Insights of the Week
Ultrapure Water IIoT Webinar this Thursday -
Join us Thursday, April 27 for the webinar on IIoT and remote O&M for power,
semiconductor, and pharmaceutical plants
You can register at
Weekly IIoT Webinars
Water and Wastewater Treatment Chemicals -
You can also register for this webinar which will be held on May 10.
The market is analyzed in
N026 Water and Wastewater Treatment Chemicals: World Market
Chinese air emission limits are now stringent and enforced -
We are tracking the tough power plant emission regulations in China in our
market reports on FGD, DeNox, fabric filters, and precipitators. Details on
these reports are accessed at
http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/markets
Cleanroom market is booming -
IIoT is creating the need for billions of new sensors.
This is good news for the semiconductor industry and for cleanroom
suppliers. The use of IIoT in cleanrooms was discussed in a webinar last week.
You can view and listen to recording at
Cleanroom IIoT and Remote O&M. There is also a new video
covering the market report. Check it out at
N6F World Cleanroom Markets
Valves for steam service have lots of challenges -
Interviews with the experts reveal lots of problems with valves used for steam
service in power plants. The biggest problems are encountered in gas-fired
plants where there is daily cycling.
Zero leakage, flow accelerate corrosion, and bi-directional sealing are
some of the issues. We are
reporting on them in
High Performance Valves and IIoT
Attemperators are HRSG Problem No.1
- The valve problems and serious problems with attemperators are related. The
broader problems are being assessed in
59D Gas Turbine and Reciprocating Engine Decisions
Coal-fired Power Generators have Lots of "Clean" Opportunities
In many Asian localities coal will be the only near term solution to create
electricity, prosperity and health. In Japan, the U.S. and Europe coal will
continue to provide much of the electricity for decades to come.
Coal can be greener than any other form of generation. An example would be a
system which uses 70% coal and 30% biomass and is producing CO2 which
is injected to enhance oil recovery. This system is taking CO2 out of
the cycle. This makes it greener than solar or wind.
Here is another example. Let's compare (1) a system using electricity from the
grid with (2) distributed generation from a dedicated coal-fired boiler.
(1)
1)The
first plant draws all its electricity from a utility which has a mix of solar,
wind and gas generator sources. The plant needs a reliable power source which is
assured with gas-fired power in the mix. The plant needs process steam and heat.
Therefore, it burns gas for these purposes.
(22)
The second plant generates its own electricity using coal. It is a combined heat
and power plant providing steam and heat for local industries or residences. Its
efficiency is over 70% compared to 35% without the credit for heat and steam.
This means that plant number one is using lots of gas to equal the heat provided
by CHP in plant number two.
|
Plant 1 |
Plant 2 |
Total Combined Heat and Power
Use (MW) |
60 |
60 |
MW of Electricity |
30 |
30 |
MW of Heat and Power |
30 |
30 |
CO2 from Electricity
Generation |
X |
6X |
CO2 from Heat and
Steam Generation |
4X |
0 |
Total CO2 |
5X |
6X |
This comparison is based on a generation mix from the central utility of 1/3
gas-fired power. At higher ratios of gas-fired power generation at the central
utility the CO2 is less from the combined heat and power plant. The
tremendous increase in efficiency for combined heat and power has led GE to
predict that distributed generation will be the wave of the future and that
large central 1000 MW power plants will disappear.
This comparison could be considered biased by not comparing a gas-fired CHP to
central electricity supply. CO2 emissions would only be 4X. This is
the vision prompting GE's bullish forecast. On the other hand, for much of the
world gas is not available. Even in the U.S. many coal-fired industrial power
plant operators have learned that the cost of a gas transmission line to their
plant from the closest source would be prohibitive.
There is another aspect which will reduce CO2 emissions. CO2
is a plant fertilizer. The BHE Currant Creek plant pipes CO2 from the
power generator to an adjacent greenhouse which grows 22 million pounds of
carbon consuming tomatoes per year.
This brings up an ethical question relative to the harm from CO2.
When you increase CO2 from 400 ppm to 600 ppm plants grow 40% faster.
Shell pipes CO2 to 550 greenhouses in the Netherlands. Forty
universities and government organizations have completed a study using satellite
images which show that the earth is greening. The ethical question would be
whether you choose to prevent starvation of a few in the short-term or reduce
the long-term harm to the many. This is a complex question as covered in
Sustainability Universal Rating System.
For countries with both inadequate food supplies, electricity and natural gas
indoor farming with combined CO2 fertilization, heat and power with
coal will save lives. Coal can be as clean as natural gas in terms of all the
pollutants. China has a policy to invest in air and water pollution equipment to
ensure that the entire fleet of power plants has emissions as low as the
cleanest gas turbine plant. In fact, with their zero-liquid discharge policy
(ZLD) there is no discharge of water to streams and rivers. Air cooled
condensers (rather than wet cooling towers) and dry scrubbers (as opposed to
wet) can eliminate water use.
Coal is made even more attractive with by-product flyash and gypsum production.
This eliminates CO2 which would be caused by alternative production
processes. The newest discovery is that the FGD systems can be the lowest cost
option for rare earths feedstocks.
HCl
Scrubbing and Rare Earth Recovery from Coal-Fired Power Plants and Gasifiers are
the Perfect Marriage.
Despite pressure from environmentalists more money will be spent in the next
decade to build, operate, and maintain coal-fired plants than for any other
generation option. Solar and Wind may very well eliminate fossil-fired
generation someday, but that day is generations away. In the meantime, there is
a big opportunity to make coal-fired power generation:
·
More efficient
·
Less costly
·
Cleaner
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) empowered by the Industrial Internet of
Wisdom (IIoW) provides the route to more efficient, less costly and cleaner
coal-fired generation
N031 Industrial
IOT and Remote O&M.
IIoW is created by the interconnection of people with actionable knowledge as in
44I Coal Fired
Power Plant Decisions.
It is further created by interconnecting people in each plant with the suppliers
as in
4S01 Berkshire
Hathaway Energy Supplier and Utility Connect.
The biggest benefits of IIoT will come in the developing countries. Initiatives
such as that between Juniper and India Power to provide O&M support at Indian
power plants and the MHPS remote control center in the Philippines will provide
the world's coal-fired generation wisdom to localities lacking it.
Bob McIlvaine
President
847-784-0012 ext. 112
rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com
www.mcilvainecompany.com