July 2017 Vol. 161 No.

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY FOR THE GLOBAL GENERATION INDUSTRY SINCE 1882
Vol. 161 No. 7 July 2017

PRBCUG Honors
Plant Scherer

Advanced Technology for

Environmental Issues
Thermal Energy Storage Options
MISO: Past, Present, and Future
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41M042017H
 ON THE COVER
The Powder River Basin Coal Users
Group (PRBCUG) selected Plant Scherer
as its Plant of the Year. The 3,600-MW
four-unit facility is one of the largest
power stations in the U.S. Courtesy:
Georgia Power.
Established 1882 Vol. 161 No. 7 July 2017

SPEAKING OF POWER
The Future Looks Bright for Natural GasFired Power
Generation but Price Volatility Is a Wild Card 6

GLOBAL MONITOR
A Mixed Bag of Nuclear Developments in the UAE, S. Korea,
Switzerland, and S. Africa 8
European Pumped Storage Plants Are in Crisis 9
THE BIG PICTURE: SO2 Success 10
Foggy Resolution for Russia-Ukraine Gas Spat from Arbitration Court 12
Researchers: Power Plant Carbon-Capturing Calcium Carbonate
Looping Technology Almost Market Ready 13
Researchers Develop Hybrid Salinity Gradient Power Technology 13
POWER Digest 14

FOCUS ON O&M 8
Advanced Turbine Dynamics Monitoring System Proven Effective 16
Personal Protective Equipment Vending Simplifies Employee Safety 17

LEGAL & REGULATORY

FERC Civil Penalty Order Underscores Need for Companies
to Invest in Compliance Training 18
By Glenn Benson, Davis Wright Tremaine

COVER FOCUS: PRB COAL

Improved Maintenance Strategy and Excellent Planning
Turns Coal Plant into a Top Performer 20
Plant Scherer has a dedicated workforce, a group that combines solid mainte-
nance planning with strong execution processes. The plant emphasizes safety, 9
fire protection, and risk reduction, and has completed several capital improve-
ment projects, which are all among the reasons it has been chosen by the
Powder River Basin Coal Users Group as its Plant of the Year.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Retrofitting Electrostatic Precipitators to Meet Current Emission Limits 25
Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) are a proven technology for particulate mat-
ter control, but current ESPs present a challenge when it comes to meeting
the latest regulatory requirements. New techniques for retrofitting power sup-
plies and other equipment offer the potential for improved ESP performance.

Humboldt Bay Generating Station: A Case Study in Emissions Control

Troubleshooting 28
Pacific Gas & Electrics Humboldt Bay Generating Station in California had a
problem. The facilitys dual-fuel reciprocating engines worked well, but the
states strict emissions rules presented a challenge for the plants engineers,
managers, and maintenance staff. That meant Humboldt Bays operators
needed to identify ways to maintain efficiency while limiting emissions, a
lengthy process they explain in great detail.
28
|
July 2017 POWER www.powermag.com 1
 New Technology Holds the Key to Reaching Carbon Emissions Targets 33
Carbon capture technology has detractors, those who say its more hope
than promise. Research and testing has continued despite the naysayers and
some solutions used in fossil-fueled power plants have been effective in cap-
turing and utilizing carbon dioxide from flue gases. Two projects in the UK
have shown they could be game-changers for the technology.

Particle Sizing in Emissions Samples by Scanning Electron Microscopy 36

It can be difficult to measure particulates in stack emissions these days, as
low particulate loads have become the norm. An alternative methodscan-
ning electron microscopyhelps solve the problem because it can be used
on very light sample collections, as little as 0.25 milligrams.

Technological Advancements in Cooling Water Treatment 39

Regulatory agencies are critical of phosphorus-based water treatment chemi-
33 cals because of their negative impact on lakes and waterways, but non-phos-
phorus products dont always work as well in treatment systems. Recent tests,
however, show a new method of treatment helps overcome those problems.

ENERGY MARKETS
MISO: Avoiding the Mess Facing Other Wholesale
Competitive Electric Markets 42
The Midcontinent Independent System Operators (MISOs) footprint covers
much of the central U.S., and its market structure has enabled MISO to dodge
some of the economic and policy issues faced by other electric power mar-
kets. However, it still wrestles with the same market forces affecting electric
generation and distribution nationwide as it looks toward the future.

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
How China Is on the Leading Edge of Environmental Technologies 46
Chinas reliance on coal is not going away, but it may come as a surprise to
many that the country is not ignoring the environmental impacts of coal-fired
36 power generation. The worlds most-populated nation has taken a lead role in
developing technologies designed to enable its vast coal fleet to meet tough
emissions and climate goals in the future.

ENERGY STORAGE
The Latest in Thermal Energy Storage 50
The U.S. energy mix is changing, and the increased emphasis on renewables
such as solar and wind means energy storage is of even greater importance.
There are three main types of thermal energy storage systems, but just one
has significant commercial availability in the power sectora situation com-
panies working on storage systems want to improve as they search for new
technologies.

COMMENTARY
Coal: The Next Chapter 56
By Betsy B. Monseu, American Coal Council

50
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 SPEAKING OF POWER
The Future Looks Bright for
Natural GasFired Power
Generation but Price
Volatility Is a Wild Card
Aaron Larson
he U.S. Energy Information Adminis-
T tration (EIA) earlier this year reported
that the power sector was poised to
add 11.2 GW of new natural gasfired capac-
ity in 2017. If that forecast proves accurate,
it will be the largest addition in any year
since 2005. Whats more, the EIA said an-
other 25.4 GW of gas-fired capacity would
be added in 2018. The combined additions
would increase gas-fired capacity by 8%
from the 2016 year-end total.
Its no secret that natural gas has been
gaining market share for some time. In
April 2015, gas-fired generation exceeded
coal power generation in the U.S. for the
first time ever in a calendar month. Since
then, gas has beaten coal 18 out of the
24 months for which reports are available.
Gas has provided about 33.1% of the total
power generated in the U.S. compared to
coals 31.1% during the two-year period.
Market Drives Gas Generation
Increases
Expanded natural gas production from
shale formations is one of the main reasons
that gas-fired generation has developed a
competitive advantage. As more gas has
been produced, gas prices have decreased
and remained low in recent years. Its also
generally recognized that less manpower is
required to operate a gas-fired facility com-
pared to a coal power plant. Fuel and labor
costs are often the two largest expenses a
power plant has. Cheap fuel and less labor
means cheaper power.
Gas-fired power plants have other cost
advantages too, especially in the age of
strict environmental regulations. Most coal-
fired stations have had to retrofit units with
expensive air quality control systems, in-
creasing capital and operating costs.
Many of the gas power plants currently
under construction are located in Mid-At-
lantic states and Texas. Thats not surpris-
ing because two of the nations major shale
4 www.powermag.com
plays are located in those areas, but pipeline
networks are also being expanded to accom-
modate growth elsewhere.
Gas Price Volatility Remains
In its January 2017 Short-Term Energy Out-
look, the EIA projected that natural gas
prices would increase this year and next.
The Henry Hub natural gas spot price (the
Henry Hub is a distribution hub located in
Erath, La., that interconnects with nine in-
terstate and four intrastate pipelines, mak-
ing it an important pricing point for futures
contracts traded on the New York Mercantile
Exchange) averaged $2.51/MMBtu in 2016.
The EIA in January expected prices to in-
crease to an average of $3.55/MMBtu in
2017 and $3.73/MMBtu in 2018.
The dollar-plus price increases havent
materialized so far this year. The average
Henry Hub spot price through mid-June was
about $3.06/MMBtu. Thats a 22% price in-
crease compared to last year, but its still
less than in 2014, when the Henry Hub aver-
age was $4.39/MMBtu, and its far below the
$8.89/MMBtu gas averaged in 2008.
However, power plants dont typically
procure gas for the price quoted at the
Henry Hub or any other wholesale hub for
that matter. The price actually paid by a
plant includes what is called a basis differ-
ential. The basis differential factors in such
things as supply and demand dynamics spe-
cific to a given location, pipeline delivery
costs, possible short- and long-term con-
straints, and other influences. Basis from
any wholesale hub can be positive or nega-
tive depending on the situation.
Probably the bigger issue for genera-
tors, in my mind, is the changing basis dif-
ferentials and the potential for increased
volatility in those basis differentials, Char-
lie Palmer, managing director at Opportune
and head of its Power and Gas sector, told
POWER during an exclusive interview. Op-
portune is an energy-only consulting firm.
Meet POWERs New
Associate Editor
Darrell Proctor joined the
POWER team as an associ-
ate editor in early June.
Darrell is a long-time writer
and editor who has exten-
sive experience covering the energy in-
dustry. Among Darrells past employers
are Ponderosa Advisors, Bentek Energy,
EUCI, and Clarity Digital Group, as well
as two city newspapers early in his ca-
reer. Most recently he provided profes-
sional public relations services through
his own business venture, which in-
cluded writing freelance articles for IEEE
GlobalSpecs Engineering360 platform.
Palmer believes there are four major
drivers for changing basis differentials:
changes in supply from shale gas devel-
opment, the potential growth in liquefied
natural gas shipments, planned Gulf Coast
chemical plant investments, and swelling
exports to Mexico. Those potentially big
swings in volumes can create significant
volatility in the natural gas price basis dif-
ferentials, Palmer said.
Most generating companies have en-
ergy trading risk management systems and
hedging tools, but that hasnt prevented
some pretty efficient combined cycle units
from facing financial distress. In the end,
owners must exercise caution when lever-
aging assets because low prices and low
margins often make covering fixed expens-
es difficult.
The risk of being in this business is
probably going up, not going down, Palm-
er said.
Aaron Larson is POWERs
executive editor.
|
POWER July 2017
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A Mixed Bag of Nuclear
Developments in the UAE,
S. Korea, Switzerland, and
S. Africa
The worlds nuclear sector saw a flurry
of activity during April and May, though
most of it wasnt good news.
First Unit at Barakah Built, but Reg-
ulatory Delays Prevail. Initial construc-
tion activities for the first of four units
under construction at the Barakah Nuclear
Energy Plant (Figure 1) in the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) were completed on May 5
on time and on budgetwhich makes this
project unique within an industry charac-
terized by cost overruns and delays. But
now fuel loading, startup, and commer-
cial operation of the unit is still awaiting
the approval of the Federal Authority for
Nuclear Regulation (FANR), and that could
take several more months.
The four APR1400 units are being built
by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. (ENEC)
and Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO).
KEPCO subsidiary Korea Hydro and Nuclear
Power Co. (KHNP) will test and commission
the units, and then Nawah Energy Co., a
joint venture between ENEC and KEPCO, will
take over and operate the units.
But exactly when Unit 1the UAEs
first nuclear power reactorwill begin op-
erations is unclear. ENEC estimates startup
will occur in 2018, a timeline that reflects
the conservatism of ENECs management
and Board of Directors, as well as our lo-
cal, federal and international stakehold-
ers, all of whom stand firmly united in the
belief that long-term sustainable opera-
tions begin with strict adherence to nu-
clear safety, it said. FANR is also carrying
out a rigorous and stringent review of
1. A nuclear mirage. Initial construction activities at Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy
Plant in the United Arab Emirates, where three other APR1400s are simultaneously under con-
struction, were concluded in early May. Construction of Unit 1 began in 2012. As of early June,
the project as a whole was 80% complete. Courtesy: Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp.
8 www.powermag.com
the operating license application submit-
ted by ENEC in March 2015, the company
added. Until FANR approves the operating
licenses for Units 1 and 2, at least, fuel
assemblies manufactured by KEPCO NF re-
ceived in late May will be stored. Mean-
while, the International Atomic Energy
Agency and World Association of Nuclear
Operators also want to conduct a series of
voluntary, but independent, assessments
of the robustness of the operating infra-
structure, as well as to check the profi-
ciency of operational personnel.
S. Korea Halts Shin Hanul Units,
Launches Energy Policy Aimed at Re-
ducing Nuclear, Coal Share. The Bara-
kah units use relatively new South Korean
APR1400 technology. According to state-
owned KHNP, the APR1400 evolved from
the well-proven OPR1000 Korean Stan-
dard Nuclear Power Plant design, which
took just 10 years and 234.6 billion won
($193 million) to develop. The advanced
design incorporates a number of modifi-
cations and improvements to meet needs
for enhanced safety and economic goals
and to address the new licensing issues
such as mitigation of severe accidents.
KHNP also noted that the APR1400 has
been developed to meet 43 basic design
requirements, such as 4,000-MW-rated
thermal power, a 60-year lifetime, and
lower probabilities of core damage and ac-
cidental radiation release than the coun-
trys OPR1000 plants.
KHNP, which has ambitious plans to
export the technology beyond the UAE,
especially to power-strapped Middle East
nations, only put online South Koreas first
power plant using APR1400 technology in
December 2016 at Shin Kori 3 (Figure 2).
That project, whose construction began in
October 2008, and a sister reactor, Shin
Kori 4, were delayed nearly four years ow-
ing to extended testingand subsequent
replacementof safety-related control ca-
bling in the aftermath of a documentation
scandal that rocked the countrys nuclear
industry and prompted the government to
shut down reactors for safety checks, de-
spite power outages (see, Documentation
Scandal Strains South Koreas Power Sup-
plies in our August 2013 issue). Shin Kori
4 is now expected to come online within
the next few months.
A second set of two APR1400 reactors
that KHNP was developing with KEPCO
Engineering and Construction at Shin Ha-
nul were suspended on May 25, however,
just weeks after the election of President
Moon Jae-in on May 9. KHNP has already
applied for a construction license for Shin
Hanul 3 and 4, and it was engaged in site
preparation. Unit 3 was expected to come
online in December 2022, and Unit 4, in
December 2023.
During his electoral campaign as a
member of the center-left Democratic
Party of Korea, Moon signed an agreement
with six other presidential candidates to
essentially phase out nuclear power in the
country that currently depends on its 25
reactors for about 30% of its power sup-
ply. The governments last 7th basic long-
term power development plan for power
supply and demand, released in July 2015,
foresaw 12 new reactors in operation by
2029 in a bid to meet environmental and
economic goals. But during the electoral
campaign, Moon indicated that his admin-
istration would cancel plans for eight new
reactorsincluding the partly completed
Shin Kori 5and also shutter Wolsong
1, a 34-year-old CANDU 6 reactor that in
2015 received, after a two-year hiatus, a
license extension to operate until 2022.
Then, on June 4, South Koreas new
government unveiled an energy policy
that signals it will abruptly turn away
from coal and nuclear and toward natural
gas and renewables instead. While experts
note that an energy roadmap will still
need to be hashed out, the policy factors
in a 2.2% average annual growth in elec-
tricity consumption and calls for a giant
surge in gas-fired generationfrom the
current 18% share it has now in the total
power mix to 27% by 2030. Renewables,
including hydropower, would rise from 5%
to 20%, while coal will plunge from 40%
|
POWER July 2017

2. First rate. Korea Hydro and Nuclear
Power Co. (KHNP) on December 2016 be-
gan commercial operations at the Shin Kori
3 nuclear reactor; Shin Kori 4 is expected to
start up next year. South Koreas new energy
policy may put the construction of new reac-
tors in the country on hold. Courtesy: KHNP
now to 21.8%. Nuclears share will also
drop to 21.6%.
It will mean that South Korea, which
already imports the most liquefied natu-
ral gas (LNG) supplies in the world after
Japan, will need to increase LNG imports
by more than 50% by 2030. It may also re-
quire mitigating taxes on gas generation,
levying them on coal and nuclear instead.
Finally, it may mean closing a swath of
existing generation. Moon has so far or-
dered a temporary halt to 10 old coal-fired
power plants, and further outlined plans
to close them permanently. He has also
called for a review of nine new coal power
plants, some of them partly built.
Switzerland Votes to Phase Out Nu-
clear Power. In Europe, where most gen-
erators agree with transitional measures
to phase out coal power to curb carbon
emissions (see A Double Whammy for Coal
Power in Europe in POWERs July 2017 is-
sue), nuclear power is also under siege.
During his tough, high-profile electoral
campaign, Frances newly elected presi-
dent, Emmanuel Macron, had endorsed for-
mer President Francois Hollandes plan to
slash nuclear output from 72% of Frances
total power generation last year to about
50% by around 2025. Subsequent reports
suggest that Macron will be pragmatic
about the date by which France will imple-
ment that target, however. Some industry
experts noted that Macron faces pushback
from nuclear power plant workers, while
others raise energy security issues. Macron
on May 5 admitted to French journal Me-
diapart that nobody knows, concretely,
how to do this.
In Switzerland, on May 22, voters made
a more concrete decision to ban new
nuclear plants (Switzerland has a direct
democracy, which lets voters decide ma-
jor policy initiatives). The country joins
Germany, which aims to phase out nuclear
power by 2022 in the aftermath of the
|
July 2017 POWER
2011 Fukushima disaster, and Austria, from vendors last December for 9,600 MW
which banned it decades ago. of new nuclear power capacity. South Afri-
Switzerland currently has five nuclear cas Cabinet designated Eskom as the pro-
power plants, and the oldest one is slated curing organization for the nuclear plants
to close in 2019. Nuclear produces 35% of in the new build program, which was out-
its power, while 60% comes from hydro- lined in the 2008 Nuclear Energy policy.
power, and roughly 5% from solar, wind, But the Western Cape High Court effec-
biomass, and geothermal. While the En- tively halted the procurement process and
ergy Strategy 2050 law does not set a firm ordered the South African government to
deadline for when the remaining plants will hold public hearings and debate the $76
be closed, it boosts taxpayer funding for a billion program in parliament. The court
fourfold increase in solar and wind by 2035 also rejected nuclear cooperation deals
to secure the tiny countrys power supplies. South Africa agreed to with the U.S. in
Swiss voters also approved stringent goals 2009, South Korea in 2011, and Russia in
to increase energy efficiency. And, nota- 2015.
bly, the law will also aid hydropower gen-
erators, who are reeling from Europes low
wholesale prices. European Pumped Storage
South Africas Nuclear Program Plants Are in Crisis
Ruled Unconstitutional. At the end of A number of baseload generators across
April, meanwhile, a high court in Cape Europe have decried the fall in average
Town declared that South Africas plan to European wholesale power prices, which
proceed with a nuclear build was uncon- some peg to additions of subsidized low-
stitutional because the government did marginal-cost renewable generation to an
not open the process to public scrutiny. already oversupplied market, a decline in
The case, filed by civil-society groups coal and gas prices, and a general dip in
Earthlife Africa and the Southern African power demand. But coal, gas, and nuclear
Faith Communities Environment Institute, generators arent the only ones feeling a
challenges the legality of state-owned financial pinch.
utility Eskoms request for information In June, Vattenfall, a large European
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 THE BIG PICTURE: SO2 Success
Emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from the U.S. electric power sector have fallen a dramatic 86% since the 1970s, owing to
several factors such as the varying sulfur and heat content of coal, the heat rate of power generation, diminished genera-
tion from coal, and the growing share of coal plants that use flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems. Notably, since the
1970s when SO2 emission controls first became available, FGD costs have declined by nearly a third, and as of 2015 had
been installed on 60% of the nations coal units. By comparison, fluidized bed combustion was installed on just 8% of
units, and only three plants in the U.S. employed integrated gasification combined cycle technology. Heres a look at how
the power sectors laudable environmental achievement came to be. Sources: EPA Criteria Pollutants National Tier 1
(19702016); Environmental Quality and the U.S. Power Sector: Air Quality, Water Quality, Land Use and Environmental
Justice, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (January 2017); Energy Information Administration
Copy and artwork by Sonal Patel, a POWER associate editor
20
million tons
1970:

46% 1990: Clean Air Act

Amendments establish
17.5 national cap-and-trade
million tons 1980: program for SO2.

51% Increased coal genera-

tion, lower heat content,
and higher heat rates
15 1990: ramp up SO2 emissions.
million tons 52%
2000: Phase 2 of the
Acid Rain Program
12.5 begins.
million tons
20042014: Heat content declines
and heat rate increases slightly, owing
to greater production of higher sulfur
1995: Phase 1 of the coal from Illinois Basin. However, coal
Acid Rain program 2000:
10 generation also generally declines, and
begins.
million tons 52% more FGD scrubbers are installed.

2005: EPA develops Clean Air Interstate Rule

(CAIR), a cap-and-trade program to reduce
7.5 SO2 emissions beyond the Acid Rain Program.
CAIR and proposed alternatives have been 2007:
million tons 2010:
challenged in court, but they prompted 91
GW of coal-fired capacity to retrofit FGD
49% 45%
scrubbers.
2012: Natural gas prices
5 decline sharply, and coal
million tons generation starts to fall.

