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The POWER Interview: AI, Big Data, and Efficiency

February 8, 2021

The post The POWER Interview: AI, Big Data, and Efficiency appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the power generation sector has a goal of making electricity production both more efficient, and secure. Developing ways to more quickly analyze ever-larger amounts of data is driving innovation among those people responsible for the operation of power plants and generation equipment.

Many companies are involved in the research and development of technologies to support AI and ML. Beyond Limits, a California company launched in 2014, works in several markets, from energy—including the power generation and oil and gas exploration sectors—to manufacturing and industrial, as well as healthcare. The company says, “Our mission is to create automated solutions with human-like powers of reasoning that amplify the talents and capabilities of people. We specialize in complex challenges in extreme environments.”

Stephen Kwan, the company’s director of product management for Power Generation/Grid Management, provided POWER with his insight into AI and ML as it applies to the electricity sector, with a look at what the future holds as the power generation landscape continues to change.…

Siemens Reaches for Higher Efficiency with Its HL-Class Gas Turbine [PODCAST]

January 2, 2018

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Siemens claims to be paving the way for the next level of efficiency with the development of its HL-class gas turbine. In June 2017, the company announced it will validate the technology at Duke Energy’s Lincoln County site in North Carolina. Siemens is developing this class in an evolutionary development step derived from its proven SGT-8000H technology.

The advanced Siemens HL-class gas turbines combine a series of new but already tested technologies and design features with the best of past experience—resulting in a technology carrier to the next level of efficiency and performance. The HL-class is currently achieving greater than 63% efficiency with a mid-term goal to reach 65%.

The post Siemens Reaches for Higher Efficiency with Its HL-Class Gas Turbine [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

POWER Magazine…

Market-Challenged, GE Continues to Improve Gas Turbine Efficiency

December 10, 2017

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GE Power said its 9HA.02 gas turbine reached a new milestone by exceeding 64% efficiency in combined cycle power plants. The company attributes at least part of the achievement to advances in additive manufacturing (3-D printing).

“The HA is our most advanced gas turbine technology, and we’ve never stopped pushing the boundaries of what it can do,” Joe Mastrangelo, president and CEO of GE’s Gas Power Systems, said in a press release announcing the accomplishment.

Efficiency Improvements Offer Hope for the Future

It was only 18 months ago that the EDF Bouchain facility—the first 9HA gas turbine to enter commercial operation—received recognition from Guinness World Records as the most-efficient combined cycle power plant in the world with a third-party verified net efficiency of 62.22%. (The unit was also recognized as a POWER Top Plant award winner in 2017.) The latest improvement, announced on December 4, is worth millions in fuel cost savings for customers, according to GE Power’s estimates.…

New Options in Industrial CHP Boost Efficiency and Returns

January 30, 2017

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Combined heat and power (CHP) has long been a popular option for industrial self-generation, but new technologies and business partnerships are taking the sector well beyond the traditional boilers and diesel gensets.

The Erving Paper Mill in the western Massachusetts town of the same name has operated for more than 100 years. Once part of a thriving industry, it’s now one of a few remaining New England paper mills still clinging to life. Battered by foreign competition, paper mills like Erving have continued operating by finding profitable niches (Erving supplies products like recycled napkins to the food service industry) and keeping costs as low as possible.

Opting for modern self-generation is one way the mill has helped safeguard its role as one of the town’s largest employers. Paper mills have long relied on captive combined heat and power (CHP) plants, often fired by waste materials, but these aging boilers are drawing attention from environmental regulators concerned about emissions. Erving had a small fuel oil–fired boiler and steam turbine, but this old system was no longer sufficient even after being converted to natural gas.…

District Energy Systems Improve Efficiency and Reduce Carbon Emissions

June 27, 2016

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Although it’s not widely publicized, a majority of the energy used to generate electricity is wasted in the form of heat discharged to the environment. For better or worse, that’s just the way a typical thermal power plant works.

Fuel, such as coal, biomass, natural gas, or uranium (in the case of nuclear plants), is used to heat water, producing high-temperature and high-pressure steam. The steam is admitted into a turbine, which spins a generator to produce electricity. However, not all of the energy stored in the steam is converted to useful work through the process.

In order for the cycle to continue, the steam exhausted from the turbine must be returned to its liquid form inside a condenser. In a fairly standard arrangement, the condenser is cooled by river, lake, or ocean water. The cooling water from the condenser is often simply released back to its source, and with it, the energy that was transferred inside the condenser.

Waste Not, Want Not

The average U.S.…

GE-Powered Combined Cycle Plant Sets New Efficiency Record

June 19, 2016

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Guinness World Records recognized GE’s HA gas turbine for powering the world’s most efficient—up to 62.22%—combined cycle power plant.

The first unit equipped with an HA turbine officially began operation on June 17 at EDF’s plant located in Bouchain, France.

“Today we are making history with this power plant for the future,” said Steve Bolze, president and CEO of GE Power. “We are thrilled to be acknowledged by Guinness World Records for powering the world’s most efficient combined-cycle power plant, and we are also very proud of the industry-leading flexibility and reliability this turbine provides to our customers. We look forward to continuing to work with EDF and providing services to ensure the ongoing high performance of the Bouchain plant in the years to come.”

According to GE, the airflow through the 605-MW Bouchain plant’s HA compressor could fill the Goodyear blimp in 10 seconds. The tip of the last blade in the 9HA.01 is said to move at 1,200 miles per hour—one and a half times the speed of sound (Figure 1).…