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SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICAN
POWER GENERATION GROUP Richard Baker Power Engineering is the flagship
media sponsor for
(918) 831-9187 richardb@pennwell.com
NATIONAL BRAND MANAGER Veronica Foster
(918) 832-9256 veronicaf@pennwell.com

CHIEF EDITOR Russell Ray

(918) 832-9368 russellr@pennwell.com
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FEATURES 121 YEARS
No.5, May 2017

12 Changing
(918) 831-9492 tmiser@pennwell.com
ONLINE EDITOR Robert Evatt
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Mission Profiles
Research efforts are focused on quantifying damage
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CONTRIBUTING EDITORRobynn Andracsek from flexible operations of fossil power plants and finding
(816)-822-3596 randracsek@burnsmcd.com technologies, processes and best practices to limit or prevent it.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER IV Deanna Priddy Taylor A recent report details the effectiveness of a product developed
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22
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PRODUCTION MANAGER Katie Noftsger After 50 years of service, the Atkinson Heat and Power Plant at the
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERSPennWell Corp. University of Alaska Fairbanks campus is being overhauled. The
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42 Not all HEPA Filter are the Same
Gas turbines consume vast amounts of air and an effective inlet filtration
system is vital to maintaining optimum performance and reducing the
need for maintenance shutdowns. HEPA filters offer greater levels of
protection and could help to improve plant performance.

46
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1705pe_1 1 4/27/17 11:19 AM

 OPINION
Outsiders Driving
Unprecedented Change
BY RUSSELL RAY, CHIEF EDITOR
I
magine building an unmanned, fos-
sil-fuel power plant abroad that can
be turned on and off remotely from
an office in New York City. Its not a
pipe dream. One such plan is now un-
der discussion and there are probably
more in the works.
Its not surprising, considering the
convergence of digital solutions, power
plant technologies and technical ad-
vancements in automation. Consider
this: A significant percentage of jobs in
the U.S. (38 percent) and abroad will
be lost to automation in the next 15
years, according to a new study from
PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The power sector is on the cusp of un-
precedented transformation, which is
being driven by technological forces out-
side the power sector. Expect both great
collaboration and intense competition
between these brash newcomers and the
industrys established players
The power sector has traditionally
been slow to embrace change. Most ma-
jor changes in the power sector have been
driven by those on the periphery of the
power industry, not by those within the
industry. The transformation underway
now is no different.
The heart of this transformation can
be found in the digital realm of the Infor-
mation and Communication Technology
(ICT) sector. The technical innovations
in this sector are re-shaping entire in-
dustries, economies and societies. Inno-
vations based on digital ICT include
the introduction of artificial intelli-
gence, the use of augmented reality
and self-driving electric vehicles. The
power sector isnt exempt from these
ICT-driven evolutions. ICT innovation
will be a major factor behind demand
2 www.power-eng.com
1705pe_2 2
growth for electricity worldwide.
Opportunity is knocking for power
generators in desperate pursuit of in-
creased efficiency amid flat or declining
demand for electricity. For power produc-
ers, the opportunities to exploit these in-
novations to trim costs, increase sales and
boost efficiency are growing at breakneck
speed, thanks to new digital technologies.
In this issue of Power Engineering, well
be examining one of the benefits borne
from digital innovation. Specifically, our
author from Expert Microsystems Inc. ex-
plores the benefits of advanced pattern
recognition software and how it can
be used in conjunction with advanced
analytics to identify warning signs of
an impending failure. This kind of au-
tomation also means a much smaller
capital and human resource invest-
ment for power producers.
The new power sector will be very dif-
ferent. Decentralized power systems
will flourish as entities other than
investor-owned utilities and indepen-
dent power producers enter the power
generation market. Today, small and
large businesses in every sector can
produce their own power to better
manage their demand and create new
revenue streams. Utilities and IPPs are
struggling to adapt and should take ad-
vantage of abundant opportunities for
collaboration between centralized and
decentralized power providers.
Although the threat of more consum-
ers leaving the grid to produce their own
power is real for utilities and IPPs, reports
of a looming death for providers of cen-
tralized power are outdated and exagger-
ated. Some utilities and states have made
great progress in modifying their business
models to reflect the growing popularity
of decentralized power.
Some utilities are redefining their role
as a power provider to reflect this ongo-
ing shift in the power market. Expect tra-
ditional power companies to evolve into
energy management companies charged
with managing the complexity created by
growing supplies of decentralized power.
Expect utilities to begin designing, build-
ing and managing onsite power systems
for their industrial customers. And expect
an overhaul of traditional energy eco-
nomics that places a higher value on in-
formation borne from digitalization.
At the turn of the century, more than
half of the nations power was produced
with coal and the prospects of renewable
power and energy storage playing a star-
ring role in U.S. power generation were
quickly dismissed. The technologies were
too expensive, unproven and difficult to
integrate into a grid built around coal.
Today, renewable power and energy
storage are two of the biggest emerging
markets in power generation. The cost
of energy storage has plunged 60 percent
in the last two years and officials predict
the U.S. will add 7,300 MWh of storage in
2022 alone, up from 336 MWh in 2016.
Renewable resources accounted for most
of the generation capacity added in the
U.S. in 2016 63 percent to be exact.
Solar led the way at 39 percent.
These new drivers of change are
creating new possibilities for power
producers and consumers. The estab-
lished players and these new drivers of
change will be gathering in Las Vegas,
Nevada, later this year at POWER-GEN
International 2017.
If you have a question or a comment,
contact me at russellr@pennwell.com.
Follow me on Twitter @RussellRay1.
4/27/17 11:19 AM
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 INDUSTRY NEWS
Westinghouse Files for
Bankruptcy Protection
Westinghouse Electric Company filed
for Chapter 11 bankruptcy las month.
Though parent company Toshiba had
promised it would ensure new nuclear de-
velopment projects undertaken by West-
inghouse would continue, including the
Virgil C. Summer nuclear station in South
Carolina and the Alvin W. Votgle nuclear
plant in Georgia, it is not yet clear how the
bankruptcy filing would ultimately affect
construction of those projects, both of
which are three years overdue.
In a media statement, Westinghouse
indicated the restructuring was due to fi-
nancial and construction challenges with
its nuclear power plant projects.
The New York Times indicated the nu-
clear construction projects undertaken
by Scana Energy and Georgia Power may
face new contract terms, lawsuits and loss-
es. Cost estimates for Sumner and Votgle
are $1 billion to $1.3 billion higher than
budgeted, and could exceed $8 billion.
Experts indicated the bankruptcy
might terminate the construction con-
tracts and force Scana and Georgia Pow-
er to find another builder. Stan Wise,
chairman of the Georgia Public Service
Commission, said the utilities developing
the Votgle station would need to re-evalu-
ate the project and determine whether it
would make sense to continue.
Black & Veatch to Provide
EPC Services for FPL
Black & Veatch announced it will
provide engineering, procurement and
construction services for four solar
4 www.power-eng.com
1705pe_4 4
developments for Florida Power & Light.
The Barefoot Bay, Blue Cypress and
Loggerhead solar plants are being con-
structed in the Vero Beach area, while the
Hammock plant will be built just east of
Fort Myers. The project sites range from
400 to 600 acres with a combined total
of more than one million solar panels to
be installed, and will begin operations by
the end of 2017.
The four are part of theeight solar proj-
ects FPL announced it will build, each
with a capacity of 74.5 MW.
Black & Veatch builtthree 74.5 MW so-
lar developmentsfor FPL in 2016, which
tripled the utilitys solar capacity.
Sale of FitzPatrick Plant
to Exelon Finalized
Exelon officially completed its pur-
chase of the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear
Power Plant in Scriba, New York.
Entergy Corp. sold the 850-MW facility
for $110 million. Entergy had originally
planned to shut down the plant.
The state of New Yorkauthorizedup to
$7.6 billion in ratepayer subsidies to keep
FitzPatrick, as well as two other nuclear
plants in the state, operational.
Exelon named Joseph Pacher, former
site vice president at R.E. Ginna Nuclear
Power Plant, as the site vice president for
FitzPatrick. Brian Sullivan, former Fitz-
Patrick site vice president, was retained by
Entergy.
Exelon noted the acquisition is part of
the companys broader effort to preserve
the nations existing nuclear facilities.
Enel Completes
400-MW Wind Farm
Enel Green Power North Americahas
begun operations at the 400-MW Cimar-
ron Bend wind facility in Clark County,
Kansas.
The $610 million project has a long-
term power purchase agreement with
Google and the Kansas City Board of Pub-
lic Utilities.
We are pleased to announce the en-
try into service of this major wind farm,
which is also the first in Enels US port-
folio to generate energy for a corporate
off-taker, said Rafael Gonzalez, Head
of EGPNA. Thanks to this significant
achievement, in Kansas we are now
managing our largest portfolio of North
American wind farms and we are further
strengthening EGPNA REP, the joint ven-
ture which is supporting our dynamic,
sustainable growth in North America.
EGPNA also owns four additional
wind facilities totaling 1.1 GW inKansas.
Toshiba America Energy
Systems President and
CEO Departs
Toshiba announced Ali Azad, president
and CEO of Toshiba America Energy Sys-
tems Corporation, departed the company
effective March 31. Though the company
thanked Azad and wished him well, there
was no further information.
Toshiba America Energy Systems Cor-
poration was created on April 1, 2015, to
integrate the companys thermal, hydro-
power and nuclear steam turbine and
generator business for both Toshiba and
its Westinghouse subsidiary. Azad was
the divisions only president and CEO.
The news came the same week West-
inghouse filed for bankruptcy protec-
tionafter $6 billion in losses from nuclear
development. Though the company re-
asserted it would complete new nuclear
development projects undertaken by
Westinghouse, experts were uncertain
how the bankruptcy would affect future
development.
Wartsila to Supply 28-MW
CHP Plant to Canada
Wartsila announced it will supply a 28-
MW combined heat and power plant to
the Meliadine Gold Mine project in Can-
ada for owners Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.
The order includes five Wartsila 34DF
dual-fuel engines running light fuel oil or
4/27/17 11:19 AM
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natural gas. Wartsilas scope includes the
power generation and CHP equipment
supply, plant commissioning and train-
ing. The plant is expected to become op-
erational during the first quarter of 2019.
The power plant will provide baseload
power for this new mine and mining fa-
cilities located in the Nunavut Territory
of Canada. In addition to supplying elec-
tricity for the equipment and operations,
the plant will also capture heat from the
engines and engine exhaust and deliver
that heat to the underground mine and
buildings.
Initially the power plant will run on
light-fuel oil, but natural gas may be avail-
able in the future.
Burns & McDonnell, Tampa
Electric Complete Solar Plant
Burns & McDonnellannounced it has
completed the Big Bend Solar project,
which will beowned and operated by
Tampa Electric.
The 23-MW facility, built adjacent to
the Big Bend Power Station in Apollo
Beach, is now the single-largest source of
solar power in the Tampa area. Big Bend
features over 202,000 solar panels with
motors that can track the movement of
the sun.
The Big Bend Solar Plant is signifi-
cant in proving utility-scale PV is cost
competitive with traditional generation
for regulated utilities, said Matt Brink-
man,Burns & McDonnellprincipal and
national director of solar projects for the
firm. Solar costs have decreased dramat-
ically.
6 www.power-eng.com
1705pe_6 6
Public Service Co. of
New Mexico to Retire
Two Coal Units
Officials from Public Service Co. of
New Mexico reconfirmed their commit-
ment to shutting down two of the four
units at the San Juan Generating Station
in the Four Corners area of the state.
Additionally, the utility has yet to de-
cide whether it will operate the remaining
two units beyond 2022, the Associated
Pressreported.
Pahl Shipley, a spokesman for the
utility, said it will take some time to de-
termine how President Trumps order to
review the Clean Power Plan will impact
its business.
Public Service Co. of New Mexico
reached an agreement with federal and
state regulators to close the two units in
the face of pressure to limit emissions.
Duke Energy Sues
Insurance Companies
for Coal Ash Costs
Duke Energy announced it has filed
legal claims against 30 insurance com-
panies due to liabilities associated with
coal ash.
The suit, filed in association with the
state of North Carolina and Mecklenburg
County, claims breach of contract for
failure to pay claims for coal ash costs at
14 plants in North Carolina and one in
South Carolina.
Duke and Carolina Power & Light,
which was eventually absorbed by Duke,
purchased excess-level liability insurance
from the companies from 1973 through
1986. The suit asserts the policies provide
coverage for Dukes coal ash liabilities,
and that Dukes coal ash has been infil-
trating groundwater over a long period
of time.
NTE Energy Wins PUC
Approval for Gas Plant
NTE Energy announced the compa-
ny has received final approval from the
North Carolina Utilities Commission for
its proposed Reidsville Energy Center, a
500-MW gas-fired facility to be built in
Rockingham County, North Carolina.
The company noted its currently ne-
gotiating long-term power purchase
agreements with several entities in the
Carolinas, and is in the study phase of
interconnecting the facility with Duke
Energys transmission system. The facility
also needs to obtain the final permits and
approvals.Construction is slated to begin
in the fourth quarter of 2017, with com-
mercial operations in 2021.
NTE Energy is also constructing the
475-MW Kings Mountain Energy Cen-
terin Cleveland County, North Carolina,
which is expected to reach commercial
operations in 2018.
Xcels Plans for New
Wind Generation Grow
Xcel Energy announced it has pro-
posed the development of 11 new wind
facilitiesin seven states, which would add
3,380 MW in new wind generation.
The proposals would boost the utilitys
wind portfolio by 50 percent, and in-
crease winds share of Xcels total genera-
tion to 35 percent.
The proposals, a mix of owned wind
farms and power purchase agreements,
would come online through 2021. Xcel
plans to use federal production tax credits
to secure low wind energy prices.
Xcel had already announced 1,500
MWof new wind generation last week in
the Midwest. The new developments are
proposed for New Mexico, Texas and Col-
orado.
4/27/17 11:19 AM
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 ENERGY MATTERS
Power to the People:
How Cutting the EPA Will
Delay Utility Projects
BY ROBYNN ANDRACSEK, P.E., BURNS & MCDONNELL AND CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
E
nvironmental interest groups
celebrate with each utility proj-
ects cancellation; every proj-
ect delay is also a success. President
Trumps proposed America First significant portion of the budget cuts
budget cuts $2.6 billion, or 31 percent,
from 2017 funding and discontinues
funding for the Clean Power Plan, in-
ternational climate change programs,
and climate change research and part-
nership programs. This budget, if en-
acted, will have an opposite effect from
that intended. Power plant projects
which benefit on paper from the cuts
to EPA will in fact be delayed by citizen
suits attempting to restore EPAs power.
The Clean Air Act (CAA), which can-
not be changed without an act of Con-
gress, explicitly authorizes citizen suits
to enforce CAA provisions. Section 304,
aptly titled Citizen Suits, states any
person may commence a civil action
against the United States to enforce
an emission standard or limitation,
against the Administrator where there
is alleged a failure of the Administrator
to perform any act or duty, or against
any person who proposes to construct
or constructs any new or modified ma-
jor emitting facility.
Intervener groups are intimately fa-
miliar with this power granted to them
under the CAA, most recently in re-
gards to EPAs delay in promulgating air
toxics standards. On March 22, 2017, a
federal judge in the District Court for
the District of Columbia ordered EPA
to promulgate emission standards for
13 sources of hazardous air pollut-
ants by June 30, 2020. EPA admitted
that they had missed the regulatory
8 www.power-eng.com
1705pe_8 8
deadline and four intervener groups
sued to force EPA to act. Seth Jaffe, of
the blog www.lawandenvironment.
com, says if Congress enacts even a
to the governors of each state that they
requested by President Trump, were
going to see a lot more such cases.
The court order includes several key
statements:
The Clean Air Act provides that the
district courts of the United States
shall have jurisdiction to compel
nondiscretionary agency action
that is unreasonably delayed.
Courts should be wary of agen-
cy arguments that more time is
needed to improve the quality or
soundness of the regulations.
If the EPA finds the schedule set by
the Clean Air Act to be unreason-
able, the agencys remedy lies with gal challenges to environmental rules
Congress, not with the Courts.
In response to the proposed presi-
dential budget, the EPA estimates 25%
of its staff will be laid off. This budget
blueprint serves merely as a guideline for
any final enacted congressional budget.
However, with a Republican majority in
both houses of Congress, massive cuts to
EPA will no doubt occur.
Following quickly after the presiden-
tial budget blueprint, two additional
actions occurred that on the surface
seem to favor utility companies. First
President Trumps executive order on
Promoting Energy Independence
and Economic Growth declared: It
is in the national interest to promote
clean and safe development of our
Nations vast energy resources, while
at the same time avoiding regulatory
burdens that unnecessarily encumber
energy production, constrain econom-
ic growth, and prevent job creation.
Then EPA administrator Pruitt wrote
are neither required nor expected to
work towards meeting the compliance
date set in the Clean Power Plan.
The rally cry for intervener groups is
now prewritten. They will surely focus
their efforts on climate change regula-
tions. Acknowledging both that utilities
emit a large portion of U.S. greenhouse
gases and that public passion centers on
climate change, public uproar and law-
suits will center on utilities.
Utility companies learned from the
lessons of the Clean Air Mercury Rule,
the Clean Air Interstate Rule, and the
Cross-State Air Pollution Rule that le-
create economic uncertainty when
funding power plant maintenance or
expansion projects. Nothing in the
executive order nor the new EPA pol-
icy negates the fact that the Supreme
Court ruled that greenhouse gases are
a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. Al-
though not perfect, the Clean Air Act at
least had become well understood by
utilities over the last 45 years of its im-
plementation. Utilities, through their
interest groups, had input into the
pending regulations. Now, certainty
has been thrown out the window.
Therefore, the utility which argues
against EPA cuts would both curry fa-
vor with the public while advocating
for EPA policies which reduce econom-
ic and regulatory uncertainty for their
power plant projects.
4/27/17 11:19 AM
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1705pe_9 9 4/27/17 11:19 AM

