas turbines. I think thats a

response to people trying to operate

these assets longer or in different ways.

We have a program focused on heat re-

covery steam generators. Weve certainly

seen some challenges related to reliability

to those components related to thermal

transients. Theres an increased focus on

diagnosing those problems, anticipating

those problems and modifying your op-

erational and maintenance approach to

try to mitigate those problems.

MITCHELL: Based on reduced gas prices

relative to other fuel types, we have seen

shifts in some of our stations capacity

factors from one fuel source to another

over certain periods. This includes our

combined cycle plants running as base

load units. As with any of our units, we

do monitor and adjust O&M strategies as

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www.power-eng.com36

facilities come online and more coal

plants are retired, are there concerns

about maintaining a diverse fleet of

generation?

MITCHELL: History has shown that a

diverse fuel source is very important over

the long haul and it is certainly important

to understand the implications of moving

too much toward a single fuel source or

any single criteria which could impact a

large portion of your generation fleet. As

I mentioned, we have a number of proj-

ects in construction now which represent

several thousand megawatts. If you look

at our Integrated Resource Plan, we recog-

nize the need for fuel diversity and con-

tinue to develop other generation sources

JAMES: As we have spent more time

developing some of the maintenance

research results, one of the side effects

is that more work is being done on our

instrumentation and controls program

to develop capabilities to measure things

that are really important for longer peri-

ods of time. Even if we are seeing higher

capacity factors and more cycling of com-

bined cycles, those mission profiles could

change, depending on economic condi-

tions and other externalities.

POWER ENGINEERING: According

Documents

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