2012:

2.5 37% (Projected)

million tons
2016: COALS SHARE OF TOTAL SO2 has a steep 26% decrease between
2016:
U.S. GENERATION IN 2014 and 2015, owing to low
30% THE GIVEN YEAR utilization, and coal plants are retired 30%
to comply with the federal Mercury
and Air Toxics rule.
1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

10 www.powermag.com |
POWER July 2017
Everything you need.
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2017 United Rentals, Inc.
generator owned by the Swedish govern- that are capable of a black start. Foggy Resolution for
ment, announced a comprehensive re- However, the company said, price devel- Russia-Ukraine Gas Spat
structuring program aimed at returning its opment on the German electricity market from Arbitration Court
pumped storage hydropower fleet in Ger- and the regulatory framework for existing Beyond the bitter disputes that have
many back to profitability. The measure storage facilities has put the countrys recently cropped up between Ukraine
comes just months after Swiss generator pumped storage facilities under consider- and Russia concerning Russias 2014 an-
Axpo booked a sizable $558 million im- able economic pressure for years. Torbjrn nexation of Crimea and the subsequent
pairment on a 1,450-MW pumped storage Wahlborg, head of business area genera- separatist violence in Ukraines Donbass
facility launched in January 2016. tion at Vattenfall, said the restructuring region, tensions have been simmering
Vattenfalls restructuring program, program is the only realistic chance to between the two countries state-owned
which is expected to be implemented by keep most of our German pumped storage energy conglomerates for nearly a decade.
the end of 2019, would mean only 2,500 plants in long-term operation. The reason: natural gas supplies.
MW of its currently operational 2,800-MW Vattenfalls struggles came to light This May, an arbitration tribunal ap-
hydro fleet in Germany would be kept nearly six months after Axpo, which is peared to have handed Ukraine a victory
online through plant operation optimiza- owned by the Swiss government, reported in a case that has high stakes for both
tion and putting single plants in so-called steep losses for a second year in a row, Russias giant gas firm Gazprom, and
transitional operation mode. That essen- owing to profitability worries at its Lim- Ukraines gas production, and import and
tially entails keeping the plant in an oper- mern pumped-storage plant (Figure 3) transit company Naftogaz Ukrayiny.
able state, though they may not always expanded last year to add 1,000 MW to an For years, Ukraine protested what it
be ready for operation, Vattenfall said. existing 450-MW plantwhich is hidden considers Gazproms inflated gas price
So far, the companys 40-MW Niederwartha above the Swiss Alpine town of Linthal. hikes and unfair fines; meanwhile, it too
plant in Saxony is already in transition- According to Axpo, profitability of has raised tariffs for gas shipped across
al operational mode, and it will soon be the Limmern plant depends on the dif- its territory. Russia has accused Ukraine
joined by the 120-MW Geesthacht plant in ference in prices for baseload power and of not paying its gas-incurred debt and of
Schleswig-Holstein. Vattenfall also plans peak power. This margin is not enough illegally siphoning off supplies destined
to reduce its pumped hydro workforce of to guarantee the profitable operation of for Europe. Erupting disputes over the
420 full-time employees by 60%. the plant, and Axpo does not expect the years have left parts of Europe in the cold,
Vattenfall, which said it has invested situation to change in the medium term, with countries such as Bulgaria, Germany,
$67 million modernizing and upgrading its it said. Even though this power plant is Greece, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia
German pumped storage plants to ready immensely important for the security of enduring a total natural gas shutoff from
them for Germanys energy transition, supply in Switzerland, it cannot be oper- pipelines running from Russia through
noted that pumped storage plants are ated profitably in the coming years. Ukraine. In 2006, Russia turned off all gas
currently the only large-scale generation One way that Limmerns profitability exports to Ukraine for three days; in 2008,
facilities with storage capacity for excess could improve in the future is if more vari- it cut shipments by 50%; in 2009, a re-
electricity from renewable energy sourc- able power is added to the grid, and Axpo newed debt spat led to a total disruption
es. It said pumped storage is important is banking on it. Balancing energy is the of supply, which lasted more than 13 days;
because the plants serve as a guarantee trump card of the new Limmern pumped- and in 2014, gas supplies were temporar-
for the electricity network stability and storage power plant with its state-of-the- ily halted owing to the Crimea dispute.
are also one of few generation systems art and flexible pump turbines, it said. The two gas companies reached some-
what of a resolution after the 2009 event,
signing a 10-year price and transit con-
3. Tears of a mountain. Swiss utility Axpos 1,450-MW Limmern pumped storage plant,
completed in January 2016, generates and stores power by shifting water between two mountain
tract. But in 2010, after a political fire-
lakes: Lake Mutt, which sits at 8,100 feet above sea level, and Lake Limmern, 2,000 feet below it. storm that ensued in Kiev, former Ukraine
The plant uses four GE pump-turbines using variable-speed motor generators. According to GE, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was sen-
to get to the plant, workers use a cable car to traverse the first 3,280 feet in elevation, at least, or tenced to seven years in jail for abusing
ride an underground funicular, which is essentially a subway line several miles long, running from her power by agreeing to Russias terms
the bottom of the mountain to the power plant.Courtesy: Alpiq Burkhalter Technik AG on that contract.
Naftogaz has since moved to wean it-
self of Russian gas imports until the case
is settled, and in November 2015, it began
fully importing gas from European Union
member states instead. Meanwhile, in
June 2014, Gazprom filed the first arbi-
tration claim against Naftogaz for the gas
debt incurred under the 2009 take-or-pay
terms of the contract. Under the contract,
Ukraine must buy 41.6 billion cubic me-
ters (bcm) of Russian gas, but the amount
can be lowered to 33.3 bcm with Gaz-
proms approval.
Naftogaz responded by filing its own
arbitration claim for having overpaid for
gas between 2010 and 2014. It also filed a

12 www.powermag.com |
POWER July 2017
separate complaint accusing Russia of not utilizing booked transit
capacity for gas supplies intended for Europe, calling for Gazprom
to provide compensation. Ultimately, Gazprom claimed $44 bil-
lion from Ukraine, and Naftogaz claimed about $28 billion from
Gazprom.
The final ruling issued on May 31 from the Arbitration Insti-
tute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce was highly watched
because it has major implications for Europes future natural gas
supplies. Ukrainian officials told reporters that the tribunal re-
jected Gazproms take-or-pay demands, which required it to
pay for volumes of gas not imported. But on June 6, the Russian
News Agency quoted Gazprom Deputy CEO Alexander Medvedev as
saying They say that the arbitration court revoked take-or-pay,
its not so. They did not cancel take-or-pay (principle).
The case concerning Ukraines elevated transit fee for supplies
to Europe is still ongoing. For now, Ukraine is pairing with Poland
to develop a regional gas hub, which will have prices aligned
with European standards, as one way to end Central and Eastern
Europes dependence on Russian gas. Meanwhile, Russia is bank-
ing on Nord Stream 2, a pipeline it anticipates will come into
service at the end of 2019 to siphon gas from the Russian coast
along the Baltic Sea to the German shore, bypassing Ukraine.
This April, Gazprom and five European companiesFrances
Engie, Austrias OMV, British-Dutch Royal Dutch Shell, and Ger-
manys Uniper and Wintershallsigned an agreement on a new
financing model for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. If
built, the pipeline would pose severe revenue hurdles for Naf-
togaz, as it would slash transit flow through Ukraine.
Researchers: Power Plant Carbon-
Capturing Calcium Carbonate Looping
Technology Almost Market Ready
A novel demonstration underway at Technische Universitt Darm-
stadt (TU Darmstadt), a research university in Darmstadt, Ger-
many, has shown a calcium carbonate looping (CCL) technology
retrofitted at existing power plants to curb emissions of carbon
dioxide (CO2) released during the combustion of fossil fuels is
nearly ready for the market.
The technology is part of Project SCARLET (Scale up of Cal-
cium Carbonate Looping Technology for Efficient CO2 Capture
from Power and Industrial Plants), a three-year research project
funded by the European Union to obtain reliable information for
the scale-up of CCL.
CCL is essentially a post-combustion carbon capture technol-
ogy involving two chemical reactions continuously running in
two interconnected fluidized bed reactors. In the first fluidized
bed reactor, the absorber, a powder of burnt lime or calcium ox-
ide (CaO), is contacted with the CO2 in the power station exhaust
to form calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The calcium carbonate then
is transferred in the second of the two fluidized bed reactors,
known as the regenerator, where high temperatures force out the
CO2 bound as the calcium carbonate thereby producing burnt lime
and CO2 once again, the university said. The released CO2 can
then be used for other purposes or stored whilst the burnt lime
is returned to the first fluidized bed reactor. The material needs
to be replaced after several dozen cycles, but the depleted lime
can then be used in cement production making it a valuable raw
material rather than a waste product.
So far, researchers at TU Darmstadt have developed the techni-
cal prerequisites for the industrial deployment for the CCL process
through testing at a 1-MW experimental facility (Figure 4). Model
calculations and computer simulations show that the new process
|
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is more cost-effective and energy efficient than competing pro-
cesses, they claim. Project SCARLET will now embark on tests at a
bigger 20-MW pilot project at the coal-firedmile Huchet power
plant in Saint-Avold, France.
We need 80 kilograms of lime to capture one tonne of CO2,
explained Professor Bernd Epple of the TU Darmstadts Institute
for Energy Systems and Energy Technology. The current process
costs amount to around 20 to 27 euro per tonne of CO2. Other
processes are more expensive and less efficient. Through SCAR-
LET we have succeeded in moving the [CCL] process a major step
forward towards market readiness.
The team is now evaluating concepts for the utilization of the
recovered CO2. The university noted that the price per tonne of
CO2 is currently very low on the global markets. At this point,
any power plant operators making use of the process would not
be in a position to be able to sell the captured CO2 at a rate that
would enable them to break even, let alone make a profit. It
would have to be stored or reprocessed.
According to Professor Epple, the possibilities are vast. Were
considering using the CO2 directly for the production of metha-
nol, he said. Global market prices for methanol are higher than
those for CO2.
Researchers Develop Hybrid Salinity
Gradient Power Technology
A hybrid technology created by researchers at Penn State Uni-
versity could be the breakthrough needed to advance efforts to
produce power based on the salt concentrations between two
water sources.
13

4. The testing facility. Technische
Universitt Darmstadts Jochen Hilz, Jochen
Strhle, and Bernd Epple (from left to right) in
the carbon dioxide testing facility, which hous-
es the 1-MW calcium carbonate looping experi-
mental pilot plant. Courtesy: Katrin Binner
Researchers in May unveiled the tech-
nology, which essentially seeks to gener-
ate power from regions where freshwater
in rivers meets the seawater in oceans.
Methods to capture energy from salinity
gradients already exist and have long been
studied. The two most successful methods
currently in use are pressure-retarded os-
mosis (PRO) and reverse electrodialysis
(RED).
In PRO, which has evolved since the
1970s as the most common system, water
from a low-salinity feed solution perme-
ates through a semi-permeable membrane
into a pressurized, high-salinity draw solu-
tion, and power is captured by depressur-
ing the permeate through a hydroturbine.
According to Christopher Gorski, assistant
professor in environmental engineering at
Penn State, PRO is so far the best technol-
ogy in terms of how much energy can be
captured. But the main problem with PRO
is that the membranes that transport the
water through foul, meaning that bacteria
grows on them or particles get stuck on
their surfaces, and they no longer trans-
port water through them, he explained.
Holes in the membranes are incredibly
small, and they become blocked easily.
Also, PRO doesnt have the ability to with-
stand the necessary pressures of super-
salty waters, he said.
RED, on the other hand, uses an elec-
trochemical gradient to develop voltages
across ion-exchange membranes. It cre-
ates energy when chloride or sodium ions
14
are kept from crossing the ion-exchange
membranes. Ion-exchange membranes
only allow either positively charged ions
to move through them or negatively
charged ions, Gorski said. So only the
dissolved salt is going through, and not
the water itself. But REDs downfall is
that it doesnt have the ability to produce
large amounts of power, he explained.
A relatively new method called capaci-
tive mixing (CapMix) uses an electrode-
based technology that captures energy
from the voltage that develops when two
identical electrodes are sequentially ex-
posed to two different kinds of water with
varying salt concentrations, such as fresh-
water and seawater. But, it, too, isnt yet
able to generate much power.
Funded by the National Science Founda-
tion, the Penn State researchers solution
is to combine CapMix and RED in an elec-
trochemical flow cell. The custom-built
flow cell (Figure 4) features two channels
separated by an anion-exchange mem-
brane. A copper hexacyanoferrate elec-
trode was then placed in each channel,
and graphite foil was used as a current
collector. The cell was then sealed using
two end plates with bolts and nuts, the
university said. Once built, one channel
was fed with synthetic seawater, while
the other channel was fed with synthet-
ic freshwater. Periodically switching the
waters flow paths allowed the cell to re-
charge and further produce power.
There are two things going on here that
make it work, said Gorski. The first is
you have the salt going to the electrodes.
The second is you have the chloride trans-
ferring across the membrane. Since both
5. Worth its salt. This image shows the concentration flow cell. Two plates clamp the cell
together, which contains two narrow channels fed with either synthetic freshwater or seawater
through the plastic lines. Courtesy: Penn State/Jennifer Matthews
www.powermag.com
of these processes generate a voltage, you
end up developing a combined voltage at
the electrodes and across the membrane.
The team said it recorded open-circuit
cell voltages while feeding two solutions
at 15 milliliters per minute. At 12.6 watts
per square meter, this technology leads
to peak power densities that are unprec-
edentedly high compared to previously re-
ported RED (2.9 watts per square meter),
and on par with the maximum calculated
values for PRO (9.2 watts per square me-
ter), but without the fouling problems,
it said.
The researchers will now explore how
stable the electrodes remain over time, as
well as analyzing how other elements in
seawaterlike magnesium and sulfate
might affect the performance of the cell.
POWER Digest
India to Sell Only Electric Vehicles by
2030. Indias power minister Piyush Goyal
said at a Confederation of Indian Indus-
try session in April that the government
plans to make all its cars electric by 2030.
By [that year], not a single petrol or die-
sel car should be sold in the country, he
said. While the move could drive power
demand in the nation that depends on
coal power for the bulk of its electricity,
India has also announced it will refrain
from building any new coal plants after
2022, shifting its focus instead to install
a total of 175 GW of renewable capacity by
that year. Industry experts widely suggest
that Indias push for electric vehicles may
facilitate energy storage to help balance
the surge in solar power generation it is
|
POWER July 2017
anticipating. However, they point out that will supply two SST5-5000 steam tur- mand. Because Jordan is one of the dri-
Indias car manufacturers arent equipped bines, two air-cooled SGen5-1200A gen- est countries in the world, and the power
for such a radical change, nor does India erators, and the turbine control system plant will be built in the desert at Attarat
have enough time to set up infrastructure for the 470-MW Attarat steam power Um Ghudran, 100 kilometers southeast
to support electric vehicles. A number of plant in Jordan, which is being built of the Jordanian capital Amman, one of
industry stakeholders have urged the gov- by China Energy Engineering Group the plants unique features is that its air-
ernment to promote more research and Guangdong Power Engineering Co. as cooled condensers will save up to 90%
development on electric vehicles. general contractor for the operator of of the water needed for the plants op-
German Court Rules Nuclear Fuel the plant, the Attarat Power Co. When eration compared with the use of a wet-
Tax Is Unconstitutional. The German it begins operation as expected in mid- cooling system.
Federal Constitutional Court in early June 2020, the plant will supply enough power Sonal Patel is a POWER
upheld a 2014 ruling of the Financial to cover up to 15% of Jordans power de- associate editor
Court of Hamburg that held the nuclear
fuel tax levied to German nuclear gen-
erators despite the countrys announced
nuclear phase out in the aftermath of the
Fukushima disaster is unconstitutional.
The ruling means that nuclear generators
will receive a refund of about $7 billion
BECAUSE THE CITY
they have paid between 2011 and 2016.
The tax was levied every time the nations
NEVER SLEEPS
three nuclear plant owners, E.ON, RWE,
and EnBW changed a fuel rod.
Eskom Synchronizes Medupi Coal
DEMAND CAT
Plant to Grid. Unit 4 of South African
state-owned utility Eskoms Medupi Pow-
ELECTRIC POWER
er Station Project in Lephalale, Limpopo,
was synchronized to the national power
grid on May 31, becoming the third of
the plants six units to come online. Once
completed, Medupi will be the fourth-larg-
est coal-fired power plant, and the largest
dry-cooled power station in the world. It
will consist of six supercritical units with
an installed capacity of 4,800-MW. The
planned operational life of the power sta-
tion is 50 years. Caterpillar Electric Power products are trusted throughout the world, delivering
GE Inks Major Agreement for Viet- backup power when the mains supply fails or constant electricity where the grid
nam Power Facilities. GE and Vietnam cannot. Our products protect business against surges, sags and power interruptions
that can disrupt daily operations or cause loss of valuable data or system capacity.
Oil & Gas Group (Petrovietnam) on May
31 signed a memorandum of understand-
Cat power solutions go beyond the generator set, incorporating systems designed to
ing to cooperate on the development of deliver reliable, quality power even in the most demanding applications. Our expert
two 750-MW combined cycle gas turbine engineers, sales and project managers work with you to design power solutions and
power plantsMien Trung I and II. If systems to meet even the most complex power needs.
built, the plants will be fueled from natural
gas from the Blue Whale Gas Field, which Supported locally by a skilled network of authorised dealers and backed by full Cat
is the countrys largest to date, having an warranty, our product and system solutions give you peace of mind.
estimated 150 billion cubic meters of re-
serves. The Mien Trung I Plant is expected To find out more about Cat Electric Power solutions visit:
to begin operations in 2023 and Mien Trung
II in 2024. GE will help Vietnam identify www.cat.com/ep_industries01
the latest technology solutions to provide
higher efficiency, lower fuel consumption,
and lower emissions. GEs development
partner International Mainstream Renew-
able Power also signed a joint develop-
ment agreement with Phu Cuong Group to
develop an 800-MW wind farm in Soc Trang
province. That deal follows a 1-GW initia- 2017 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved.
CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, ADEM, Caterpillar Yellow

tive signed with the Ministry of Industry and the Power Edge trade dress, as well as corporate and product
identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used
and Trade last year. without permission.

Siemens to Deliver Equipment for

Significant Plant in Jordan. Siemens

|
July 2017 POWER www.powermag.com 15
Advanced Turbine Dynam-
ics Monitoring System
Proven Effective
Grid behavior in todays power generation
environment is a stochastic system that is
more variable than in the past. One com-
mon issue is the response to economic
dispatch, in which formerly baseload ther-
mal generation units are now operating as
load-following or peaking units and incur-
ring substantive mechanical and thermal
stress. Operation of these units outside of
original design basis has serious implica-
tions for long-term component health.
Monitoring of shaft dynamics using
the Turbine Dynamics Monitoring System
(TDMS) can enable plant operators to bet-
ter understand risk from grid interactions
as well as observe changes in shaft char-
acteristics over time that could be attrib-
uted to degradation.
Utilizing TDMS in the Field
An Electric Power Research Institute
(EPRI) study is leveraging the TDMS hard-
ware to explore questions about shaft
torsional excitation caused by the modern
grid. The research also investigates the
consequences of low- or partial-load oper-
ation of steam turbinesparticularly the
effect of varied backpressure and steam
flow conditions on final stage blading.
In December 2016, EPRI and Suprock
Technologies successfully applied TDMS
Quad Telemetry at American Electric Pow-
ers (AEPs) Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant
Unit 2, as part of torsional frequency veri-
fication after a turbine upgrade. Past at-
tempts at torsional tests of this unit had
resulted in hardware failures. The shaft
diameter and environmental conditions
were outside of the maximum operating
specifications of alternative telemetry
systems.
The D.C. Cook Unit 2 Alstom turbine
retrofit paired with the existing generator
rotor did not exhibit any torsional modes
inside the avoidance zone near 120 Hz.
Figure 1 shows the resulting torsional
data from the test. The graph shows the
synchronous data from both tangential ac-
celeration and torsional strain.
The advantage of capturing both motion
and strain is that monitoring both types of
dynamic energy provides a better picture
of the torsional failure modes than would
otherwise be observed from a single axial
installation. EPRI and Suprock were able to
16
1. Test data provides answers. The Turbine Dynamics Monitoring System (TDMS)
was utilized at D.C. Cook nuclear plant after a turbine retrofit. No adverse torsional modes were
exhibited in the 120-Hz avoidance zone. Courtesy: American Electric Power (AEP)
Torsional strain
80
Torsional acceleration
Power spectral density (dB/Hz)
60
40
20
10
0 50 100 150 200
Frequency (Hz)
address the plants needs by developing the MW hold points.
TDMS Quad Telemetry, which synchronously
captures four rotor-dynamic variables of Additional Testing Demonstrates
torsional strain, tangential acceleration, Beneits
lateral strain, and radial acceleration. EPRI is now sponsoring a project at a new
The D.C. Cook Unit 2 application pre- coal-fired plant in the Czech Republic to
sented a number of challenges. For ex- directly compare the TDMS data to blade-
ample, it was conducted with the rotor tip timing data captured from an ultrasu-
in-situ in the bearings, in a location of percritical fossil unit. To date, the results
tight axial clearance, with partial shaft ac- have indicated that one-shot torsional
cess during installation, operating inside tests are not sufficient to observe operat-
a bearing housing oil mist, and with con- ing modes of these units.
cern for locally high temperatures (greater TDMS has the sensitivity and longevity
than 250F). The installation was housed to make observations that were previously
inside a tight, roughly 5-inch axial space impractical. The data indicates that the
between an oil deflector and bearing forced torsional frequencies are not con-
housing wall. stant. In one example, amplitude modula-
The telemetry captured data during tion of current carrying frequencies were
the initial turbine startup, but it also re- observed that produce sideband torques in
mained online for the duration of power proximity to the expected forced frequen-
ascension over several weeks. This demon-
strated the ability of the TDMS to provide
data on demand while maintaining a flex- 2. Compact, but powerful. TDMS is
ible plant schedule. an accessible and affordable option for the
The TDMS is externally powered and power industry. Courtesy: Suprock Technolo-
gies
battery-free. After the initial roll-off, AEP
engineering staff members were trained to
operate the TDMS and continued collect-
ing data without requiring telemetry tech-
nicians to be on-site. The capability of the
TDMS resulted in collateral cost savings
compared to traditional methods, which
require an on-site technician through the
duration of data acquisition.
The TDMS interface was easy to use,
said AEP engineer Jeff St. Amand. The
TDMS is passive and does not require the
plant to make specific power ascension
www.powermag.com |
POWER July 2017
cies. Such modulations are speculated to
be consequences of varied power factor on
the grid among other potential sources,
such as generator health.
The sources of these sideband torques
are the subject of ongoing research. The
significant consequences of this finding
may include a reassessment of frequency
avoidance band criteria accounting for
measurements of the time-varying tor-
sional forced frequencies. And it provides
a growing body of information that makes
the case for continuous monitoring of tor-
sional vibration as part of the loss preven-
tion plan for steam turbine generators.
The TDMS technology has been proven
to survive and measure data from more
than two years in service, and it is rated
to survive at 6,000 rpm with intermittent
service capabilities to 35,000 Gs.
In 2016, the TDMS was commercialized
(Figure 2) to make this development ac-
cessible and affordable. The mission of the
TDMS is to meet an industry-wide torsion-
al vibration monitoring need while offer-
ing significant cost savings.
Christopher Suprock, PhD is manager
of Suprock Technologies LLC.
Personal Protective Equip-
ment Vending Simplifies
Employee Safety
By many indicators, working in the power
sector today is safer than its ever been.
In 2014, the U.S. Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) found that
utilities had a lower fatal work injury rate
per 100,000 full-time workers than any
other industrial sector.
While thorough training and increased
communication initiatives serve as key el-
ements of safety programs, many of the
risks inherent to this line of work have
also led many organizations to make per-
sonal protective equipment (PPE) an es-
sential requirement.
Outdated Safety Measures
But even with a set of written industry
standards from OSHA in effect, workers
can still lose a piece of safety equipment
or damage an essential item over time.
Failure to provide and maintain adequate
PPE not only presents physical risk to em-
ployees, but also could carry serious legal
and financial implications for employers.
Sometimes, the biggest hurdle for a
workplace is manually monitoring, is-
suing, and managing the distribution of
PPEa problem magnified by varying PPE
requirements across job functions and to-
tal employees (Figure 3). And tracking PPE
compliance can be difficult, time-consum-
|
July 2017 POWER
3. Personal protective equipment
(PPE). Power plant workers regularly need
PPE, but the task of doing out the supplies
can be time consuming and costly. New vend-
ing options make it easier for companies to
distribute and track these vital safety supplies.
Courtesy: IVM Inc.
ing, wasteful, and costly.
A Simpliied Distribution Process
In 1993, Union Pacific Railroad approached
Indianapolis-based IVM Inc., which was,
at the time, a traditional vending-machine
management company, to build a custom
PPE vending solution. It wanted a system
that could dispense items, such as gloves
and earplugs, and track employee supply
usage.
IVMs PPE vending solutions have since
been deployed across a variety of manu-
facturing and industrial settingsfrom
nuclear plants, to utility plants, to con-
struction sites. In addition to vending ma-
chines, IVM also manufactures lockers and
other smart supply vending solutions.
Duke Energy, one of the largest energy
holding companies in the U.S., has long
subscribed to IVMs solutions (Figure 4) to
more easily issue PPE, ensure safety com-
pliance, and meet OHSA standards. In ad-
dition, IVM has partnerships with the D.C.
Cook Nuclear Plant and PSEG Nuclear, and
the company collaborates with organiza-
tions across a range of industries to help
them achieve their safety goals.
Approved users simply walk up to a cus-
tomized IVM vending machine or locker,
swipe their badge, and select the supplies
they need. This eliminates most adminis-
trative steps, while stock is reported and
maintained in real-timeand more effi-
ciently than ordering supplies on a whim
would be. Real-time reporting enables
more precise employee-supply budget
forecasting.
www.powermag.com
4. Like taking candy from a ...
vending machine. IVMs personal pro-
tective equipment vending solution is utilized
at a number of power plants to ensure em-
ployees have the safety equipment that they
need, when they need it. Courtesy: IVM Inc.
Time Savings and Cost Reductions
When it comes to PPE equipment, ordering
supplies is a time-intensive task. A survey
of research conducted by Grainger found
that an average of five people are involved
in the purchasing of company supplies.
Each purchase consists of 42 steps with
an average of six handoffs and approvals.
A single purchase order, it was shown, can
take an average of 90 minutes to complete.
Through automated recordkeeping, av-
erage IVM customers see their employee
supply costs drop by an average of 35%.
Additionally, many organizations within
the power and industrial sectors have seen
employee supply consumption decrease
40% to 50%, thanks to more implied over-
sight about who requests what equipment.
By automating the process of supply
ordering and inventory management, high-
value employees are freed up for the work
that matters most. Legal risks are also
mitigated by IVM machines, because the
machines automatically document the dis-
tribution of safety equipment to employ-
ees.
While not as exciting as summoning a
candy bar, empowering workers to remain
safe on the jobsite through automated
supply vending can be a win-win for power
sector employers and employees alike.
Mike Pitts is president of IVM Inc.
17
 FERC Civil Penalty Order
Underscores Need for
Companies to Invest in
Compliance Training
Glenn Benson
he Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a
T settlement with GDF SUEZ Energy Marketing NA Inc. (GSEM-
NA) in February 2017, in which GSEMNA agreed to pay civil
penalties of $41 million and disgorge an additional $40.8 million
of profits to settle allegations that it violated FERCs market ma-
nipulation regulations when offering energy into the wholesale
electric markets administered by PJM Interconnection LLC. This
is the largest civil penalty FERC has imposed since JP Morgan and
Barclays Bank were each required to pay hundreds of millions of
dollars in July 2013.
FERCs penalty against GSEMNA is just the latest in a series of
orders FERC has issued over a number of years involving compa-
nies that sought to profit by exploiting market design flaws, not
realizing FERC would deem their activities to be market manipu-
lation rather than legitimate arbitrage.
Companies participating in the U.S. wholesale electric markets
administered by regional transmission organizations and inde-
pendent system operators need to ensure their traders, officers,
and employees receive periodic compliance training so that they
do not run afoul of FERCs views on market manipulation.
Lost Opportunity Costs
In its settlement, GSEMNA stipulated to having adopted and
implemented a bidding strategy focused on profiting from lost
opportunity cost (LOC) credits, as opposed to from the sale of
energy from 12 combustion turbine (CT) units. PJM provides LOCs
to CT units to give them an incentive to maintain their resources
as PJM pool-scheduled resources, which allows PJM to control
their output to manage system operations and ensure reliability.
Under PJMs tariff, CTs receive LOCs if they clear the day-ahead
(DA) market and are subsequently directed by PJM to reduce out-
put or are not dispatched in the real-time (RT) market. During
the time when the alleged violation took place, PJM utilized a
formula for calculating LOCs that did not deduct the start-up and
no-load costs the generator would have incurred if dispatched.
This provided CTs an opportunity to earn a greater profit when
they received LOCs than they would earn if they were dispatched.
GSEMNA previously expected low profits from the 12 CTs in PJMs
energy market because of the infrequency with which they were
dispatched. The strategy it devised, however, would allow it to
boost the profitability of the units without changing the econom-
ics of the units or the frequency with which they were dispatched.
Specifically, GSEMNA determined that it could bid the CTs in
the DA market at a discount below each units costs, thereby
18 www.powermag.com
allowing the units to clear the DA market when they otherwise
probably would not have, and enabling GSEMNA to profit from the
LOCs when the units were predictably not dispatched. GSEMNA
employed a probabilistic, risk/reward approach whereby it would
discount a given CT units DA offer based on its assessment of
the likelihood the CT would not be dispatched, weighing the risk
of running the unit at a loss if dispatched against the potential
reward of LOCs if it was not dispatched.
This strategy allowed GSEMNA to obtain DA commitments and
LOCs at times when the units were uneconomical and would not,
and should not, have cleared. FERCs Office of Enforcement con-
cluded that GSEMNAs strategy departed from supply and demand
fundamentals and impaired the functioning of the LOC provisions
of the PJM market and PJMs unit commitment process. The of-
fers GSEMNA made in the DA market did not reflect the price it
wanted for its energy, but instead the price at which it could
clear and then receive LOCs. This, the Office of Enforcement con-
cluded, was contrary to the purpose of LOCs to compensate gen-
erators for lost opportunity costs due to PJMs decision not to
dispatch a CT. The Office of Enforcement took the position that
GSEMNA had fraudulently gamed the market to obtain LOCs.
Ensure Compliance Within Your Company
Importantly, companies are expected to know how FERC has
treated other investigations of possible market manipulation.
FERC does not believe GSEMNA was operating in a gray area.
While companies increasingly are litigating FERCs decisions on
alleged gaming in court, FERC has made clear that it views such
trading strategies as prohibited market manipulation.
Companies participating in wholesale electric markets should
hold periodic and regular compliance training sessions for their
traders, supervisors, and managers involved in offering generat-
ing resources in organized markets regarding FERCs regulations
governing energy trading, including specific training on market
behavior that may violate FERCs rules against market manipula-
tion. Trainers need to be knowledgeable about how FERC has
handled specific situations and be able to delineate what is law-
ful and what is unlawful or of questionable legality. This will
allow companies to chart a course that safeguards them from
investigations, while not needlessly inhibiting them from engag-
ing in legitimate and profitable activities.
Glenn Benson (glennbenson@dwt.com) is a partner in
Davis Wright Tremaine LLPs energy practice
in the firms Washington, D.C., office.
|
POWER July 2017
 PRB COAL