 GAS GENERATION
Solving the Power
Puzzle for Municipal and
Cooperative Utilities
BY ANDY UNGERMAN, PE, SENIOR MECHANICAL ENGINEER, STANLEY CONSULTANTS
I
n their search for reliable, flexible,
low-cost sources of power, inves-
tor-owned utilities, municipal util-
ities and rural cooperatives have varying
pressures and selection factors but many
of them choose the same technology
solution: reciprocating engines.
Overall power trends affecting their
choices in the U.S. are readily visible:
Decommissioning of small and medium
coal-fired units, natural gas-fired pow-
er generation for peaking and base-load
capacity, rapid growth of renewables;
growth of distributed generation and
mixing of power generation technologies
within a utility.
The versatile reciprocating engine
is increasingly being selected as the
solution to these challenges, from one
small engine to a bank of larger en-
gines. While the engines can operate
on fuel oil or other liquid fuels, they
primarily burn natural gas.
INDIVIDUAL PRODUCER
NEEDS VARY: A TALE OF A
FEW CITIES
The city of Alexandria, Louisianas
contract with the local utility had ended.
How could the city upgrade its aging fleet,
be self-sufficient and stabilize rates for 20
to 30 years while joining the Midconti-
nent Independent System Operator? City
officials also wanted a diverse, sustain-
able fuel source.
The citys prior fuel mix for gener-
ation was 80 percent coal, 17 percent
gas and 3 percent hydroelectric. As part
of the EPC team selected for the proj-
ect, Stanley Consultants acted as engi-
neer-of-record for the balance of plant
for the installation of the seven, 9 MW
10
1705pe_10 10
Wartsila reciprocating engines that sat-
isfied Alexandrias requirements.
The engines can be started up in about
five minutes, which means that sudden
demands from the grid could be accom-
modated. All or one of the engines can be
used at any time, providing more reliabil-
ity and flexibility. The engines even fit in
a tight space adjacent to the citys existing
plant in the middle of town and meet the
citys stringent noise requirements. After
installation, the fuel mix is 47 percent
coal, 50 percent gas and 3 percent hydro.
TALLAHASSEE FLORIDA:
BUILD THIS PLANT FAST
Tallahassee needed to add power gen-
eration quickly, and reciprocating engines
fit the bill.
Power production manager Triveni
Singh said the multiple small units fits
the citys load profile and will comple-
ment the planned 20 MW solar facility.
Efficiency, low maintenance and high re-
liability in addition to the quick-start ca-
pability were also keys, Singh said, as well
as lower C02 emissions and the ability to
be located at distributed sites.
PALMER, ALASKA:
EXTREME TEMPERATURE
CHANGES, EARTHQUAKE
CONCERNS
Matanuska Electric Association is Alas-
kas oldest existing and second-largest
electric cooperative. MEAs service area
includes more than 4,300 miles of pow-
er lines in Southcentral Alaska. MEA had
purchased power from another Alaska co-
operative but wanted to be more self-suf-
ficient and generate their own. Stanley
Consultants served as owners engineer
for the project.
The needs? Reliable, affordable energy
and the ability to operate in temperatures
as low as 40 degrees below zero Fahren-
heit. In addition, in case the supply of nat-
ural gas was interrupted, the plant could
switch to fuel oil stored onsite. The coop-
erative would also be asked to produce as
much as 145 MW during the winter and
as little as 50 MW during the summer. The
installation of 10 new Wartsila 17.1 MW
engines met MEAs needs because of their
ability to add grid reliability and fast re-
sponse time in case of load following. The
plant is 30 percent more efficient than its
former power supply. MEA is producing
electricity for its members at a lower cost
and generating additional revenue from
selling excess capacity to other utilities.
THE BENEFITS OF THE
RECIPROCATING ENGINE
Reciprocating engines provide a
proven, reliable technology, but recent
upgrades in efficiency and reliability
are making them the go-to choice for
the addition of small to medium-sized
power generation.
For larger applications, reciprocating
engines may not be a fit. The overall plant
footprint is smaller for a combustion
turbine, and the heat rate, or efficiency
looks better, especially in combined cycle
mode. In larger plants, capital costs can be
lower with combustion turbines as well.
According to the U.S. Department of
Energy, Gas-fired reciprocating engines
are the fastest-selling, least expensive
distributed generation technology in the
world today. The technology does not fit
every situation, but has found its way into
the power generation ecosystem.
www.power-eng.com
4/27/17 11:19 AM
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1705pe_11 11 4/27/17 11:19 AM

 FLEXIBLE GENERATION

The Brunswick County Power Station.

Flexible operation of power generation
assets is not new. What is new today is
the frequency and level of cycling re-
quired. Increased operational flexibility
is becoming more commonplace. Photo
courtesy: Dominion Virginia Power

Changing
Mission
Profiles
BY
Y MIKE CA
CARAVAGGIO
GGIO AND
AN NORRIS HIROTA,
HIROTA

O
ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE

ver the past decade,
fossil and hydro gen-
eration plants have in-
creasingly experienced
significant changes in
their operating strategies, or mission pro-
files, compared to their original designs.
These changes include new operating re-
gimes with increased cycling, extended
unit layups, and prolonged periods of low
turndown.
The changes, in turn, are creating a
multitude of challenges for the plants and
their operating staff in areas ranging from
component degradation to staffing levels,
O&M budgets, and meeting environmen-
tal compliance under non-baseload con-
ditions.
Several years ago, to help the utility
industry address these challenges, the
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
launched a multi-utility, collaborative re-
search project to identify the critical tech-
nical issues associated with these trends
and to collect best practices and new tech-
nologies and processes to mitigate dam-
age and increase flexibility. The project,
called Changing Mission Profiles, has
consisted of a pilot project of power plant
case studies to evaluate the experiences of
different unit types and an industry work-
ing group that convenes to share effective
solutions and strategies.
To date, seven case studies have been
conducted, and the results have been
summarized in an EPRI report enti-
tled Changing Mission Profiles Pilot Project
(3002005859). In addition, the working
group has held multiple sessions to iden-
tify the technical issues and solutions for
different combinations of unit types and
mission profiles.
CHALLENGES OF
INCREASED OPERATING
FLEXIBILITY
Flexible operation of power generation
assets is not new. What is new today is the
frequency and level of cycling required.
Several years ago, a generation plan-
ning research study, funded jointly by
EPRI and the U.S. Department of Ener-
gy, found that the extent and diversity of
increased flexible operations will be pro-
found over the next 20+ years. The major-
ity of dispatchable units will experience
the necessity for flexible operations, and
possibly multiple mission profiles. Flexi-
ble operations will also be geographically
widespread; most power companies will
have to support multiple mission profiles
across their fleets in managing current
and future assets.
According to this same research, flexi-
ble operation is the principal issue arising
from increased variable generation, and

12 www.power-eng.com

1705pe_12 12 4/27/17 11:19 AM

 Author
Mike Caravaggio is EPRI Senior Program
Manager, Major Component Reliability.
Norris Hirota is a Senior Technical Exec-
utive at EPRI.

key hurdles are operations at minimum
loads and significant amounts of ramp-
ing at high rates (Figure 1). The study also
projected frequent, large changes in aver-
age hourly generation for combined cycle
and conventional fossil assets, as well as
significant periods of low-load operations
and reserve standby.
As many generation units find that the
need for increased operational flexibility
is becoming more commonplace, they are
facing several challenges:
Complex Operations. Flexible
operations are inherently more
complex. As units are operated
more flexibly and/or with specific
retirement horizons, plants need to
operate closer to design limits. As a
result, there may be greater levels of
dependence on more accurate mea-
surement of key parameters, optimi-
zation and process controls, remote
monitoring systems, and more bur-
dens on the operator.
Integrated Impacts. Integrated
plant impacts are not well under-
stood or documented. Plant design
margins and the consequences of
reducing them are integral to un-
derstanding the impacts of modifi-
cations, installation of new systems,
and alternative operational and
maintenance strategies. For example,
an equipment design life consump-
tion rate under off-design operation
might be an important consideration
in a decision to balance costs or risks.
Not understanding these margins or
impacts can lead to unanticipated
consequences.
Burden on Staff. Changes to plant
design and/or operational mission
tend to place a larger burden on
plant staff. These changes can place
more responsibility, knowledge re-
quirements, restrictions, and error
traps on plant staff. For example,
the technical basis (that is, failure
modes, degradation rates, preventive
maintenance frequencies, equip-
ment monitoring needs, etc.) for
maintenance may need to be modi-
fied, implemented, and maintained
by limited staff resources.

