October 7, 2022

Fossil Fuel Prices Over Time

Energy production by source over the past 70 years has seen a shift away from coal to natural gas and renewables. The line graph below, from […]
June 6, 2022

Combustion Turbine: Glossary of Terms

Often, we find ourselves questioning what a term means in a manual, procedure, or even in conversation. And when we look up these terms via a […]
January 25, 2022

Integrated Turbine-Boiler Control

Rankine Cycle Power Plant Control Room Operators, Supervisors, and Managers must be familiar with integrated turbine-boiler control. All Rankine Cycle plants must coordinate the control of […]
September 27, 2021

Heat Rate Cost – Part 1

The control of unit efficiency in a power plant requires a team effort from operators, maintenance personnel, engineers, and the support of plant management. The focus […]
May 27, 2021

Incomplete Combustion in Coal-fired Power Plants

What is incomplete combustion? When fuel doesn’t burn completely in a coal-fired power plant, the following products of partial or incomplete combustion are formed: Carbon monoxide […]
January 6, 2021
Ice Safety Diagram

Induced Draft Cooling Tower Cold Weather Operations

When operating induced draft cooling towers during cold weather (wet bulb temperature less than 32°F), one of the prime considerations is the prevention of icing of […]
August 26, 2020
Furnace Draft wider shot

The Importance of Operating with Proper Furnace Draft

Most power plant boilers have balanced draft furnaces. This means there is a fan (or fans) that supplies combustion air to the boiler furnace, known as […]
April 29, 2020

Supercritical CO2 and the Allam-Fetvedt Power Cycle

As the US population continues to rise and the regulatory belt continues to tighten around emissions, power plant owners and operators must continue to look toward […]