Improved Maintenance Strategy

and Excellent Planning Turns
Coal Plant into a Top Performer

Courtesy: Georgia Power

Southern Co.s Plant Scherer was chosen as the 2017 Powder River Basin Coal Users
Group Plant of the Year based on a rigorous selection criteria, including safety, fire
protection, and risk reduction benchmarks. The plants dedicated workforce imple-
mented a strategy utilizing excellent maintenance planning and execution process-
es, and completed several important capital improvement projects that led to the
achievement.
Aaron Larson

Start with a Proper Maintenance

I
ts not uncommon for conditions to slip
as a power plant ages. As time progress-
es, shiny and new turns to dull and on a 12,075-acre site in Monroe County,
old. Previously reliable equipment begins
to fail and, in some cases, repairs never
seem to result in like-new performance.
As a plant nears retirement, you might
even hear an old-timer remark that the only
thing holding the place together is baling
wire and binder twine, although duct tape
is more likely to be the glue these days.
There is something to be said for old-
fashioned ingenuity, but in todays modern
world, completing maintenance in accor-
dance with manufacturers guidelines is
undoubtedly a better option. Although
Plant Scherer was certainly not limping
through life held together by twine, the
35-year-old facility had begun showing its
age when Johnny Howze III took over as
plant manager in 2014.
The plant (see opening photo) is situated
Plant Scherer wasnt Howzes first rodeo.
Georgia, between Atlanta and Macon.
The station has four coal-fired units with
a combined capacity of about 3,600 MW,
making it one of the largest power plants
in the U.S.
Southern Co. subsidiary Georgia Power
operates the facility for its seven owners.
The ownership breakdown is somewhat
complicated, with Oglethorpe Power own-
ing the majority of Units 1 and 2, Georgia
Power possessing smaller shares of the first
two units and a 75% stake in Unit 3, and
Florida Power and Light holding the bulk
of Unit 4. Other part-owners in the various
units are Municipal Electric Authority of
Georgia, Gulf Power, Jacksonville Electric
Authority, and Dalton Utilities.
Strategy
He had worked his way up the management
ranks through several other Southern Co.
facilities, including Lansing Smith, Scholz,
Bowen, Harllee Branch, and Plant Wansley.
Howze had seen enough to recognize what
worked well and what could be improved.
One of the initial observations I made
when I got to the plant was that we were just
making it too hard to put coal in the build-
ing or in the stock-out yard, Howze told
POWER in an exclusive interview during
the Powder River Basin Coal Users Group
(PRBCUG) Annual Meeting, which was
co-located in Chicago with the ELECTRIC
POWER Conference and Exhibition in April.
Why does it have to be so hard? Howze
asked himself at the time.

20 www.powermag.com |
POWER July 2017
 PRB COAL
1. Relying on gravity. Plant Scherer replaced its original vibratory feeders with the gravi-
metric design shown here. The change resulted in fewer breakdowns and more consistent flow
through the system. Courtesy: Georgia Power
Howze said one of his fundamental beliefs
is that maintenance planning and mainte-
nance strategy are key drivers for successful
plants. He believed that if the station could
improve its maintenance, more than just
equipment problems would be solved.
I thought we could plan our work better,
Howze explained. We could never seem to
make a plan and stick to it. As a result, shift
schedules were inconsistent. We were work-
ing large amounts of overtime.
So Howze directed his team to focus on
improving the plants maintenance strategy.
The idea was to get employees working on
the right things at the right time. Managers
took a good look at preventive maintenance
tasks that were recommended by equipment
manufacturers, and they ensured the work
was being scheduled appropriately.
Of course, equipment can break down at
any time, no matter how good your preven-
tive maintenance program. But now when
equipment fails unexpectedly at Plant Scher-
er, the operations folks review the problem
with the maintenance workers and planning
staff to decide if the trouble requires im-
mediate attention or if it can be planned ap-
propriately and executed through the normal
scheduling process. The communication be-
tween departments and resulting prioritiza-
tion of work has made a big difference.
When operators get confidence in main-
tenance workers sticking to the plan, it just
begins to work and grow and blossom, said
Howze.
One thing that should not be overlooked
22
is that safety revolves around good mainte-
nance. When the proper maintenance is com-
pleted on electrical equipment, the odds of
someone being injured decrease. When small
mechanical problems are corrected before
they fail, there is less likelihood of collat-
eral damage. Not to mention, when workers
arent constantly having to put out fires the past. The change has reduced downtime
(not literal fires, but those regular emergen-
cies that spring up when maintenance pri-
orities are continuously changing), they can
actually focus on safety and take the time to
do things right.
Improving plant maintenance and better-
ing the overall operation also rallies employ-
ee morale. When a plant starts running better
and faces less emergent trouble, attitudes im-
prove and its like a cloud is lifted from the
station. A positive change in the plant culture
is the result.
Capital Projects Improve
Operation
Refining the maintenance strategy was a
great first step, but Plant Scherer also needed
to make some serious investments in equip-
ment retrofits. Randy Rahm, president of
CoalTech Consultants Inc. and executive di-
rector of the PRBCUG, noted that because
Plant Scherer is so large, when a decision
is made to change something, the cost and
scope of the job is often quite significant.
For example, after years of trouble with
the plants vibratory feeders, management
decided to replace them with gravimetric
feeders. Plant Scherer had 112 vibratory
www.powermag.com
POWER POINTS
Key Takeaways
A good maintenance strategy
and meticulous planning are key
drivers for successful power
plants.
Good lighting isnt a luxury
its a necessity.
A positive culture change often
results when maintenance and
operational improvements are
implemented.
Having the right people in the
right seats on the bus is neces-
sary for teamwork to thrive.
feeders. Im telling you, this is no small
deal, Rahm said.
The project took a lot of time and cost a lot
of money, but the results made it all worth-
while. Nick Slappy, Scherers assistant plant
manager, explained that with gravimetric
feeders (Figure 1), the plant needed fewer
parts and was able to reduce its warehouse
inventory. Gravimetric feeders also seem to
handle wet coal better than the vibratory de-
sign. Slappy said wet coal continues to slide
through the gravimetric feeders, even under
conditions that might have posed trouble in
and contractor costs, as well as cutting the
number and frequency of train unloading de-
lays.
One longstanding problem that the plant
faced was an inoperable crossover gate. The
lack of crossover functionality limited the
plants flexibility, making it totally depen-
dent on one line to get coal into the build-
ing. That affected workers ability to perform
preventive maintenance, and it immediately
turned minor troubles into major emergen-
cies. Andy Waldrop, Scherer fuels manager,
was first to point out the problem to Howze.
Both men believed that getting the crossover
gate back in service would open a whole new
world for the plant.
And it did. Slappy said having the cross-
over available meant repairs didnt need to
be worked around the clockthat reduced
overtime. The crossover also allowed work
to be performed on the trestle, stockout, and
reclaim, all while coal continued to flow into
the building. Thats been a big improvement
for us, Slappy said.
Another important improvement was the
addition of an automatic washdown system
on the tripper floor. Coal dust is, of course,
very dangerous. If allowed to accumulate, it
|
POWER July 2017

2. Pressure wash. Installing an automatic washdown system on the tripper floor has not
only improved cleanliness and reduced the fire hazard, but it has also decreased labor costs
because fewer workers are needed to clean the area. Courtesy: Georgia Power
3. Efficient dust removal. Plant Scherers old dust collector had deteriorated and was
recirculating dust rather than removing it. A new Engart system was installed to remedy the
situation. Courtesy: Georgia Power
poses a serious fire hazard and can even lead
to explosions.
Rahm noted that when he visited Plant
Scherer for the first time back in 1996 or
1997, workers routinely cleaned the tripper
floor using air lances, which was danger-
ous and ineffective because it blew a lot of
dust airborne only for it to resettle on sur-
faces elsewhere. Although cleaning prac-
tices evolved greatly since that time, the new
washdown system takes cleaning to a whole
other level.
The washdown system (Figure 2) was
designed with the help of Fort Myers, Fla.
based Acensium. It is operated on a timer,
usually during the night shift because load
is generally less and there are fewer people
affected by the activity. First, water sprays
through a header to washdown the top of the
|
July 2017 POWER
tripper floor, then a bottom washdown sys-
tem flushes material to a drain on the floor.
The drain discharge goes to the plants coal
pile runoff where a process has long been in
place to deal with the water/coal mixture.
Although the washdown system is ulti-
mately about safety and reducing the fire
hazard on the tripper floor, the system also
provides a financial benefit. Fuel and labor
are typically the two biggest costs for most
coal plants. If a manager wants to save mon-
ey, the easier of the two to cut is labor, and
thats exactly what installation of the wash-
down system allowed Plant Scherer to do.
Rather than keeping 10 Zachary-supplied
laborers on shift cleaning around the clock,
the plant was able to cut that number by more
than half.
Dust was not just a problem on the trip-
www.powermag.com
PRB COAL
per floor, however; it was also a challenge
in other areas of the plant. One big reason
was that the plants dust collector was not
doing its job. Slappy said it was recirculat-
ing dust rather than adequately removing it.
To remedy the problem, the team installed a
new Engart system (Figure 3). Just like the
washdown system, water flushes the dust to
the coal pile runoff where it can be managed
appropriately.
Let There Be Light!
Most people probably wouldnt place lighting
at the top of the list of improvements needed
to turn a power plant into a top performer, but
then, they might be wrong. The fact is, you
cant clean or fix what you cant see.
Howze had been part of some LED light-
ing projects at other plants during his ca-
reer, so he knew what a difference improved
lighting could make. When he was plant
manager of Wansley, an employee came up
to him after new lighting was installed and
said, Im seeing things that Ive never seen
in 30 years!
When a 30-year veteran tells you that,
you say, there must be something to this
thing, Howze said.
Slappy agreed with the assessment. If
you havent invested in LED lighting at your
facility, I would tell you, if you transition
from what you have today to LED lighting,
you will think youre in a different world, he
told an audience of power plant personnel at
the PRBCUG event.
Upgrading to LED lighting (Figure 4) not
only helped laborers see what needed to be
cleaned, it also helped maintenance person-
nel see what needed to be fixed. Although coal
leaks have always been considered unaccept-
able and given the highest repair priority at
Plant Scherer, prior to the lighting upgrade,
leaks could go unnoticed due to poor visibility.
With LED lighting, that is no longer a problem
and leaks receive quick attention.
Weve made a conscious effort that when
you have a coal leak, regardless of what kind
of megawatts youre producing, you take it
off. You take the mill off. You find a way to
repair that coal leak, so that you dont put
anyone in harms waythat you dont cause
or increase the chances of something com-
busting, Slappy said adamantly.
Other process improvements at the plant
include utilizing 3-D modeling and de-
sign technology, and taking a multiangle
approach to transient pressure excursion
(TPE) issues. Slappy said the 3-D modeling
has allowed employees to get engaged in
plant design. The tool has helped determine
the best places to install safety switches and
access doors, and has really added value
throughout the operation.
23
 PRB COAL
4. See what youve been missing. New LED lighting improved safety and forced
previously unnoticeable problems to be addressed. This image shows the tripper floor before
(top) and after (bottom) new LED lights were installed. Courtesy: Georgia Power
TPE refers to a phenomenon that can oc-
cur inside a coal mill. Under certain condi-
tions, coal can combust in a mill, which can
result in a pressure excursion that, in extreme
situations, can cause weak areas of the mill
The thing I love about my team is that
they are selfless. Im blessed to work with
them.
Johnny Howze, Plant Scherer plant manager
to break open.
The Scherer team has worked with sev-
eral different vendors to address the TPE
risk. One offered an additive that could
be spread across the coal to make the fuel
flow better into and through mills. Another
24
solution utilized ash to reduce the risk of
combustion inside coal mills. But perhaps
the most useful technology implemented
was a wet-coal process logic change. The
logic monitors electrical current draw and
they are selfless. Im blessed to work with
showed up when we had all these things go-
ing on, but they really make a lot of these
ideasnext thing I knowthey take it and
temperature in the mill to alert operators of
potential trouble. By ensuring parameters
are within specification, the coal mill can be
maintained in a safe state.
Beyond engineering solutions designed
to prevent TPEs from occurring, the station
www.powermag.com
also takes physical steps to reduce the risk
to personnel when wet coal is expected.
When risk is high, areas around coal mills
are roped off to keep personnel out for safe-
ty reasons.
Concerning plant operations, Howzes
main focus is on a handful of items. It
shouldnt be a surprise to see maintenance
strategy and leadership heading up the list.
For production, he focuses on turbines, boil-
ers, and pulverizers, calling these the life-
blood of the plant. A good control system
is also a must. Plant Scherer has a Foxboro
distributed control system, but Howze noted
that his team has some capital projects in
play to optimize the control scheme.
Last, but not least, is operations training.
The plant has a high-fidelity simulator and
requires operators to go through a rigorous
qualification process every three years. The
goal of keeping the operators highly trained
is to protect plant assets. In theory, if equip-
ment is operated properly, fewer things fail.
That gives maintenance workers more time
to focus on preventive maintenance tasks,
which also improves reliability.
Primed and Ready to Prosper
Plant Scherers performance has been noth-
ing short of spectacular. Over the years, as
environmental standards have changed, the
station has been retrofitted with some of the
most modern control technologies available.
Each of the units has low-NOx burners.
Selective catalytic reduction is used for addi-
tional NOx, as well as mercury (Hg), control.
Electrostatic precipitators and baghouses
with activated carbon injection remove par-
ticulate matter and Hg. Scrubbers remove
acid gases, such as SO2, as well as Hg.
These best-available technologies have
brought this 1980s vintage facility into the
21st century, giving it a bright future for
many years to come. However, equipment
will only take a plant so far; after that, it
comes down to the people. As Howze put it,
Youve got to have the right people in the
right seats on the bus.
The thing I love about my team is that
them, Howze said. Im just the guy that
things happen. They do. Ill punt out some
run with it.
Rahm recalled his most recent trip to Plant
Scherer and how it compared to his first visit,
I want to tell you, its night and day, he
said. He wasnt just talking about the LED
lighting either.
Aaron Larson is POWERs
executive editor.
|
POWER July 2017
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Retrofitting Electrostatic
Precipitators to Meet
Current Emission Limits
Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) offer a tried-and-true technology for particu-
late matter control. However, existing ESPs can be challenged to meet
the latest regulatory requirements. Retrofitting power supplies and other
equipment offers the potential for improved ESP performance.
Jose Sanchez and Tom Keeler

1. More power. This image shows a scope trace and voltage-current curve comparing

T
he U.S. Environmental Protection
Agencys Mercury and Air Toxics a high-frequency power supply/switched-mode power supply (HFPS/SMPS) to a conventional
60-Hz transformer-rectifier (TR) power supply. The high operating frequency of HFPSs/SMPSs
Standards (MATS) rule, which became
produces a nearly pure direct current output waveform. Source: Electric Power Research Insti-
effective in April 2015, provides emission
tute (EPRI)
limits for filterable particulate matter (PM)
and other hazardous air pollutants, such as ESP = electrostatic precipitator
mercury, acid gases, trace metals, and organ- T/R = transformer rectifier Spark-over level
ics, from coal-fired power plants. Under the
MATS rule, the maximum achievable control
technology total particulate emissions limit is
ESP voltage (kV)

ESP voltage (kV)