www.power-eng.com 13

1705pe_13 13 4/27/17 11:19 AM

 FLEXIBLE GENERATION
New Skill Sets Needed. Implementation of advanced tech-
nologies and data integration in response to increased flex-
ible operations requires new skill sets. Driven by the avail-
ability of increasing amounts of quality data, a changing
work force, and the economic need for a leaner O&M staff,
data analytics and centralized monitoring and diagnostics
will become increasingly important tools for managing
overall plant performance.
PILOT PROJECT
The Pilot Project portion of Changing Mission Profiles sought
to drill down to better understand how these challenges manifest
themselves in different unit types and under different mission
profiles. The Pilot Projects consisted of in-depth assessments of
central station generation units that are experiencing operation-
al modes that differ from their original design basis. These as-
sessments were comprehensive, unit-level deep dives into the
technical issues associated with specific generation types, the
relative importance of these issues, and the extent to which these
issues are generic.
The approach consisted of on-site visits by utility and EPRI
subject-matter experts (SMEs) to generation units to discuss with
the host utility personnel the actual experience of units manag-
ing significant flexible operation.
Central generation station unitsincluding hydro, coal, and
gas plantswere visited. Unit types and their missions were as
follows:
Francis-type hydropower plant (four units) / load fol-
lowing and part-load operation; increased diversion (spill-
age) during times of low demand.
Subcritical natural gas boiler units (one plant, two
units) / load following with frequent low turndown and
shutdowns.
Supercritical natural gas boiler units (one plant, two
units) / load following with frequent low turndown and
shutdowns.
Gas turbine combined cycle (six units) / increased vari-
ability in operations centered on higher capacity factor;
significant decrease in starts/year; minimum load during
evenings.
Subcritical coal plant (one unit) / extended layup with
months that separate operational periods; load-following
mode.
Subcritical and supercritical coal plant (seven units) /
subcritical units experience combination of load follow and
extended layup (shutdown) ranging from two days to two
months; supercritical units experience load-follow mode.
Supercritical coal plant (three units) / long-term layup;
turndown to as low as possible.
The site visits incorporated on-site workshops with SMEs and
14
1705pe_14 14
Using Creep-FatiguePro
Software to Monitor Boiler Life
Like other coal-fired plants in Spain, the As Pontes Power Station
in Galicia, Spain is required to cycle extensively and operate rela-
tively infrequently due to the power market and the extensive base
of renewable energy that dispatches first.
This cyclic (start-stop) operation can result in accumulation
of fatigue damage, particularly in thick-walled components
such as high-temperature headers that experience the great-
est thermal transients. In addition, components exposed to
high temperature and pressure experience creep damage
over time. Tracking the accumulation of fatigue and creep in
these components is a critical element of an overall strategy
to manage the life of boiler components.
In the early 1990s, EPRI developed Creep-FatiguePro (CFPro)
software as a way to trace the accumulation of creep and fatigue
damage, while a plant is being operated, based on actual oper-
ating conditionstemperature, pressure, and flow rate. Over the
years, the software has been upgraded and new features added.
Recently the international utility Enel employed CFPro software
to monitor accumulation of creep and fatigue damage at several
locations in its As Pontes Power Station. The software helped the
utility to track the level of damage occurring, to understand the
direct effects on the plant of operational changes, and to plan re-
medial actions.
CFPro software was installed in the As Pontes Power Station and
integrated with the plant instrumentation (PI) system. Eight loca-
tions were monitored on the superheater (SH) outlet header, and
three locations were monitored on the hot reheat steam piping.
Over a several month test period, the CFPro system at the As Pon-
tes plant clearly showed the impact of plant start-up on fatigue ac-
cumulation in the SH outlet header and identified an increase in the
creep damage rate as a result of a 15C temperature increase in
the SH header. These findings provided important insights into the
operation of the plant to minimize fatigue and creep damage ac-
cumulation as a result of flexible operation. The online component
life assessment, made possible by the CFPro system, is being used
to support timely decisions regarding: (1) unit operational strategy
management, (2) impact of plant operating modes on component
life, (3) component inspection need and schedule, and (4) run/
repair/replace decisions for detected damage.
www.power-eng.com
4/27/17 11:19 AM
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 FLEXIBLE GENERATION
plant personnel. These workshops em-
ployed a standardized process to identify,
discuss, and prioritize key technical is-
sues for that unit / mission configuration.
For each issue, the process captured crit-
ical assumptions, options and tradeoffs,
key interrelationships, vulnerabilities,
unanticipated consequences, and gaps
and uncertainties in industry knowledge
and understanding.
RANKING OF ISSUES
The site visit workshops produced a
ranking of technical issues related to plant
operations, equipment, and environmen-
tal controls. For each unit / mission, ex-
perts and stakeholders applied evaluation
criteria to the issues via a template. The
criteria for ranking included:
Impact on corporate metrics
How does this issue affect corporate
performance and related metrics?
Acceptable options available
Are there good solution alternatives?
Technical resources available
Are solutions available through EPRI
or other organizations?
Degree of uncertaintyDo we
understand the technical basis for
the issue and for the solution path
forward?
Impact on plant staff and O&M
How will the solution to the issue be
sustained and affect the plant staff?
For each issue, the criteria were used
in a scoring system that established a nu-
merical rating. Examples are shown in Ta-
bles 1 and 2 on pages 18 and 20.
This perspective was useful in under-
standing the complex interrelationships
between these issues from the standpoint
of both the technical/scientific disciplines
and the power company organization,
plant processes, and related resources.
KEY INSIGHTS ON
TECHNICAL ISSUES FROM
PILOT PROJECT SITE VISITS
The site visit workshops conducted for
the Pilot Project identified a number of
16
1705pe_16 16
key insights on technical issues:
Increased Changing Mission
Profiles. Discussions at the site work-
shops supported the projection that
an increasing number of coal and
gas units are likely to continue to
see changing mission profiles. More-
over, units experiencing new mis-
sions may likely experience multiple
mission profiles in the future.
Timeframe. Given that most exist-
ing coal units were designed based
Spectrum of Flexible Operation
on the assumption of baseload oper-
ations, and considering the relatively
slow turnover in the existing coal
fleet, it will take a long time (on the
order of decades) for new generation
technologies inherently designed for
multiple mission profiles to signifi-
cantly penetrate the U.S. generation
fleet.
Ramp Rates. With increased shut-
downs and low-load operation, high
ramp rates and the corresponding
impacts on equipment and systems
are becoming an even more critical
concern.
Low-load Operation. Low-load or
low-turndown operation was the
predominant operating regime expe-
rienced by the pilot sites. The second
most prevalent mode was shutdown
where the duration was uncertain,
thus complicating the planning and
layup/equipment preservation ef-
forts.
Avoiding Shutdowns. Enabling
lower-load operation of coal plants
was identified as a key strategy for
avoiding or minimizing shutdowns
and the damage associated with on/
off cycling. An alternative strategy
was switching fuel to a lower-cost
coal and/or gas co-firing. Both strate-
1
gies come with plant-specific techni-
cal challenges.
Layup Practices. Developing effec-
tive and progressive layup prac-
tices (that is, where the selection of
layup practices and associated costs/
resources are commensurate with
the duration of shutdown and start-
up demands) are perhaps the most
widely felt, high-priority need across
all unit types.
Component Issues. Key issues in-
volving major components that are
experiencing low-load operation
and frequent shutdown/startups
included chemistry concerns and
mechanical stresses of turbines, pit-
ting damage and corrosion fatigue
of boilers/heat recovery steam gen-
erators (HRSGs), and core integrity
www.power-eng.com
4/27/17 11:19 AM
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1705pe_17 17 4/27/17 11:19 AM

 FLEXIBLE GENERATION
Bayside Power Station was among
the nations top 20 power-producing
combined cycle plants in 2015.
Photo courtesy: Tampa Electric
issues with main generators.
Environmental Controls. For coal
units experiencing low-load opera-
tion and frequent shutdown, issues
related to the performance and reli-
ability of the environmental controls
equipment consistently ranked very
high. The nature of these issues rang-
es from the cost of compliance and
balancing the impacts on air/water/
solids emissions to maintenance
and effective layup practices for en-
vironmental controls equipment.
For coal units with selective catalytic
reduction (SCR) for NOx control, the
minimum operating temperature of
the SCR is often the first limit to low-
load operation.
Teams. Cross-functional, multi-dis-
ciplinary teams provide significant
value in identifying and evaluating
technical issues of importance from
the standpoint of: (1) determination
of new issues and areas of concern;
(2) identification of solution options;
and (3) assessment of impacts on
plant staff and related resources.
Holistic Approach. Breakout ses-
sions at all pilot site workshops yield-
ed new issues that were not initially
18
1705pe_18 18
Highest Ranked Issues: Gas Turbine Combined Cycle
(Six Units) / increased variability in operations centered 1
on higher capacity factor; significant decrease in starts/
year; minimum load during evenings
Technical Risks to be Evaluated/Managed Rating
Combustion turbine rotor end of life. 19
Extend intervals between main steam,
19
isolation valve overhauls/inspections.
Future operator training. 19
Stellite liberation. 17
Combustion turbineextend intervals between overhauls/inspections. 15
Life-cycle management of main generators. 15
Combustion turbineincrease maximum capacity. 13
Meeting startup emissions limits. 13
Combustion turbineextend lower load range. 11
Heat recovery steam generator (HRSG)/chemistryflow- accelerated corrosion
(FAC) in low pressure (LP) evaporator, LP/intermediate pressure 11
(IP)/high pressure (HP) economizers.
HRSG/chemistrypremature pressure part failures. 11
Recirculation mini-flow valve life. 9
Environmental controlslower load range emissions constraints. 7
HRSG/chemistryexcessive attemperation at turndown. 5
Source:
identified. Both the identification of as well as broader company-wide
technical issues and potential solu- concerns such as emissions com-
tions have benefitted from a holistic pliance strategies.
perspective. It ensured that insights Cost Factors. Budget uncertainties
from all aspects of the plant de- limit available options. The viability
sign, operations, and maintenance of solution options was an import-
were included in the evaluation, ant consideration during discussion
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1705pe_19 19 4/27/17 11:19 AM

