Professional Documents
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OF MANUFACTURING INNOVATION
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121 YEARS
Cycling
and
Flexibility
In a combined cycle one-on-one configuration, its capable of producing a whopping 540 megawatts.
With an unprecedented 99.5% reliability. All while achieving over 63% efficiency. You want maximum
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changeinpower.com
12 Changing
(918) 831-9492 tmiser@pennwell.com
ONLINE EDITOR Robert Evatt
(918) 831-9835 roberte@pennwell.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITORBrad Buecker
(913) 928-7311 beakertoo@aol.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITORBrian Schimmoller
Mission Profiles
Research efforts are focused on quantifying damage
(704) 595-2076 bschimmoller@gmail.com
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
(918) 832-9378 deannat@pennwell.com
by the Electric Power Research Institute to assess such damage.
MARKETING MANAGER Adrienne Adler
(603) 891-9420 aadler@pennwell.com
22
CIRCULATION MANAGER Linda Thomas
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER I Jesse Fyler Dont Freeze in the Dark
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
1421 South Sheridan Road Tulsa, OK 74112
$245 million upgrade calls for replacing the boilers and steam
P.O. Box 1260, Tulsa, OK 74101
Telephone: (918) 835-3161 Fax: (918) 831-9834 turbine. It may be the last new coal-fired plant built in the U.S.
E-mail: pe@pennwell.com
World Wide Web: http://www.power-eng.com
For assistance with marketing strategy or ad creation, 30 New Lean M&D Solutions
please contact PennWell Marketing Solutions
VICE PRESIDENT Paul Andrews
Promise Right Fix at Right Time
Products that detect anomalies are being combined with advanced analytics to determine
(240) 595-2352 pandrews@pennwell.com
automatically the cause of changes in equipment condition and the remaining time before action
CHAIRMAN Robert F. Biolchini
is needed. This automation means a much smaller capital and human resource investment.
VICE CHAIRMAN Frank T. Lauinger
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Mark C. Wilmoth
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE
DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGY Jayne A. Gilsinger 36 Harnessing the Potential
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE AND
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Brian Conway
of Energy Storage
Although energy storage has been around for decades in one form or
SUBSCRIBER SERVICE another, only recently has it become a viable technology able to provide
P.O. Box 3264, Northbrook, IL 60065
Phone: (847)559-7330
multiple benefits to customers as well as the grid. Energy storage is well
E-mail: poe@halldata.com on its way to becoming an integral part of our electricity system.
46
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Outsiders Driving
Unprecedented Change
BY RUSSELL RAY, CHIEF EDITOR
I
magine building an unmanned, fos- growth for electricity worldwide. of decentralized power.
sil-fuel power plant abroad that can Opportunity is knocking for power Some utilities are redefining their role
be turned on and off remotely from generators in desperate pursuit of in- as a power provider to reflect this ongo-
an office in New York City. Its not a creased efficiency amid flat or declining ing shift in the power market. Expect tra-
pipe dream. One such plan is now un- demand for electricity. For power produc- ditional power companies to evolve into
der discussion and there are probably ers, the opportunities to exploit these in- energy management companies charged
more in the works. novations to trim costs, increase sales and with managing the complexity created by
Its not surprising, considering the boost efficiency are growing at breakneck growing supplies of decentralized power.
convergence of digital solutions, power speed, thanks to new digital technologies. Expect utilities to begin designing, build-
plant technologies and technical ad- In this issue of Power Engineering, well ing and managing onsite power systems
vancements in automation. Consider be examining one of the benefits borne for their industrial customers. And expect
this: A significant percentage of jobs in from digital innovation. Specifically, our an overhaul of traditional energy eco-
the U.S. (38 percent) and abroad will author from Expert Microsystems Inc. ex- nomics that places a higher value on in-
be lost to automation in the next 15 plores the benefits of advanced pattern formation borne from digitalization.
years, according to a new study from recognition software and how it can At the turn of the century, more than
PricewaterhouseCoopers. be used in conjunction with advanced half of the nations power was produced
The power sector is on the cusp of un- analytics to identify warning signs of with coal and the prospects of renewable
precedented transformation, which is an impending failure. This kind of au- power and energy storage playing a star-
being driven by technological forces out- tomation also means a much smaller ring role in U.S. power generation were
side the power sector. Expect both great capital and human resource invest- quickly dismissed. The technologies were
collaboration and intense competition ment for power producers. too expensive, unproven and difficult to
between these brash newcomers and the The new power sector will be very dif- integrate into a grid built around coal.
industrys established players ferent. Decentralized power systems Today, renewable power and energy
The power sector has traditionally will flourish as entities other than storage are two of the biggest emerging
been slow to embrace change. Most ma- investor-owned utilities and indepen- markets in power generation. The cost
jor changes in the power sector have been dent power producers enter the power of energy storage has plunged 60 percent
driven by those on the periphery of the generation market. Today, small and in the last two years and officials predict
power industry, not by those within the large businesses in every sector can the U.S. will add 7,300 MWh of storage in
industry. The transformation underway produce their own power to better 2022 alone, up from 336 MWh in 2016.
now is no different. manage their demand and create new Renewable resources accounted for most
The heart of this transformation can revenue streams. Utilities and IPPs are of the generation capacity added in the
be found in the digital realm of the Infor- struggling to adapt and should take ad- U.S. in 2016 63 percent to be exact.
mation and Communication Technology vantage of abundant opportunities for Solar led the way at 39 percent.
(ICT) sector. The technical innovations collaboration between centralized and These new drivers of change are
in this sector are re-shaping entire in- decentralized power providers. creating new possibilities for power
dustries, economies and societies. Inno- Although the threat of more consum- producers and consumers. The estab-
vations based on digital ICT include ers leaving the grid to produce their own lished players and these new drivers of
the introduction of artificial intelli- power is real for utilities and IPPs, reports change will be gathering in Las Vegas,
gence, the use of augmented reality of a looming death for providers of cen- Nevada, later this year at POWER-GEN
and self-driving electric vehicles. The tralized power are outdated and exagger- International 2017.
power sector isnt exempt from these ated. Some utilities and states have made If you have a question or a comment,
ICT-driven evolutions. ICT innovation great progress in modifying their business contact me at russellr@pennwell.com.
will be a major factor behind demand models to reflect the growing popularity Follow me on Twitter @RussellRay1.