0.03 lb/MMBtu for existing coal-fired plants.
To meet these emissions limits for con-
trol of PM, one of the most-reliable and
often-utilized control technologies is an elec-
trostatic precipitator (ESP), which is a well-
established and mature technology. However,
as regulatory requirements have become in-
creasingly more stringent, many existing pre-
cipitators are being challenged to collect PM
beyond their original design specifications.
For example, some plants may now use
dry sorbent injection for acid gas control and
activated carbon injection for mercury con-
trol, with the expectation that the existing
ESP will remove the PM. In some instances,
depending on ESP size and condition, the
ESP may no longer operate as efficiently un-
der these conditions.
Few, if any, new precipitators are current-
ly being built and installed in todays U.S.
coal-fired marketplace. As a result, plants
that are seeking to meet the new limits, and
that have sufficiently sized ESPs in good
mechanical and working condition, are aim-
ing to enhance performance of their existing
ESPs through upgrades or rebuilds of the
ESPs with newer power supplies. Modern-
day power supplies that deliver higher av-
erage and peak voltage operation provide a
viable means of boosting the operating per-
formance of an existing precipitator.
Over the past several years, the Electric
Power Research Institute (EPRI) has con-
Time (msec)
ducted a number of studies on the effective-
ness of retrofit options for ESPs to meet new
environmental regulations. The most recent
study surveyed power supply technology ad-
vancements, such as high-frequency power
supplies (HFPSs) and new three-phase low-
and mid-frequency power supplies. The
study also documented case studies of ESP
retrofits at five different plants. The study and
its findings are described in an EPRI report,
ESP Upgrades and Optimization: Operating
Under MATS Conditions (3002006099).
ESP Power Supplies
When a plant is considering re-powering an
existing precipitator to meet an emissions
goal, the plant owners should first undertake
a full evaluation of the precipitator and plant
operating conditions to assess whether the
re-powered precipitator could reasonably be
expected to meet the goal and to determine
what additional steps, if any, might also have
ESP current (mA)
to be taken to attain that goal. Additional
steps might include mechanical repairs, gas
and particulate flow modifications, addition-
al electrical sectionalization, rapper sequence
modifications, and flue gas conditioning.
If the ESP is found to be in good mechani-
cal order, and operating near the desired
emissions level, then replacement of the
power supply may provide the best means of
ensuring its performance.
Precipitator performance is directly re-
lated to the operating voltages in the system,
and the power supply is the key system com-
ponent providing the high-voltage (HV) di-
rect current (DC) power (voltage and current)
directly to the discharge electrodes needed
for electrostatic precipitation.
Historical Development of ESP
Power Supplies
Throughout the developmental history of
ESPs, their design and performance have

|
July 2017 POWER www.powermag.com 25
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
2. Sectionalization. The best possible performance and reliability always occurs when
each bus section is powered by one properly sized power supply. In most cases, if the existing
TRs are in good condition, the most cost-effective approach to upgrading performance is to
sectionalize the precipitator using new HFPSs on the inlet fields and reusing the existing TRs to
sectionalize the outlet fields. Frequently, the existing TRs can be left in place, and new bus bars/
cables can be utilized to reconnect to the intended field. Source: EPRI
been limited by the rating and design of the
power supplies. As the power supply and cir-
cuit component design improved and higher
voltages were achievable, ESP designs
evolved to utilize the high voltages and cur-
rents by increasing the collecting plate-to-
discharge electrode spacing, increasing the
total collecting area connected to one power
supply, and modifying the discharge elec-
trode geometry.
The earliest power supplies used a step-
up transformer to generate high voltage with
a separate rectifier component. Mechanical
rectification was the first option available
for converting alternating current to DC.
Mechanical rectifiers function through the
use of multiple switches that are opened and
closed to alter the electric path of the elec-
tric current.
Vacuum tube rectifiers, introduced in the
1950s, were a breakthrough that permitted
DC electrostatic precipitation to become
more practical. The tubes were fairly large
because of the high voltages needed and were
typically glass enclosures. The tube rectifiers
offered a quantum improvement in reliabil-
ity and practicality over mechanical rectifi-
ers. The disadvantages of tube rectifiers, as
compared to solid-state rectification, are the
relatively high cost, limited life cycle, and
excessive heat created by the filament.
Transformer rectifiers (TRs), using silicon
diodes for rectification of the HV output of
the step-up transformer, were first used in
the 1960s and have been the standard for
many years. The HV transformer and recti-
26
fier components are housed together in a
single dielectric oil-filled tank that is sealed
and suitable for outside use. The TRs are of
robust design and are manufactured specifi-
cally for the conditions unique to the ESP
application. The power supplies are designed
to operate with an incoming voltage ranging
from 400 V to 600 V, single phase, at either
50 Hz or 60 Hz.
High-Frequency Power Supplies
At present, the most commonly used power
supply in ESP retrofits and upgrades are HF-
PSs. Unlike conventional single-phase TRs
that operate at 60 Hz, three-phase HFPSs
operate at considerably higher frequency lev-
elsup to 35 kHz. These power supplies be-
came available around 1994 and are typically
referred to as switched-mode power supplies
(SMPSs) or HFPSs.
The main components allowing the
power to be switched at high frequency are
insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs),
which have been improved over the past two
decades to allow high power levels to be
achieved and to improve reliability. These
power supplies operate at approximately the
same peak kV levels as the conventional TRs
they replace, but due to the higher frequency,
they maintain average kV levels that are sig-
nificantly higher than the average kV levels
attained with a conventional single-phase,
60-Hz power supply.
The change from a single-phase circuit to
a three-phase circuit provides better balance
for the electrical load, and this tends to result
www.powermag.com
in power factor improvement. For instance,
the same input power into the SMPS can de-
liver 20% to 30% more output power than a
conventional single-phase TR and power sav-
ings can be realized. The high-frequency op-
eration also results in quicker response time
to circuit disruption (sparking). The result is
more power applied to the precipitator field
(Figure 1).
HFPSs integrate all the main circuit com-
ponents, including the transformer, rectifier,
and controller, into a single, compact unit
that is comparatively lightweight. Their op-
eration also offers greater control flexibility.
The reliability of the HFPSs is now
nearly on par with the conventional 60-Hz
TR and circuit components. However, this
was not always the case. When they were
first introduced, and as they grew in size ca-
pacity, problems occurred related to power
quality, harmonics, and voltage transients
on the power lines; high-voltage transients
due to sparking/arcing and poor grounding;
inadequate cooling, leading to overheating;
and high-temperature failures. These prob-
lems tended to be site and installation spe-
cific. They have been largely overcome, and
HFPSs are now well-accepted as a reliable
product for increasing precipitator power.
New Technologies: Three-Phase
Low- and Mid-Frequency Power
Supplies
A number of other technologies have been
introduced in the past few years and are be-
ing used in ESP retrofits. These technolo-
gies include three-phase TRs and controls
operating at 180 Hz, and mid-frequency
TRs and controls that operate in the 100-Hz
to 400-Hz range. Like the HFPS, the goal of
these power supplies is to increase the av-
erage kV closer to the peak kV in the ESP
to improve power. Also, like the HFPS, the
mid-frequency power supplies rely on use
of IGBT switch technology.
While the voltage ripple reduction and
performance enhancement capabilities of
these lower-frequency power supplies are
not comparable to that of HFPSs, they are
still able to attain significant ripple reduc-
tion with the design intent of avoiding the
complexity of HFPSs and preserving the
proven reliability associated with the con-
ventional single-phase, 60-Hz power sup-
ply.
These new technologies are not integrat-
ed like HFPSs. They comprise a separate
TR, a separate control cabinet, a switch as-
sembly that is usually housed in the control
cabinet, and a current-limiting reactor that
may be located in the TR set, the control
cabinet, or in a separate enclosure. These
power supplies offer greater compatibility
|
POWER July 2017
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Table 1. Five retrofits. EPRI studied five plants that retrofitted their electrostatic pre-
cipitators (ESPs). This table provides some details associated with each project. (kacfm = thou-
sands of actual cubic feet per minute) Source: EPRI

Specific
Unit size collection Typical
(MW area (ft2/ opacity
gross) Fuel kacfm) Retrofit description (%)
2 x 1,200 Low-sulfur eastern 262 ESP sectionalized on first two fields and 23
bituminous coal upgraded with 32 high-frequency power
supplies (HFPSs), upgraded controls,
grounding, and load center.
2 x 423 Eastern bituminous 495 Units retrofitted with 16 HFPSs, up- 23
coal and Powder graded cables, automatic voltage control Content Licensing for
River Basin coal blend (AVC) boxes, and communications.
Every Marketing Strategy
550 Coal blend 445 Units retrofitted with 32 HFPSs, up- <10
graded communications, cables,
and distribution transformers. Marketing solutions it for:
Outdoor Direct Mail
550 Eastern bituminous 312 Units retrofitted with 32 HFPSs, up- <10
coal and Powder graded communications, cables, Print Advertising Tradeshow/
River Basin coal blend and distribution transformers. Also POP Displays Social Media
modifications to AVC controls.
Radio & Television
112 Eastern bituminous 266 Units partially sectionalized and <7
coal and Powder retrofitted with four three-phase power
River Basin coal blend supplies, decreased rapper density, and
computer and control upgrades.

with existing ESP equipment, such as volt-
age controls, rapper controls, and superviso-
ry controls. Cost, availability, and predicted
reliability may make these power supplies
more attractive than HFPSs.
Case Studies
The most recent EPRI study documented five
case studies of plants retrofitting their ESPs.
The plants involved were of the following
designs:
Two 1,200-MW units with one-third of the
ESP sectionalized and retrofitted with a
HFPS.
Two 423-MW units retrofitted 100% with
HFPS.
One 550-MW unit retrofitted 100% with
HFPS.
One 550 MW unit retrofitted 100% with
HFPS.
One 112-MW unit sectionalized and ret-
rofitted with a three-phase low-frequency
power supply.
Some of these case studies also involved
increased electrical sectionalization, which
enhances the collection efficiency of the
various fields across and through the ESP
(Figure 2). The case studies are summarized
in Table 1.
Potentially Improved ESP
Performance
All of the new power supplies (HFPS, three-
phase low- and mid-frequency) and other
equipment described in the EPRI report offer
the potential for improved ESP performance
and should be considered when an existing
precipitator is in need of a performance up-
grade or the existing conventional TR sets
are in need of replacement.
Voltage-current curves generated from
ESP operating data (secondary voltage
versus secondary current) and computer
modeling can be used to predict potential
performance enhancement and the best
Logo Licensing | Reprints
new power supply configuration. Exact
performance will depend on the size of the Eprints | Plaques
ESP, the fuel quality, and consequently its
particulate properties. Process conditions, Leverage branded content
including the application of sorbents for en- from Power Magazine to
vironmental control, flue gas and particulate create a more powerful and
distribution, and other site-specific condi- sophisticated statement
tions, will affect results. about your product, service,
The new power supplies are not a pana-
or company in your next
cea for an ESP that is in poor mechanical
condition, but for precipitators that are in marketing campaign.
reasonably good mechanical condition, they Contact Wrights Media to
offer a viable means for performance en- ind out more about how
hancement. For some ESPs, they can be the we can customize your
difference between a marginally compliant acknowledgements and
ESP and a reliably compliant ESP at sub- recognitions to enhance your
stantially less cost than adding collecting
marketing strategies.
surface area or a polishing unit.
Jose Sanchez (josanche@epri.com) For more information, call
is technical leader for the Integrated Wrights Media at 877.652.5295
Environmental Controls Program in EPRIs or visit our website at
Generation Sector, and Tom Keeler www.wrightsmedia.com
(trkeng@apcnetwork.com) is president
of TRK Engineering Services,
which specializes in ESPs.

|
July 2017 POWER www.powermag.com 27
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Humboldt Bay Generating Station:
A Case Study in Emissions Control
Troubleshooting
It can be a challenge to keep emissions in check while operating dual-fuel recip-
rocating engine technology during low-load conditions. However, doing
so is especially important under Californias strict emissions requirements.
The Humboldt Bay Generating Station team did just that by taking a crit-
ical look at multiple emissions control systems and identifying several
process modifications that improved overall plant performance.
Silas Biggin, Chris Brittain, Chuck Holm, Jill Lorenc, and Scott Washington

1. Reciprocating engines. Humboldt Bay Generating Station (HBGS) has 10 Wrtsil

H
umboldt Bay Generating Station
(HBGS) is a Pacific Gas and Electric W18V50DF A dual-fuel type reciprocating engines. Courtesy: HBGS
(PG&E) owned and operated facil-
ity consisting of 10 Wrtsil W18V50DF A
engines. The plant is situated on Humboldt
Bay in northern California. Each four-stroke
engine is capable of producing 16.7 MW
(gross) to provide a combined station net
output of 163 MW.
The 10 engines feed two 60-kV local
distribution lines and one 115-kV transmis-
sion line. Bus-tie breakers located prior to
the step-up transformers allow reconfiguring
engines to other line resources, as necessary.
Each engine is capable of operating between
full load and the permit minimum load of 10
MW. The station entered commercial opera-
tions in September 2010.
HBGS was constructed to replace an ag-
ing gas-fired boiler facility residing on the
same property. Dual-fuel type reciprocating
engines (Figure 1) were chosen for three
main reasons: Humboldt Countys relative
remoteness; lack of redundancy in the natu-
ral gas supply; and the risk of natural gas the combustion air on the intake stroke, and ple, 10 engines operating at the same time at
curtailment during cold weather. The engines pilot fuel is injected just prior to the pistons any load in diesel mode can only operate for
normally operate on natural gas with a small reaching top dead center on the compression 100 hours. In addition, the facility is only al-
amount of light fuel oil (LFO or diesel fuel). stroke. The fuel ignites during compression. lowed to operate an engine in diesel mode for
However, during emergencies all engines are The pilot fuel needed to ignite the gas certain conditions listed in the permit, such
capable of operating solely on LFO. is extremely small when compared to the as during gas curtailments, testing, and rou-
amount of natural gas utilized to generate the tine maintenance tasks that cause common
How It Works electricity. Full-load dual-fuel pilot fuel con- gas supply components to be out of service.
Burning natural gas in a diesel-cycle en- sumption is approximately three gallons per The engine control system allows a
gine requires the use of either a spark plug hour per unit compared to full-load operation seamless transfer to full-diesel operation,
or small amount of LFO to ignite the natu- diesel fuel consumption of approximately if the control system detects combustion
ral gas. Operating in dual-fuel mode, each 850 gallons per hour per online unit. anomalies or if gas flow is suddenly inter-
engine is required to utilize California Air Even though each engine is capable of rupted to the engines. Because of the limited
Resources Boardcertified LFO as pilot fuel operating on liquid fuel only, the HBGS air amount of diesel-mode operation this article
to ignite the natural gas burned in the cylin- permit only allows 1,000 hours of diesel op- will focus on issues resulting from dual-fuel
der. The natural gas enters the engine with eration on a rolling annual basis. For exam- operation only.

28 www.powermag.com |
POWER July 2017

2. Station catalyst. Flue gases flow
through layers of catalyst to reduce unwanted
emissions. Courtesy: HBGS
The HBGS air permit was issued to meet
the requirements of Title 40 Code of Federal
Regulations Part 60, as well as requirements
set forth by the Environmental Protection
Agency, North Coast Air Quality Manage-
ment District, and the California Energy
Commission. The permit is extensive (43
pages) and addresses many pollutants. How-
ever, for purposes of this article only nitro-
gen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO)
emission troubleshooting and resolution are
addressed.
The dual-fuel NOx emission limit is 6 parts
per million (ppm), corrected to 15% oxygen,
on a one-hour average, and the CO emission
limit is 13 ppm (corrected to 15% oxygen) on
a three-hour rolling average. The pilot heat
limit, which is 0.8 MMBtu/hr (three-hour
rolling average), is also important when dis-
cussing NOx and CO limits.
Process Explanation
Combustion air (charge air) enters along
both sides of each engine through a turbo-
charger-driven compressor. A waste gate
regulates turbocharger speed to control
combustion air (charge air) pressure at ap-
proximately 30 psi. High-pressure combus-
tion air exits each turbocharger compressor
into charge air coolers to remove heat gained
during the compression process. The charge
air leaves the charge air cooler and enters a
common charge air receiver installed along
the upper engine block and situated between
the A bank and B bank cylinders.
During operation, 115F charge air and
natural gas enter the cylinder on the intake
stroke. As mentioned previously, a small
amount of pilot fuel is injected during the
compression stroke to ignite the natural
gas. The combustion gas mixture exhausts
into a common exhaust header at approxi-
mately 930F.
The combustion gas splits to supply the A
bank turbocharger turbine and the B bank tur-
bocharger turbine. As mentioned previously,
a single waste gate (air-actuated butterfly
valve) regulates the amount of combustion
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July 2017 POWER
(exhaust) gasses flowing through the A and
B bank turbocharger turbines to control the
charge air pressure by bypassing combustion
gases into the exhaust pipe downstream of
the turbocharger. The combustion gas tem-
perature leaving the turbocharger turbines is
approximately 820F.
Exhaust from the A bank and B bank tur-
bocharger turbines combines into a single
exhaust pipe and 19% aqueous ammonia
(NH3) is injected into the exhaust pipe a short
distance beyond that point. The combina-
tion NH3 and combustion gas mixture flows
through a mixing chamber inserted into the
approximately 70-inch-diameter pipe about
15 feet prior to multiple rows of catalyst con-
tained within a single housing. The exhaust
gas enters the housing at approximately 820F.
The catalyst (Figure 2) consists of two
rows (layers) of selective catalytic reduction
(SCR) where raw NOx is destructed. The ex-
haust gas then flows through one row (layer)
of NH3 slip catalyst where the excess NH3
is removed. Immediately following the NH3
slip catalyst one row (layer) of oxidation
catalyst destructs the raw CO (Figure 3). At
full load the exit temperature is slightly lower
than inlet temperature.
Significantly, the catalyst installed at
HBGS does not follow the conventional cata-
lyst order. Conventional catalyst installation
order is oxidation catalyst for CO removal,
followed by NH3 injection, followed by SCR
catalyst for NOx removal. The benefit of the
HBGS installation is no or very low NH3
slip, allowing the facility to be installed in
close proximity to population areas with no
danger of foul smelling NH3. An additional
benefit is the elimination of continuous NH3
slip monitoring.
Hug Engineering supplied the exhaust
catalyst, which consists of two layers of SCR
brick, one layer of reduction/oxidation mate-
rial (ROM, NH3 slip catalyst) brick, and one
layer of oxidation catalyst brick. The SCR
brick receives the NH3 and raw NOx exhaust
gas and creates the reduction reaction result-
ing in water (H2O) and nitrogen (N) at the
catalyst outlet. CO is not reduced in the SCR.
The exhaust gas mixture (H2O, N, CO, and
NH3 slip) enters the NH3 slip catalyst brick
where the NH3 slip is removed. In the Hug
Engineeringsupplied ROM brick the NH3 is
first oxidized, producing some NOx, and then
immediately reduced to convert the produced
NOx to H2O and N. Then the exhaust gas
mixture (H2O, N, and CO) enters the oxida-
tion catalyst brick where CO is oxidized to
produce CO2.
The exhaust catalyst system is equipped
with two empty layers, one for the SCR
brick, and one for the oxidation brick. As
catalyst system performance deteriorates, it
www.powermag.com
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
is common practice to add an SCR catalyst
layer or oxidation catalyst layer to improve
performance. It is not possible to add an ad-
ditional NH3 slip catalyst layer, however. The
original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
supplied emission control system does not
have an open layer to add NH3 slip catalyst
because the chemistry involved in the ROM-
style NH3 slip catalyst does not support two
layers in series.
Precise NH3 injection is critical to the
proper operation of the catalyst layers. Insuf-
ficient NH3 flow into the SCR layers makes
them incapable of destructing the raw NOx to
the desired levels. Excessive NH3 flow will
not affect the ability of the SCR layer to de-
struct the NOx; however, it can overwhelm
the NH3 slip catalyst. If the over-injected
NH3 is greater than the capacity of the NH3
slip catalyst, the excess NH3 flows through
the NH3 slip catalyst layer and is oxidized to
NOx in the oxidation catalyst layer. If the oxi-
dation catalyst becomes overwhelmed with
the increased NOx, CO destruction will be
reduced, also resulting in high CO emissions.
Proper NH3 injection is heavily dependent
on fine flow control and proper mixing in the
exhaust pipe. Each engine utilizes a dedicat-
ed NH3 injection system capable of injecting
more than 500 liters per hour (l/hr) of 19%
aqueous NH3 in full-diesel mode and 20 l/hr
to 80 l/hr of 19% aqueous NH3 in dual-fuel
mode. The NH3 flow requirement is depen-
dent on raw gas NOx levels from the engine.
In other words, the NH3 control system has
an approximate turndown ratio of 10:1 when
operating in diesel versus dual-fuel mode.
NH3 is supplied to each engine exhaust
pipe from a common supply header at 80 psi.
A single flow control valve (Figure 4) capa-
ble of supporting diesel and dual-fuel opera-
tion regulates NH3 to each engine based on a
NOx value measured immediately following
the two SCR layers.
3. Emissions control equipment.
Inside the ductwork, shown here, HBGSs
catalyst consists of two rows of selective
catalytic reduction for NOx destruction, one
row of ammonia slip catalyst, and one row
of oxidation catalyst for raw CO destruction.
Courtesy: HBGS
29
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
4. Ammonia (NH3) addition. NH3 injection is controlled by a single flow control valve,
which posed problems for the original valve when operating at low loads. Courtesy: HBGS
5. Injection system. HBGS injects a 19% aqueous NH3 solution into the exhaust pipe to
control NOx emissions. Courtesy: HBGS
Immediately following the single flow
control valve, the NH3 injection system splits
into two separate streams to supply two NH3
injectors inserted into the engine exhaust
pipe (Figure 5). Rotameters installed in the
NH3 injection lines provide flow indication to
each injector. Needle valves installed down-
stream of each rotameter provide the ability
to equalize flow, as needed. Each injector is
supplied atomizing and purge air.
Challenges
Prior to 2014, HBGS had difficulty operat-
ing engines below 14.5 MW, because the pi-
lot heat value would increase to the permit
limit (0.8 MMBtu/hr). The engine OEM was
brought in to tune the engines, allowing the
facility to operate at the minimum permit
30
load of 10 MW.
Wrtsil technicians were able to tune the
engines and achieve pilot heat values below
0.8 MMBtu/hr at minimum load. However,
reducing pilot heat values to meet permit
requirements caused the CO emissions to
increase closer to the permit limit and in-
creased the instances of the engine automati-
cally transferring from dual-fuel operation to
diesel operation due to low exhaust tempera-
ture from random cylinders.
Although the plants permit limits opera-
tion below 12.5 MW to 80 hours aggregate
per day, the facility began cycling load be-
tween full load (16.7 MW) and 10 MW in
July 2014. Within a year, emissions from all
engines were deteriorating at a rate greater
than had been previously experienced. This
www.powermag.com
included engines with lower operating hours.
At that time, the engine with the most operat-
ing hours had 24,000 hours, while the engine
with the least hours was at 6,000.
Plant operators began having trouble
keeping NOx and CO within emission limits.
The loads at which NOx and CO would in-
crease were somewhat random, but in gener-
al, it was more difficult to remain compliant
at lower loads than at higher outputs.
Focusing on Improvement
To remedy the trouble, plant staff concen-
trated on several items.
Ammonia Flow Control. Hug Engineer-
ing supplied predictive spreadsheets that in-
dicated the possibility of higher NOx during
over-injection situations (Figure 6). As raw
NOx levels decreased, plant personnel ob-
served that it was more difficult to maintain
compliance with NOx and CO limits. That in-
dicated NH3 over-injection was greater at the
low raw NOx levels.
Plant operators tried manually throttling
NH3 supply valves to reduce over-injection,
and they were able to reduce NOx and CO
emissions significantly (Figure 7). Automatic
flow control valves were stroked and tuned
without success. The original flow control
valve was incapable of turning down enough
to control NH3 flow at the low-flow values
needed for dual-fuel operation.
Plant engineers identified a dual-range
flow control valve compatible with the ex-
isting NH3 control system. The original NH3
control valve was single stroke with a single
valve seat. That required the single valve to
control the full range (diesel operation and
dual-fuel operation) of NH3 flow.
The new control valve has a variable flow
coefficient, which allows fine control at the
low flows required when operating at lower
loads while in dual-fuel mode while still
maintaining the high flow capacity required
for diesel operation. Once calibrated, the du-
al-range flow control valve provided a signif-
icant improvement at low loads and reduced
NH3 over-injection significantly. By install-
ing the dual-flow control valve the facility
avoided the expense of installing a low-flow
control system in parallel with the high-flow
control system.
The engines continue to operate with some
over-injection because the mixing system is
sized to handle NH3 flow rates required for
diesel operation. The facility continues to ex-
plore NH3 atomization and injection options
that will provide greater control.
Tuning. Wrtsil technicians were con-
sulted to tune the engines. Technicians were
limited in their ability to tune out high NOx
or high CO. Tuning an engine to reduce NOx
emissions will typically raise CO emissions,
|
POWER July 2017