 FLEXIBLE GENERATION
of each issue. In many cases, the cost
of the solution option and the uncer-
tainty in getting corporate financial
support to deploy that option were
key factors. This observation rein-
forces the need for multiple solution
options with clear assessment of the
compromises that would be made
with a non-optimum fix.
Monitoring and Diagnostics. A
key aspect of the sustainability of po-
tential solutions and the impact on
plant staffs is the expectation of in-
creased monitoring and diagnostics
and the resultant significant increase
in data. Data acquisition/monitoring
centers could play a key role in ad-
dressing this challenge.
KEY INSIGHTS ON
GENERIC SOLUTIONS
The site visit workshops also identified
a number of insights on generic solutions:
New Design or Technical Ba-
sis. With the advent of changing
missions across the central station
generation fleet, developing an im-
proved understanding of the off-de-
sign operational impacts on plant
processes and equipment becomes
an important first step. Many plants
are conducting tests to measure these
impacts and the effectiveness of re-
medial actions. This includes char-
acterizing specific impacts of flexible
operation on major components,
such as the boiler, turbine, etc. These
efforts enable the development of a
new design basis or technical basis
for actions to correct or mitigate the
negative consequences of the new
mission.
Monitoring Equipment. Possible
damage could be avoided if the oper-
ations staff had information on the
units condition. For example, the
addition of wireless thermocouples
in and around the furnace could as-
sist with monitoring operating con-
ditions and also facilitate tuning of
20
1705pe_20 20
Highest Ranked Issues: Subcritical Coal Plant (One Unit)
/ extended layup with months that separate operational 2
periods, load-following mode
Technical Risks to be Evaluated/Managed
Combustion issues associated with cold-to-hot startups. 21
Pitting in reheater sections. 19
Turbine pitting and cracking, offline pitting. 19
Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) 19
temperature dependency at low load.
Impact of cycling on generator core integrity. 19
Optimizing ramp rates at unit startup. 19
Polisher/water treatment equipment layup techniques. 17
Boiler layup guidance. 17
Main generator lead low-cycle fatigue due to increased starts. 17
Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) and wastewater treatment chemistry. 15
Lower NOx at low loads when SCR not in service. 15
SO3 control with higher sulfur coal blends. 15
Managing generator hydrogen. 15
Turbine drain-line high-water content, erosion. 15
Nitrogen system availability and connections, procedures. 13
Combustion issues at low load. 13
Reduced startup times through re-evaluation
13
of pressure/temperature requirements.
Generator stator water cooling system layup. 13
Generator end-winding-basket integrity with
11
frequent starts and load changes.
Potential humidification needs for air-cooled generators. 11
Source:
the burners. Novel high-temperature shift from one generation asset to
semiconductor strain gages would another. A plant simulator capable
facilitate more effective monitoring of simulating several different oper-
of conditions that exacerbate creep ational modes would be helpful but
and thermal fatigue. may be seen as too expensive.
Measurement. Measurement of Cost Impacts. Discussions during
key process parameters are need- several site visits suggest that quan-
ed for automated control of criti- tifying the impacts of new missions
cal and complex processes, which such that costs can be determined
lessens the burden on operators would help in risk management
and reduces human errors. and resource (O&M and capital)
Burden on Staff. Impacts of more planning.
frequent startups challenge the Need for Holistic Solutions. The
plant staff. Industry guidance on issues associated with changing
proper layup, greater levels of au- mission profile require solutions
tomation, and on-line monitoring that span technical disciplines.
systems may help alleviate this For example, environmental com-
burden. pliance under changing mission
Training. It is essential to capture profiles requires understanding
the knowledge from current O&M the technical basis of key processes
staff before they retire. It may be (e.g., mercury oxidation, sorbent
necessary to retrain staff as they effectiveness) such that effective
www.power-eng.com
4/27/17 11:19 AM
 process controls can be implement-
ed. However, to successfully im-
plement and sustain this solution,
new instrumentation and controls,
advanced monitoring and diagnos-
tic systems, a new maintenance
basis, and operator training will
likely be needed.
FUTURE EPRI ACTIVITIES
The Pilot Project indicated the need
for future EPRI activities, including the
following:
Industry Resource. There is a
need for an industry resource that
defines, acquires, organizes, and
disseminates unit-level lessons
learned and experiences.
Review Process. For plants under-
going new missions and planning
an analysis of technical issues,
it would be beneficial to have a
systematic, cross-discipline SME
review process that identifies is-
sues, solutions options, and unan-
ticipated consequences.
Environmental Controls and
O&M. A number of needs have
arisen involving the connection
between environmental controls
and O&M. For example, an anal-
ysis is needed of air/water/solids
emissions such that capture of a
pollutant does not inadvertently
cause a more expensive or com-
plex problem of disposal.
WORKING GROUP
To proactively address the R&D needs
identified above and to bring the value
of the Pilot Project to all companies with
generation assets facing new missions, a
broad new industry collaboration was
established. The collaboration, called
the Mission Profiles Working Group
(MPWG), consists of 13 utilities, repre-
senting over 200,000 MW of fossil gener-
ation, and organizes groups that seek to
produce insights on how individual units
can most cost-effectively accommodate
new mission profiles.
Over two years, the MPWG has orga-
nized multiple working groups around
different high-priority design/mission
profile combinations. These groups con-
sist of cross-disciplinary subject-matter
experts who are identifying key issues
and solution options or work-arounds,
not just gold-plated fixes. The MPWG is
also establishing an industry resource in
the form of a living database of issues and
solutions. Under development, too, are a
self-assessment process based on the data-
base that provides a systematic approach
to assessing issues in an individual unit,
and a progressive layup guidance.

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1705pe_21 21 4/27/17 11:19 AM

 REHABILITATION
Dont Freeze
in the Dark
How UAF is Building What May Be
the Last New U.S. Coal Plant
O
BY JOHN SOLAN, P.E., MIKE RUCKHAUS, P.E., AND CHILKOOT WARD, P.E.
n a quiet Friday at 5
p.m. in December,
1998, the outdoor
thermometer at the
University of Alaska
Fairbanks showed minus 20 degrees
Fahrenheit. Inside the UAF Atkinson
power plant, an aging tube in the Unit
1 power stoker burst under 625 pounds
per square inch of pressure, filling the
facility with steam.
Steam condensation tripped off the
plant uninterruptable power supply,
which in turn shut off power to the
control system, shutting down the
plant and pitching the entire cam-
pus into darkness. Frigid air began
22
1705pe_22 22
Cold weather tenting for the Atkinson Heat and Power Plant
retrofit project at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.
The plant is being overhauled at a cost of $245 million.
Photo courtesy: Stanley Consultants.
attacking the buildings and dorms that
were heated by the steam system from
the Atkinson combined heat and pow-
er plant. Meanwhile, computer net-
works and communications systems at
the sister campuses in Juneau and An-
chorage failed due to their reliance on
facilities and equipment located on the
Fairbanks campus.
If the plant staff didnt move quick-
ly enough, untold millions of dollars
worth of damages would occur, from
frozen plumbing and HVAC systems to
the water treatment plant to damaged
research equipment and lose priceless
in-progress research specimens and
samples.
The top priority was to dry out the
campus switchgear and restore the
power supply to the campus. Once the
switchgear was functional, the staff
restarted the three undamaged boil-
ers. Working through the night, they
restored light and heat to the campus
in 12 hours. They would repair the rup-
tured tube and restart the remaining
boiler later that week.
Thankfully, no one was hurt in the
Dec. 11, 1998 incident. Although a
crisis was averted, the event served as
notice to UAF that its two end-of-life
boilers, installed in 1964, were a ca-
tastrophe away from significant dam-
age to the universitys infrastructure.
A CAMPAIGN BEGINS
UAF is a university looking to the
future. Founded in 1917, the university
has 10,000 students and 2,000 facul-
ty and staff at the Fairbanks campus,
which includes 3.4 million square feet
of academic, research, administrative
and housing space. Research funding,
which grew from $56 million in 1997
to $108 million in 2010, was one of the
key drivers in its expansion.
UAF needs energy generation to
grow. A $108 million life sciences
teaching and research building, a $5.3
million arctic health greenhouse, $4.7
million energy technology facility and
a $110 million engineering building
have been built or are in the construc-
tion stage. In addition, partly because
it has its own source of heat and power,
UAF is considered a place of sanctuary
for the surrounding community in case
of emergency, including floods and
earthquakes, therefore a reliable source
of energy was important.
UAF was witnessing campus growth
www.power-eng.com
4/27/17 11:19 AM
 Authors
John Solan is a senior mechanical en-
gineer at Stanley Consultants in Denver.
Mike Ruckhaus is senior project manag-
er at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
that exceeded its aging utility service turbines would require hundreds of Chilkoot Ward is UAFs Director of Utilities.
capacity, which operated on technol- miles of transmission lines due to the
ogy developed in the 1890s. No sig- low average of wind speed in the area. operational costs. In all, Stanley Con-
nificant utilities investment had been Hydro power on the nearby Chena and sultants evaluated several options for
made since 1999. As a result, it devel- Tanana rivers would take decades to UAF:
oped a campus utilities development develop and there is no viable source 1. Do nothing different and rehab
plan in 2006, which was followed by of geothermal. existing boilers. The two older
a series of reports and discussions Fuel cost was another major factor. coal-fired boilers would produce
with local and state political bodies. The nearest natural gas pipeline is 400 100,000 pounds of steam per hour
It culminated in the state funding $3 miles away, so it wasnt an option in the and the remaining diesel boilers
million for a preliminary engineering near or even long term. Liquefied natu- would generate 200,000 pounds
study to evaluate technology and fuel ral gas ($17/MMBTU) must be trucked of steam per hour. Cost, $25
options, and the effort was awarded to into Fairbanks, re-vaporized and then million through 2024, including
and performed by GLHN Engineers in distributed via city gas lines, but the capital and operating costs. No
2010. supply can become limited as the tem- allowance for campus growth. Re-
perature falls. Fuel oil ($18.85/MMB- liability issues.
THE COAL DECISION TU) and buying power ($50/MMBTU) 2. Coal-fired gasifier, reciprocating
Engineers started their analysis with were also high cost alternatives. Coal, engine and heat recovery system.
the big picture: Fuel supply and emis- supplied by rail from 130 miles away, Complicated arrangement with
sions. The mission was to produce en- costs $3.67/MMBTU. an estimated cost of $26 million,
ergy and more of it; yet because Fair- Fuel costs were only part of the for- through 2024, including capital
banks is in a valley clouded with wood mula, of course, along with capital and and operating costs. It produces
smoke from homes and businesses, the
area was classified as a non-attainment Cost Comparison
area for PM 2.5 under EPA standards.
UAF needed a larger plant that pro-
duced more energy for future campus
expansion but couldnt exceed its cur-
rent emissions level. It would need a
solution with emissions characteristics
that were far lower than the existing
equipment could accommodate.
Temperatures in Fairbanks range
from 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the
summer, to 60 below in the winter. In
2011, the university generated 57,000
MW-hrs annually and purchased an-
other nearly 9,000 MW-hrs from the
local utility. Chilled water production
for air conditioning amounted to 3.9
million ton hours.
While UAF would have loved to use
alternative energy sources to generate
power, it wasnt realistic. In January,
it would require 4,900 acres of photo-
voltaic panels in the paltry available
light, even if energy storage was avail-
able. Biomass wood or other organic
fuel -- requires 54,000 acres per year,
or 50 acres per day. Installing wind

www.power-eng.com 23

1705pe_23 23 4/27/17 11:19 AM

 REHABILITATION
power first rather than heat.
3. Gasifier, gas boiler and steam tur-
bine. Generates heat first, which
is attractive in a cold climate, but
is also complicated and costs $31
million through 2024. Would not
net out emissions.
4. Gas turbine generator, heat recov-
ery steam generator. Would need
liquefied natural gas storage and
vaporization facility. Produces
power first, rather than heat. Fuel
costs high and no reliable source.
Cost projected at $38 million
through 2024.
5. Gas boilers and steam turbines.
Cost and issues same as gas turbine
generator.
6. Municipal solid waste gasifier and
gas boiler with steam turbine was
looked at but there were too many
unknowns to develop a cost model.
7. Buying electricity from the local
utility to generate steam was cost
prohibitive.
8. Circulating fluidized bed boiler
and steam turbine. Two 140 Kpph
CFB boilers would provide 100
percent of future needs. Creates
heat first with high efficiency.
Cleaner technology that would net
out emissions in the present and
future. Cost, $24 million through
2024.
Given the economic and reliability
factors, the decision for the last option
surfaced as the best option. This also
had the benefit that would allow UAF
to retain its efficient combined heat
and power generation that averages up
to 70 percent efficiency. A circulating
fluidized bed boiler creates heat first,
ideal for a cold climate generation sys-
tem. The two new boilers would be
clean enough so that the steam capac-
ity could be increased to meet future
energy needs while staying under the
existing emissions cap.
Building a new coal plant in todays
24
1705pe_24 24
generation environment is unusual a Babcock & Wilcox CFB boiler. The
to say the least. The Department of company states that fluidized-bed
Energys inventory of planned gener- technology reduces NOx and SO2
ators as of November 2016, lists only emissions by allowing the control of
five planned conventional steam coal bed temperature and using reagents
plants, including UAF. Three of those such as limestone as bed material. It
have indefinite construction dates, and can also burn biomass or waste fuels,
the fourth, Two Elk Generating Station which are difficult to burn in conven-
in Wyoming, has completed minimal tional boiler systems. The manufactur-
construction. The UAF plant is 60 per- ers experience and design shows that
cent complete and scheduled for com- the CFB boiler brings high combustion
missioning in early 2018 with commer- efficiency, an economical design, high-
cial operation in November 2018. The er reliability and availability, lower
new boilers could be the last conven- maintenance costs, reduced erosion,
tional coal-fired units built in America, fuel flexibility and low emissions.
at least for many years. The key for UAF was to obtain a
guaranteed PM 2.5 emissions rate from
THE FUNDING CAMPAIGN Babcock & Wilcox, and therefore not
UAF filed an initial capital request derail the emissions permitting pro-
in Juneau for the plants funding and cess. While there was some debate,
gained the support of Alaska Senator the manufacturer ultimately made
Pete Kelly, who served on the Senate the guarantee, despite its high-perfor-
finance committee. The state approved mance level. It would be one of the
$245 million for the new plant in 2014,
after failing to approve funding in
2013. It was just in time. Plunging oil
prices caused a ripple of state budget
slashing. One years delay would have
killed the project.
With funding in hand, the project
commenced. An issue arose imme-
diately. It became apparent that two
new boilers and new facilities would
cost $50 million more than was fund-
ed, due to the realities of building a
power plant in Alaska. The project
team went to work on new plans: UAF
would install one large boiler in place
of two smaller ones. It would produce
240,000 pounds of steam per hour in-
stead of 280,000 and forfeit some flexi-
bility, but its redesign, along with elim-
inating administrative, maintenance
and storage facilities, would allow the
project to meet the budget.
DETAILED DESIGN
Steam drum lift. Photo courtesy:
UNDERWAY Stanley Consultants
In September 2014 UAF procured
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4/27/17 11:19 AM
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1705pe_25 25 4/27/17 11:19 AM

