Heat rate, as any power plant engineer knows, is the amount of energy a plant has to expend in order to generate a unit of work or electricity. It’s expressed in Btu/kWh, or how many Btu/hr of energy are needed to generate one kW. For decades, the gold standard of… Read More
When it comes to choosing the right type of expansion joint for your plant, it can be hard to know whether metal or fabric is the best option. The answer really depends on your needs, so let’s take a look at the various situations in which you might opt for… Read More
When it comes to coal power plants, efficiency is the name of the game. Ultimately, more efficiency means fewer bottom-line costs. Higher efficiency ratings mean that coal is more competitive against natural gas and renewables. All other things considered equal, pursuing higher efficiency can be one of the best decisions… Read More
On September 30, the EPA released a new final rule that will impact over 1,080 gas, coal, and nuclear power plants – as well as any new plants that come online – when it comes to power plant discharges and ash handling. The rule, a modification for existing regulation 40… Read More
Woodyards can be classified into three main categories: automated, manual, and semi-automated. Deciding on which approach best suits a facility’s needs requires careful evaluation of several criteria: Volume – the amount of fuel storage and throughput Size – the footprint for the woodyard Budget – capital outlay vs. operating costs… Read More
Many factors drive modern plants to make process equipment changes during outage season. Two of the most common are 1) demands for increased production and 2) process variable changes. Centrifugal fans used throughout the power production process are frequently the subjects of these changes. What follows is an account of… Read More
Many integrated pulp and paper mills built in the twentieth century are still in operation and are largely self-sufficient — some are even capable of generating 75 percent of their own power by burning waste wood. There’s a lot to learn from them about biomass fuel handling. However, most air… Read More
To achieve optimum efficiency, an industrial fan manufacturer needs to size and design a fan so that its performance curve and system resistance curve intersect at an efficient point. If the system resistance curve is not accurately predicted, fan performance and operating efficiency are likely to suffer. Unfortunately, not all… Read More