6. High NOx during over-injection. Over-injection of NH3 resulted in NOx increasing
through the oxidation catalyst brick. Courtesy: HBGS
7. Optimal injection. By manually throttling NH3 supply valves, injection was optimized
and NOx remained in check. Courtesy: HBGS
and reducing CO emissions will tend to in-
crease NOx emissions. Engines operating
close to the emissions limit had limited suc-
cess with tuning due to the opposing nature
of NOx production versus CO production.
A very important tuning goal was to have
a steady raw NOx output from an engine.
Erratic raw NOx production causes the NH3
injection system to hunt for the proper flow
rate, resulting in almost constant over-in-
jection.
The Wrtsil technician tuned the engines
to obtain steady raw NOx output at given
loads. An important component in the tun-
ing process was the waste gate controlling
charge air pressure. The waste gate is a but-
terfly valve bypassing exhaust gas around the
turbocharger turbine to control turbo speed
and therefore compressor output pressure.
NOx control becomes difficult if the charge
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July 2017 POWER
air pressure swings 2 psid or more.
The Wrtsil technician was able to tune
the engines to provide a more controllable
emission stream. As a result, the station de-
cided to schedule engine tuning annually,
even though the OEM doesnt believe en-
gine tuning changes over time. Nonetheless,
HBGS staff has observed that the overall
system can experience changes, and the team
feels it is important to tune the engines to op-
timize the entire system.
Catalyst Health. The facility monitored
catalyst efficiency by measuring the NOx
and CO levels across each layer. NH3 slip re-
duction across the NH3 slip catalyst was not
monitored.
Performance tests across the two SCR
layers indicated that NOx reduction had not
deteriorated much in any of the engines. Per-
formance tests also indicated that the oxida-
www.powermag.com
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
tion layers had high efficiency even though
the CO emission level was nearing permit
limits.
The CO catalyst efficiency is highly de-
pendent on NH3 slip catalyst efficiency. The
engine is capable of meeting CO emissions
limits with a highly efficient NH3 slip cata-
lyst and degraded CO catalyst. However, the
CO limit is reached sooner if the NH3 slip
catalyst efficiency deteriorates in conjunc-
tion with CO catalyst efficiency deteriora-
tion. For example, with a less efficient NH3
slip catalyst, meeting air permit emissions
limits became difficult once the oxidation
catalyst efficiency dropped below 90%.
Tests across the oxidation catalyst indi-
cated that NOx was increasing. The test re-
sult provided verification that the NH3 slip
catalyst efficiency had deteriorated, allowing
NH3 to enter the oxidation catalyst, thereby
causing some of the oxidation catalyst capac-
ity to be used converting NH3 to NOx.
Hug Engineering reviewed the catalyst
performance numbers and recommended that
the facility start replacing NH3 slip catalyst
for engine systems having difficulty main-
taining limits. Hug Engineering concluded
that the installed NH3 slip catalyst was not
destructing the NH3 slip, causing the follow-
ing oxidation layer to load up with excess
NH3. The result was higher NOx and higher
CO emissions.
Hug Engineering recommended adding
an oxidation catalyst layer, if the CO emis-
sions continued to operate near the permit
limit, and adding an SCR catalyst layer, if
NOx emissions approached permit limits.
HBGS has been following Hug Engineer-
ings recommendations with good success.
HBGS purchased two sets of NH3 slip cat-
alyst from Johnson Matthey, principally due
to the lack of available Hug-supplied ROM-
type NH3 slip catalyst. The Johnson Mat-
theysupplied NH3 slip catalyst performed
as well as Hug Engineeringsupplied ROM
catalyst.
Due to the rapidly changing emissions
control system equipment health, HBGS has
been performing quarterly efficiency tests as
opposed to the annual efficiency tests per-
formed previously. In addition, a vendor was
contracted to perform the efficiency tests to
gain more consistency in the testing. Previ-
ously an operator was assigned to perform
the efficiency tests, which introduced the
possibility of inconsistent sampling.
Changes Improve Operation
HBGS contracted with Environex Inc. to
analyze catalyst performance and operation.
Three areas of concern were identified dur-
ing the analysis.
Operating Temperatures. Analysis of
31
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
catalyst material confirmed that the HBGS
catalyst was a titania-type material with an
850F maximum allowable continuous op-
erating temperature. Prior to July 2014, en-
gine load had been kept between 14.5 MW
and full load. The result was that the catalyst
temperature remained below 850F. How-
ever, after July 2014 the peak catalyst tem-
perature increased to 870F when the engines
operated at minimum permit allowable load.
Tests performed by Environex found that
the first catalyst layer had sustained con-
siderable damage and degradation due to
the higher operating temperatures, which
could account for the increased emissions
performance degradation noticed by station
personnel.
HBGS staff was confident that Wrtsil
technicians could tune the engines to operate
at lower outlet temperatures, so tuning was
scheduled for completion in late spring 2017.
Tuning engines to lower exhaust tempera-
tures was expected to result in increased CO
and decreased NOx.
The testing ultimately concluded that ex-
cellent emissions control equipment health
was critical for dealing with higher CO pro-
duction while not exceeding permit limits.
Catalyst Poisons. Another problem dis-
covered during the Environex study was so-
dium and calcium poisons found on the first
layers of the catalyst.
HBGS is situated on the east shore of
Humboldt Bay, directly across from the en-
trance channel. Large waves regularly break
upon the rock breakwater just west of the
facility, causing a salty spray to spread over
the plant. Although the source of the poisons
is still up for debate, one theory on how so-
dium entered the system is that the engines
routinely ingest the salt spray, which then
contaminates the catalyst. HBGS intends to
continue monitoring SCR catalyst perfor-
mance, focusing on the first layer, which is
affected most by the sodium.
The calcium source remains a mystery.
However, one possible source is the water
component of the supplied 19% aqueous
NH3. For that matter, sodium poison could
be introduced via the same mechanism.
The stations environmental specialist
has been tasked with gathering an aque-
ous NH3 sample and analyzing it for cal-
cium and sodium. In the meantime, quality
control visits to the aqueous NH3 supplier
found that the demineralized water used
in the production of the aqueous NH3 was
not monitored continuously. That could al-
low potential sodium and/or calcium break-
throughs to go unnoticed during the aqueous
NH3 manufacturing process.
Due to a lack of industry experience op-
erating facilities under tight permit condi-
32
tions, it has been difficult to predict catalyst
life accurately at HBGSit is one of the first
dual-fuel plants built and operating in a heav-
ily cycling configuration (multiple starts,
low load). Hug engineers had not seen such
rapid catalyst deterioration at other facilities,
most of which are spark gas (not dual-fuel)
or are baseload stations. Engines used in the
shipping industry typically operate at 75%
capacity while steaming. One positive de-
velopment, however, is that throughout these
efforts HBGS staff has gained valuable expe-
rience predicting catalyst degradation and the
order of replacement.
Structural Damage Caused by Ther-
mal Cycling. The engines have between
1,400 and 1,600 starts since commission-
ing. High cycle rates combined with the
high catalyst inlet temperature at low load
has caused brick damage, such as crushing
at the bottom brick rows, and resulted in
gaps opening above the top brick rows. En-
gines are taken off-line periodically to clean
the brick and to plug gaps identified during
inspections.
High-temperature non-titania-based SCR
catalyst is available. HBGS staff intends to
consult with Wrtsil and catalyst suppliers
to identify high-temperature catalyst that is
compatible with its operating conditions, if
such catalyst is available.
NH3 Flow Control
The plants originally supplied NH3 flow
control hardware did not allow good NH3
flow control at low engine loads in dual-
fuel operation. In addition, the injectors,
atomizing components, and exhaust mixing
equipment supplied were sized for full-load
diesel operation and were highly inefficient
at low loads in dual-fuel mode. The result
was high over-injection rates and NOx pro-
duction in the oxidation catalyst. Facility
staff has continued to fine-tune atomizing
air rates and adjust injectors at low loads to
find the optimum setpoint.
HBGS staff was hesitant to add a paral-
lel NH3 injection system sized for dual-fuel
mode operation. The exhaust pipe mix-
ing equipment was sized to mix NH3 and
exhaust gas in diesel mode and cannot be
changed. In addition, no additional ports
were available to house low-flow injectors.
However, the addition of new dual-range
variable-flow-coefficient valves has great-
ly improved NH3 flow control during low-
load dual-fuel operation. The NH3 flow
trends have stabilized and NH3 consump-
tion has decreased.
Waste Gate Tuning
As mentioned previously, the waste gate by-
passes exhaust gas around the turbocharger
www.powermag.com
turbines to control charge air (combustion
air) pressure. Operating experience indicated
that a charge air pressure swing of 2 psid or
greater would cause the NH3 injection con-
trol system to over-inject, resulting in higher
stack NOx values.
At HBGS, all charge air pressure swings
have been the consequence of a malfunc-
tioning waste gate. Once the waste gate
swing was eliminated, the result has been
more stable emissions and more stable NH3
flow control.
Additionally, engine temperature control
swings also cause emissions swings. In that
case, CO and NOx can swing and result in loss
of NH3 control. However, temperature control
issues have proven to be rare at HBGS.
Catalyst Brick Availability
Catalyst brick availability is highly volatile.
In HBGSs experience, catalyst suppliers do
not maintain large catalyst brick inventories.
Orders placed by other facilities often de-
plete stocks, resulting in lead times of three
months or more.
HBGS has developed relationships with
three different catalyst suppliers familiar
with engine-based generation. In addition,
the plant has started looking into the fu-
ture more than usual to maintain in-house
inventory levels higher than originally rec-
ommended.
A Successful Effort
In HBGSs case, there was almost no pre-
vious operating experience to draw upon.
HBGS is one of the first facilities utilizing
the Wrtsil W18V50DF A engine technolo-
gy in a heavily cycling mode with such a low
permit level condition. The expected catalyst
life was based on the only available informa-
tion, which came from the shipping industry.
The shipping industry, however, typically is
operated under different conditions, includ-
ing less-stringent permit conditions, and the
engines operate near full load while steaming
(>75%).
The HBGS team has been fully engaged
in the effort of identifying corrective actions
to help operate the plant within its permit
parameters by fully understanding the limi-
tations of its catalyst system. The staffs
philosophy is one of continual improvement,
and it has found studying the issue and iden-
tifying further improvement to be an excit-
ing endeavor.
Silas Biggin is power generation plant
engineer; Chris Brittain is operations and
maintenance supervisor; Chuck Holm
is plant manager; Jill Lorenc is power
plant assistant; and Scott Washington is
environmental field specialist for PG&E
Humboldt Bay Generating Station.
|
POWER July 2017
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
New Technology Holds the
Key to Reaching Carbon
Emissions Targets
Some naysayers have argued that developing carbon capture technology
for use on fossil-fueled power plants is pure folly. But research and pi-
lot tests have continued nonetheless, and various solutions have been
proven effective in capturing and utilizing carbon dioxide from flue gases.
One method, examined through two UK Department of Energy & Climate
Change projects, could be a game-changer.
Mark Stacey
T
he UKs Climate Change Act (2008) is
part of the governments plan to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. It set out
ambitious plans to reduce carbon emissions
in the UK by at least 80% from 1990 levels
by 2050. Five-yearly carbon budgets were
put in place to support the transition, but in
June 2016 the government set out impressive
new targets for the fifth budget period, aim-
ing to reduce emissions by 57% compared to
1990 levels by 2030.
Figures from the London School of Eco-
nomics suggest that electricity generation
currently accounts for more than 25% of
the UKs carbon emissions. Its clear that
achieving the aggressive carbon reduction
targets will require a step change across the
energy industry.
Most recently, the industry has looked
toward renewable energy production to re-
place traditional electricity production, but
what if the carbon produced by the exist-
ing generation processes could be captured
and neutralized or, better still, turned into
useful by-products that could generate new
value streams or potential alternative sourc-
es of energy?
A New Carbon Capture and
Exchange Technology
Several carbon capture and exchange tech-
nologies already exist, but to date, many of
the processes have proven to be too expen-
sive to develop, build, and operate to deliver
a viable solution for the power industry.
Four years ago, a Bristol, Englandbased
company looking to develop an exciting new
technology to overcome these challenges
approached Crown International for help.
It had the technology, but needed Crowns
manufacturing expertise. A partnership was
|
July 2017 POWER
born that day. Following two successful pi- and/or by-products for on-site reuse or sale.
lot projects for the UK Department of Ener- Opportunities exist to convert the output
gy & Climate Change (DECC), the team has into harmless carbonates and bicarbonates
demonstrated not only that the technology for direct, safe deposit into the sea or into
works, but also that it delivers sufficiently a diverse set of products, including formic
in both environmental and financial terms to acid, ethylene, methanol, syngas, and with
make it an attractive option for the industry. additional feed materials, sulfuric acid. The
The teams new carbon capture and ex- remaining remediated cooled flue gas is then
change technology uses flue gas carbon emitted from the wash column stack, which
dioxide (CO2) as a feedstock for conver- also acts as the output gas monitoring point.
sion into a range of valuable commodities, The process does not require elevated tem-
including formates and industrial alcohols. peratures and pressures, nor does it produce
Data from the two DECC trials suggest that any waste products that require disposal.
it not only captures 90% of CO2 at 99%
purity, but it does so at a net present value 1. Flexible deployment. The carbon
(NPV) of just 47 per tonne of CO2 abated, capture and exchange technology is modular
compared to up to 75 per tonne for some by design and can be scaled up or down, as
existing technologies. (NPV is the present needed. Courtesy: Crown International
value of a sum of money in contrast to some
future value it will have when it has been
invested at compound interest.)
As youd expect from the name, the
method utilizes a two-stage carbon capture
and exchange process. In stage one, the flue
gas is captured from the power plants flue
stack at temperatures up to 270C. It is then
cooled via a bespoke condensing economiz-
er, which recovers heat and water, and also
acts as the input gas monitoring point. From
there, the gas moves into a wash column,
where a continually circulating metal-ion
solution acts as the gas capture and carrying
medium, removing and transforming any
NOx and SOx present.
Once that process is complete, the con-
version process gets underway. The remain-
ing CO2 flows into a second-stage wash
column where the gas is captured and sepa-
rated. It then undergoes further processing
via a patented methodology in which it is
converted into high-grade hydrocarbon gas
www.powermag.com 33
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
2. Organized layout. The carbon cap-
ture and exchange cell is shown here inside
the shipping container. Courtesy: Crown In-
ternational
PSEG Coal Power Generation Plants
Asset and Inventory Sale*
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34
Modular Design Offers Flexibility
Where the technology really scores is that
it uses a modular design (Figures 1 and
2), allowing it to be easily retrofitted onto
existing power stations and scaled up or
down. It was originally developed to suit
industrial locations generating anywhere
between 5,000 and 100,000 tonnes of CO 2
per year, where other technologies arent
economically viable.
The fact that it takes just one to two
years to install, from design to produc-
tion, means operators can begin to see a
return on their investment within just one
year. Combine that with the fact that in-
dependent consultants have assessed the
technology as offering operating cost re-
ductions of between 840,000 (versus ad-
vanced amine processes) and 1,470,000
(versus monoethanolamine); capital ex-
penditure savings of 855,000 NPV; and
likely upward carbon levy pressures cre-
ating a pressing need for savings, and
the financial incentives for adoption are
clear. Thats even before a projected value
stream of about 22 million per year for
the carbon captured and converted, in this
particular case into formic acid, is taken
into account.
www.powermag.com
DECC Studies Proved the Concept
The first DECC project was a 5.2 million,
three-year carbon capture project, designed
to deliver a cost/tonne of CO2 abated sig-
nificantly lower than current carbon reme-
diation technologiesprincipally carbon
capture and storage amine-based processes.
The project was hosted and developed on
a site in South Wales. The new technol-
ogy successfully abated 95% of the CO2
captured from a natural gas boilergener-
ated flue gas stream, using the approximate
10,000 tonne CO2 per annum capture ca-
pacity equipment.
The results shown in Figures 3 and 4 are
from the first two weeks of operation. The
data clearly demonstrated the systems abil-
ity to capture both CO2 and NOx flue gas
emissions in ambient conditions.
Another essential component of the
South Wales project was the need to prove
the long-term performance characteristics
of the electrochemical cells in removing
near 100% of the CO2 from fossil fuel flue
gas emissions (Figure 5). This is impor-
tant as fouling and mineral deposition in
the electrochemical cells have tradition-
ally been a stumbling block to developing
the technologyan issue the team needed
|
POWER July 2017

3. CO2 captured. Continuous emissions
monitoring system (CEMS) data collected
during the first two weeks of operation at
the South Wales project showed a steady
decrease in CO2 as the system ramped up.
Courtesy: Crown International
4. NOx captured. Although the NOx
abatement was not optimized, the CEMS data
showed NOx decreased simultaneously with
the CO2 capture as the South Wales system
ramped up. Courtesy: Crown International
to prove could be overcome using this new
proprietary technology.
Carbon Conversion
The second DECC project was a nine-month
research and development project to con-
vert CO2 into high-grade formic acid, using
a process and at a cost that would make the
technology commercially viable. The teams
goal was to develop, build, and demonstrate
a complete system that could utilize captured
CO2 and, rather than consider it a waste prod-
uct, create a viable revenue stream while
maintaining a low-carbon footprint for the
capture and utilization of CO2.
In the DECC project, the system took a
CO2 feed from pressurized cylinders, but in
a deployment situation it would interface
directly with the carbon capture system to
utilize the captured flue gas CO2.
The pilot plant demonstrated the ability
to convert 100% of CO2 into formic acid.
It also demonstrated a production capacity
with a product value stream of more than 8
million per annum (for this single site), at
significantly lower cost than current meth-
ods of production.
By combining these two projects, the
team proved the complete carbon capture
|
July 2017 POWER
5. Long-term success. CEMS data collected during slightly more than five months of
operation at the South Wales project showed CO2 capture rates remained consistently high.
Courtesy: Crown International
and exchange technology, using flue gas
CO2 as a feedstock for conversion into a
range of valuable commodity products, such
as formates and industrial alcohols.
Creating Value Streams
As part of the second DECC project, the
team carried out a detailed review of the
global formic acid market to evaluate the
potential value of this by-product revenue
stream, which is just one of many possible
by-products. Findings from the study sug-
gested that, while concentration within the
industry is relatively high (the industrys top
15 producers account for 88% of industry
production), production is expected to in-
crease at a compound annual growth rate of
1.34% from 2017 to 2022.
Margins in the industry, based on factory
gate prices and input costs, are typically
tight at about 14%, reflecting the high cost
base of existing methods of production, but
a significant component of this is the reli-
ance on feedstock chemicals as part of the
process. Consequently, there is a real oppor-
tunity for disruptive technologies that can
deliver relatively low setup and operating
costs while meeting the relevant compliance
regulations, creating a valuable potential
revenue stream for companies using effi-
cient new technology.
Most importantly, the role that adopt-
ing such innovative technology could play
in helping the UK and other countries
reach carbon emission targets should not
be underestimated. The DECC projects
demonstrated that the process could simul-
taneously capture in excess of 95% of CO2
and 85% of NOx in the pilot sites flue gas
emissions.
www.powermag.com
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
By treating carbon as a raw material
feedstock for the production of valuable
formates, rather than as an expensive waste
material to be disposed of at high financial
and environmental cost, the process creates
a value stream from the by-products that
makes this more environmentally-friendly
approach commercially appealing.
Reusing by-products, rather than releas-
ing them into the atmosphere, has the poten-
tial to significantly reduce CO2 emissions
across the energy generation sector. Its a
promising and versatile process that pro-
duces a variety of commercial organic com-
pounds, depending on the individual setup
of the conversion cell.
If, as the London School of Economics
report states, the electricity sector is respon-
sible for 25% of current carbon emissions,
then capturing 95% of CO2 emissions from
fossil-fueled power plants would be a sig-
nificant step forward on its own. But, with
the energy generation and industrial sectors
combined being responsible for 42% of UK
CO2 emissions, adopting this technology
across both sectors could represent the step-
change the world is looking for.
The key to success of any carbon cap-
ture technology lies in making sure it is
commercially attractive enough for energy
companies to invest time and resources in
adopting the solution. The results of the
DECC trials suggest the benefits of this
particular new technology warrant that in-
vestment.
Mark Stacey is managing director of
Crown International, a UK-based company
with a background in new product design
and manufacture that provides compo-
nents for carbon capture projects.
35
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Particle Sizing in Emissions
Samples by Scanning Electron
Microscopy
With low particulate loading common in stack emissions these days, particulate
matter measurement can be difficult using traditional techniques. Micro-
scopical measurement of particle-size distributions offers an alternative
because it can be performed on very light sample collections, allowing
particle-size determination of Environmental Protection Agency Method 5
samples that weigh as little as 0.25 milligrams.
Tim B. Vander Wood, PhD