 REHABILITATION
lowest PM 2.5 emissions guarantee for a
coal boiler in the U.S.
As the detailed design process be-
gan, UAF had selected the construction
manager at risk (CMAR) contractor;
this early involvement would allow the
project team to capitalize on the con-
tractors construction expertise and
implement it in the design effort. The
CMAR contractor, Haskell Davis Joint
Venture (Haskell Corp. and Davis Con-
structors), provided independent cost
estimating and design review as each
segment of the project developed. Stan-
ley Consultants partnered with a local
firm, Design Alaska, which performed
civil, architectural, HVAC, plumbing
and fire protection planning. Design
Alaska also provided insight into artic
engineering practices.
Engineering challenges for seismic,
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1705pe_26 26
extreme weather conditions, and a
space constrained site were increased
when the design was also to account
for UAFs role as an essential facility
in the community, a place of refuge.
Buildings had to be able to function-
ally withstand seismic events. The soils
underneath the facility were porous
and sandy, therefore were subject to
liquification in an earthquake. They
had to be consolidated down to 50 feet
deep before construction began.
The final design produced some
novel features. Combustion air can be
pulled from out outside or inside the
building, depending on the time of
year. In warm weather, an intake duct
takes air from higher in the building,
which takes advantage of heat collect-
ed in the upper building. It reduces the
amount of pre-heating required before
air enters the boiler.
Steam turbines exhaust low-grade
heat that normally goes to waste.
During winter, UAFs heat recovery
system captures exhaust heat from the
turbine and transfers it via the chilled
water distribution system for preheat-
ing the air into the buildings through-
out campus. In the summer, the sur-
face condenser is removed from service
and the chilled water system functions
normally.
The air-cooled condenser controls
are designed for sub-arctic conditions.
The system varies air flow over the
ACC cells to ensure that no cells stag-
nate and potentially form ice. In addi-
tion to these features, some renewable
energy generation will be installed. So-
lar panels that will be installed on the
entire south side wall of the ash han-
dling building will generate up to 45
kilowatts during summer.
www.power-eng.com
4/27/17 11:19 AM
 For info. http://powereng.hotims.com RS# 13

1705pe_27 27 4/27/17 11:19 AM

 REHABILITATION

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1705pe_28 28 4/27/17 11:19 AM

 PERMITTING
The permitting process was unre-
markable. The emissions netting ap-
proach allowed the project to avoid
non-attainment new source review for
PM 2.5 as well as standard new source
review for the remaining pollutants.
Ambient dispersion modeling was also
avoided.
The Alaska Department of Environ-
mental Conservation granted a minor
source permit for the redesigned boiler
on Aug. 26, 2015 and a revised permit
on Oct. 21, 2016. There was little public
comment, because most residents un-
derstood there was no viable alternative
to coal, and that the plants efficiency
and pollution control capability would
be an improvement of the continued
operation of the existing coal boilers
CONSTRUCTION
Construction started during the
summer of 2015 with compacting soils
six months before the buildings foun-
dation was laid in spring 2016. The
soil was heated to prevent freezing.
Construction was fully underway by
the spring of 2016. The power island
foundations were completed by fall of
2016 and structural steel erection had
commenced and was proceeding.
Sub-arctic conditions continue to af-
fect construction, with a plan to contin-
ue construction through the winter un-
til temperatures hit minus 30. To date,
only a few days have been cold enough
to halt construction. To minimize pro-
ductivity and schedule impacts, the
temporary and permanent siding was
installed on the turbine and baghouse
buildings early so that workers would
be able to work in climate-controlled
conditions.
The new plant is designed to achieve
a miniscule .012 pounds of PM2.5 per
MMBTU; to triple the plants heat and
power output while improving efficien-
cy by 20 percent. The new plant will emit
only 20 percent of the nitrogen oxide 2
and 3 produced by the previous plant.
Sulphur emissions are lower as well,
while it allows reduced oil consumption
and renewable energy can be purchased
using the CFB boilers as a reliable base
load. It will have one of the lowest emis-
sion rates for PM2.5 of any coal plant in
the U.S. For the near- and mid-term fu-
ture, coal, using the latest available tech-
nology, was the right choice to power
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1705pe_29 29 4/27/17 11:19 AM

 DIGITAL SOLUTIONS

New Lean M&D

Solutions Promise
the Right Fix at the
Right Time manage the risk of the potential failure,
expedite the repair before a serious failure
occurs, and reduce the overall (actual and
avoided) cost to the plant.

M
BY RANDY BICKFORD Key Elements of a Lean M&D Solution
any large power gen- money or can put equipment and/or safe- 1. Scalable software minimizes the cost
eration fleet owners ty at greater risk. As a result, many smaller of implementation
have deployed cen- fleet operators are delaying implementa- 2. Accurate anomaly detection reduces
tralized monitor- tion of a centralized M&D capability or the number of false alarms
ing and diagnostic are looking to outsource their M&D needs 3. Automated diagnostics determines
(M&D) centers to improve generating to third parties. the cause for an anomaly
performance and reliability. These M&D Next generation Lean M&D solutions 4. Automated remaining life estimates
centers use advanced pattern recognition are now available that can more accurately guide the urgency for corrective ac-
(APR) software to provide an early warn- detect and characterize an anomaly with tion
ing of changes in equipment condition fewer false alerts and then apply automat- 5. Well-defined alarm management
that might indicate an impending failure. ed online diagnostics and prognostics to and workflow processes maximize
It is well documented that these central- determine the likely cause of the anomaly business value
ized M&D centers have saved millions of and predict the remaining useful life of By reducing the number of false alerts
dollars in avoided outage, maintenance the asset. This more advanced approach and automating the key expertise of
and lost opportunity costs. However, a captures and automates existing expert
significant investment of human and knowledge to provide more valuable and
capital resources must be made to achieve timely information to the plant staff or
these benefits. False alerts are common remote monitoring team. This, in turn,
and can distract M&D personnel from fo- allows the operations team to better
cusing on actual problems. Furthermore,
interpreting what is causing the changes
and determining the time horizon for
action requires manual analysis
and intervention by a time-con-
strained staff of experts and
a dedicated monitoring
team. This increases the
cost of monitoring
and can result in a
delayed, inconsis-
tent, or inaccurate
diagnosis that
wastes time,

30 www.power-eng.com

1705pe_30 30 4/27/17 11:19 AM


subject matter experts (SMEs), fleet oper-
ators can benefit from online monitoring
with a much smaller capital and human
resource investment. This Lean M&D ap-
proach can be an enabler for smaller fleet
operators who cannot afford the cost of a
dedicated team of experts and monitor-
ing staff. As the Lean M&D approach be-
comes more widely deployed, increasing
efficiency will follow from the ability to
capture and share valuable diagnostic and
prognostic expertise across the industry.
Taken together, these new analytics be-
come a core element of harnessing the In-
dustrial Internet in the power generation
industry.
www.power-eng.com
1705pe_31 31
One of the key factors enabling Lean
M&D is the availability of solutions de-
signed to scale easily across the Industri-
al Internet. These solutions are designed
to operate in the same way and perform
the same services when running on a net-
work edge device, on an engineering lap-
top or within a corporate or public cloud.
This creates multiple points of entry for
introducing powerful analytics that are
interoperable across a deployment. Many
new users benefit from solutions that can
be run in full function mode on a single
desktop or laptop. Few of the APR solu-
tions deployed today offer this option
and most require a large upfront infor-
mation technology (IT) investment that
has priced many smaller power generat-
ing companies out of the APR market. An
ability to develop monitoring solutions
locally and then scale up to the cloud or
down to the device or control platform,
when needed, is a new paradigm that is
an enabling factor for Lean M&D.
The primary value of an APR-based
solution is that it can be used to charac-
terize plant operating anomalies in detail.
Similar function can also be established
using first principle models, such as a heat
balance, when the variables of interest
can be modeled based on physical, ther-
modynamic or electrical principles. The
rise of APR solutions is mostly attribut-
able to the fact that it is extremely easy to
create an APR model of these same phys-
ical, thermodynamic or electrical prin-
ciples using machine learning methods.
Figure 1 on page 32 illustrates how APR is
used to transform an observed data signal
into a residual signal that has very useful
properties for online monitoring. The
APR model uses patterns in a set of signals
to estimate the expected value of each of
its input signals. The deviation between
the observed and expected signals, of-
ten called the residual signal, will have a
near zero mean and predictable statistics
when the monitored system is operating
normally and the APR model matches the
data. When the monitored system moves
Author:
Randy Bickford is president of
Expert Microsystems Inc.
away from normal operation, the change
in properties of the residual signal can be
characterized to define a set of symptoms
that describe the change in behavior.
It is no surprise that all APR solutions
are not equally capable of creating accu-
rate expected data signals for plant oper-
ating data signals. However, the accuracy
of the APR models expected data signal is
very important when implementing Lean
M&D. More accurate APR predictions
translate directly to earlier problem detec-
tion and a more accurate initial diagnosis.
More accurate APR predictions also mean
fewer false alarms and lower staffing costs
for alarm management. Managers of most
large fleet remote monitoring centers cite
false alarm management as the single
greatest cost and inefficiency within their
operations. Reducing the false alarm rate
and improving the accuracy of problem
detection and diagnosis is essential for
moving to a Lean M&D implementation.
What then are the attributes that sup-
port a highly accurate APR solution?
First, the APR algorithm itself controls
the quality of the predicted values based
on the observed values of the plant data.
Most algorithms in use today are propri-
etary, but in general, those that use re-
gression based methods will interpolate
the expected data values more accurately
than those that use cluster distance based
methods or principle component based
methods. A summary of several key fea-
tures of a highly accurate solution are list-
ed in Figure 2 on page 32.
Accurate APR solutions will also pro-
vide excellent support to help a user avoid
the garbage in-garbage out problem.
It is no surprise that a poorly designed
APR model will be less accurate than a
well-designed model. One key attribute
of a well-designed model is that there is
good correlation within the set of mod-
eled plant data signals. In other words,
there are actual patterns in the data for
the model to learn and work with. Anoth-
er key attribute of a well-designed model
is the historical data used for calibration
31
4/27/17 11:19 AM
 DIGITAL SOLUTIONS