2 www.power-eng.com
For info. http://powereng.hotims.com RS# 2 magnetrol.com 800-624-8765 info@magnetrol.com 2017 Magnetrol International, Incorporated
Westinghouse Files for developments for Florida Power & Light. We are pleased to announce the en-
Bankruptcy Protection The Barefoot Bay, Blue Cypress and try into service of this major wind farm,
Westinghouse Electric Company filed Loggerhead solar plants are being con- which is also the first in Enels US port-
for Chapter 11 bankruptcy las month. structed in the Vero Beach area, while the folio to generate energy for a corporate
Though parent company Toshiba had Hammock plant will be built just east of off-taker, said Rafael Gonzalez, Head
promised it would ensure new nuclear de- Fort Myers. The project sites range from of EGPNA. Thanks to this significant
velopment projects undertaken by West- 400 to 600 acres with a combined total achievement, in Kansas we are now
inghouse would continue, including the of more than one million solar panels to managing our largest portfolio of North
Virgil C. Summer nuclear station in South be installed, and will begin operations by American wind farms and we are further
Carolina and the Alvin W. Votgle nuclear the end of 2017. strengthening EGPNA REP, the joint ven-
plant in Georgia, it is not yet clear how the The four are part of theeight solar proj- ture which is supporting our dynamic,
bankruptcy filing would ultimately affect ects FPL announced it will build, each sustainable growth in North America.
construction of those projects, both of with a capacity of 74.5 MW. EGPNA also owns four additional
which are three years overdue. Black & Veatch builtthree 74.5 MW so- wind facilities totaling 1.1 GW inKansas.
lar developmentsfor FPL in 2016, which
tripled the utilitys solar capacity. Toshiba America Energy
Systems President and
Sale of FitzPatrick Plant CEO Departs
to Exelon Finalized Toshiba announced Ali Azad, president
Exelon officially completed its pur- and CEO of Toshiba America Energy Sys-
chase of the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear tems Corporation, departed the company
Power Plant in Scriba, New York. effective March 31. Though the company
Entergy Corp. sold the 850-MW facility thanked Azad and wished him well, there
In a media statement, Westinghouse for $110 million. Entergy had originally was no further information.
indicated the restructuring was due to fi- planned to shut down the plant. Toshiba America Energy Systems Cor-
nancial and construction challenges with The state of New Yorkauthorizedup to poration was created on April 1, 2015, to
its nuclear power plant projects. $7.6 billion in ratepayer subsidies to keep integrate the companys thermal, hydro-
The New York Times indicated the nu- FitzPatrick, as well as two other nuclear power and nuclear steam turbine and
clear construction projects undertaken plants in the state, operational. generator business for both Toshiba and
by Scana Energy and Georgia Power may Exelon named Joseph Pacher, former its Westinghouse subsidiary. Azad was
face new contract terms, lawsuits and loss- site vice president at R.E. Ginna Nuclear the divisions only president and CEO.
es. Cost estimates for Sumner and Votgle Power Plant, as the site vice president for The news came the same week West-
are $1 billion to $1.3 billion higher than FitzPatrick. Brian Sullivan, former Fitz- inghouse filed for bankruptcy protec-
budgeted, and could exceed $8 billion. Patrick site vice president, was retained by tionafter $6 billion in losses from nuclear
Experts indicated the bankruptcy Entergy. development. Though the company re-
might terminate the construction con- Exelon noted the acquisition is part of asserted it would complete new nuclear
tracts and force Scana and Georgia Pow- the companys broader effort to preserve development projects undertaken by
er to find another builder. Stan Wise, the nations existing nuclear facilities. Westinghouse, experts were uncertain
chairman of the Georgia Public Service how the bankruptcy would affect future
Commission, said the utilities developing Enel Completes development.
the Votgle station would need to re-evalu- 400-MW Wind Farm
ate the project and determine whether it Enel Green Power North Americahas Wartsila to Supply 28-MW
would make sense to continue. begun operations at the 400-MW Cimar- CHP Plant to Canada
ron Bend wind facility in Clark County, Wartsila announced it will supply a 28-
Black & Veatch to Provide Kansas. MW combined heat and power plant to
EPC Services for FPL The $610 million project has a long- the Meliadine Gold Mine project in Can-
Black & Veatch announced it will term power purchase agreement with ada for owners Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.
provide engineering, procurement and Google and the Kansas City Board of Pub- The order includes five Wartsila 34DF
construction services for four solar lic Utilities. dual-fuel engines running light fuel oil or
4 www.power-eng.com
6 www.power-eng.com
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FOLLOW A LEADER
E
nvironmental interest groups deadline and four intervener groups burdens that unnecessarily encumber
celebrate with each utility proj- sued to force EPA to act. Seth Jaffe, of energy production, constrain econom-
ects cancellation; every proj- the blog www.lawandenvironment. ic growth, and prevent job creation.
ect delay is also a success. President com, says if Congress enacts even a Then EPA administrator Pruitt wrote
Trumps proposed America First significant portion of the budget cuts to the governors of each state that they
budget cuts $2.6 billion, or 31 percent, requested by President Trump, were are neither required nor expected to
from 2017 funding and discontinues going to see a lot more such cases. work towards meeting the compliance
funding for the Clean Power Plan, in- The court order includes several key date set in the Clean Power Plan.
ternational climate change programs, statements: The rally cry for intervener groups is
and climate change research and part- The Clean Air Act provides that the now prewritten. They will surely focus
nership programs. This budget, if en- district courts of the United States their efforts on climate change regula-
acted, will have an opposite effect from shall have jurisdiction to compel tions. Acknowledging both that utilities
that intended. Power plant projects nondiscretionary agency action emit a large portion of U.S. greenhouse
which benefit on paper from the cuts that is unreasonably delayed. gases and that public passion centers on
to EPA will in fact be delayed by citizen Courts should be wary of agen- climate change, public uproar and law-
suits attempting to restore EPAs power. cy arguments that more time is suits will center on utilities.
The Clean Air Act (CAA), which can- needed to improve the quality or Utility companies learned from the
not be changed without an act of Con- soundness of the regulations. lessons of the Clean Air Mercury Rule,
gress, explicitly authorizes citizen suits If the EPA finds the schedule set by the Clean Air Interstate Rule, and the
to enforce CAA provisions. Section 304, the Clean Air Act to be unreason- Cross-State Air Pollution Rule that le-
aptly titled Citizen Suits, states any able, the agencys remedy lies with gal challenges to environmental rules
person may commence a civil action Congress, not with the Courts. create economic uncertainty when
against the United States to enforce In response to the proposed presi- funding power plant maintenance or
an emission standard or limitation, dential budget, the EPA estimates 25% expansion projects. Nothing in the
against the Administrator where there of its staff will be laid off. This budget executive order nor the new EPA pol-
is alleged a failure of the Administrator blueprint serves merely as a guideline for icy negates the fact that the Supreme
to perform any act or duty, or against any final enacted congressional budget. Court ruled that greenhouse gases are
any person who proposes to construct However, with a Republican majority in a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. Al-
or constructs any new or modified ma- both houses of Congress, massive cuts to though not perfect, the Clean Air Act at
jor emitting facility. EPA will no doubt occur. least had become well understood by
Intervener groups are intimately fa- Following quickly after the presiden- utilities over the last 45 years of its im-
miliar with this power granted to them tial budget blueprint, two additional plementation. Utilities, through their
under the CAA, most recently in re- actions occurred that on the surface interest groups, had input into the
gards to EPAs delay in promulgating air seem to favor utility companies. First pending regulations. Now, certainty
toxics standards. On March 22, 2017, a President Trumps executive order on has been thrown out the window.
federal judge in the District Court for Promoting Energy Independence Therefore, the utility which argues
the District of Columbia ordered EPA and Economic Growth declared: It against EPA cuts would both curry fa-
to promulgate emission standards for is in the national interest to promote vor with the public while advocating
13 sources of hazardous air pollut- clean and safe development of our for EPA policies which reduce econom-
ants by June 30, 2020. EPA admitted Nations vast energy resources, while ic and regulatory uncertainty for their
that they had missed the regulatory at the same time avoiding regulatory power plant projects.
