As the contribution of renewable energy sources grow on electrical power grids, so does the cycling its intermittency creates for power producers. This cycling affects steam used to drive the generators. For power stations where the electric generators are steam-driven, this steam is created by coal, nuclear, geothermal, solar thermal, waste incineration and sometimes natural […]
For electrical power producers, the phrase “heat rate” refers to the efficiency of the power plant. It is defined as the thermal energy in divided by the electrical energy out. Emerson’s Lydia Miller let me know about a new whitepaper, Using Automation to Improve Plant Heat Rate that highlights ways to improve the efficiency of […]
Energy, often the largest controllable cost for process manufacturers, needs to be carefully managed for efficient operations. In a Control Engineering magazine article, Optimize multi-fuel boiler operation with modern control, Emerson’s Bob Sabin highlighted the growing use of waste fuel streams and optimized combustion control. The goal is to not only reduce energy costs and […]
Emerson’s Joel Lemke, Bob Sabin, and Scott Pettigrew presented Instrumentation and End Devices Needed for Improved Boiler Operation at the 2012 Emerson Exchange. Their abstract: While boilers are critical to plant/mill operation and business results, their performance is often not ideal. Poor combustion results in higher fuel costs and increased emissions. Lack of reliability and […]
Many power producers have goals to use renewable resources in their electrical energy mix—by either regulation or economic incentive. At the ARC Industry Forum this week in Orlando, Minnesota Power’s Luther Kemp presented the company’s plans to expand renewable sources of energy using wind and biomass to achieve 25% of their generating capacity by 2025 […]
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