APR Signals Figure 1 user intervention is not required for man-

aging mode-related false alarms.
Accurately characterizing changes in
the plant data when a problem occurs is
an essential prerequisite for analyzing the
cause for anomalies automatically and
providing the user with a diagnosis. Lean
M&D solutions continuously update the
diagnosis and advise the user based on
the evolving state of the alarm events pro-
duced during monitoring. Alarm types
useful for online diagnostics should in-
clude detectors for abnormal changes in
plant data including: positive and nega-
APR creates expected data signals corresponding with observed plant data signals.
tive mean value changes, increases and
(a.k.a training) contains the full range Mode selection is automatic based on decreases in variance, excessive positive
of normal operation for the monitored monitoring the plant control variables or and negative rates of change, and val-
equipment and does not contain any data operating data values. Mode partitioning ues outside of reasonable ranges. These
from conditions that should be recog- allows finely tuned models to be engaged are available for application to observed
nized as abnormal by the APR solution. transparently as the monitored system data, predicted data and residual data
Well-designed models also tend to re- moves through start-up, changing power and are configurable for each operating
quire less on-going maintenance there- levels, maintenance, and shut-down peri- mode. Alarm settings used to character-
fore further reducing the resources need- ods of operation. Alarm suppression and ize anomalies are learned during initial
ed to maintain aLean M&D deployment. enablement are also mode specific so that model calibration and are updated over
Some next generation APR
solutions go even further for Features of a Highly Accurate Online Monitoring System Figure 2
improving APR accuracy by
including tools for adaptive Key Feature of Ideal Lean M&D Solutions Primary Benefit
online calibration and oper- Use the right tool for the best estimates and
Runs APR and first principle models together
ating mode optimization of use these estimates for diagnostics and
within a common Lean M&D framework
the APR models and alerting prognostics
thresholds. Adaptive calibra- Provides a high-performance APR tool
Highly preferred over APR tools that detect only
tion assures that false alarm providing accurate estimates for individual
that the modeled group of signals is abnormal
rates remain low, despite nor- signals
mal aging related changes in Provides operating mode partitioning of
Improve model accuracy, reduce false alarms
the monitored equipment. models and fault detectors for mode-
and manage changing equipment line-ups
This can help avoid the time
specific settings
and effort needed for peri- Provides automatic model calibration and Use machine learning to derive and maintain
odic manual recalibration of adaptive calibration updating all model parameters automatically
the APR models and alerting Provides automatic fault detector calibration Use machine learning to derive and maintain
threshold settings. and adaptive calibration updating all fault detector alarm settings automatically
Operating mode model Provides real-time diagnostic conclusions
Embed expertise in diagnostic models to make
partitioning offers even great- for complex problems having overlapping
the expertise portable and instantly available
symptoms
er benefit for accuracy by auto-
matically optimizing the APR Predicts remaining time available to take Influence maintenance and supply chain
models and alarm thresholds
corrective action for each diagnosed planning to reduce operating cost and lower
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 DIGITAL SOLUTIONS
time using adaptive calibration.
The diagnosis process itself can take
one of three primary forms, all of which
can be driven by the online monitoring
alarm events. One common approach
uses a rule-based expert system to process
the alarm events. Most engineers are fa-
Diagnosis Model
Diagnosis model for several combustion turbine problems having common symptoms.
miliar with the IF-THEN rules approach
used in an expert system and these can be
effective in simple diagnostic scenarios.
In the alternative, model-based reasoners
and case-based reasoners are better suit-
ed for more complex scenarios, wherein
multiple concurrent causes and overlap-
ping symptoms are involved. Automated
diagnostics for critical plant equipment
often falls into this complex scenario.
As an example of a model-based ap-
proach, consider the diagnosis options
for an observed increase in heat rate
during operation of a combustion tur-
bine. Figure 3 shows that an increase in
heat rate will often be accompanied by
one or more other symptoms, seven of
which are identified on the bottom two
rows of the diagram. Each of these symp-
toms can be activated or deactivated by
the online anomaly detection system,
for example using APR models and fault
detectors. On the top row of the diagram,
three possible causes for the increase in
heat rate are shown: compressor fouling,
turbine inlet temperature control error,
and compressor discharge temperature
measurement error. If the alarm state of
34
1705pe_34 34
the fault detectors is as illustrated by the
yellow highlight, the compressor fouling
diagnosis is the best supported cause for
the observed anomaly.
Determining the remaining time avail-
able to take a corrective action in response
to an anomaly condition depends strong-
Figure 3
Prognostic Methods
Predicting the time horizon for condition-based maintenance of a gas turbine compressor.
ly on making the correct diagnosis. In a
simple example for a human being, a high
core temperature might indicate for a flu
or, in the alternative, appendicitis. When
additional symptoms confirm appen-
dicitis, a very different time horizon for
corrective action will apply. Lean M&D
solutions link the online diagnostic sys-
tem with appropriate online prognostic
models.
Accurate APR methods provide a valu-
able resource for implementing a wide
range of effective prognostic models use-
ful for moving to condition-based and
predictive maintenance strategies. By
effectively characterizing the way a mon-
itored system is moving away from a nor-
mal condition, these solutions provide a
unique prognostic opportunity for many
practical maintenance planning prob-
lems. In the simplest cases, data driven
prognostics can predict how long before a
filter should be backwashed or changed,
or how long before an operations limit
will cause an alarm to occur in a control
room. Once again, the accuracy of the es-
timated values will influence the result.
An accurate prediction of the expected
values provides an accurate measure of
the rate and magnitude of the deviation
of the monitored system away from nor-
mal conditions.
Figure 4
As an example of a prognostic mod-
el, consider the problem of determining
when the compressor section of a gas
turbine should be scheduled for a water
wash to correct compressor fouling and
the resulting loss in cycle efficiency. In
the plots shown in Figure 4, an aircraft
gas turbine progresses from an acceptable
condition at the beginning of the data set
to a maintenance needed condition at
www.power-eng.com
4/27/17 11:20 AM
 the end of the data set. APR models are
used to monitor the airflow parameters
and the temperature parameters from the
compressor inlet to the exhaust section.
Remaining time until required mainte-
nance is predicted using a combination of
the abnormal change in static pressure aft
of the compressor section and the abnor-
mal change in exhaust temperature aft of
the low-pressure turbine. When both con-
ditions occur simultaneously, the diag-
nostic system alerts for a decrease in com-
pressor section efficiency. The diagnostic
alert activates the prognostic model for
compressor efficiency loss, which begins
tracking the degradation in efficiency
and estimating the remaining number of
flights before the monitored engine must
be scheduled into a depot for inspection
and maintenance.
The power of these prognostic methods
is evident in the four plots presented in
Figure 4. In the upper left, the blue trace
shows the turbine exhaust temperature
measured at cruise for a series of flights.
The temperature values have a wide dy-
namic range because each data point can
be taken at a different altitude, ambient
temperature and power lever angle set-
ting. In comparison, the corresponding
APR expected values are shown in the
lower left plot. The expected values track
the observed values well. By computing a
residual degradation signal from the ob-
served and expected values, as shown in
the plot on the upper right, it is evident
that the exhaust gas temperature is slowly
creeping up as the data progresses from
flight-to-flight.
At 177 flights into this data set, the di-
agnostic model alerts with a diagnosis of
compressor efficiency loss. This activates
the prognostic model to automatically
evaluate and track the number of flights
remaining before maintenance is re-
quired, as shown in the lower right plot.
In this case, a perfect prediction would be
a straight line from fifty-six (56) flights
remaining at flight number 177, which is
the time of the initial diagnosis, to zero
(0) flights remaining at flight number
233, which is the known condition where
maintenance is required for this engine.
As is often observed, the remaining life
predictions in this example are more un-
certain at first and improve as the path
of the degradation signal becomes better
defined.
Lean M&D combines anomaly de-
tection with advanced diagnostics and
prognostics to assemble an integrated
and automated system that significantly
reduces the resources needed for a central
monitoring team of experts. This allows
smaller power generators to enjoy all
the remote monitoring center benefits
enjoyed by larger power generators who
today can afford to retain expert staff for
performing diagnostics and prognostics.
All of this comes with a much lower ini-
tial investment and lower overall cost for
operations.

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BUSINESS TRENDS
Harnessing
the Potential of
Energy Storage
E
BY RICHARD MCMAHON AND LOLA INFANTE, EDISON ELECTRIC INSTITUTE
nergy storage has been
called a game changer,
a panacea, and a dis-
ruptor. It has garnered
widespread interest from
electric companies, residential custom-
ers, businesses, manufacturers, regula-
tors, and policymakers. Its potential for
growth has been described as astro-
nomical and colossal, and its bene-
fits sometimes touted as incalculable.
Indeed, energy storage has the poten-
tial to be a true game changer.
It is a very promising technology
that, along with other elements of a
diverse resource mix, will benefit con-
sumers by allowing greater penetration
of renewable energy; creating more dy-
namic generation, transmission, and
distribution systems; and enabling
transportation electrification, micro-
grids, smart grids, smarter cities and
communities, and all the visions of the
future energy grid.
Energy storage technologies include
batteries, flywheels, compressed air,
thermal storage, and pumped hydro-
power. These technologies all provide a
way to save previously generated ener-
gy and to use it at a later time, which is
why energy storage is such a useful and
versatile resource for electric companies
and their customers.
Although energy storage has been
around for decades in one form or an-
other, only recently has it become a vi-
able technology able to provide multi-
ple benefits to customers as well as the
36
1705pe_36 36
energy grid, and energy storage is well
on its way to becoming an integral part
of our electricity system. While costs
are still relatively high for many energy
storage devices, costs are rapidly declin-
ing for some storage technologies, facil-
itating their deployment.
Yet, as penetration of energy storage
increases, the limitations of existing
rules and regulations are becoming
increasingly apparent, prompting a re-
view of state and federal policies aimed
at reducing regulatory barriers and
allowing these technologies to partic-
ipate in the marketplace on a compara-
ble basis with other resources.
Authors:
Richard McMahon is vice president
of Energy Supply and Finance for the
Edison Electric Institute. Lola Infante is
senior director of Generation Fuels and
Market Analysis for the Edison Electric
Institute.
ELECTRIC COMPANIES
DRIVING THE DEPLOYMENT
OF ENERGY STORAGE
Electric companies are the largest own-
ers and operators of energy storage. They
use energy storage facilities through the
assets that they own directly and also
through the ones that they contract via
Southern California Edisons Tehachapi Energy Storage
Project, which was built near one of the largest wind pow-
er hubs in the U.S. the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area.
The project uses lithium ion batteries to store excess
wind power. Photo courtesy: Southern California Edison.
long term contracts, or power purchase
agreements. Many large-scale storage
projects including pumped hydropow-
er storage and thermal storage projects
would not be economical without a guar-
antee of use by electric companies in the
form of a long term contract. According
to the U.S. Department of Energy, elec-
tric companies represent more than 98
percent of energy storage projects in the
United States, including pumped hydro-
power, and are a significant contributor
to the sectors rapid growth. Looking only
at newer energy storage technologies,
www.power-eng.com
4/27/17 11:20 AM
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 BUSINESS TRENDS
and excluding large-scale pumped hy-
dropower projects, electric companies
remain the largest users, representing 75
percent of U.S. energy storage capacity.
Of the 22 electric company-owned
storage projects commissioned in 2015
and 2016, all but one were battery stor-
age systems. Lithium-ion systems repre-
sented 98 percent of the battery projects,
making electric companies a significant
contributor to the adoption of the fastest
growing energy storage technology in the
United States
THE BENEFITS OF
ENERGY STORAGE
Energy storage can bring benefits to
electric companies, businesses, and res-
idential customers. For electric com-
panies, the primary benefits of energy
storage are added flexibility, reliability,
and resiliency. More specifically, energy
storage can be used in
various ways to opti-
mize and support the
energy grid; increase
The speed
reliability, resiliency of operation
and operational flex-
ibility; improve the
is a key
integration of variable consideration
resources such as solar
and wind power; and
when
weighing
storage as an
option...
Convergent Energy + Power worked with Central
Maine Power to install a 3-MWh battery asset
engineered by Lockheed Martin. A single energy
storage system can yield multiple, complemen-
tary sources of value, known as value stacking.
Photo courtesy: Convergent Energy +
38
1705pe_38 38
enhance the customer experience.
Flexibility
Storage allows energy grid operators
to better manage constant fluctuations
in supply and demand. As electric com-
panies integrate more renewable energy
sources like solar and wind, energy stor-
age can provide more flexibility to the
energy grid by helping to manage these
variable resources.
Energy storage can help with renew-
ables integration in two primary ways.
First, storage can help to address the
variability of renewable energy produc-
tion systems like wind and solar. While
weather forecasting is improving, there
is still uncertainty about when the wind
will blow and the sun will shine. Energy
storage provides an option for storing
wind or solar energy that may be in ex-
cess of immediate demand and saving it
until demand is high enough to draw it
out of storage.
In this way,
certain types
of storage tech-
nologies can
allow a vari-
able renew-
able energy
resource, like
wind or solar,
and then deployed during more costly
to perform like one that is more steady
and measurably reliable.
Second, the rapid response time of
some types of energy storage makes them
effective tools for managing changes in
energy output that can occur with some
renewables, such as when wind speeds
fluctuate or clouds pass over solar panels.
In addition to the uncontrollable weather
changes, there are inherent operational
challenges with variable resources. For
example, when the sun rises, output from
solar resources escalates quickly (and vice
versa in the evening), resulting in either a
steep increase or decrease in output that
can make it challenging to match avail-
able resources with load requirements
in real-time operations. The ability of
certain types of energy storage to meet,
shift, or smooth peaks in demand for
energy becomes an important tool for
grid operators. As it takes less than one
second to dispatch many forms of ener-
gy storage, the speed of operation is a key
consideration when weighing storage as
an option for providing both flexibility
and reliability.
Reliability
The reliability of the energy grid is en-
hanced by energy storage in a variety
of ways. Storage can provide a host of
grid-support or ancillary services in-
cluding managing peak load, essential
reliability services, and reserves that
are critical to managing the energy grid
and maintaining service without inter-
ruption.
One use of energy storage is as a re-
source to help manage peak load. Tradi-
tionally, peak load is met with resources
that are able to start quickly but run for
limited times (i.e., peaker plants)
most often simple-cycle natural gas
combustion turbine plants. Energy
storage technologies can provide an
alternative. Storage systems can hold
several hours of energy that is generat-
ed during off-peak hours at lower cost
high-demand periods.
www.power-eng.com
4/27/17 11:20 AM
 Energy storage can provide essential
reliability services frequency regula-
tion and voltage support two import-
ant aspects of system reliability. Frequen-
cy regulation is the moment-to-moment
reaction to frequency deviations from
the standard 60 Hz. Some types of ener-
gy storage, with near-instantaneous re-
sponse times, play a key role in correcting
for unintended fluctuations in output
from generators. Voltage support is
necessary to maintain proper opera-
tion of equipment, prevent damage
to generators from overheating, and
reduce transmission losses. Energy
storage can serve as voltage support by
providing or absorbing reactive power
and by helping to maintain a specific
voltage level on the grid.
Reserve capacity is another import-
ant aspect of grid reliability in which
energy storage can play a role. Electric
companies are required to keep certain
amounts of available generation capacity
that can be accessed quickly in cases of
power disruption or unexpected swings
in demand. Similar to the way it can be
dispatched quickly for peak load man-
agement, energy storage can be used to
help meet or reduce the need for these
reserve requirements.
Resiliency
Electric companies constantly plan
and prepare for restoring service safely
and efficiently in the event of disrup-
tions. In order to re-energize the energy
grid after a power outage, electric com-
panies use black-start resources to restore
service quickly. Energy storage has some
particular characteristics that fit the re-
quirements of black-start resourcesspe-
cifically, the ability to operate on standby
and be disconnected from the energy
grid until needed. Storage also provides
the short-term benefit of fast response,
a crucial attribute for quickly restoring
power in a black-start situation, although
the duration of discharge may limit the
effectiveness of some storage devices for
this application.
Energy storage also can serve as a back-
up power source to individual loads or
even entire substations in the event of a
transmission or distribution outage. This
may be an effective alternative to a trans-
mission or distribution upgrade or serve
as an interim solution while a long-term
plan is implemented. Similarly, storage
resources play a vital role in microgrids.
These standalone energy systems can
operate in parallel with or independent-
ly of the energy grid. The value of a mi-
crogrid is its ability to maintain service
when the broader energy grid experi-
ences interruptions. Electric companies,
the U.S. military, industries, and cities