8 www.power-eng.com
I
n their search for reliable, flexible, Wartsila reciprocating engines that sat- for the project.
low-cost sources of power, inves- isfied Alexandrias requirements. The needs? Reliable, affordable energy
tor-owned utilities, municipal util- The engines can be started up in about and the ability to operate in temperatures
ities and rural cooperatives have varying five minutes, which means that sudden as low as 40 degrees below zero Fahren-
pressures and selection factors but many demands from the grid could be accom- heit. In addition, in case the supply of nat-
of them choose the same technology modated. All or one of the engines can be ural gas was interrupted, the plant could
solution: reciprocating engines. used at any time, providing more reliabil- switch to fuel oil stored onsite. The coop-
Overall power trends affecting their ity and flexibility. The engines even fit in erative would also be asked to produce as
choices in the U.S. are readily visible: a tight space adjacent to the citys existing much as 145 MW during the winter and
Decommissioning of small and medium plant in the middle of town and meet the as little as 50 MW during the summer. The
coal-fired units, natural gas-fired pow- citys stringent noise requirements. After installation of 10 new Wartsila 17.1 MW
er generation for peaking and base-load installation, the fuel mix is 47 percent engines met MEAs needs because of their
capacity, rapid growth of renewables; coal, 50 percent gas and 3 percent hydro. ability to add grid reliability and fast re-
growth of distributed generation and sponse time in case of load following. The
mixing of power generation technologies TALLAHASSEE FLORIDA: plant is 30 percent more efficient than its
within a utility. BUILD THIS PLANT FAST former power supply. MEA is producing
The versatile reciprocating engine Tallahassee needed to add power gen- electricity for its members at a lower cost
is increasingly being selected as the eration quickly, and reciprocating engines and generating additional revenue from
solution to these challenges, from one fit the bill. selling excess capacity to other utilities.
small engine to a bank of larger en- Power production manager Triveni
gines. While the engines can operate Singh said the multiple small units fits THE BENEFITS OF THE
on fuel oil or other liquid fuels, they the citys load profile and will comple- RECIPROCATING ENGINE
primarily burn natural gas. ment the planned 20 MW solar facility. Reciprocating engines provide a
Efficiency, low maintenance and high re- proven, reliable technology, but recent
INDIVIDUAL PRODUCER liability in addition to the quick-start ca- upgrades in efficiency and reliability
NEEDS VARY: A TALE OF A pability were also keys, Singh said, as well are making them the go-to choice for
FEW CITIES as lower C02 emissions and the ability to the addition of small to medium-sized
The city of Alexandria, Louisianas be located at distributed sites. power generation.
contract with the local utility had ended. For larger applications, reciprocating
How could the city upgrade its aging fleet, PALMER, ALASKA: engines may not be a fit. The overall plant
be self-sufficient and stabilize rates for 20 EXTREME TEMPERATURE footprint is smaller for a combustion
to 30 years while joining the Midconti- CHANGES, EARTHQUAKE turbine, and the heat rate, or efficiency
nent Independent System Operator? City CONCERNS looks better, especially in combined cycle
officials also wanted a diverse, sustain- Matanuska Electric Association is Alas- mode. In larger plants, capital costs can be
able fuel source. kas oldest existing and second-largest lower with combustion turbines as well.
The citys prior fuel mix for gener- electric cooperative. MEAs service area According to the U.S. Department of
ation was 80 percent coal, 17 percent includes more than 4,300 miles of pow- Energy, Gas-fired reciprocating engines
gas and 3 percent hydroelectric. As part er lines in Southcentral Alaska. MEA had are the fastest-selling, least expensive
of the EPC team selected for the proj- purchased power from another Alaska co- distributed generation technology in the
ect, Stanley Consultants acted as engi- operative but wanted to be more self-suf- world today. The technology does not fit
neer-of-record for the balance of plant ficient and generate their own. Stanley every situation, but has found its way into
for the installation of the seven, 9 MW Consultants served as owners engineer the power generation ecosystem.
10 www.power-eng.com
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Changing
Mission
Profiles
BY
Y MIKE CA
CARAVAGGIO
GGIO AND
AN NORRIS HIROTA,
HIROTA
O
ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE
ver the past decade, and to collect best practices and new tech-
fossil and hydro gen- nologies and processes to mitigate dam-
eration plants have in- age and increase flexibility. The project,
creasingly experienced called Changing Mission Profiles, has
significant changes in consisted of a pilot project of power plant
their operating strategies, or mission pro- case studies to evaluate the experiences of
files, compared to their original designs. different unit types and an industry work- frequency and level of cycling required.
These changes include new operating re- ing group that convenes to share effective Several years ago, a generation plan-
gimes with increased cycling, extended solutions and strategies. ning research study, funded jointly by
unit layups, and prolonged periods of low To date, seven case studies have been EPRI and the U.S. Department of Ener-
turndown. conducted, and the results have been gy, found that the extent and diversity of
The changes, in turn, are creating a summarized in an EPRI report enti- increased flexible operations will be pro-
multitude of challenges for the plants and tled Changing Mission Profiles Pilot Project found over the next 20+ years. The major-
their operating staff in areas ranging from (3002005859). In addition, the working ity of dispatchable units will experience
component degradation to staffing levels, group has held multiple sessions to iden- the necessity for flexible operations, and
O&M budgets, and meeting environmen- tify the technical issues and solutions for possibly multiple mission profiles. Flexi-
tal compliance under non-baseload con- different combinations of unit types and ble operations will also be geographically
ditions. mission profiles. widespread; most power companies will
Several years ago, to help the utility have to support multiple mission profiles
industry address these challenges, the CHALLENGES OF across their fleets in managing current
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) INCREASED OPERATING and future assets.
launched a multi-utility, collaborative re- FLEXIBILITY According to this same research, flexi-
search project to identify the critical tech- Flexible operation of power generation ble operation is the principal issue arising
nical issues associated with these trends assets is not new. What is new today is the from increased variable generation, and
12 www.power-eng.com
key hurdles are operations at minimum result, there may be greater levels of in a decision to balance costs or risks.
loads and significant amounts of ramp- dependence on more accurate mea- Not understanding these margins or
ing at high rates (Figure 1). The study also surement of key parameters, optimi- impacts can lead to unanticipated
projected frequent, large changes in aver- zation and process controls, remote consequences.
