2024-04-19 13:45
The goal of effective communication is mutual understanding between two or more people. While communication is a simple idea, poor communication is often a contributing factor to work… Read More
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Fossil Consulting Service's Power Industry Blog
fossilconsulting.com/blog
FCS is committed to staying up-to-date on the latest issues relevant to power plant training. On our blog, we explore topics and technologies relevant to power generation facilities and the energy industry.
2024-03-22 17:49
The electric grid suffered significant hardships in recent years. From the Texas blackout in 2021 to significant weather events like hurricanes and snowstorms, the need for reliable power… Read More
2024-03-01 19:17
District energy plants are beginning to use renewable energy. Renewable energy derives energy from naturally replenished sources such as the sun and wind. On the other hand, non-renewable… Read More
2024-02-09 18:51
Power plants and process facilities have hundreds of moving parts and associated diagrams showing how they work. Many components are electrical. Therefore, to understand how a power… Read More
2024-01-19 15:26
Intermittent failures can be one of the most challenging issues to troubleshoot in a power plant or any other complex system. These types of faults can occur randomly, under different oper… Read More
2024-01-08 15:54
It seems that daily there is a new report about the US Electrical Grid; from President Biden making a claim about renewable energies, to sunspot activity, to terrorists shooting up transfe… Read More
2023-12-15 19:08
Lockout/tagout (LOTO), a common occurrence at industrial facilities, plays a vital role in securing workplace safety. Employees frequently isolate and de-energize equipment in preparation… Read More
2023-04-07 12:00
Burning Coal
Burning coal for power generation gives rise to a variety of wastes that must be controlled or at least accounted for. So-called ‘clean coal’ technologies are a v… Read More
2023-03-31 12:00
Out with the Coal, In with the Renewables
The push for renewable energy sources is here to stay. However, is it leading to an impending energy crisis? With the Biden administration p… Read More
2023-03-24 12:00
Number 2, everybody does it. Millions worldwide flush their toilets daily, sending their business off to a great unknown. Have you ever wondered what happens when you flush your toilet? Furt… Read More
2023-03-10 13:00
(This article was originally published on 6/25/2018 as “VARs Explained in 300 Words, Without Equations or Vector Analysis.” Some edits have been made.)
In my experience workin… Read More
2023-02-17 13:00
The combustion of fossil fuels has a significant impact on the environment. Products such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOX), oxides of sulfur (SOx), and… Read More
2023-01-20 13:00
Have you ever looked at flowing water, and it almost looks like glass because it is flowing so smoothly? That is called Laminar Flow. This flowing water is in contrast to turbulent flow. Thi… Read More
2023-01-05 13:00
To say there has been a big push for renewable energy in the last 10 years would be an understatement. For various reasons outside the scope of this blog post, many would suggest the rapid c… Read More
2022-12-13 13:00
The Staffing Problem
The world is facing a crisis. I’m not talking about climate change, political unrest, or economic instability. I’m talking about a staffing problem. The n… Read More
2022-11-16 13:00
‘Tis the (Winter)Season
Coughs and sniffles. Chill breezes and frost-covered lawns. Jack-o’-lanterns and costumed children. Yes, all the signs are here: winter (2022) is comin… Read More
2022-10-31 12:00
Several factors affect the cost of generating one Mega-Watt hour (MWh) of electricity in a power plant; each is discussed in the following paragraphs. A power plant may be thought of a… Read More
2022-10-26 12:00
Mercury and Air Toxins Standards (MATS)
An undesirable byproduct of the burning of coal is mercury emissions. On average, elemental mercury constitutes approximately 0.17 ppm of US coal… Read More
2022-10-07 12:00
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 the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)… Read More
2022-09-23 12:00
“Valves and actuators make up a small part of a power station – perhaps only two or three percent by capital cost,” according to Power Engineering International.