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1705pe_39 39 4/27/17 11:20 AM

 BUSINESS TRENDS
and communities around the country
are using or considering microgrids as
a way to increase their resiliency and
manage their own energy needs. In all
of these systems, energy storage is a vi-
tal component.
Customer benefits
In addition to the many benefits that
energy storage can provide to the en-
ergy grid, energy storage technologies
also can provide services to customers
directly. As mentioned above, resilien-
cy is an important service valued by
many types of customers. Other cus-
tomer uses include the opportunity to
maximize the benefits of private solar
production by reducing the demand for
grid-provided electricity, for example.
CHALLENGES REMAIN TO
WIDER DEPLOYMENT OF
ENERGY STORAGE
Despite its growing popularity, energy
storage continues to face challenges that
are preventing these technology options
from achieving their market potential
and maximizing the benefits that they
can provide. Today, some of the main
challenges for energy storage include the
relatively high cost for some technolo-
gies, as well as regulatory requirements
and ownership restrictions that can
make it difficult for these technologies to
participate in the markets on a compara-
ble basis with other resources.
Allowing energy storage to cap-
ture multiple value streams increas-
es its cost-effectiveness
High costs are still a challenge to wider
deployment of energy storage solutions.
Although the costs of some technologies
are declining, energy storage devices re-
main expensive relative to other technol-
ogies and services. While some storage
technology costs are decreasing rapidly,
it is critical to remove other barriers for
energy storage adoption, so that the full
benefits of energy storage can be real-
ized as these resources become more and
more prominent.
40
1705pe_40 40
The early days of energy storage devel-
opment are revealing a path toward mar-
ket growth and industry maturity that is
sustainable and cost-effective and that
relies on policy and regulatory changes
rather than mandates and incentives. In
this context, lowering barriers for market
participation and ensuring that regula-
tions recognize the operational flexibility
of energy storage will be key to ensuring
that energy storage technologies and ap-
plications develop a viable business case.
For example, although energy storage
devices often are able to provide multi-
ple energy grid services and to partici-
pate in different markets, they some-
times cannot capture all value streams
due to existing market rules, require-
ments or restrictions. The ability of en-
ergy storage to provide the services that
it is technically able to provide and to
capture multiple value streams will be
critically important to make these re-
sources more cost-effective.
Rules need to recognize the
flexibility of energy storage
Because existing regulations were
developed at a time when pumped hy-
dropower was essentially the only form
of energy storage, they do not account
for the particular characteristics and in-
trinsic flexibility of some newer storage
technologies, such as batteries. Energy
storage is a unique resource in that it re-
quires a two-way flow as it both charges
and discharges electricity. It is also a very
flexible resource that can provide differ-
ent types of energy grid services. It can
support generation, transmission, and/
or distribution operations as well as cus-
tomer-sited applications.
Classification rules at the state and
federal levels may need to be updated to
accommodate resources like storage that
are able to provide multiple services. Up-
dating these rules will help to ensure that
how a resource is classified (e.g. as genera-
tion, transmission, distribution, or load)
does not hamper or preclude its ability to
provide other services on a comparable
basis with other resources. Market rules
should be clarified or modified so that all
resources that are capable of providing a
product be able to participate in that mar-
ket. Market products should be defined
in a technology-neutral way so that mar-
ket products and rules are geared toward
the service needed rather than toward
specific resource types. This will help en-
sure that product requirements and eligi-
bility are tied to the underlying opera-
tional needs of the system and not the
characteristics of specific types of gen-
eration. The Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission and Regional Transmis-
sion Organizations already are work-
ing toward modifying existing rules so
that classification rules accommodate
multiple uses and allow energy storage
devices to maximize their applications
and, thus, enhance their energy grid
and societal benefits.
Ownership restrictions limit growth
In certain areas of the country that
have restructured their electricity mar-
kets, electric companies may not be al-
lowed to own generation assets. Access
restrictions derived from existing asset
classification rules (when, for example,
storage is classified as a generation asset),
mean that electric companies in some
parts of the country may not be allowed
to invest in energy storage devices. Yet
electric companies are responsible for en-
suring the reliability of the energy grid.
Their inability to own energy storage in
some cases takes away an option to en-
hance the reliability and resiliency of the
nations energy grid to the benefit of all
customers.
For example, electric companies with
their extensive knowledge of the electric
system are in the best position to be
able to identify the most valuable appli-
cations and the optimal locations to site
resources on the energy grid. The location
matters when it comes to the deployment
of distribution system assets, including
energy storage. The same resource can
CONTINUED ON PAGE 48
www.power-eng.com
4/27/17 11:20 AM
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1705pe_41 41 4/27/17 11:20 AM

 GAS TURBINES
Not all
HEPA Filters
are the Same
I
BY STEVE HINER
neffective gas turbine inlet filtra-
tion will cost a power plant a lot
of money through reduced tur-
bine efficiency, increased main-
tenance costs and lower turbine
availability. In the face of these impacts
on the bottom line, many turn to (High
Efficiency Particulate Air) HEPA filters to
increase the efficiency of their inlet filtra-
tion system and, in turn, their gas turbine.
Unfortunately a higher filter efficiency
rating alone will not give an operator a
complete picture and may even cause
more problems than it solves. This article
42
1705pe_42 42
will look into some of the main points
operators should consider to ensure they
get the best from their filtration solution.
Because of the volumes of air a gas tur-
bine consumes, the choice of inlet filtra-
tion system has a huge impact on turbine
performance. Selecting an inappropriate
solution will leave the turbine exposed
to contaminants that can corrode and
impede its performance. The wrong type
of filter for an installation can also lead
to sudden restrictions to the inlet air flow
causing pressure spikes and unexpected
turbine shutdown. Selecting a solution
that will protect the turbine as well as
optimize maintenance and performance
requires an understanding of the local
environmental challenges a filter needs
to face.
Gas turbines are often installed in
harsh conditions. The local environment
can contain high volumes of sand; salt,
if near to the coast; pollution and hydro-
carbon mists; snow; excessive rainfall;
elevated levels of moisture from mist, fog
or high humidity levels or, of course a
combination of any or all of these with
seasonal variations. To effectively protect
www.power-eng.com
4/27/17 11:20 AM

Harsh conditions make filter choices tougher.
HEPA-rated filters will perform differently
depending on design and construction. Make
sure your filter choice is right for your specific
site conditions.
Operating Data Comparison
Turbine operating data can help show how different HEPA filters perform in the same environment.
www.power-eng.com
1705pe_43 43
the gas turbines, a filtration solution
needs to handle the local, real-world con-
ditions in which it is installed.
Fine particles that reach the turbine
blades can stick to them and, as they build
up, affect aerodynamic performance.
This will cause a reduction in output
power and increase in heat rate that will
ultimately require an offline wash. The
more frequently this maintenance proce-
dure needs to be carried out, the greater
the cost impact through lost MW output
and increased rates of fuel usage. Filters
use media that captures particulates and
prevents them reaching and harming the
internal parts of the gas turbine. The high-
er the efficiency of the filter, the finer the
particles it captures.
DOES SALT THREATEN
YOUR TURBINE?
If a power plant is located within 12
Author:
Steve Hiner is chief engineer of Gas
Turbine Inlet Systems at CLARCOR
Industrial Air.
miles of the sea, salt may be a particular
contaminant that puts turbine perfor-
mance in peril. While dry salt will be cap-
tured in the same way as other dry partic-
ulates, the affinity salt has for absorbing
water and moisture means it needs spe-
cial consideration.
As with other contaminants, salt can
stick to turbine blades and reduce aerody-
namic efficiency. Its stickiness, however,
can increase the rate at which this occurs.
Salt is also particularly harmful because,
if allowed into the turbine internals, the
sodium in the salt can combine with sul-
fur in the fuel in the hot section of the tur-
bine to cause accelerated corrosion. In the
cold end, the chlorine in the salt will ad-
ditionally act as a pitting corrosion initia-
tor. The overall impact salt can have on a
gas turbine can lead to exceptionally high
maintenance levels and premature failure
of the turbine.
1
43
4/27/17 11:20 AM
 GAS TURBINES
WILL A HEPA FILTER
BETTER PROTECT A
TURBINE?
To improve turbine protection some
may conclude that a high efficiency par-
ticulate air (HEPA) filter will be the best
option. To capture finer particles, howev-
er, means finer media is used which, in
the presence of moisture or hydrocarbon
mists, may be prone to sudden blockag-
es that can have a serious impact on tur-
bine operation. This is because moisture
caused by mist or fog consists of tiny
droplets that can work their way into the
media matrix and become stuck block-
ing pathways for the air to pass through.
The presence of captured hydrocarbons
from pollution in the media generally
concentrates this effect further, making
it even harder for tiny water droplets to
escape, increasing the filters sensitivity.
This same effect does not generally
happen with the larger droplets of rain, as
these coalesce on the media surface and
drain, being too big to get into the media
matrix itself. Similarly, as high humidity
does not contain droplets, this will gener-
ally pass through with little effect.
Standard filter efficiency ratings are
based on laboratory testing in a con-
trolled, dry atmosphere an environ-
ment that is a long way from that of a
power plants. Just relying on filter effi-
ciency rating alone, therefore, does not
give a complete picture of how a filter
will perform once installed in a specif-
ic installation environment. For exam-
ple, simply selecting a fine filter media
may not allow for the effects of moisture
which can result in shortened filter life
expectancy, bypass of corrosives, in-
creased maintenance cycles (and cost),
and the need for fast operator reaction
times to deal with sudden pressure
spikes. Indeed, the hydrophobicity of a
filter, its ability to keep liquid contam-
inants out should be a major consider-
ation for the power industry, where un-
expected turbine outage can be a costly
occurrence.
44
1705pe_44 44
NOT ALL HEPA FILTERS
ARE THE SAME
When it comes to HEPA filtration,
there are two main options to select
from: a filter made from Microfiber
glass (glass fiber) or PTFE membrane.
Both can provide HEPA level filtration
and filter out fine particles from the gas
turbine inlet. To achieve this, both use
fine media but they are constructed and
perform very differently.
PTFE is a simple polymer composed
of carbon and fluorine. Expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) fil-
ter membranes consist of a single, very
thin layer of finer media that creates a
sieving, surface filtration effect. While
highly efficient at capturing fine parti-
cles, this means the membrane has a rel-
atively low filtration surface area. Any
moisture droplets that become trapped,
therefore, can quickly cause a complete
blockage of the inlet filter. In real-world
installations, the complete blocking of
these filters can occur in as little as three
weeks after installation.
Microfiber glass filters use a media
layer that is ten times thicker than ePT-
FE, greatly increasing the filtration sur-
face area. Rather than using the ePTFE
model of a thin layer of finer pores, it
uses its depth to capture particles as
they travel inside its matrix. Even if
moisture droplets block pores within
the media, the volume of pores means
the media will take much longer to be-
come completely blocked. Any deteri-
oration will happen slower than with
ePTFE membranes; extending the life
of the filter and giving operators plen-
ty of warning that cleaning or replace-
ment is required. It is this predictable
performance that, for the time being,
continues to make microfiber glass the
preferred choice in heavy industrial ap-
plications.
ROBUSTNESS OF
FILTER DESIGN
Many filters are designed for use in
HVAC or laboratory-style conditions. To
withstand the rigors of a power plant, a
filter needs to be designed to handle a
tougher environment and greater oper-
ating pressures.
Particular areas of weakness to con-
sider when reviewing a filters construc-
tion include the gasket that seals the
filter to its holding frame. Any joins
in this gasket may be potential break
points. The protection provided to the
media pleat packs, i.e. does it have sup-
porting mesh downstream to enable
the pleats to cope with the increased
working pressures in this application?
For cartridge filters, the way the me-
dia pleats are glued to hold the pleats
is important as any glue beads formed
in the assembly process if not done cor-
rectly may break off the filter once it is
installed. The overall materials of con-
struction, including the compatibility
of any adhesives also needs to be ap-
propriate for the site conditions to avoid
brittleness or cracking and to ensure the
filter frame does not become warped
over time or under the wider extremes
of operating temperature.
OPTIMIZING A
FILTRATION SOLUTION
Selecting a filtration solution will
depend on a number of factors beyond
filter media and unit design. The best
solution may not be the most expensive
and, ultimately, it is how the turbine
performs that shows the suitability of a
filter for its application. The level of out-
put and heat rate of the turbine and how
this varies over time are the best forms
of data in establishing the effectiveness
of a filtration solution. If an operator
sees unacceptable increases in heat rate
and decreases in output, then the fil-
tration solution should be re-evaluated
and other types considered.
Although testing standards contin-
ue to be researched and developed as
environmental factors become more
clearly understood, one of the problems
www.power-eng.com
4/27/17 11:20 AM
 Microglass vs. Membrane
HEPA filters are typically constructed from two media choices PTFE membrane or microglass.
The thickness of the media can play a large role in filter operating performance.
operators face today is that the standard
efficiency rating of the filter will not
necessarily equate to the performance
of the installed system. Recent com-
parative studies carried out by a major
gas turbine OEM on the performance
of equivalent ePTFE membrane and
microfiber glass HEPA filter products
covered overall efficiency, pressure loss,
hydrophobic performance, wet perfor-
mance and the dust holding capacity of
each technology. The tests showed the
microfiber glass filters to produce equal
or better performance than the ePTFE
equivalents, and at a lower cost.
This article is not trying to say micro-
fiber glass media is better than ePTFE.
CLARCOR manufactures ePTFE mem-
branes which are successfully installed
in many other filtration applications
and future developments may well de-
liver improved resilience to moisture
and hydrocarbons of this media type.
www.power-eng.com
1705pe_45 45
As the technology stands today, how-
ever, the unpredictable response ePTFE
membranes have to the wide-ranging
air contaminants found at gas turbine
installations means CLARCOR does not
recommend them for use on turbine in-
stallations.
SUMMARY
Filter test standards and materials for
use in gas turbine filtration solutions
continue to develop as we learn more
about environmental impacts. What
is clear is that operators need to take
a wider view of filter and turbine per-
formance rather than considering only
standard efficiency ratings.
Both microfiber glass and ePTFE
membranes can provide HEPA filtration
levels. While ePTFE membranes can
deliver a typical lifespan of two years,
however, this is still much shorter than
microfiber glass equivalents for power
2
plant gas turbine installations. Where
moisture levels are high or there is like-
lihood of fog or mist weather events,
the thicker microfiber glass media will
give a more predictable response. ePT-
FE solutions will require close moni-
toring and quick change out to protect
machinery if they suddenly become
blocked.
As technology and understanding
develops, it is recommended that pow-
er plant operators consult filter man-
ufacturers to understand the options
available to them. By working with
filter suppliers that appreciate and un-
derstand the varying needs of different
environments, a turbine can be better
protected and this may not be the most
expensive option. By eliminating un-
necessary maintenance or shutdowns
and improving turbine performance,
the right solution can give a very quick
return on investment.
45
4/27/17 11:20 AM
 Author
NUCLEAR POWER Michael McMahon is President of
Day & Zimmermanns Engineering,
Construction and Maintenance Group, a
provider of total plant lifecycle solutions
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant is on 1,700 acres on the northern for the power, process, and industrial
end of the Chickamauga Reservoir near Spring City, in East markets.
Tennessee. Each unit produces about 1,150 megawatts of
electricityenough to service 650,000 homeswithout
creating any carbon emissions.
more information about how the initia-
tive works. While it was an important
gesture, suppliers cannot wait for nuclear
utilities to engage them. A proactive ap-
proach to helping to deliver the nuclear
promise is needed.Here are some initia-
tives that industry suppliers can take.