age hourly generation for combined cycle monitoring systems, and more bur- Burden on Staff. Changes to plant
and conventional fossil assets, as well as dens on the operator. design and/or operational mission
significant periods of low-load operations Integrated Impacts. Integrated tend to place a larger burden on
and reserve standby. plant impacts are not well under- plant staff. These changes can place
As many generation units find that the stood or documented. Plant design more responsibility, knowledge re-
need for increased operational flexibility margins and the consequences of quirements, restrictions, and error
is becoming more commonplace, they are reducing them are integral to un- traps on plant staff. For example,
facing several challenges: derstanding the impacts of modifi- the technical basis (that is, failure
Complex Operations. Flexible cations, installation of new systems, modes, degradation rates, preventive
operations are inherently more and alternative operational and maintenance frequencies, equip-
complex. As units are operated maintenance strategies. For example, ment monitoring needs, etc.) for
more flexibly and/or with specific an equipment design life consump- maintenance may need to be modi-
retirement horizons, plants need to tion rate under off-design operation fied, implemented, and maintained
operate closer to design limits. As a might be an important consideration by limited staff resources.
www.power-eng.com 13
14 www.power-eng.com
plant personnel. These workshops em- key insights on technical issues: where the duration was uncertain,
ployed a standardized process to identify, Increased Changing Mission thus complicating the planning and
discuss, and prioritize key technical is- Profiles. Discussions at the site work- layup/equipment preservation ef-
sues for that unit / mission configuration. shops supported the projection that forts.
For each issue, the process captured crit- an increasing number of coal and Avoiding Shutdowns. Enabling
ical assumptions, options and tradeoffs, gas units are likely to continue to lower-load operation of coal plants
key interrelationships, vulnerabilities, see changing mission profiles. More- was identified as a key strategy for
unanticipated consequences, and gaps over, units experiencing new mis- avoiding or minimizing shutdowns
and uncertainties in industry knowledge sions may likely experience multiple and the damage associated with on/
and understanding. mission profiles in the future. off cycling. An alternative strategy
Timeframe. Given that most exist- was switching fuel to a lower-cost
RANKING OF ISSUES ing coal units were designed based coal and/or gas co-firing. Both strate-
The site visit workshops produced a
ranking of technical issues related to plant Spectrum of Flexible Operation 1
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? on the assumption of baseload oper- gies come with plant-specific techni-
Impact on plant staff and O&M ations, and considering the relatively cal challenges.
How will the solution to the issue be slow turnover in the existing coal Layup Practices. Developing effec-
sustained and affect the plant staff? fleet, it will take a long time (on the tive and progressive layup prac-
For each issue, the criteria were used order of decades) for new generation tices (that is, where the selection of
in a scoring system that established a nu- technologies inherently designed for layup practices and associated costs/
merical rating. Examples are shown in Ta- multiple mission profiles to signifi- resources are commensurate with
bles 1 and 2 on pages 18 and 20. cantly penetrate the U.S. generation the duration of shutdown and start-
This perspective was useful in under- fleet. up demands) are perhaps the most
standing the complex interrelationships Ramp Rates. With increased shut- widely felt, high-priority need across
between these issues from the standpoint downs and low-load operation, high all unit types.
of both the technical/scientific disciplines ramp rates and the corresponding Component Issues. Key issues in-
and the power company organization, impacts on equipment and systems volving major components that are
plant processes, and related resources. are becoming an even more critical experiencing low-load operation
concern. and frequent shutdown/startups
KEY INSIGHTS ON Low-load Operation. Low-load or included chemistry concerns and
TECHNICAL ISSUES FROM low-turndown operation was the mechanical stresses of turbines, pit-
PILOT PROJECT SITE VISITS predominant operating regime expe- ting damage and corrosion fatigue
The site visit workshops conducted for rienced by the pilot sites. The second of boilers/heat recovery steam gen-
the Pilot Project identified a number of most prevalent mode was shutdown erators (HRSGs), and core integrity
16 www.power-eng.com
18 www.power-eng.com
$ Increased
Net Margin
$ $ Decreasing
Life Cycle Costs
Design / Power Engineering, Operations & Maintenance, Upgrade & Life Decommissioning /
Solutions Procurement & Maintenance Repair & Overhaul Extension Relocation
Construction
(EPC)
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MAXIMIZE UPTIME
Use a RELIABLE tube plugging solution for continuous operation
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.
Dont Freeze
tastrophe away from significant dam-
age to the universitys infrastructure.
A CAMPAIGN BEGINS
in the Dark
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,
How UAF is Building What May Be which includes 3.4 million square feet
the Last New U.S. Coal Plant of academic, research, administrative
and housing space. Research funding,
O
BY JOHN SOLAN, P.E., MIKE RUCKHAUS, P.E., AND CHILKOOT WARD, P.E.
which grew from $56 million in 1997
n a quiet Friday at 5 attacking the buildings and dorms that to $108 million in 2010, was one of the
p.m. in December, were heated by the steam system from key drivers in its expansion.
1998, the outdoor the Atkinson combined heat and pow- UAF needs energy generation to
thermometer at the er plant. Meanwhile, computer net- grow. A $108 million life sciences
University of Alaska works and communications systems at teaching and research building, a $5.3
Fairbanks showed minus 20 degrees the sister campuses in Juneau and An- million arctic health greenhouse, $4.7
Fahrenheit. Inside the UAF Atkinson chorage failed due to their reliance on million energy technology facility and
power plant, an aging tube in the Unit facilities and equipment located on the a $110 million engineering building
1 power stoker burst under 625 pounds Fairbanks campus. have been built or are in the construc-
per square inch of pressure, filling the If the plant staff didnt move quick- tion stage. In addition, partly because
facility with steam. ly enough, untold millions of dollars it has its own source of heat and power,
Steam condensation tripped off the worth of damages would occur, from UAF is considered a place of sanctuary
plant uninterruptable power supply, frozen plumbing and HVAC systems to for the surrounding community in case
which in turn shut off power to the the water treatment plant to damaged of emergency, including floods and
control system, shutting down the research equipment and lose priceless earthquakes, therefore a reliable source
plant and pitching the entire cam- in-progress research specimens and of energy was important.
pus into darkness. Frigid air began samples. UAF was witnessing campus growth
22 www.power-eng.com
www.power-eng.com 23
power first rather than heat. generation environment is unusual a Babcock & Wilcox CFB boiler. The
3. Gasifier, gas boiler and steam tur- to say the least. The Department of company states that fluidized-bed
bine. Generates heat first, which Energys inventory of planned gener- technology reduces NOx and SO2
is attractive in a cold climate, but ators as of November 2016, lists only emissions by allowing the control of
is also complicated and costs $31 five planned conventional steam coal bed temperature and using reagents
million through 2024. Would not plants, including UAF. Three of those such as limestone as bed material. It
net out emissions. have indefinite construction dates, and can also burn biomass or waste fuels,
4. Gas turbine generator, heat recov- the fourth, Two Elk Generating Station which are difficult to burn in conven-
ery steam generator. Would need in Wyoming, has completed minimal tional boiler systems. The manufactur-
liquefied natural gas storage and construction. The UAF plant is 60 per- ers experience and design shows that
vaporization facility. Produces cent complete and scheduled for com- the CFB boiler brings high combustion
power first, rather than heat. Fuel missioning in early 2018 with commer- efficiency, an economical design, high-
costs high and no reliable source. cial operation in November 2018. The er reliability and availability, lower
Cost projected at $38 million new boilers could be the last conven- maintenance costs, reduced erosion,
through 2024. tional coal-fired units built in America, fuel flexibility and low emissions.