1. Particles collected are visually

M
any stacks now have such a low par-
ticulate loading that the traditional
aerodynamic methods of particle-
size distribution (PSD) determination using
cascade impactors or cyclones may require
sampling for many hours in order to obtain
sufficient material mass for accurate weigh-
ing. Even with long sampling times, total
particulate collections of only a milligram
(mg) are becoming common.
There are also some stack-sampling situ-
ations where cascade impactors or cyclones
simply will not fit into the stack, may be de-
graded by high temperatures, or are rendered
unusable by the presence of liquid droplets.
In such cases, the determination of PSDs in
the stack emissions for engineering studies
or compliance tests can be more easily ac-
complished by sizing the particulate matter
(PM) collected by traditional methods, such
as the Environmental Protection Agencys
(EPAs) Method 5 Determination of Par-
ticulate Matter Emissions from Stationary
Sources. Furthermore, the difficulties that
can be encountered with Method 201A
Determination of PM10 and PM2.5 Emissions
from Stationary Sources (Constant Sampling
Rate Procedure) have led a number of states
and provinces to accept microscopy-based
particle sizing in cases where Method 201A
cannot be applied.
The most common analytical tool used to
measure the PSD of stack samples collected
on Method 5 or other filters is the scanning
electron microscope (SEM). A high-quality
standard SEM can be used to determine PSDs
down to about 0.3 micrometers (m), or as
small as 50 nanometers (nm), if a specialized
field emission scanning electron microscope
is employed. Visible light microscopy may
be used if the minimum particle diameter of
concern is no less than 1 m, and transmis-
sion electron microscopy can be used if par- apparent. A secondary scanning electron
ticle diameters less than about 50 nm (0.05 microscopy (SEM) image of stack particulate
m) are of interest. matter on a polycarbonate filter is shown
here. Courtesy: MVA Scientific Consultants
Particulate Matter Sampling
Considerations
PSD measurement by SEM is most often
used in conjunction with Method 5 (or 5B)
samples, and sometimes with Method 17
samples. For these types of samples, the filter
used in sampling determines the subsequent
SEM analytical approach.
The ideal filter is polycarbonate, which
comes in a variety of pore sizes. The most
common pore size used in stack sampling is
0.4 m. Smaller pore sizes (0.2 m and even
0.1 m) are sometimes used.
Polycarbonate filters are preferred be- 2. Fibers trap particles. This SEM im-
cause they are nearly featureless. The lack age shows stack particulate matter collected
of features means that automated image pro- on a quartz fiber filter. Courtesy: MVA Scien-
cessing analysis tools can be used to distin- tific Consultants
guish particles from the filter background.
Unfortunately, polycarbonate filters are tem-
perature sensitive and will melt at 300F, so
care must be taken to prevent overheating
during collection.
Sampling flow rate can also be an impor-
tant consideration for polycarbonate filters,
particularly when smaller pore sizes are
used, because filters can blank under heavy
load. Fortunately, very light sample loadings
are most appropriate for PSD measurement,
and samples experiencing increasing pres-
sure drops across the filter are already more
heavily loaded than is optimal.
A rule of thumb for appropriate sample the filter. An underloaded filter is generally
loading leads to an estimate of optimal sam- preferable to an overloaded filter.
ple collection times of about 20% of the time In sampling situations where a polycar-
required to obtain a significant decrease in bonate filter cannot be used due to high tem-
flow rate or increase in pressure drop across peratures, quartz fiber filters are generally

36 www.powermag.com |
POWER July 2017
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

3. Visible like stars in the sky. The Table 1. Details tell the story. This table shows a sample image analysis output for the
same particles shown in Figure 1 are shown first 20 particles examined in one example. Courtesy: MVA Scientific Consultants
here, but using backscattered electron imag-
ing mode. Courtesy: MVA Scientific Consul- Minimum Maximum Mean
tants Perimeter diameter diameter diameter
Particle # Area (m2) (m) (m) (m) (m) Aspect ratio
1 0.3 1.7 0.4 0.8 0.6 1.0
2 0.6 2.6 0.4 1.1 0.7 1.0
3 2.7 8.2 0.3 2.5 1.5 2.4
4 0.5 2.2 0.5 1.0 0.7 1.0
5 0.3 1.9 0.3 0.9 0.6 1.7
6 0.6 2.6 0.4 0.8 0.7 1.0
7 0.5 2.4 0.1 1.2 0.7 1.1
8 0.3 1.7 0.3 0.5 0.4 1.0
9 1.0 3.5 0.6 1.3 1.0 1.0
4. Computer analyzed. The same par- 10 1.1 3.7 0.5 1.3 1.0 1.0
ticles shown in Figure 3 are shown here after
recognition by the automated image analysis 11 0.6 2.4 0.6 1.0 0.8 1.0
system algorithm. Courtesy: MVA Scientific 12 0.4 1.8 0.2 0.8 0.6 1.0
Consultants
13 0.4 2.1 0.4 0.8 0.6 1.0
14 3.7 8.8 1.7 3.1 2.4 1.8
15 1.1 4.1 0.7 1.8 1.3 1.2
16 1.2 4.0 0.9 1.5 1.1 1.0
17 0.6 4.3 0.6 1.4 1.1 2.6
18 0.8 3.1 0.4 1.2 0.8 1.0
19 0.5 2.4 0.6 1.0 0.8 1.0
20 0.4 2.7 0.3 0.8 0.6 1.7

best. In those cases, a more heavily loaded
filter is preferred.
In such cases, a portion of the collected
particles can be removed and redispersed
onto a polycarbonate or similar filter. Care
must be taken in this step because some
components of the sample particulate may
be soluble in liquids used for redispersing
the sample. For example, samples with high
sulfate or other salt concentrations cannot be
dispersed in water because those salts will
dissolve and then will not be included in the
particle size measurements.
Scanning Electron Microscopy
Analysis
Figure 1 shows a polycarbonate filter that
has been used in a Method 5 train to collect
particulate material from a power plant stack.
The pores in the filter are dark and the filter
surface itself is smooth and featureless. Par-
ticles on the filter are easily recognized by
eye and can also be recognized by image pro-
cessing algorithms.
Figure 2 shows stack particulate collected
on a quartz glass filter. While the particles
are still easily recognized by eye, the compli-
cated structure of the filter itself will confuse
image processing programs, and this particu-
late must be pointed out to the computer al-
Table 2. Getting the full picture. The particle size distribution data from one sample
is shown here in terms of number and mass percentages. This particular sample had 19,102
particles. Courtesy: MVA Scientific Consultants
Diameter range (m) Number (%) Mass (%)
0.5 1.0 55.4 1.5
>1.0 2.5 34.4 7.3
>2.5 5.0 7.1 16.0
>5.0 7.5 2.0 21.0
>7.5 10.0 0.6 16.3
>10.0 0.5 37.9
gorithm by a human analyst or removed to a entiating between them. In image analysis,
more suitable substrate for image processing- a particle is defined as a set of contigu-
based analysis. ous pixels all of which are brighter (or more
Samples that have been collected on or rarely, darker) than the threshold brightness
redispersed onto polycarbonate or similar fil- used to define the surrounding background
ters can be analyzed by automated SEM, al- pixels.
lowing for the unattended analysis of several Polycarbonate filters are ideal for this pur-
tens of thousands of individual particles. In pose. In Figure 1, the particles are easily rec-
MVA Scientific Consultants laboratory, the ognizable as bright features; however, there
analysis of 20,000 particles is standard. More is not sufficient contrast between the parti-
particles can be analyzed, if better statistics cles and the background for automated image
are required, especially for samples with a analysis algorithms to accurately distinguish
very low fraction of particles greater that 10 the particles from the filter.
m. A variety of techniques are used to in-
For automated particle sizing, the image crease the contrast. Instrument parameters
must contain sufficient contrast between the may be varied and/or different imaging
background and the particles so that an im- modes of the microscope may be employed.
age analysis algorithm is capable of differ- The same field of view, but in backscattered

|
July 2017 POWER www.powermag.com 37
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Table 3. Size matters. This table
breaks down the data into PM10 and PM2.5
percentages. Courtesy: MVA Scientific Con-
sultants
Diameter Mass (%)
PM2.5 8.8
PM10 62.1
>10.0 37.9
electron imaging mode, is shown in Figure
3. In this mode, particles are clearly defined
against the background.
Figure 4 shows the particles that have
been recognized by the image analysis sys-
tem. Once the particles are recognized, auto-
mated image analysis systems can determine
the average particle size, as well as any other
morphological parameters that might be of
interest, such as aspect ratio, circularity, and
perimeter.
In fully automated systems, the prepared
filter is stepped through the field of view of
the microscope until a sufficient number of
particles have been identified and analyzed,
which typically totals around 20,000 indi-
vidual particles in MVAs lab. Table 1 shows
a sample output, listing the requested particle
38
size and morphology parameters for the first
20 particles analyzed. The full dataset con-
sists of similar data for all 20,000 particles.
The accumulated data from the analysis
of the individual particles are submitted to
appropriate software for the PSD calcula-
tion and other sample parameters, as desired.
Table 2 presents the PSD for the full dataset
in terms of both particle number and particle
mass percentages. Table 3 shows the data in
terms of PM10 and PM2.5 fractions.
When particulate matter has been col-
lected on quartz or glass fiber filters and
cannot be removed to a different substrate,
automated SEM methods cannot be used. For
these samples, SEM images of the particulate
(such as is shown in Figure 2) are analyzed
in image processing software, but the indi-
vidual particles in each image are identified
by a human operator, and the measurement
of individual particle sizes and any required
morphological parameters is done by the im-
age analysis software, with the parameters
for each individual particle saved in a manner
similar to that for fully automated analysis.
In those cases, the typical number of particles
analyzed is a few thousand, rather than a few
tens of thousands.
www.powermag.com
Scanning Electron Microscopy
Offers Options
Microscopical methods offer the ability to de-
termine PSDs on particulate matter samples
of as little as 0.25 mg of particulate collected
in Method 5 (or Method 17) sample trains,
allowing for significantly reduced sample
collection times when compared to cascade
impactor and cyclone methods of particle
sizing. These methods allow for the use of
completely customizable size fractions, and
the reported fractions can be adjusted after
sample collection.
Automated scanning electron microscopy
PSD determination is based on the measure-
ment of the physical dimensions of several
tens of thousands of individual particles.
For samples where fully automated analysis
is not possible, several thousand individual
particles are analyzed. Average diameter,
volume, perimeter, aspect ratio, and other
morphological parameters that may be of in-
terest in engineering and compliance studies
are recorded for each of the particles, and the
appropriate particle size and/or morphology
distributions are calculated.
Tim B. Vander Wood, PhD
(tvanderwood@mvainc.com) is executive
director of MVA Scientific Consultants.
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POWER July 2017
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Technological Advancements in
Cooling Water Treatment
Regulatory agencies are becoming more and more critical of phosphorus-based
water treatment chemicals because they can have a negative impact on
lakes and waterways. In the past, treating cooling water with non-phos-
phorus products has not always kept systems in top condition, but recent
testing has proven one new method works as advertised.
Mike Mowbray

I
n recent years, public and regulatory Table 1. Water chemistry alternatives. This table shows the subjective ratings of
bodies have heightened their protection various water treatment chemistry options. Source: U.S. Water
efforts for our natural resources in order
Eco- National Pollutant
to protect against excessive water usage and
logical Discharge Elimi- Drink-
harm to the environment. For good reason,
Biodegrad- toxic- nation System Heavy ing Total
it is no longer acceptable for industries to Inhibitor ability ity (NPDES) status metal water Safety (%)
simply open up their valves and discharge
Molybdate 1 1 1 4 1 3 45.8
unregulated waste streams to the environ-
ment. Companies, and even municipalities, Zinc 1 1 1 1 4 2 41.7
are now subject to thorough review and com- Tin 1 2 4 4 4 2 70.8
ment periods to justify a facilitys proposed
Phosphate/
discharge rates and water composition. 1 1 1 4 4 3 58.3
polyphosphate
In the realm of water treatment, one area
Polyaminophos-
that has historically come up during the en- 2 3 3 4 1 3 66.7
phate
vironmental review cycle is the evaluation
of additives used to treat cooling water sys- Hydroxyphos-
2 3 3 4 1 3 66.7
tems. Chromate, a former chemical additive phonic acid
in cooling water treatment, was discovered to Phosphonocarbox-
2 4 3 4 1 3 70.8
be carcinogenic and its use is now banned. ylic acid
Aspartic acid
4 4 4 4 1 4 87.5
Phosphorus Usage polymer
Since the early 1970s, the use of phospho- Coffee extract 4 4 4 4 3 4 95.8
rus-bearing compounds in industrial cool-
ing water treatment programs has been
commonplace. Phosphorus (P)a common cooling water treatments for scale and cor- condenser tubes could affect vacuum and
constituent of agricultural fertilizer, and rosion control. This represents a significant thereby reduce power generation.
municipal and industrial wasteis current- challenge for facilities operating under direct
ly being reviewed by state agencies due to discharge permits. Searching for Alternatives
its impact on the eutrophication of lakes and Typical alkaline all-organic cooling water Recognizing the challenges facing the indus-
other waterways. programs where phosphonates are present as try, specialty chemical providers have been
Phosphorus has long been recognized scale inhibitors can have phosphorus levels diligently working to find an economically
as the controlling factor in plant and algae from 0.3 ppm to 2.5 ppm, while stabilized viable solution that can deliver the protection
growth for many lakes and streams. A minor phosphate programs can have phosphorus required. Suppliers have made non-metallic
increase in phosphorus can fuel substantial levels as high as 7.0 ppm. Alternative cor- corrosion inhibitors commercially available,
increases in both aquatic plant and algae rosion inhibitor options may not be viable but these organic inhibitors are often based
growth, which can have severe impacts on because they are often based on metals such on low molecular weight polymers, phospho-
downstream bodies of water, such as rivers, as zinc or molybdate, which are also being nates, and amino phosphonates.
lakes, or the Gulf of Mexico. closely regulated in terms of acceptable dis- Some of these organic molecules have
Phosphorus can originate from municipal charge levels. proven to be successful carbon steel corro-
and industrial facilities that discharge water, Without an effective corrosion and deposit sion inhibitors with improved environmen-
as well as from runoff from agricultural areas (scale) control program in place, industrial- tal acceptability, but they may have some
that makes its way into local water sources. cooling systems could be compromised in technical concerns. Organic molecules may
Many parts of the country are regulating the a relatively short period of time. Facilities be more susceptible to oxidizing biocides
acceptable P discharge levels well below could experience significantly higher oper- than inorganic molecules. Many azole-based
those commonly employed in traditional ating costs. For example, scale buildup on copper corrosion inhibitors are susceptible

|
July 2017 POWER www.powermag.com 39
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Table 2. Phosphorus-free test results. The water treatment program at a Mid-
west refining plant was changed to a phosphorus-free chemistry with the results shown here.
Source: U.S. Water
Parameter Units
pH N/A
Conductivity mhos/cm
"M" Alkalinity ppm as CaCO3
Chloride ppm
Calcium ppm as CaCO3
Magnesium ppm as CaCO3
Silica ppm as SiO2
Sulfate ppm as SO4
to degradation by oxidizing biocides.
Hydroxyphosphonic acid has shown sus-
ceptibility to chlorine, even at low levels.
This presents a problem because oxidizing
biocides are a necessary part of any suc-
cessful water treatment program for con-
trol of potentially harmful bacteria, such as
Legionella. Organic inhibitors based on the
phosphorus molecule do not meet the dis-
charge requirement for P due to the rever-
sion of some of the organic phosphonate to
orthophosphate (O-PO4) and eventually to
phosphorus. Unfortunately many alternative
programs have failed to properly control the
corrosion rates in systems without the use of
P-bearing inhibitors.
Table 1 illustrates a green chemistry al-
ternative evaluation conducted by U.S. Water
Services Inc. (U.S. Water), a company based
in St. Michael, Minn. The table contains in-
formation related to the various alternatives
where the values are the subjective ratings de-
termined by the authors of The Pursuit of a
Green Carbon Steel Corrosion Inhibitor: Part
1 of 4 published by Modern Pumping Today
in January 2015 (4 is the best score and 1 is the
worst). Based on this information, U.S. Water
developed a unique cooling water treatment
technology, called PhosZero, a zero-P cooling
water chemistry.
Finding the Best Option
A Midwest refining plant reached out to U.S.
Water for help achieving its goal of reducing
P concentrations in its discharge. The plant
had two different cooling towers due to dif-
ferent process conditions and both utilized
induced-draft counter-flow cooling towers.
Traditional water treatment programs were
being utilized in the treatment of the cooling
towers, but due to discharge regulations, the
client needed to find a viable chemical treat-
ment alternative. The new P-free program
40
Tower 1
8.59
2,117
422
123
774
665
37.3
732
was implemented at the plant.
In order to ensure proper system pro-
tection, the corrosion rates were carefully
monitored using corrosion coupons as well
as an online corrator. The client wanted to
maintain the same water efficiency, that
is, not reduce the cycles of concentration,
which yielded a Langelier Saturation In-
dex (LSI) value of approximately 2.25.
This LSI represents a relatively high scal-
ing potential and the heat transfer surfaces
were monitored closely as well. During
the course of the entire trial, there was no
observed accumulation of scale that would
impede the heat transfer efficiencies. Table
2 lists the pertinent cooling water values
during the trial.
1. Reduced corrosion rates. The water treatment program at a Midwest refining plant
was changed to a phosphorus-free chemistry with an almost immediate improvement in the
mild steel corrosion rate. Source: U.S. Water
Mild steel corrosion rate (mils per year)
www.powermag.com
After the zero-P program was implement-
ed, the corrosion rates improved drastically
within the first five hours of application.
The online corrator corrosion rates for the
Tower 2 mild steel (Figure 1) showed the significant
improvement during the implementation
8.58 phase. The corrosion rate in mils per year
2,299
(mpy) was reduced from greater than 2.5
mpy to less than 0.5 mpy.
446 In this study, corrosion coupons were em-
ployed in addition to the corrator to monitor
315 the cumulative corrosion rates during a 45-
to 60-day exposure period. The results are
570 shown in Figure 2.
The results were better than anticipated
500
and the primary objective of eliminating P
36.8 from the cooling water chemical treatment
program was attained. In addition, the zero-
678 P treatment program provided a significant
reduction in the corrosion rates. The corro-
sion rates dropped from an average of about
4 mpy to an average of around 1.3 mpy.
Another Effective PhosZero
Implementation
In a second study, Minnesota Powers Ar-
rowhead High-Voltage Direct Current Ter-
minal was experiencing scale and white rust
buildup inside its cooling tower condenser
tubes, creating obstacles cooling the invert-
er. If left untreated, the buildup could have
resulted in a costly asset replacement and
unscheduled downtime.
At the same time, the Minnesota Pollu-
tion Control Agency (MPCA) was institut-
ing new phosphate discharge limits and
encouraging plant management to meet the
Time (hours)
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POWER July 2017
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
new state limits before implementation.
2. Coupons tell the story. Corrosion coupons employed during a 45- to 60-day test
Minnesota Power reached out to ALLETE
were used to calculate corrosion rates, which ranged from 0.702 mils per year (mpy) to 1.661
mpy. Source: U.S. Water sister company U.S. Water for assistance
in achieving system efficiency and meeting
new state discharge limits.
U.S. Water worked with Minnesota Pow-
ers team to implement a zero-P program into
its system. The PhosZero chemistry provided
low enough toxicity to gain the approval of
the MPCA, yet strong enough scale inhibi-
tion properties and corrosion protection to
keep its system running efficiently.
A few months after introducing the ze-
ro-P chemistry into the system, hardness
balance testing showed that scale was be-
ing removed. Figure 3 shows the success of
the zero-P program with before and after
results of mild metal and zinc corrosion
3. More success. Hardness balance testing at Minnesota Powers Arrowhead High-Volt- coupons.
age Direct Current Terminal proved that scale was being removed after a PhosZero chemistry The results signify a paradigm shift in the
program was implemented. Corrosion coupons, shown here, offer visual confirmation of the water treatment industry. The norm used to
results. Source: U.S. Water be for facilities to have to settle for compro-
mised results or additional water use when
using alternate chemicals that didnt contain
P. Now the industry is able to meet low-P
concentrations in its discharges while still
protecting its critical assets.
Mike Mowbray is director of product
management for U.S. Water.