SHARE IMPROVEMENT
OPPORTUNITY IDEAS
NEI has set-up a mechanism for
suppliers to participate in the nuclear
promise initiative by submitting im-
provement opportunity ideas. This is
the most obvious way for suppliers to
help and they should take advantage of
it early and often. Thats because they
are in a unique position to make rec-
ommendations. Suppliers often work

How Suppliers Can

Help Deliver the
Nuclear Promise
T
BY MICHAEL P. MCMAHON at multiple sites and with multiple util-
he Nuclear Energy Institutes (NEI) Delivering the Nuclear Prom- ity companies from across the industry.
ise initiative was launched in December 2015 with the goal of in- Many suppliers have been in the in-
creasing efficiency across the nuclear industry in order to ensure its dustry for decades and have seen what
long-term viability. With more than a year of evidence, its clear the works and what doesnt work when it
initiative is working. According to a February speech from NEI Pres- comes to efficiently managing projects.
ident Maria Korsnick, the programs efforts identified $650 million in potential Suppliers must leverage their experi-
savings that could be realized through new programs and processes in 2016. Ad- ences and identify new ways to bring
ditionally, people from across the industry collaborated to produce 46 efficiency value to nuclear plant operations by
bulletins which outline efficiency improvements across all aspects of nuclear plant passing on what they have learned and
operations. Korsnick said that 95 percent of those recommendations are being im- making sure best practices are incorpo-
plemented across the industry. rated into all of the projects they work
As encouraging as the program has been, there is still significant work left to do. on. This, accompanied with a detailed,
Engaging suppliers will be crucial to the initiatives ultimate success. Last June, as well-executed change management
part of an effort to reach out, industry leaders met with a group of suppliers to provide plan is critical to success.

46 www.power-eng.com

1705pe_46 46 4/27/17 11:32 AM

 BE A PARTNER,
NOT A PARTICIPANT
Its one thing to share improvement
opportunities ideas, but if those ideas are
to be incorporated effectively, there must
be an increase in collaboration between
both utilities and suppliers. They must
work together at the site and fleet levels
to understand the unique context of the
challenges utilities face and to identify
opportunities for efficiencies savings, and
innovations throughout the value chain.
While suppliers and utilities always work
together to complete projects, the level of
collaboration can vary.
Suppliers are not always brought in
at the earliest levels of project planning,
making it difficult to ensure that proj-
ects are executed efficiently. Without
a conversation before work begins, it is
more difficult to accurately define proj-
ect scope. This can leave both sides in a
poor position if projects go over budget or
past schedule. Suppliers need a seat at the
table as a true partner in order to deliver
the most efficiency possible. As the nucle-
ar promise initiative continues to evolve,
supplier and utility collaboration will be
an essential part of its success.
STANDARDIZING
TRAINING &
QUALIFICATIONS
Effective worker training is a key con-
tributing factor to the efficiency and reli-
ability that nuclear plants currently enjoy.
Workers are the ones on the ground that
make sure tasks are executed safely and
properly. Unfortunately, there is current-
ly no standardized training certificate
for workers in the nuclear industry. This
means that workers often receive duplica-
tive training when working for new plants
or utilities. When a contract worker is a
proven commodity -- one that has worked
on numerous projects and passed previ-
ous training programs -- requiring them
take an additional training course simply
because they are working at a new plant
is inefficient. While there should be some
www.power-eng.com
1705pe_47 47
plant-specific orientation programs, the
standardization of general practices and
procedures across the industry would
make for a better training experience for
workers and utility operators. Steps are
currently in place to address this through
common Hard Hat Ready courses, yet
work still needs to be done in terms of
developing and recognizing standardized
qualifications in welding, rigging, torque-
ing, and other tasks.
Suppliers must take an active role with
their utilities to identify these redundan-
cies and collectively work with industry
resource groups to develop and imple-
ment standardized task evaluations that
can be recognized from site to site.
ENGAGE WITH
OTHER SUPPLIERS
The nuclear promise initiative encour-
ages utilities to work collaboratively to
solve problems. It also encourages sup-
pliers to participate by sharing ideas. But
there is one notable gap in this system. It
does not address the need for suppliers to
collaborate with other suppliers. On any
given nuclear project multiple suppliers
are involved upstream and downstream.
During outages the number of staff from
outside vendors can double or even sur-
pass the number of permanent on-site
staff. There is natural interaction between
vendors during the course of projects, but
much like utilities, there needs to be more
conversation that takes place outside of
the vacuum of specific projects.
Groups like the Nuclear Suppliers Asso-
ciation are one way for suppliers to con-
nect and share ideas, but they also must
be conversing in more informal ways and
more frequently; particularly at the site
level. While suppliers are often competing
against each other, they must find ways to
collaborate to make each utility success-
ful and maintain the viability of nuclear
power. Suppliers do not need to share pro-
prietary processes, but they can find ways
to work more efficiently together and im-
prove project coordination. Utilities can
become much more efficient if suppliers
show a willingness and ability to collabo-
rate to solve problems.
A CONTINUED
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY
IMPROVEMENT
Safety cannot be taken for granted, es-
pecially in the midst of significant change.
While the nuclear industry as a whole
has a tremendous track record for safety
performance, suppliers must be daring
enough, along with their utility counter-
parts, to imagine a future with zero inju-
ries. Such a drastic change wont happen
by executive mandate. Itll happen when
workers at every level believe its possible
and are actively engaged in the process.
Suppliers and utilities must have one
voice for safety that is modeled by lead-
ership and supervision and reinforced
through mutual accountability. This is the
kind of bold thinking of years past that
challenged the status-quo and helped us
achieve unparalleled results. Its time to
challenge the status-quo again, to think
beyond an incident rate and get to zero.
WORKING TOGETHER IN
AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
An increasing shift toward lowering
carbon emissions in power generation,
the regulatory policies of a new adminis-
tration, and advances in nuclear reactors
and other types of generation will play a
role in the industrys ability to grow and
prosper. Some of these factors are difficult
or impossible to control.
Thats why the nuclear promise initia-
tive was focused on what the industry can
control: driving down costs and improv-
ing efficiency. Suppliers have a choice
to make.
They can choose to be another out-
side factor that is difficult to control, or
they can choose to be part of the solu-
tion. Collaboration between suppliers
and utilities will be necessary to put
the industry in the best possible posi-
tion to succeed.
47
4/27/17 11:32 AM
 BUSINESS TRENDS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 40
help or hurt the reliability and resiliency
of the energy grid depending upon where
it is located by alleviating or enhanc-
ing congestion, for example. This is not
only important for reliability, but it also
has a direct impact on costs as new tech-
nologies have the potential to defer or to
reduce the need for incremental invest-
ments or, on the contrary, require ad-
ditional investments in new capacity or
distribution upgrades.
Electric companies are uniquely posi-
tioned to continue to promote a variety
of advanced technologies, including stor-
age, due to their broad geographic reach,
direct interaction with customers, expe-
rience with system optimization, experi-
ences in deploying energy efficiency and
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48
1705pe_48 48
and taking steps to resolve them before
they create reliability problems. Energy
storage will be an important tool to
achieve that common goal.
A BETTER WAY TO PROMOTE
ENERGY STORAGE
Energy storage will continue to gather
support as a key resource able to provide
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challenges mentioned above will be im-
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not only are able to fully provide all of the
services that they are technically able to
provide, but also that they are integrated
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they can offer. Only by maximizing its
grid benefits, will energy storage be able
to maximize revenue streams, while also
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grid. Similarly, electric companies should
be involved in resource deployments
across the entire electric value chain. Be-
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in all segments of electricity production
and delivery, it is a natural fit for electric
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RS# COMPANY PG# RS# COMPANY PG# SALES OFFICE

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www.3M.com/Ligui-Cel Gear Corporation Phone: 918-835-3161, Fax: 918-831-9834
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Hitachi Power
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2 Magnetrol 3 www.victoryenergy.com
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Rentech Boiler Systems
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15 Siemens PLM Software 29
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22 Southern C3
Environmental Inc
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18 Stanley Consultants Inc 37
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Operations LLC
11 Viega 25
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12 Volvo Penta 26
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23 VSP Technologies C4
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14 Zeeco, Inc 28
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Advertisers and advertising agen-
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(including text representation and il-
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www.power-eng.com 51

1705pe_51 51 4/27/17 11:33 AM

 GENERATING BUZZ
Carnegie Mellon Power Sector
Carbon Index Shows 24
Percent Decline From 2005
T
he first edition of the newly-ina-
guratedCarnegie Mellon Power
Sector Carbon Index indicated
emissions from U.S. power producers
has declined 24 percent since 2005.
The index, sponsored by Carnegie
Mellon University and Mitsubishi Hita-
chi Power Systems, indicated electrical
sector emissions reached 1,001 pounds
ofCO2per MWh in the fourth quarter of
2016, which is an increase of one percent
compared to the fourth quarter of 2015.
The report concluded that, overall, the
entire power sector is getting cleaner and
more efficient, even with the rise this year.
A lot of people would be surprised
to hear that, since we usually hear bad
news about climate change, said
Paul Browning, CEO of Mitsubishi
Hitachi Power Systems. In fact,
52
1705pe_52 52
weve made quite a bit of progress in the
power sector.
Coal generation rose 12 percent year-
over year to 31.8 percent of total gener-
ation, while natural gas generation fell
nine percent to 30.6 percent of total
generation.
Even with the rise in generation,
carbon intensity of coal and natural
gas both fell by two percent to 2231
pounds of CO2 per MWh for coal and
930 pounds of CO2 per MWh for nat-
ural gas.
Renewable generation rose seven per-
cent to 16 percent of total generation,
while nuclear rose four percent to 20.6
percent of the total.
Even with President Trumps order
to revisit the Clean Power Plan, Brown-
ing said he expects that trend to continue,
as emissions from new generation have
been dropping since the second Bush ad-
ministration thanks to renewables and
growing efficiencies of gas turbines.
We feel that its markets and tech-
nologies that are driving this trend,
he said. Government regulations are
important to this trend, but its less im-
portant than markets and technology.
Browning said hes an alumnus of
Carneghie Mellon and serves on the
deans advisory board, though the com-
pany considered multiple universities
for partnership on the carbon index.
Ultimately we were very impressed
by the faculty we brought forward on
this project, he said.
www.power-eng.com
4/27/17 11:33 AM
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