5. Gas boilers and steam turbines. at least for many years. The key for UAF was to obtain a
Cost and issues same as gas turbine guaranteed PM 2.5 emissions rate from
generator. THE FUNDING CAMPAIGN Babcock & Wilcox, and therefore not
6. Municipal solid waste gasifier and UAF filed an initial capital request derail the emissions permitting pro-
gas boiler with steam turbine was in Juneau for the plants funding and cess. While there was some debate,
looked at but there were too many gained the support of Alaska Senator the manufacturer ultimately made
unknowns to develop a cost model. Pete Kelly, who served on the Senate the guarantee, despite its high-perfor-
7. Buying electricity from the local finance committee. The state approved mance level. It would be one of the
utility to generate steam was cost $245 million for the new plant in 2014,
prohibitive. after failing to approve funding in
8. Circulating fluidized bed boiler 2013. It was just in time. Plunging oil
and steam turbine. Two 140 Kpph prices caused a ripple of state budget
CFB boilers would provide 100 slashing. One years delay would have
percent of future needs. Creates killed the project.
heat first with high efficiency. With funding in hand, the project
Cleaner technology that would net commenced. An issue arose imme-
out emissions in the present and diately. It became apparent that two
future. Cost, $24 million through new boilers and new facilities would
2024. cost $50 million more than was fund-
Given the economic and reliability ed, due to the realities of building a
factors, the decision for the last option power plant in Alaska. The project
surfaced as the best option. This also team went to work on new plans: UAF
had the benefit that would allow UAF would install one large boiler in place
to retain its efficient combined heat of two smaller ones. It would produce
and power generation that averages up 240,000 pounds of steam per hour in-
to 70 percent efficiency. A circulating stead of 280,000 and forfeit some flexi-
fluidized bed boiler creates heat first, bility, but its redesign, along with elim-
ideal for a cold climate generation sys- inating administrative, maintenance
tem. The two new boilers would be and storage facilities, would allow the
clean enough so that the steam capac- project to meet the budget.
ity could be increased to meet future
energy needs while staying under the DETAILED DESIGN
Steam drum lift. Photo courtesy:
existing emissions cap. UNDERWAY Stanley Consultants
Building a new coal plant in todays In September 2014 UAF procured
24 www.power-eng.com
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lowest PM 2.5 emissions guarantee for a extreme weather conditions, and a air enters the boiler.
coal boiler in the U.S. space constrained site were increased Steam turbines exhaust low-grade
As the detailed design process be- when the design was also to account heat that normally goes to waste.
gan, UAF had selected the construction for UAFs role as an essential facility During winter, UAFs heat recovery
manager at risk (CMAR) contractor; in the community, a place of refuge. system captures exhaust heat from the
this early involvement would allow the Buildings had to be able to function- turbine and transfers it via the chilled
project team to capitalize on the con- ally withstand seismic events. The soils water distribution system for preheat-
tractors construction expertise and underneath the facility were porous ing the air into the buildings through-
implement it in the design effort. The and sandy, therefore were subject to out campus. In the summer, the sur-
CMAR contractor, Haskell Davis Joint liquification in an earthquake. They face condenser is removed from service
Venture (Haskell Corp. and Davis Con- had to be consolidated down to 50 feet and the chilled water system functions
structors), provided independent cost deep before construction began. normally.
estimating and design review as each The final design produced some The air-cooled condenser controls
segment of the project developed. Stan- novel features. Combustion air can be are designed for sub-arctic conditions.
ley Consultants partnered with a local pulled from out outside or inside the The system varies air flow over the
firm, Design Alaska, which performed building, depending on the time of ACC cells to ensure that no cells stag-
civil, architectural, HVAC, plumbing year. In warm weather, an intake duct nate and potentially form ice. In addi-
and fire protection planning. Design takes air from higher in the building, tion to these features, some renewable
Alaska also provided insight into artic which takes advantage of heat collect- energy generation will be installed. So-
engineering practices. ed in the upper building. It reduces the lar panels that will be installed on the
Engineering challenges for seismic, amount of pre-heating required before entire south side wall of the ash han-
dling building will generate up to 45
kilowatts during summer.
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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
subject matter experts (SMEs), fleet oper- One of the key factors enabling Lean away from normal operation, the change
ators can benefit from online monitoring M&D is the availability of solutions de- in properties of the residual signal can be
with a much smaller capital and human signed to scale easily across the Industri- characterized to define a set of symptoms
resource investment. This Lean M&D ap- al Internet. These solutions are designed that describe the change in behavior.
proach can be an enabler for smaller fleet to operate in the same way and perform It is no surprise that all APR solutions
operators who cannot afford the cost of a the same services when running on a net- are not equally capable of creating accu-
dedicated team of experts and monitor- work edge device, on an engineering lap- rate expected data signals for plant oper-
ing staff. As the Lean M&D approach be- top or within a corporate or public cloud. ating data signals. However, the accuracy
comes more widely deployed, increasing This creates multiple points of entry for of the APR models expected data signal is
efficiency will follow from the ability to introducing powerful analytics that are very important when implementing Lean
capture and share valuable diagnostic and interoperable across a deployment. Many M&D. More accurate APR predictions
prognostic expertise across the industry. new users benefit from solutions that can translate directly to earlier problem detec-
Taken together, these new analytics be- be run in full function mode on a single tion and a more accurate initial diagnosis.
come a core element of harnessing the In- desktop or laptop. Few of the APR solu- More accurate APR predictions also mean
dustrial Internet in the power generation tions deployed today offer this option fewer false alarms and lower staffing costs
industry. and most require a large upfront infor- for alarm management. Managers of most
mation technology (IT) investment that large fleet remote monitoring centers cite
has priced many smaller power generat- false alarm management as the single
ing companies out of the APR market. An greatest cost and inefficiency within their
ability to develop monitoring solutions operations. Reducing the false alarm rate
locally and then scale up to the cloud or and improving the accuracy of problem
down to the device or control platform, detection and diagnosis is essential for
when needed, is a new paradigm that is moving to a Lean M&D implementation.
an enabling factor for Lean M&D. What then are the attributes that sup-
The primary value of an APR-based port a highly accurate APR solution?
solution is that it can be used to charac- First, the APR algorithm itself controls
terize plant operating anomalies in detail. the quality of the predicted values based
Similar function can also be established on the observed values of the plant data.
using first principle models, such as a heat Most algorithms in use today are propri-
balance, when the variables of interest etary, but in general, those that use re-
can be modeled based on physical, ther- gression based methods will interpolate
modynamic or electrical principles. The the expected data values more accurately
rise of APR solutions is mostly attribut- than those that use cluster distance based
able to the fact that it is extremely easy to methods or principle component based
create an APR model of these same phys- methods. A summary of several key fea-
ical, thermodynamic or electrical prin- tures of a highly accurate solution are list-
ciples using machine learning methods. ed in Figure 2 on page 32.
