Thermocouple and RTD Simulation and Testing In the world of process automation at power plants and process facilities, precise temperature measurement is crucial. Thermocouples (TCs) and Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs) are … Read More
Troubleshooting Intermittent Failures at Power Plants Intermittent failures can be one of the most challenging issues to troubleshoot in a power plant or any other complex system. These types of faults … Read More
Fossil Fuel Prices Over Time Energy production by source over the past 70 years has seen a shift away from coal to natural gas and renewables. Read More
Combustion Turbine: Glossary of Terms Often, we find ourselves questioning what a term means in a manual, procedure, or even in conversation. And when we look up these terms via … Read More
Integrated Turbine-Boiler Control Rankine Cycle Power Plant Control Room Operators, Supervisors, and Managers must be familiar with integrated turbine-boiler control. All Rankine Cycle plants must coordinate the control … Read More
Heat Rate Cost – Part 1 The control of unit efficiency in a power plant requires a team effort from operators, maintenance personnel, engineers, and the support of plant management. Read More
Incomplete Combustion in Coal-fired Power Plants Incomplete combustion occurs in a coal-fired unit’s furnace when insufficient oxygen (O2) is available during fuel combustion. “Excess Air” is the amount of O2 available … Read More
Induced Draft Cooling Tower Cold Weather Operations When operating induced draft cooling towers during cold weather (wet bulb temperature less than 32°F), one of the prime considerations is the prevention of icing … Read More
The Importance of Operating with Proper Furnace Draft Most power plant boilers have balanced draft furnaces. This means there is a fan (or fans) that supplies combustion air to the boiler furnace, known … Read More