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|
July 2017 POWER www.powermag.com 41
 ENERGY MARKETS
MISO: Avoiding the Mess Facing
Other Wholesale Competitive
Electric Markets
The Midcontinent Independent System Operators (MISOs) geographic foot-
print extends down the middle of the U.S. Because of the structure of its
market, MISO has artfully avoided some nasty policy and economic issues
that characterize its neighbors in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Howev-
er, MISO still faces many of the same market forces that are transforming
the electric generation and distribution business across the country.
Kennedy Maize

T
he scope of the Midcontinent Indepen-
1. Vast reach. The scope of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO)
dent System Operator (MISO) is vast. stretches from Manitoba, Canada, to the Gulf of Mexico. Courtesy: MISO
One of the original regional transmis-
sion and wholesale market operators growing
out of the Federal Energy Regulatory Com-
missions (FERCs) restructuring of much of
the U.S. electricity business in the late 1980s
and early 1990s, MISO stretches from Mani-
toba in central Canada to the Gulf of Mexico
in Southern Louisiana (Figure 1).
What we have done, MISO CEO John
Bear told POWER, is taken a bunch of
small, regional utilities and given them a su-
per-regional utility that requires less invest-
ment. The result, he said, is that we have
made electric deliverability more reliable and
increased quality for about 2 million people
and provided about $3 billion in annual ben-
efits to our members.
MISO, Bear noted, also has been able
to provide broad responses to major public
policy issues. Wind power is an example. In
2005, MISO had about 300 MW of wind ca-
pacity. Today, the system supports 17 GW of
wind, or about 8% of the systems generat-
ing portfolio. Coal has dropped from 65% of
generating capacity to about 35% in MISOs The MISO territory includes 191 GW coal and toward wind and natural gas is likely
footprint, and gas generation has risen from of generating capacity in 6,567 generating to continue in the near term. Northern Indi-
10% to 43%. Nuclear makes up a steady 8%. units, peak load of 131 GW, 65,800 miles of ana Public Service Co. (NIPSCO) recently
MISOs website notes that it manages one transmission, 36 local balancing authorities, announced plans to shutdown two large coal-
of the worlds largest energy markets, cover- and according to the ISO, 291,538 supervi- fired units at its Bailly station by mid-2018,
ing 965,000 square miles and delivering 689 sory control and data acquisition data points. and NIPSCO plans additional coal shut-
terawatt-hours of energy in 2016 to millions The numbers are so large they are hard to downs at its Schahfer Generating Station.
of homes. The regional transmission orga- grasp. The systemwith headquarters in Low-cost gas and wind generation is clob-
nization (RTO) says in 2016 it yielded $2.6 Carmel, Ind., north of Indianapolis, and re- bering coal in the Midwest as elsewhere in
billion to $3.3 billion in regional benefits, gional offices in Eagan, Minn.; Little Rock, the U.S. Regardless of new federal govern-
driven by enhanced reliability, more efficient Ark.; and Metairie, La. runs a sprawling ment policy pronouncements aimed at rescu-
use of the regions existing transmission and network of generation and transmission with ing coal, low-emissions sources are likely to
generation assets, and a reduced need for the precision (Figure 2). prevail in MISOs view. Nuclear is also likely
addition of new assets. According to Bear, the trend away from to decrease as a victim of the advance of gas

42 www.powermag.com |
POWER July 2017

and wind.
In Bears analysis, solar wont play a big
role in the next few years. The region is not
bathed in sunshine. Because MISOs electric
prices are low, solar remains uncompetitive.
Thats in contrast to sunny California, where
energy prices are so high that solar can grab
market share.
Capacity Markets
Other large competitive wholesale mar-
kets have lately been consumed by contro-
versyparticularly in the Mid-Atlantic and
Northeast where state actions to subsidize
uncompetitive nuclear capacity in the whole-
sale markets threaten the viability of the
RTO/ISO concept (see sidebar). MISO has
largely been able to dodge those policy and
economic bullets.
Because of its structure, MISO has es-
chewed the hard-capacity markets that char-
acterize RTOs such as PJM Interconnection
and ISO-New England (ISO-NE). We dont
have a capacity market, Bear said. In the
MISO system, most of the states utilities
continue to be vertically integrated monopo-
lies, with the responsibility for providing ad-
equate generation to meet retail distribution
load. Thats unlike the prevailing model to
the east, where generation and distribution
are separate entities and the ISOs determine
resource adequacy.
States have jurisdiction over resource
adequacy in most of MISO, Bear said. So
MISO doesnt have to conduct forward ca-
pacity auctions to buy reserve generation at
competitive wholesale prices from gener-
ating entities. That appears to be working.
MISO has been able to reduce its generation
reserve margin and still remain confident that
it can meet future loads.
MISO conducts what it calls a fixed re-
source adequacy plan, (FRAP), a short-term
alternative to the long-term capacity auctions
in PJM and ISO-NE. A 2015 analysis by the
consulting firm ICF International said, The
[MISO] capacity auction is prompt rather
than forward-looking like the ISO-New Eng-
land (ISO-NE) and PJM markets, meaning
that capacity for the June-May annual plan-
ning period is procured in April of that same
year.
While MISO brags that it does not have
a capacity market, its independent market
monitor, David Patton of Potomac Econom-
ics, is critical of the ISOs approach to ca-
pacity. Last year, Patton told stakeholders, as
reported by Platts, that while MISOs energy
market is working well, its approach to ca-
pacity has not provided efficient economic
signals to facilitate investment, retirement
and capacity import/export decisions.
MISO last fall moved to adjust an aspect
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July 2017 POWER
The Future of Competitive Wholesale Electric Markets
The federally-created-and-governed re-
gional, competitive wholesale markets
are under attack by state regulators and
utilities with special needs, such as keep-
ing uneconomic nuclear plants in the
wholesale markets or boosting renewable
generation. So far, only the Midcontinent
Independent System Operator among the
multistate regional transmission organi-
zations appears to be immune from the
controversy. That could change.
Illinois and New York have adopted
plans to put a thumb on the scales of the
wholesale markets pricing to keep favored
nukes in the capacity queue. Connecticut
and Ohio appear ready to follow suit, and
New Jersey may also get in line.
Proponents of the nuclear plant bailouts
argue that competitive wholesale mar-
kets dont recognize the value of nuclear
powers zero-carbon emissions. To address
the alleged discrepancy, both Illinois and
New York created zero-emissions credits
(ZECs), which subsidize nuclear power by
recognizing the value of its carbon-free
generation. In New York, the value of
ZECs from rescued nuclear plants does not
equate to a value for the emissions from
the politically challenged Indian Point
nuclear facility, much nearer Manhattan,
which Gov. Andrew Cuomo persuaded En-
tergy to close.
The move by states to influence the
wholesale markets auctions has caused
heartburn at the Federal Energy Regu-
latory Commission (FERC), overseer of
of its hands-off approach to long-term capac-
ity, dealing with Michigan and southern Il-
linois decisions to restructure into separate
generating and transmission regimes. MISO
came up with a plan for a bifurcated approach
to capacity, which it called the competitive
retail solution. It would have continued
the existing short-term auction for most of
its business, while adding a new three-year
forward auction for the restructured systems
in Michigan and Illinois. In early February,
FERC rejected the MISO plan for two differ-
ent market-clearing processes, arguing that it
could introduce unnecessary price volatility.
In one of the last decisions before losing
its quorum, FERC said it would like MISO
to implement a more conventional capacity
auction mechanism, arguing that an auction-
based marketwide clearing mechanism for
www.powermag.com
ENERGY MARKETS
wholesale electricity. At a panel discus-
sion hosted by the Federalist Society
in April, as reported by SNL, several
panelists questioned whether the FERC-
regulated markets could survive. Larry
Gasteiger, federal regulatory policy ma-
ven at New Jerseys major utility Public
Service Enterprise Group, said, Time for
action in the wholesale markets is sim-
ply running out when it comes to nuclear
generation. Im real concerned about the
lack of urgency. This issue has been dis-
cussed for years. I dont think we have
years more to go.
In early May, the quorum-less FERC held
a two-day technical conference on the fu-
ture of wholesale markets in the face of
state moves to favor nuclear generating
technologies, often for political reasons
such as jobs, tax base, and the like. At
that meeting, acting FERC chair Cheryl
LaFleur said, Its no secret Im a strong
supporter of wholesale competitive mar-
kets. Centralized capacity markets are
designed to signal new entry and exit into
the markets, rather than through the in-
tegrated resource planning used in the
vertically integrated markets.
During the May FERC conference and
the earlier Federalist Society meeting,
LaFleur laid out three avenues to solve
the tension between the states and the
feds: negotiation, litigation, or capitula-
tionfederal deference to the states to
make their own resource adequacy deci-
sions. That third option looks like MISO.
capacity simultaneously co-optimizes zonal
capacity requirements subject to zonal trans-
mission capability constraints and economic
supply offers at the time of the auction.
Translated from FERC-speak, the commis-
sion effectively said a systemwide competi-
tive auction better matches supply, demand,
and delivery than relying on state utility sys-
tems judgment of resource adequacy.
Responding to the FERC rejection, MISO
said it is going back to its stakeholders to try
to come up with a solution. Power Markets
Today reported that MISO said its initial re-
view of FERCs order will be complicated
by the lack of detail contained in the order
concerning the reasons our proposal was re-
jectedor guidance that would allow MISO
to better determine alternative paths to en-
sure reliability in competitive retail areas.
43
 ENERGY MARKETS
2. Central command. The MISO system is headquartered in Carmel, Ind., shown here,
and has regional offices in Minnesota, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Courtesy: MISO
Pseudo-Ties
Another troubling issue facing MISO is how
some utilities in its territory are treated when
they win bids into PJMs capacity market.
The issue is called pseudo-ties, (which re-
minds some of old-fashioned clip-on neck-
ware). This has to do with who controls
dispatch of the generating units when the ca-
pacity is needed and how that impacts trans-
mission system reliability.
Bear noted to POWER that PJM has per-
formance rules accompanying its capacity re-
quirements. The rules allow PJM to become
the balancing authority (BA) for the remote
units, wherever located. The ISO-NE and
the New York Independent System Operator
(NYISO) have similar rules.
According to MISO, under the rules a
generating unit that is physically located in
the MISO BA could be controlled by the
PJM Interconnection BA, allowing PJM to
dispatch the units at will, as if they were part
of the PJM system, hence pseudo-tied to
PJM. However, many of those units are so
far away from PJM that the eastern system
is unable to model the impact of the dispatch
on MISOs system reliability. As a result,
MISO claims PJM could unknowingly and
unintentionally overload MISO transmission
lines when dispatching a pseudo-tied unit
physically located in MISO.
Pattonwhose firm Potomac Econom-
ics is also the independent market monitor
for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas,
ISO-NE, NYISO, and the Regional Green-
house Gas Initiative in the Northeastin
April asked FERC to order PJM to end its
pseudo-ties policy. Patton argued that the
policy, which FERC blessed in 2014, has
44
imposed substantial economic and reliabil-
ity costs on [MISO] that will only grow as
pseudo-ties proliferate.
MISOs Origins
In April 1996, after years of discussion at
state and federal levels over the closed na-
ture of the nations high-voltage transmission
systemcontrolled by the vertically inte-
grated monopoly electric utility systems
the FERC issued Order No. 888 (named for
FERCs new headquarters building at 888
First Street NE in Washington, D.C.). The
FERC said it would like MISO to implement
a more conventional capacity auction mech-
anism ... the commission effectively said
a systemwide competitive auction better
matches supply, demand, and delivery than
relying on state utility systems judgment
of resource adequacy.
thrust of the order, and follow-up Order No.
889, required owners of interstate electric
transmission to become common-carriers of
electricity rather than monopolies.
FERCs move to open access to transmis-
sion was driven by a landmark 1989 study
by the former Congressional Office of Tech-
nology Assessment (OTA) titled Electricity
Wheeling and Dealing, Technological Con-
siderations for Increasing Competition. (Ed.
note: Kennedy Maize was an OTA contrac-
www.powermag.com
tor for that study.) It concluded, Concerns
that the bulk power system (generation and
transmission) is inherently incompatible with
competition do not appear to be well-found-
ed. The system can be made to work under
any of the institutional/regulatory arrange-
ments considered in this study. Problems and
issues will arise with widespread competi-
tion, but they will be much less technical than
political and institutional.
When FERC, under the leadership of
Chairman Betsy Moler, adopted open-access
transmission, three existing power pools
New York, New England, and PJMwere
already positioned to adapt to the new re-
gime. In the Midwest, the MISO website
notes, Several transmission owners recog-
nized the benefits of FERCs vision to form
an independently operated regional transmis-
sion system, voluntarily coming together in
1998 to establish MISO. At that time, the
name was the Midwest Independent System
Operator.
FERC accepted the MISO open access
transmission tariff in 1998 and approved
MISO as the first regional transmission orga-
nization in 2001.
Based on its successful operation of an
independent transmission system, MISO be-
gan planning to operate a competitive energy
market, as was occurring across the country.
In 2005, MISO began acquiring and centrally
dispatching electric power through much of
middle America. At about the same time,
MISO began running a market for financial
transmission rights, a tradable commodity. In
2009, MISO launched an ancillary services
market, becoming the regions overall bal-
ancing authority governing energy dispatch
across its growing footprint.
In 2013, after two years of planning, MISO
integrated the transmission systems of Enter-
gy (Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas,
Gulf States, and New Orleans), Louisianas
Cleco Corp., Lafayette (La.) Utilities Sys-
tem, Louisiana Energy and Power Author-
ity, Louisiana Generating, South Mississippi
Electric Power Association (now known as
|
POWER July 2017

3. Where to from here? MISO CEO John Bear foresees a decarbonized energy fleet,
featuring expansive wind generation and more natural gas. Much of the future, however, will be
determined by federal policy. Courtesy: MISO
Cooperative Energy), and East Texas Electric
Cooperative.
MISOs new members across the South
will begin to receive the broad array of ben-
efits that our markets provide, including the
cost savings realized from improved reliabil-
ity and efficient commitment and dispatch,
said Bear in a press release at the time.
Two years later, RTO Insider newsletter
reported, Entergy and MISOs Independent
Market Monitor told the Entergy Regional
State Committee in Little Rock on Aug. 11
[2015] that the December 2013 integration
has produced substantial benefits and that the
transition was well-managed. Entergy said it
had achieved $236 million in annual savings
since the integration with MISO.
MISOs Future
MISOs first order of new business may be
old business: dealing with the FERC order
rejecting its bifurcated capacity plan. One
of FERCs criticisms of the MISO scheme
was, as Power Markets Today noted, that
MISO would have to allocate that trans-
mission capability across two different auc-
tions, which could lead to price separation
that does not reflect what is actually hap-
pening on the system.
Patton has suggested that the ISO could
run a dual market to make sure resources in
competitive areas are paid enough. He has
advocated a plan similar to what ISO-NE has
proposed, a two-part capacity auction with
conventional bidders in one and subsidized
bidders in the other. Winners in the second
auction would then have to compete against
the winners in the first auction, including
meeting the requirement of a minimum of-
fer price rule, which sets a floor on capacity
bids.
Discussing FERCs rejection of the capac-
|
July 2017 POWER
ity plan, Bear said hes confident Michigan
and Illinois will be able to work out ways that
they can continue with MISOs traditional
approach to capacity. As others have noted,
one of the reasons MISO considered alter-
ing its approach to capacity in Illinois was
because Exelons Clinton nuclear plant was
facing a shutdown. The Illinois legislature
We foresee a decarbonized generating
fleet, with lots more wind and solar, more
agile natural gas, and some continued coal
and nuclear.
John Bear, Midcontinent Independent System Operator CEO
authorized the subsidies that will keep the
plant running.
In the longer run, MISO faces many of
the same market forces that are transforming
the electric generation and distribution busi-
ness across the country. We continue to see
pressure from a public policy standpoint and
from environmental issues, Bear said. We
foresee a decarbonized generating fleet, with
lots more wind and solar, more agile natural
gas, and some continued coal and nuclear.
Bear said federal policy would be im-
portant for MISO (Figure 3). The Obama
administrations Clean Power Plan, which
the Trump administration is now trying to
reverse, was pretty significant for MISO,
as was the Mercury and Air Toxics regula-
tion, which forced a lot of older coal plants
to close.
When it comes to wind power, Bear noted
that with federal tax credits supporting it,
wind is incredibly inexpensive. Should the
www.powermag.com
ENERGY MARKETS
tax credits expire (they were enacted in 1992
as a short-term subsidy, which has contin-
ued for the past 25 years), the wind proposi-
tion could change. Late last year, Patton told
MISO, according to RTO Insider, Some
wind generators appear to be deliberately
over-forecasting their output to inflate their
revenues.
MISO is less bullish on solar, as its foot-
print often is cloudy. But in January, MISO
integrated a 100-MW community solar proj-
ect from Minnesota (selling power to Xcel
Energy) into its wholesale market, a first,
according to Utility Dive. MISO remains
committed to supporting our members in
meeting their policy goals through reliable
and efficient markets, said MISO vice pres-
ident Todd Ramey. This project furthers the
integration of renewable resources into our
markets.
MISO is gingerly examining utility-scale
energy storage. The 1,872-MW Ludington
pumped storage project in Michigan, oper-
ated by Consumers Energy, is in MISOs
territory. Battery storage is on the corporate
radar. We are having a lot of discussions
about all the different things storage can do,
Bear said. Storage is a big game-changer.
But much of the future depends on natu-
ral gas. While wholesale markets love low
gas prices, they make life difficult for re-
newables such as wind and solar, and for
storage. Coal, nuclear, and gas come with
storage built-in.
The other big question for the future,
said Bear, is load. MISOs peak demand
has been sinking, while the overall amount
of electricity use is going up. Conservation
programs, he said, have been not that suc-
cessful. As with all economic markets, its
not just a matter of supply, or resource ad-
equacy, but also demand and the interaction
with supply that defines prices.
For MISO and competitive wholesale
markets, its Economics 101supply and
demand determines prices. For monopoly
markets, thats irrelevant. Which paradigm
prevails? Well see.
Kennedy Maize is a long-time energy
journalist and frequent contributor to
POWER.
45
 ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
How China Is on the Leading Edge
of Environmental Technologies
Coal proponents and climate skeptics often cite Chinas current and future reli-
ance on coal power to bolster talking points. What is little discussed is the
recent, massive transformation of Chinas vast coal fleet, which is aimed
at keeping the country on track to meet stringent emissions and climate
goals.
Sonal Patel
T
he U.S. has officially announced it will
exit the Paris Agreement, which leaves
Chinaan economic powerhouse with
a population of 1.3 billion people and a colos-
sal demand for electricityat the helm of the
worlds efforts to mitigate climate change.
But while China has been criticized for its re-
liance on coalit remains the worlds largest
producer, consumer, and importer of coal to-
dayover the past five years, the country has
embarked on a remarkable transition to ramp
up environmental measures, driven largely
by a desperate effort to tamp down rampant
air pollution in some of its major cities.
Through considerable progress to imple-
ment ambitious programs to increase the
energy efficiency of power generation and
a rapid scale-up of renewables and nuclear
power, the country has transformed its power
sector into one of the cleanest in the world
at a breakneck pace. Today, its new highly
efficient coal fleet is equipped with domes-
tically developed and imported technologies
that seek to meet some of the worlds strictest
emission limits for sulfur dioxide (SO2), ni-
trogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM),
and mercuryand which make Americas
much smaller but highly beleaguered coal
fleet look like a relic from the past.
Mandatory Emissions Reductions
The stunning pace of development of environ-
mental technology innovation in China can be
attributed to policies that the country has put
in place relatively recently. Chinas period of
profound economic growth, urbanization, and
demographic change began nearly three de-
cades agoas the country embarked on reforms
to open up its economy to foreign investors
after the Cultural Revolution, which was em-
bedded on fiercely anti-capitalist elements.
The reforms prompted development of ener-
gy-intensive heavy industrial sectors, includ-
ing steel and cement. But the countrys power
supply couldnt keep up, owing to a lack of
46
1. A controlled shift. Between 1980 and 2016, the technology employed at new coal-
fired power plant builds in China has shifted. Courtesy: Center for American Progress
Subcritical Supercritical Ultrasupercritical
Megawatts added per year
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
1980 1986 1992 1998 2004 2010 2016
capital investment. Between 1978 and 2003, came in 2004, when the National Develop-
the government encouraged reform of the in- ment and Reform Commission (NRDC), the
vestment systems to raise funds for a power key government agency which leads program
plant expansion, and in the 1990s alone, implementation at a national level, issued
China boosted its power generation capacity new requirements for coal plant planning and
from 17 GW to 227 GWmostly from new construction. The rules mandated that any
plants that were small coal-fired units outfit- new coal plants larger than 600 MW or with a
ted with subcritical steam cycles. Most had coal consumption rate of less than 286 grams
few or no air pollutant emission controls, so (g)/kWh should have PM removal and flue
inevitablyalong with soaring power genera- gas desulfurization (FGD) systems installed.
tion that fueled its budding economyChina It also encouraged the use of supercritical
saw an intense increase of air pollutants, spur- and ultrasupercritical technology, as well as
ring smog and haze, along with rampant acid combined heat and power plants. In 2007, the
rain problems across large swathes of south- country then launched the Large Substitut-
ern China. ing Small program, which meant every new
The ramp-up of air pollution prompted the and existing coal plant of more than 135 MW
government in the late 1990s to issue a no- needed FGD systems. Emission standards
tice on strict control of small thermal power strengthened in 2012, meanwhile, prompt-
equipment manufacturing construction, ing the installation of electrostatic precipita-
which banned construction of power units tors (ESPs) and selective catalytic reduction
under 25 MW and forced some small, inef- (SCR) units at more than 80% of the coal
ficient power units under 50 MW to close. fleet. All these strict policies forced the de-
One of the first strict pollution measures commissioning of an estimated 95 GW of
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POWER July 2017
 ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
five-year plans, Qian noted. In 2014, for ex-
Table 1. Conventional air pollution standards for new and existing plants in milligrams per
cubic meter (mg/m3). Source: Center for American Progress
ample, China published the Action Plan on
Upgrade and Reconstruction of Coal-Fired
Pollutant (mg/m3) China U.S. European Union Power Plants for Energy Conservation and
Nitrogen oxide Existing 100 135 200 Emission Reduction, which sets technical
standards for new and existing coal plants to
New 50 95 150
meet by 2020 (or by 2017 for plants in eastern
Sulfur oxide Existing 50200 185 200 China and 2018 in central China) for higher
New 35 136 150 power generation efficiency and pollutant
emission levels that are on par with gas-fired
Particulate matter Existing 2030 19 20
generation. The standards are stricter than
New 10 12 10 comparable ones in both the European Union
and in the U.S. (Table 1).
small thermal generating units between 2005 tion from the 2005 level. The total amount It also mandates that new pulverized coal
and 2014. of [PM], SO2 and NOx emitted from thermal units of more than 600 MW be outfitted with
According to Qian Zhu of the International power plants in 2014 was halved compared ultrasupercritical technology, and that pul-
Energy Agencys (IEAs) Clean Coal Centre, to that of 2006.Also as significant, by 2014, verized heating units and circulating fluid-
the resulting environmental gains were stun- 100 GW of Chinas total coal capacity of 907 ized bed (CFB) units of more than 300 MW
ning. By the end of 2014, the share of units GW featured ultrasupercritical technology, a adopt supercritical technology. To drive the
300 MWe in the installed thermal power ca- figure that has grown exponentially. Today, adoption of high-efficiency, low-emission
pacity was 77.7% and the share of units 600 according to data from S&P Global Platts, technology, the government has offered,
MWe reached 41.5%, she wrote in a recent of Chinas 920-MW coal fleet, 19% uses ul- since 2016, feed-in tariffs for power gener-
IEA overview of Chinas clean coal inno- trasupercritical technology, 25% uses super- ated from low-emission plants.
vations. The share of [combined heat and critical technology, and 56% uses subcritical The measures have paid off in a big way,
power] units increased from 13.3% in 2000 technology (Figure 1). as Melanie Hart, Luke Bassett, and Blaine
to almost 29% of thermal power generation Johnson of the Center for American Progress
capacity in 2013. The national average coal Stepping up Efficiency point out in a report on Chinas coal genera-
consumption rate for power supply in 2015 Chinas environmental vision is rooted in a tion that was released in May. By 2020, all
was 315 g/kWh, which is a 55 g/kWh reduc- national energy policy, typically set out as coal-fired units nationwide must achieve the