Figure 1 on page 32 illustrates how APR is Accurate APR solutions will also pro-
used to transform an observed data signal vide excellent support to help a user avoid
into a residual signal that has very useful the garbage in-garbage out problem.
properties for online monitoring. The It is no surprise that a poorly designed
APR model uses patterns in a set of signals APR model will be less accurate than a
to estimate the expected value of each of well-designed model. One key attribute
its input signals. The deviation between of a well-designed model is that there is
the observed and expected signals, of- good correlation within the set of mod-
ten called the residual signal, will have a eled plant data signals. In other words,
near zero mean and predictable statistics there are actual patterns in the data for
when the monitored system is operating the model to learn and work with. Anoth-
normally and the APR model matches the er key attribute of a well-designed model
data. When the monitored system moves is the historical data used for calibration
www.power-eng.com 31
32 www.power-eng.com
A World of Solutions
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time using adaptive calibration. the fault detectors is as illustrated by the Accurate APR methods provide a valu-
The diagnosis process itself can take yellow highlight, the compressor fouling able resource for implementing a wide
one of three primary forms, all of which diagnosis is the best supported cause for range of effective prognostic models use-
can be driven by the online monitoring the observed anomaly. ful for moving to condition-based and
alarm events. One common approach Determining the remaining time avail- predictive maintenance strategies. By
uses a rule-based expert system to process able to take a corrective action in response effectively characterizing the way a mon-
the alarm events. Most engineers are fa- to an anomaly condition depends strong- itored system is moving away from a nor-
mal condition, these solutions provide a
unique prognostic opportunity for many
Diagnosis Model Figure 3
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
Diagnosis model for several combustion turbine problems having common symptoms. of the monitored system away from nor-
mal conditions.
miliar with the IF-THEN rules approach
used in an expert system and these can be Prognostic Methods Figure 4
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 Predicting the time horizon for condition-based maintenance of a gas turbine compressor.
which are identified on the bottom two
rows of the diagram. Each of these symp- ly on making the correct diagnosis. In a As an example of a prognostic mod-
toms can be activated or deactivated by simple example for a human being, a high el, consider the problem of determining
the online anomaly detection system, core temperature might indicate for a flu when the compressor section of a gas
for example using APR models and fault or, in the alternative, appendicitis. When turbine should be scheduled for a water
detectors. On the top row of the diagram, additional symptoms confirm appen- wash to correct compressor fouling and
three possible causes for the increase in dicitis, a very different time horizon for the resulting loss in cycle efficiency. In
heat rate are shown: compressor fouling, corrective action will apply. Lean M&D the plots shown in Figure 4, an aircraft
turbine inlet temperature control error, solutions link the online diagnostic sys- gas turbine progresses from an acceptable
and compressor discharge temperature tem with appropriate online prognostic condition at the beginning of the data set
measurement error. If the alarm state of models. to a maintenance needed condition at
34 www.power-eng.com
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Harnessing
Market Analysis for the Edison Electric
Institute.
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
E
BY RICHARD MCMAHON AND LOLA INFANTE, EDISON ELECTRIC INSTITUTE through the ones that they contract via
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
Southern California Edisons Tehachapi Energy Storage
distribution systems; and enabling
Project, which was built near one of the largest wind pow-
transportation electrification, micro- er hubs in the U.S. the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area.
grids, smart grids, smarter cities and The project uses lithium ion batteries to store excess
communities, and all the visions of the energy grid, and energy storage is well wind power. Photo courtesy: Southern California Edison.
36 www.power-eng.com
and excluding large-scale pumped hy- enhance the customer experience. to perform like one that is more steady
dropower projects, electric companies Flexibility and measurably reliable.
remain the largest users, representing 75 Storage allows energy grid operators Second, the rapid response time of
percent of U.S. energy storage capacity. to better manage constant fluctuations some types of energy storage makes them
Of the 22 electric company-owned in supply and demand. As electric com- effective tools for managing changes in
storage projects commissioned in 2015 panies integrate more renewable energy energy output that can occur with some
and 2016, all but one were battery stor- sources like solar and wind, energy stor- renewables, such as when wind speeds
age systems. Lithium-ion systems repre- age can provide more flexibility to the fluctuate or clouds pass over solar panels.
sented 98 percent of the battery projects, energy grid by helping to manage these In addition to the uncontrollable weather
making electric companies a significant variable resources. changes, there are inherent operational
contributor to the adoption of the fastest Energy storage can help with renew- challenges with variable resources. For
growing energy storage technology in the ables integration in two primary ways. example, when the sun rises, output from
United States First, storage can help to address the solar resources escalates quickly (and vice
variability of renewable energy produc- versa in the evening), resulting in either a
THE BENEFITS OF tion systems like wind and solar. While steep increase or decrease in output that
ENERGY STORAGE weather forecasting is improving, there can make it challenging to match avail-
Energy storage can bring benefits to is still uncertainty about when the wind able resources with load requirements
electric companies, businesses, and res- will blow and the sun will shine. Energy in real-time operations. The ability of
idential customers. For electric com- storage provides an option for storing certain types of energy storage to meet,
panies, the primary benefits of energy wind or solar energy that may be in ex- shift, or smooth peaks in demand for
storage are added flexibility, reliability, cess of immediate demand and saving it energy becomes an important tool for
and resiliency. More specifically, energy until demand is high enough to draw it grid operators. As it takes less than one
storage can be used in out of storage. second to dispatch many forms of ener-
various ways to opti- In this way, gy storage, the speed of operation is a key
mize and support the certain types consideration when weighing storage as
energy grid; increase
The speed of storage tech- an option for providing both flexibility
reliability, resiliency of operation nologies can and reliability.
and operational flex-
ibility; improve the
is a key allow a vari-
able renew-
Reliability
The reliability of the energy grid is en-
integration of variable consideration able energy hanced by energy storage in a variety
resources such as solar
and wind power; and
when resource, like
wind or solar,
of ways. Storage can provide a host of
grid-support or ancillary services in-
weighing cluding managing peak load, essential
storage as an reliability services, and reserves that
are critical to managing the energy grid
option... 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
Convergent Energy + Power worked with Central alternative. Storage systems can hold
Maine Power to install a 3-MWh battery asset
several hours of energy that is generat-
engineered by Lockheed Martin. A single energy
storage system can yield multiple, complemen- ed during off-peak hours at lower cost
tary sources of value, known as value stacking. and then deployed during more costly
Photo courtesy: Convergent Energy +
high-demand periods.
