2013 BEST PRACTICES AWARDS |
Over 40 plants share insight, knowledge to advance industry standardsNew and improved award categories: Fast starts, Natural-disaster preparedness and recovery, O&M electrical—including generators and transformers, O&M mechanical—including major and BOP equipment, Outage management, Performance improvements, Plant safety procedures, Workforce development, NERC CIP V.4 compliance.
Seven NAES plants recognized for their Best Practices CAMS celebrates its sixth anniversary with eight Best Practices Awards How Best Practices entries are judged View the entries |
BY THE NUMBERS |
Coal retirements accelerate, gas and renewables gain market shareBy Adam Picketts, Energy Ventures Analysis Inc Natural-gas-fueled combined-cycle and renewables fleets will experience strong growth through 2018. Recent and impending EPA rulemakings require owners of coal-fired units to make significant capital investments on environmental controls. Faced with the decision to retrofit or retire, owners already have announced 45 GW of coal retirements from 2012 through 2018. Gas will be the primary source of replacement capacity as well as the top choice for new greenfield peakers and base-load resources. more |
25% more GT capacity will be ordered for electric generation in the US this year than in 2012Mark Axford, the Houston-based turbine consultant considered by many to be the leading independent expert on gas-turbine markets, predicted at the Western Turbine Users Inc’s (WTUI) 2013 Conference that US orders for GTs would increase by 25% this year compared to 2012. Worldwide, he expects only a 5% increase, with the Eurozone’s crippling recession a major factor in the downward pressure on orders (less than 800 MW last year). more |
Pedigree and performance…The ‘Test of Champions’By Salvatore A DellaVilla Jr, CEO, Strategic Power Systems Inc On June 9, 1973, history was made in Elmont, NY, the town just outside of New York City famous for hosting the Belmont Stakes. That day, a crowd of 67,605 racing enthusiasts, plus another 10.9 million watching on TV, waited to see if a three-year-old thoroughbred named Secretariat, chestnut brown with a strong pedigree, would take the Triple Crown—a coronation that had not occurred since 1948. Secretariat, would not disappoint in the “Test of Champions.” more |
FEATURE |
Inspect steam valves for stellite delaminationBy Kim Bezzant, Structural Integrity Associates Inc Stellite liberation from large valves installed in high-pressure (HP) and hot reheat (HRH) steam systems serving F-class combined cycles has emerged as an important industry concern. Tight shutoff of parallel-slide gate and non-return globe valves has been compromised in some cases, based on feedback from plant personnel; steam turbine components also have been damaged. more Valves didn’t get the respect they deservedThe editors first learned of stellite delamination in a large valve designed for high-pressure (HP)/high-temperature steam service at the 2009 7F Users Group conference. But all the attention that incident received was a brief mention late in a long user presentation profiling the major inspection of a combined-cycle plant. More than 200 owner/operators were in attendance, yet no questions were asked about the issue—at least none the editors can recall—and it was quickly dismissed. Fig A shows stellite liberated from the seat of a 20-in. hot-reheat block valve installed at that presenter’s plant and collected in the strainer for the steam turbine’s combined stop and control valve. more |
USER GROUP REPORT |
Western Turbine Users Inc 2013 (WTUI)
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Business Partners
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