|
July 2017 POWER www.powermag.com 47
 ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
2. Double the heat. Units 3 and 4 at the Guodian Taizhou Phase II Project, which came
online between September 2015 and January 2016, demonstrated Chinesedesigned and sup-
plied double-reheat ultrasupercritical technology. The calculated coal consumption at the $1.27
billion project is 256 grams of coal-equivalent per kilowatt-hour. Courtesy: China Guodian Corp.
following efficiency standards or shut down:
300 [g/kWh] for all new plants and 310 [g/
kWh] for all existing plants. The 100 most
efficient coal-fired power plants in China
range from 271.56 [g/kWh] to 294.88 [g/
kWh]. No plant on the U.S. top 100 list can
currently meet these efficiency standards,
the authors noted.
A Technology Vision
According to Qian, achievements in effi-
ciency have also been driven in large part by
Chinas giant investments in research and de-
velopment (R&D) of new technologies and
processes. Strategic objectives set out in its
11th Five-Year Plan (20062010), 12th Five-
Year Plan (20112015), and 13th Five-Year
Plan (20162020) prioritized technology de-
velopment for large-scale ultrasupercritical
and CFB units, as well as for carbon-captur-
ing integrated gasification combined cycle
(IGCC) units. These comprehensive plans
also take into account domestic intellectual
property rights and funding initiatives.
The result: China has both adapted and
improved on technologies developed abroad,
but also achieved cost reductions through
process innovation, incremental manufactur-
ing, and deployment at scale. But Chinas
development of domestic technologies and
optimized engineering designs that are ap-
plicable to various parts of its power genera-
tion process, on both new and existing power
plants, are also laudable. Some examples of
significant progress follow.
Double-Reheating Ultrasupercritical
Technology. A noteworthy example is the
Guodian Taizhou Phase II Project, an ultrasu-
percritical plant consisting of two 1,000-MW
units put online between September 2015 and
January 2016 that demonstrated indigenously
designed double-reheat technology (Figure
2). Compared to a conventional gigawatt-lev-
48
el single-reheating unit, the double-reheating
unit adds another level of reheating to allow
the system to reach a higher thermal cycle ef-
ficiency, adding to gains in power generation
efficiency while slashing coal consumption
and generation costs, says the plants own-
er China Guodian Corp. Unit 3 has a plant
efficiency of 47.82%, one of the highest in
China and in the world, and its emissions of
PM, SO2, and NOx are 2.3 mg/m3, 15 mg/m3,
and 31 mg/m3, respectively, noted Qian. The
demonstrated technology has since been ap-
plied to at least two other power plants.
Circulating Fluidized Bed Technol-
ogy. China now has a total of more than
3,000 CFB boiler units, a technology that
suits Chinas high-sulfur coal resources. In
2013, China commissioned the 600-MW
supercritical Baima CFB demonstration
power plant, which continues to be one of
the largest units of its type. The steam pa-
rameters adopted by the Baima CFB unit
are 25.4 MPa/571C/569C. The emissions of
SO2, NOx, and PM (192, 112, and 9 mg/m3,
respectively) are reportedly much lower than
designed values for burning low-quality coal.
Integrated Gasification Combined
Cycle Technology. Also in 2013, China
put online its first IGCC plant, the 250-MW
Huaneng Tianjin demonstration plant (Figure
3). The project in Tianjin province uses sub-
bituminous coal. The gasifier is a dry-feed,
oxygen-blown, pressurized two-stage reac-
tor. Modifications in 2014 improved project
reliability and availability significantly, said
the plants majority owner, China Huaneng
Group. In July 2016, the plants owners
completed 72 hours of continuous operation
during full-load commissioning tests on the
carbon capture system, which uses an ab-
sorption chemical solvent-based process.
Air-Cooled Power Plants. In response
to water scarcity, China has sought to vastly
www.powermag.com
expand the use of air-cooled thermal power
technology since around 2005. An indig-
enously built 600-MW air-cooling system
was scaled up to a 1-GW ultrasupercritical
air-cooling unit and installed at the Huadian
Ningxia Lingwu Power Plant in Northwest
China in 2010. The technology now report-
edly equips 66 GW of Chinas fleet.
Particulate Matter Control Technolo-
gies. Chinas strong concerns about its wide-
spread fine particulate issues have spurred a
number of innovations. According to the Chi-
nese Academy of Engineering, researchers at
Tsinghua University have developed novel
technologies, including in situ low-intensity
phase-selective laser-induced breakdown
spectroscopy, an in-flame two-stage diluted
sampling system, and a thermophoretic sam-
pling system to tamp down ultrafine PM
formation at an early stage of the pulverized
coal combustion process for plants burning
high-sodium lignite and anthracite coal. The
academic institution also says that stricter
emission standards have prompted the use of
multi-field coupled control technologies,
including hybrid conventional approaches
involving acoustic force, electrostatic force,
chemical bonds, and thermophoretic force.
These technologies are used alongside the
widely applied use of wet ESPs, low-temper-
ature ESPs, and hybrid ESP/bag systems.
Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Stor-
age (CCUS). Chinas commitment under
the Paris Agreement is to reduce its carbon
intensity 60% to 65% from the 2005 level
by 2030, peaking its carbon emissions by
2030, and boosting the share of non-fossil-
fueled power to 20%. In 2012, China became
the worlds largest emitter of greenhouse
gasesresponsible for 23% of the global
total. The country has been exploring a num-
ber of ways to capture CO2, including with
precombustion methods such as the Green-
Gen IGCC project. It has so far completed
three demonstration post-combustion carbon
capture projects. In 2014, it also put online a
35 MWth oxyfuel boiler in Hubei province
as part of a long-term plan to launch oxyfuel
boilers of 200 MW to 600 MW after 2020.
That project is supported by the Huazhong
University of Science and Technology, along
with a number of power generators and plant
equipment makers. Projects are also under-
way to explore deep saline aquifer carbon
storage, micro algae cultivation, and for
long-term enhanced oil recovery. According
to experts, China is on track to demonstrate
the entire CCUS process and is determined to
accelerate its commercial application.
Prospective Technologies
A number of initiatives are ongoing in paral-
lel to develop even higher-efficiency power
|
POWER July 2017
 ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
heavy metals and volatile organic compounds.
3. GreenGen. China Huaneng Group and seven other Chinese state-owned companies,
and later U.S.-based Peabody Energy, banded together between 2006 and 2007 to develop
Several programs are also examining utiliza-
a large-scale integrated gasification combined cycle unit with a carbon capture and storage tion of byproducts from pollutant removal.
system. The first phase involved construction and operation of the 250-MW Huaneng Tianjin The technologies would be beneficial to a
demonstration plant. The second phase, currently underway, involves improving existing sys- number of countries bent on expanding their
tems and developing a demonstration-scale system to draw about 7% of the syngas from the coal fleets. According to some experts, how-
Tianjin plant for carbon capture, which is to be used for enhanced oil recovery. A third phase ever, conditions in the U.S. may not support
may involve building a larger 400-MW plant with associated carbon capture facilities. Courtesy: an expansion of highly efficient coal genera-
Huaneng Group tion, taking into account lessons learned in
China. One reason is that the U.S., unlike
China, has access to cheap and plentiful shale
gas, which has put coal-fired generation at
a competitive disadvantage. Additionally,
emissions regulations and the general public
perception that coal is a dirty fuel have ef-
fectively halted the development of any new
coal-fired power plants in the U.S.
If China is going to reduce emissions
substantially, more efficient coal generation
has to be part of its equation, at least for the
near to medium term. In the United States,
investing in next-generation clean coal plants
is not a good solution because natural gas is
cheap, plentiful, and lower-emitting than all
but the most expensive coal-fired power, the
authors of the May overview from the Center
technology solutions, as well as to increase On the emissions front, research continues on for American Progress noted.
the flexibility of coal plants, so that they can multi-field fine particulate control technolo- Sonal Patel is a POWER
support the high penetration of renewables. gies, as well as on control technologies for associate editor.

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July 2017 POWER www.powermag.com 49
 ENERGY STORAGE
The Latest in Thermal
Energy Storage
As renewables gain a greater foothold in the energy system, the importance
of energy storage is going to increase in kind. With the ongoing gradual
shift away from traditional baseload energy sources, the development of
efficient energy storage systems is imperative.
Abby L. Harvey

L
ike it or not, the U.S. energy mix is 1. Times are changing. As the U.S. energy mix shifts away from traditional baseload
changing. According to the Energy In- forms of generation, thermal energy storage provides an opportunity for renewables to fill the
formation Administration, U.S. fossil void. Courtesy: SolarReserve
fuel production fell 7% from 2015 to 2016.
Coal, in particular, decreased 18%, sitting
at its lowest level since 1978. Even natural
gas, which has been on an upswing in recent
years due to the shale boom, fell 2% from
2015 to 2016.
Renewable energy production, on the
other hand, increased 7% during that period,
with wind and solar accounting for nearly a
quarter of that jump.
The problem with this shift, of course, is
the loss of baseload energy generation. The
nation needs electricity 24 hours a day, not
just when the sun is shining and the wind is
blowing. Fortunately, the answer to this prob-
lem is known. Renewables must be combined
with some form of energy storage, such as
batteries, pumped hydro, or via thermal en-
ergy storage (TES, Figure 1).
On the surface, TES is a pretty basic idea.
Energy is stored as heat in some form of me-
dium for future use. However, delving further
into the options and applications for TES re-
veals a much more complex picture.
in concentrated solar power (CSP) applica- all new CSP plants operating or under con-
Thermal Energy Storage 101 tions where the use of TES enables a proj- struction are equipped with a TES system.
There are three main types of TES sys- ect to produce electricity well after the sun Latent Heat Storage. Latent heat stor-
tems, only one of which has significant has gone down (see Crescent Dunes Solar age is not as commonly used in the energy
commercial availability in the power sector. Energy Project, Tonopah, Nevada in the production sector, but recent developments
Compared to the other options, sensible heat December 2016 issue). Generally, the me- have shown promise in some applications.
storage is relatively inexpensive and much dium of choice in CSP plants with TES is Latent heat storage relies on the storage
less complicated. Latent energy storage and molten salts, which can withstand extreme- medium changing states, for example from
thermal-chemical storage systems are ex- ly high temperatures. solid to liquid. Latent heat storage mediums
pensive and as of yet largely experimental. There are a variety of different CSP sys- are often referred to as phase change materi-
Sensible Heat Storage. The most tems, each presenting unique energy storage als (PCMs).
widely used form of TES in the energy pro- requirements. While a direct TES system While sensible heat is the least expen-
duction sector is sensible heat storage. In a using molten salts is viable for a power sive TES option, PCMs offer benefits worth
sensible heat TES system, a liquid or solid tower system like that at the Crescent Dunes pursuing if costs can be driven down. For
storage mediumsuch as water, molten project (Figure 2), a parabolic trough proj- example, sensible heat storage requires very
salts, sand, or rocksis heated or cooled to ect would likely require a slightly different large volumes of storage medium due to low
store energy. TES system. According to the International energy density. PCMs offer an energy den-
Sensible heat storage is widely utilized Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), nearly sity roughly three times greater.

50 www.powermag.com |
POWER July 2017

2. Sensible heat storage in action. SolarReserves Crescent Dunes project in Ne-
vada utilizes sensible heat storage to store up to 10 hours of energy. The molten salt used in
the storage process is kept in two large tanks in the center of the solar field. Courtesy: Solar-
Reserve
3. A field of mirrors. The Crescent Dunes solar receiver sits in the center of a massive
field of heliostats. Molten salt is pumped up the tower where directed heat increases its tem-
perature to roughly 1050C. Courtesy: SolarReserve
Thermo-Chemical Storage. As the
name suggests, thermo-chemical storage
(TCS) uses chemical reactions to store en-
ergy. TCS systems offer even greater energy
density than PCMs.
Just about everything related to TCS is
costly. For example, IRENA points out in a
technology brief, the cost of the equipment
from a thermo-chemical reactor is much
higher than the cost of the storage material,
which is not to say the cost of the material
|
July 2017 POWER
is insignificant.
Applications in Concentrated
Solar Power
CSP has had a rough go of it as its sister
technology, photovoltaic (PV) solar, has been
enjoying a few good years of growth. Ac-
cording to the Solar Energy Industries Asso-
ciation, the PV market grew 97% from 2015
to 2016 as PV prices fell by nearly 20%. CSP,
on the other hand, has not been able to keep
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ENERGY STORAGE
up with the PV cost decreases.
To stay competitive with PV, CSP has to
bring something unique to the table, and it
has done so in the form of TES. Thermal
storage is required for any of these CSP
technologies to move forward, Anoop
Mathur, chief technology officer and found-
er of Terrafore Technologies, told POWER.
Using TES in CSP puts the technology
in a position to hold a greater percentage of
the energy mix someday, as PV and wind
are not currently well-positioned to serve
as baseload generation sources. With TES,
a CSP plant could run 24 hours a day, a fact
that SolarReserve has proved with its Cres-
cent Dunes project in Nevada.
The Crescent Dunes project is a 110-MW
plant located three hours outside Las Vegas.
The plant boasts 1,100 MWh of energy stor-
age, which can provide 10 hours of electric-
ity at full load. The plant powers 75,000
homes during peak operation.
The projects molten salt power tower
sits at the center of a massive field of mir-
rors, or heliostats, directing light to the top
of the tower (Figure 3). The mirrors heat the
energy storage medium directly, making the
process more efficient than other systems
that bolt on energy storage, SolarReserve
CEO Kevin Smith told POWER. I think
the view in the solar thermal world is that
the tower configuration with molten salt is
the most efficient and cost-effective thermal
storage for large-scale. The heat collected
is used to generate steam that in turn drives
a turbine generator.
SolarReserves process pumps the molten
salt up to the top of the tower where it is
heated, making full use of the unique quali-
ties of the salts. The molten salts used by
SolarReserve remain solid until heated to
about 450F, but once they are in a liquid
form, they stay in that state at temperatures
as high as 1050F. SolarReserves cold
salts are kept between 500F and 550F,
meaning that the companys TES system
has about a 500-degree working range.
In contrast, parabolic trough CSP proj-
ects heat an interim liquid, which in turn
heats the molten salt. The difficulty with
that technology is the [fluid] thats utilized
for heat transfer has kind of a maxi-
mum temperature of maybe 700F or 750F.
So theyre operating from a 550F-to-700F,
or 750F [range], which is only about a
200-degree delta, whereas we can transfer
500-degrees of delta into our molten salts.
Essentially it means were packing more en-
ergy into each pound of molten salt, Smith
said. Its kind of two or three times the en-
ergy stored in the salts.
With its 10 hours of storage, the Cres-
cent Dune project can produce electricity 24
51
 ENERGY STORAGE
4. Lighting up the night. Using sensible heat storage, the Crescent Dunes project is
able to produce energy long after the sun has set, helping power the lights of Las Vegas. Cour-
tesy: SolarReserve
hours a day, though typically it only runs
1214 hours a day. Generally, the plant is
producing electricity for NV Energy from
around 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Figure 4) simply
because it is not needed for more than that.
In some markets, like say Chile or oth-
er markets, they really want a project like
this to run 24 hours a day. The U.S. has a
pretty diverse mix of power; theres still a
fair amount of coal-burning power projects
out there and a lot of nuclear, and those fa-
cilities have to run 24 hours a day, Smith
noted.
However, as the nations energy mix con-
tinues to change, SolarReserve predicts that
Crescent Dunes could be operating for lon-
ger stretches. Longer-term, a lot of [coal
and nuclear] will be phased out, and as the
U.S. markets change over the long-term, we
may see that we could be operating more 24
hours a day. But for right now, its more the
peak demand periods 8, 10, 12, 14 hours a
day of generation and typically well into the
evening hours, Smith said.
Implications for the Future
While sensible heat transfer currently domi-
nates the TES field, there is a lot of research
and development activity in PCMs and
52
TCS. One such project, an encapsulated
PCM developed by TerraFore Technolo-
gies, has received significant support from
the Department of Energy and may be on
the verge of commercialization.
As noted, PCMs hold an advantage over
sensible heat storage mediums due to their
increased energy density. The best way to
take advantage of PCMs, Mathur said, is to
encapsulate them. However, doing so is no
easy task.
The big issue of encapsulating is how do
you encapsulate a solid which expands almost
20%? he said. That means you have to have
a capsule, think about a ball partially filled
with salt, how do you make that? You cannot
open it and fill part of it and seal it because
sealing becomes an issue.
The answer, according to Mathur, is poly-
mers. I thought about it, dreamed about it,
so I said why cant we put some kind of a
polymer on top of my capsule, on the salt?
Then put my shell material, and then heat it,
and then the polymer will disappear, leav-
ing a void behind, he explained. So that
gives it expansion volume. It is a chemical
way of creating a void inside the shell.
TerraFores system improves on the
traditional sensible heat system in that it
www.powermag.com
requires less material to do the same job.
Where the molten salt system used at Cres-
cent Dunes requires two large tanks, one for
the cold salt and one for the heated salt,
the TerraFore system requires only one tank
and less material.
Within the tank, three different salts
would be stacked. At the top are salts with
the highest melting point and at the bot-
tom are salts with the lowest melting point,
with a layer of salts with a mid-range melt-
ing point in the middle. The system uses a
thermal transfer fluid, which flows from the
solar receiver to the top of the tank where it
then flows through the stacked bed of cap-
sules, heating them in turn as the fluid slow-
ly cools. Once it reaches the bottom of the
tank, the thermal transfer fluid is pumped
back to the solar receiver.
That cycle continues until the stored en-
ergy is needed, at which time the heat trans-
fer fluid is pumped from the tank into the
power block where steam is generated to
drive a turbine.
Finding a Good Match
Mathur doesnt see his PCM process be-
ing adopted at large-scale CSP projects like
Crescent Dunes in the very near future, but
he hopes that at some point it might make
its way into that sector. For now, he believes
the best place for his technology to enter the
market is in distributed CSP.
Working with a company in Sweden,
Mathur believes he may have found a good
match. They have developed a dish Stirling
system, which can operate at about 800
900C, but it works exactly like a PVwhen
the sun shines it generates electricity. So
they cannot be competitive with PV because
PV costs are so low. Now, if they can put
storage with it, they become competitive
with a dispatchable standpoint, he said.
For the time being, SolarReserve is hap-
py with the technology it has developed.
The company currently has a number of
projects under development around the
world, all based on the same technology
used at Crescent Dunes. The core tech-
nology, which is our receiver technology,
does not really need to be modified very
much when we go from location to loca-
tion, Smith explained.
However, that doesnt mean the compa-
nys leadership isnt keeping an open mind.
Were keeping our eye on other options out
there on thermal storage and other materials
that we can utilize, Smith said, but right
now we really dont see anything thats on
the horizon near-term that can be done on a
commercial scale.
Abby L. Harvey is a
POWER reporter.
|
POWER July 2017
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technology has reached its recent 4th generation since launching in 1998.
EADS, as the best available wet-FGD solution, can solve the following
challenges commonly faced by coal-fired power plants:
M E R
SO2 emission<12PPM & SO2 removal efficiency
Elimination of solid waste
Elimination of waste water
No additional CO2 emission in comparison to limestone FGD
H O C
Reduce more than 50% of FGD operating costs
Byproduct ammonia sulfate brings $150/ton additional profit
Enable plant to use low-cost, high sulfur content coal
L C I B
No capital investment needed from the plant under JETs Build-
Operate-Transfer & Build-Own-Operate models

Learn more about JET and its EADS technology via www.jet-inc.com.
D S

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July 2017 POWER www.powermag.com 53
 ADVERTISERS INDEX

Page Page
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www.powermag.com 55
 COMMENTARY
Coal: The Next Chapter
Betsy B. Monseu
he new administration in Washington, D.C., has a sharply
T different vision for the development and use of our nations
abundant energy resources, including coal. These riches are
seen as a strength, not something to be kept in the ground.
They are viewed as a means to achieve energy independence and
provide energy security.
Change Begins Early Under Trump
Less than one month into the new administration, Congressional
Review Act legislation revoked the Department of the Interiors
Stream Protection Rule (SPR). This rule would have restricted
access to coal reserves, increased mining costs, eroded federal
and state tax revenues, and resulted in the loss of high numbers
of well-paying jobs. Notably, the absence of the SPR does not in-
crease coal minings risk to the environment; effective state pro-
grams overseen by the Interior Department are already in place.
President Trumps executive order on energy independence
and economic growth, signed a little more than two months into
his presidency, mitigated a threat to the use of coal for electric-
ity generation. That order directed an immediate reevaluation
of the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPAs) Clean Power
Plan (CPP) for greenhouse gas reductions from the power sector.
The Energy Information Administrations Annual Energy Outlook
2017 shows that 240 million tons of annual coal production (as
of 2040) will be maintained without the CPP. As to the CPPs
environmental impact, even the EPA acknowledged it would be
negligible.
These policy actions, and better market conditions, are result-
ing in a more optimistic view of the coal industry, including by
investors. Improvements include a strong market for metallurgi-
cal coal, increased export opportunities, and higher natural gas
prices, which means more coal-based generating units are run-
ning more often than a year ago.
Challenges Persist
Notwithstanding the turn for the better, there are ongoing bar-
riers to a longer-term path of sustainability for the coal indus-
try. Addressing these barriers is important to the power sector.
Fuel diversity and choice are necessary to maintain a robust,
competitive fuels marketplace that keeps electricity prices af-
fordable for consumers, enhances grid reliability, and supports
energy security. Coal is indispensable to the power sectors abil-
ity to fulfill these objectives. Its price level and price stability
over time have been key to affordable electricity.
However, the U.S. coal fleet has been reduced by about
50,000 MW in the past several years due to plant closures to
comply with EPA regulations. More coal retirements are likely to
occur due to lopsided policies for building new electricity gen-
eration sources, New Source Performance Review issues inhibit-
56 www.powermag.com
ing improvements to existing coal plants, and market structures
that do not incorporate the value of coals dispatchable 24/7
generation capability and its ability to store fuel inventory on-
site.
A 2014 IHS Energy study showed the diversity of a U.S. gen-
eration fleet anchored by coal saves Americans $93 billion an-
nually and reduces by half the potential variability of monthly
power bills. What will happen to natural gas prices with coal
less available? The marketplace should have concern about that
dynamic.
The buildout of renewables generation continues, spurred by
polices, including attractive tax incentives and subsidies. With
electric load growth low, flat, or negative in some regions, coal
and other generation sources are being pushed out, unable to
compete with free. More recently, subsidies for nuclear plants
are further complicating the electricity markets and negatively
affecting coal generation.
Coal Remains Important
Recent issues and decisions regarding reliability continue to
demonstrate the importance of coal to grid reliability, and the
risk associated with reduced fuel diversity and increased reliance
on non-coal power generation.
California has moved away from coal to renewables and natu-
ral gas. Southern California Gas Co. in late April warned that it
might not be able to meet electricity demand during upcoming
peaks due to continued restrictions on its Aliso Canyon gas stor-
age facility, in the aftermath of a leak there in the latter part of
2015. Within days, the California Independent System Operator
issued a Stage 1 Emergency notice that it could not meet op-
erating reserve requirements for a 2-hour period.
In the Northeast, another region that has moved away from
coal, the B.L. England coal units scheduled for shutdown in May
were ordered by PJM to continue operations for two years to
protect reliability in that region.
And in Oklahoma, the Department of Energy issued an emer-
gency order in April for the Grand River Dam Authority to con-
tinue operation of a coal-fueled unit to maintain grid reliability
there.
With investments of $111 billion made through 2015 for emis-
sions reductions, 90% of the U.S. coal fleet is equipped with
advanced emissions controls and operating cleaner than ever.
Protecting these plants and investments, not stranding them,
must be a policy priority.
President Trump and key Cabinet members have declared the
federal war on coal over. They have pledged to level the play-
ing field. Writing the next chapter for coal has begun, and it
must continue with urgency.
Betsy B. Monseu is CEO of the American Coal Council.
|
POWER July 2017
 FEBRUARY 27-28, 2018
Marriott City Center | Charlotte, NC
Hosted by:

While some other events may touch on new data-driven analytics products and services, the Connected Plant Conference is the
only event focused exclusively on technology designed for the power generation sector. POWER is planning an event that gives
you everything you need to get a firm grasp on this new digital operating environment.
This is the only event dedicated to the latest digital monitoring, diagnostic, analytics, Industrial Internet of Things, and
decision-support technologies for the power generation industry. New for 2018: Chemical Engineering will host a co-located
conference for the chemical process industries.

Learn more at connectedplantconference.com

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