38 www.power-eng.com
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H3 Yonkers, NY USA
and communities around the country The early days of energy storage devel- basis with other resources. Market rules
are using or considering microgrids as opment are revealing a path toward mar- should be clarified or modified so that all
a way to increase their resiliency and ket growth and industry maturity that is resources that are capable of providing a
manage their own energy needs. In all sustainable and cost-effective and that product be able to participate in that mar-
of these systems, energy storage is a vi- relies on policy and regulatory changes ket. Market products should be defined
tal component. rather than mandates and incentives. In in a technology-neutral way so that mar-
Customer benefits this context, lowering barriers for market ket products and rules are geared toward
In addition to the many benefits that participation and ensuring that regula- the service needed rather than toward
energy storage can provide to the en- tions recognize the operational flexibility specific resource types. This will help en-
ergy grid, energy storage technologies of energy storage will be key to ensuring sure that product requirements and eligi-
also can provide services to customers that energy storage technologies and ap- bility are tied to the underlying opera-
directly. As mentioned above, resilien- plications develop a viable business case. tional needs of the system and not the
cy is an important service valued by For example, although energy storage characteristics of specific types of gen-
many types of customers. Other cus- devices often are able to provide multi- eration. The Federal Energy Regulatory
tomer uses include the opportunity to ple energy grid services and to partici- Commission and Regional Transmis-
maximize the benefits of private solar pate in different markets, they some- sion Organizations already are work-
production by reducing the demand for times cannot capture all value streams ing toward modifying existing rules so
grid-provided electricity, for example. due to existing market rules, require- that classification rules accommodate
ments or restrictions. The ability of en- multiple uses and allow energy storage
CHALLENGES REMAIN TO ergy storage to provide the services that devices to maximize their applications
WIDER DEPLOYMENT OF it is technically able to provide and to and, thus, enhance their energy grid
ENERGY STORAGE capture multiple value streams will be and societal benefits.
Despite its growing popularity, energy critically important to make these re- Ownership restrictions limit growth
storage continues to face challenges that sources more cost-effective. In certain areas of the country that
are preventing these technology options Rules need to recognize the have restructured their electricity mar-
from achieving their market potential flexibility of energy storage kets, electric companies may not be al-
and maximizing the benefits that they Because existing regulations were lowed to own generation assets. Access
can provide. Today, some of the main developed at a time when pumped hy- restrictions derived from existing asset
challenges for energy storage include the dropower was essentially the only form classification rules (when, for example,
relatively high cost for some technolo- of energy storage, they do not account storage is classified as a generation asset),
gies, as well as regulatory requirements for the particular characteristics and in- mean that electric companies in some
and ownership restrictions that can trinsic flexibility of some newer storage parts of the country may not be allowed
make it difficult for these technologies to technologies, such as batteries. Energy to invest in energy storage devices. Yet
participate in the markets on a compara- storage is a unique resource in that it re- electric companies are responsible for en-
ble basis with other resources. quires a two-way flow as it both charges suring the reliability of the energy grid.
Allowing energy storage to cap- and discharges electricity. It is also a very Their inability to own energy storage in
ture multiple value streams increas- flexible resource that can provide differ- some cases takes away an option to en-
es its cost-effectiveness ent types of energy grid services. It can hance the reliability and resiliency of the
High costs are still a challenge to wider support generation, transmission, and/ nations energy grid to the benefit of all
deployment of energy storage solutions. or distribution operations as well as cus- customers.
Although the costs of some technologies tomer-sited applications. For example, electric companies with
are declining, energy storage devices re- Classification rules at the state and their extensive knowledge of the electric
main expensive relative to other technol- federal levels may need to be updated to system are in the best position to be
ogies and services. While some storage accommodate resources like storage that able to identify the most valuable appli-
technology costs are decreasing rapidly, are able to provide multiple services. Up- cations and the optimal locations to site
it is critical to remove other barriers for dating these rules will help to ensure that resources on the energy grid. The location
energy storage adoption, so that the full how a resource is classified (e.g. as genera- matters when it comes to the deployment
benefits of energy storage can be real- tion, transmission, distribution, or load) of distribution system assets, including
ized as these resources become more and does not hamper or preclude its ability to energy storage. The same resource can
more prominent. provide other services on a comparable CONTINUED ON PAGE 48
40 www.power-eng.com
#POWERGEN
SHEDDING
ON ALL FORMS OF
LIGHT
POWER GENERATION
Not all
HEPA Filters
are the Same
I
BY STEVE HINER
neffective gas turbine inlet filtra- will look into some of the main points that will protect the turbine as well as
tion will cost a power plant a lot operators should consider to ensure they optimize maintenance and performance
of money through reduced tur- get the best from their filtration solution. requires an understanding of the local
bine efficiency, increased main- Because of the volumes of air a gas tur- environmental challenges a filter needs
tenance costs and lower turbine bine consumes, the choice of inlet filtra- to face.
availability. In the face of these impacts tion system has a huge impact on turbine Gas turbines are often installed in
on the bottom line, many turn to (High performance. Selecting an inappropriate harsh conditions. The local environment
Efficiency Particulate Air) HEPA filters to solution will leave the turbine exposed can contain high volumes of sand; salt,
increase the efficiency of their inlet filtra- to contaminants that can corrode and if near to the coast; pollution and hydro-
tion system and, in turn, their gas turbine. impede its performance. The wrong type carbon mists; snow; excessive rainfall;
Unfortunately a higher filter efficiency of filter for an installation can also lead elevated levels of moisture from mist, fog
rating alone will not give an operator a to sudden restrictions to the inlet air flow or high humidity levels or, of course a
complete picture and may even cause causing pressure spikes and unexpected combination of any or all of these with
more problems than it solves. This article turbine shutdown. Selecting a solution seasonal variations. To effectively protect
42 www.power-eng.com
the gas turbines, a filtration solution miles of the sea, salt may be a particular
Harsh conditions make filter choices tougher.
HEPA-rated filters will perform differently needs to handle the local, real-world con- contaminant that puts turbine perfor-
depending on design and construction. Make ditions in which it is installed. mance in peril. While dry salt will be cap-
sure your filter choice is right for your specific Fine particles that reach the turbine tured in the same way as other dry partic-
site conditions.
blades can stick to them and, as they build ulates, the affinity salt has for absorbing
up, affect aerodynamic performance. water and moisture means it needs spe-
This will cause a reduction in output cial consideration.
power and increase in heat rate that will As with other contaminants, salt can
ultimately require an offline wash. The stick to turbine blades and reduce aerody-
more frequently this maintenance proce- namic efficiency. Its stickiness, however,
dure needs to be carried out, the greater can increase the rate at which this occurs.
the cost impact through lost MW output Salt is also particularly harmful because,
and increased rates of fuel usage. Filters if allowed into the turbine internals, the
use media that captures particulates and sodium in the salt can combine with sul-
prevents them reaching and harming the fur in the fuel in the hot section of the tur-
internal parts of the gas turbine. The high- bine to cause accelerated corrosion. In the
er the efficiency of the filter, the finer the cold end, the chlorine in the salt will ad-
particles it captures. ditionally act as a pitting corrosion initia-
tor. The overall impact salt can have on a
DOES SALT THREATEN gas turbine can lead to exceptionally high
YOUR TURBINE? maintenance levels and premature failure
If a power plant is located within 12 of the turbine.
Turbine operating data can help show how different HEPA filters perform in the same environment.
www.power-eng.com 43
WILL A HEPA FILTER NOT ALL HEPA FILTERS HVAC or laboratory-style conditions. To
BETTER PROTECT A ARE THE SAME withstand the rigors of a power plant, a
TURBINE? When it comes to HEPA filtration, filter needs to be designed to handle a
To improve turbine protection some there are two main options to select tougher environment and greater oper-
may conclude that a high efficiency par- from: a filter made from Microfiber ating pressures.
ticulate air (HEPA) filter will be the best glass (glass fiber) or PTFE membrane. Particular areas of weakness to con-
option. To capture finer particles, howev- Both can provide HEPA level filtration sider when reviewing a filters construc-
er, means finer media is used which, in and filter out fine particles from the gas tion include the gasket that seals the
the presence of moisture or hydrocarbon turbine inlet. To achieve this, both use filter to its holding frame. Any joins
mists, may be prone to sudden blockag- fine media but they are constructed and in this gasket may be potential break
es that can have a serious impact on tur- perform very differently. points. The protection provided to the
bine operation. This is because moisture PTFE is a simple polymer composed media pleat packs, i.e. does it have sup-
caused by mist or fog consists of tiny of carbon and fluorine. Expanded porting mesh downstream to enable
droplets that can work their way into the polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) fil- the pleats to cope with the increased
media matrix and become stuck block- ter membranes consist of a single, very working pressures in this application?
ing pathways for the air to pass through. thin layer of finer media that creates a For cartridge filters, the way the me-
The presence of captured hydrocarbons sieving, surface filtration effect. While dia pleats are glued to hold the pleats
from pollution in the media generally highly efficient at capturing fine parti- is important as any glue beads formed
concentrates this effect further, making cles, this means the membrane has a rel- in the assembly process if not done cor-
it even harder for tiny water droplets to atively low filtration surface area. Any rectly may break off the filter once it is
escape, increasing the filters sensitivity. moisture droplets that become trapped, installed. The overall materials of con-
This same effect does not generally therefore, can quickly cause a complete struction, including the compatibility
happen with the larger droplets of rain, as blockage of the inlet filter. In real-world of any adhesives also needs to be ap-
these coalesce on the media surface and installations, the complete blocking of propriate for the site conditions to avoid
drain, being too big to get into the media these filters can occur in as little as three brittleness or cracking and to ensure the
matrix itself. Similarly, as high humidity weeks after installation. filter frame does not become warped
does not contain droplets, this will gener- Microfiber glass filters use a media over time or under the wider extremes
ally pass through with little effect. layer that is ten times thicker than ePT- of operating temperature.
Standard filter efficiency ratings are FE, greatly increasing the filtration sur-
based on laboratory testing in a con- face area. Rather than using the ePTFE OPTIMIZING A
trolled, dry atmosphere an environ- model of a thin layer of finer pores, it FILTRATION SOLUTION
ment that is a long way from that of a uses its depth to capture particles as Selecting a filtration solution will
power plants. Just relying on filter effi- they travel inside its matrix. Even if depend on a number of factors beyond
ciency rating alone, therefore, does not moisture droplets block pores within filter media and unit design. The best
give a complete picture of how a filter the media, the volume of pores means solution may not be the most expensive
will perform once installed in a specif- the media will take much longer to be- and, ultimately, it is how the turbine
ic installation environment. For exam- come completely blocked. Any deteri- performs that shows the suitability of a
ple, simply selecting a fine filter media oration will happen slower than with filter for its application. The level of out-
may not allow for the effects of moisture ePTFE membranes; extending the life put and heat rate of the turbine and how
which can result in shortened filter life of the filter and giving operators plen- this varies over time are the best forms
expectancy, bypass of corrosives, in- ty of warning that cleaning or replace- of data in establishing the effectiveness
creased maintenance cycles (and cost), ment is required. It is this predictable of a filtration solution. If an operator
and the need for fast operator reaction performance that, for the time being, sees unacceptable increases in heat rate
times to deal with sudden pressure continues to make microfiber glass the and decreases in output, then the fil-
spikes. Indeed, the hydrophobicity of a preferred choice in heavy industrial ap- tration solution should be re-evaluated
filter, its ability to keep liquid contam- plications. and other types considered.
inants out should be a major consider- Although testing standards contin-
ation for the power industry, where un- ROBUSTNESS OF ue to be researched and developed as
expected turbine outage can be a costly FILTER DESIGN environmental factors become more
occurrence. Many filters are designed for use in clearly understood, one of the problems
44 www.power-eng.com
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 As the technology stands today, how- plant gas turbine installations. Where
efficiency rating of the filter will not ever, the unpredictable response ePTFE moisture levels are high or there is like-
necessarily equate to the performance membranes have to the wide-ranging lihood of fog or mist weather events,
of the installed system. Recent com- air contaminants found at gas turbine the thicker microfiber glass media will
parative studies carried out by a major installations means CLARCOR does not give a more predictable response. ePT-
gas turbine OEM on the performance recommend them for use on turbine in- FE solutions will require close moni-
of equivalent ePTFE membrane and stallations. toring and quick change out to protect
microfiber glass HEPA filter products machinery if they suddenly become
covered overall efficiency, pressure loss, SUMMARY blocked.
hydrophobic performance, wet perfor- Filter test standards and materials for As technology and understanding
mance and the dust holding capacity of use in gas turbine filtration solutions develops, it is recommended that pow-
each technology. The tests showed the continue to develop as we learn more er plant operators consult filter man-
microfiber glass filters to produce equal about environmental impacts. What ufacturers to understand the options
or better performance than the ePTFE is clear is that operators need to take available to them. By working with
equivalents, and at a lower cost. a wider view of filter and turbine per- filter suppliers that appreciate and un-
This article is not trying to say micro- formance rather than considering only derstand the varying needs of different
fiber glass media is better than ePTFE. standard efficiency ratings. environments, a turbine can be better
CLARCOR manufactures ePTFE mem- Both microfiber glass and ePTFE protected and this may not be the most
branes which are successfully installed membranes can provide HEPA filtration expensive option. By eliminating un-
in many other filtration applications levels. While ePTFE membranes can necessary maintenance or shutdowns
and future developments may well de- deliver a typical lifespan of two years, and improving turbine performance,
liver improved resilience to moisture however, this is still much shorter than the right solution can give a very quick
and hydrocarbons of this media type. microfiber glass equivalents for power return on investment.
www.power-eng.com 45
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
46 www.power-eng.com
www.power-eng.com 47
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