Despite… Read More
2022-09-16 12:00
Flyash: A result of Burning Coal
Today about half of the energy produced in the U.S. is generated from burning coal. As a result, several byproducts have received increased attention from… Read More
2022-09-12 12:00
In my previous blog, I described District Energy and explored some of its uses. Now I’m going to look at the microgrid and modern power grid’s District Energy roots, and how the… Read More
2022-08-26 12:00
In producing steel from iron ore and/or scrap, impurities such as nitrogen, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, and excess carbon are removed from the raw iron ore. This molten “pig iron&rdqu&hell…Read More
2022-08-11 12:00
At the end of May, Fossil Consulting Services (FCS) President Jason Enge and Senior Specialist Alex Filar attended the Big Ten and Friends Utility Conference. The University of Illinois&rsqu&hell…Read More
2022-08-01 12:00
Combustion turbine performance changes with ambient air conditions. Ambient conditions are the dominant cause of changes from the design reference conditions. Combustion turbine performance… Read More
2022-07-25 12:00
A well-developed and managed qualification standard (qualification program) is essential to ensuring safe and efficient operations of any power plant. The need for an investment in training… Read More
2022-06-14 00:00
Power Plants and Process Facilities have millions of moving parts and diagrams show how they work. Few parts are more important than valves. A valve controls the flow of air or liquid throug… Read More
2022-06-06 12:00
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 search engine or in a dictionary, the result we… Read More
2022-05-24 12:00
EVs and the U.S. Grid
Electric Vehicles are becoming more and more popular mainly because people feel they are saving the environment. But is this true? One aspect of the grow… Read More
2022-05-09 12:00
What is Acid Gas?
Acid gas is a mixture of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, with small amounts of hydrocarbon gases and usually water vapor (according to Science Direct… Read More
2022-04-27 12:00
District energy commonly refers to generating and distributing steam, electricity, and/or chilled water from a centrally located plant. While not all District Energy plants supply the same s… Read More
2022-04-14 12:00
Location, Location, Location
Location, location, location. This familiar mantra of the real estate business also has a particular application for sulfur dioxide-emitting industries: seawa… Read More
2022-04-11 12:00
Generator Conditions
Many large AC generators operate in the bulk electric system (BES), each feeding power to the system. Each generator must satisfy three conditions in order to o… Read More
2022-03-02 13:00
How does reverse osmosis work?
Osmosis is the spontaneous passage of a liquid from a dilute to a more concentrated solution across a semi-permeable membrane. This allows the passage of wa… Read More
2022-02-10 13:00
We at Fossil Consulting Services are committed to providing our customers with our combined decades of experience. In addition, we are doing so with continued innovation and adaptability of… Read More
2022-02-03 13:00
REVIEW
In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, we discussed the basics of modern microprocessor-based controls and Distributed Control Systems (DCSs). Now that you’ve seen inside the M… Read More
2022-01-25 13:00
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 t… Read More
2022-01-20 13:00
Boiler steam pressure is controlled to maintain the desired throttle pressure at the high pressure (HP) turbine inlet. The boiler outlet pressure is slightly higher than throttle press… Read More
2022-01-10 13:00
Co-Founder Herman Stone Begins Retirement
Today, Fossil Consulting Services (FCS) announces the retirement of company founder and president Herman Stone. Stone founded FCS in 1995 with M… Read More
2021-12-29 13:00
In this article, we will discuss waste heat. The process of burning fuel in a boiler to generate steam has many inefficiencies. The Rankine cycle itself is very inefficient, with numer… Read More
2021-12-20 13:00
Happy Holidays from all of us at FCS! We are thankful for a successful year working with old and new clients. We are looking forward to working with you in the new year!
The post Happy Holid… Read More
2021-12-08 13:37
A report published in Industrial Safety and Hygiene News estimated that every day in the U.S. there are up to 10 arc flash incidents, which results in an average of over 30,000 arc flash inc… Read More
2021-11-16 13:00
This blog is Part 2 of a three-part series. Part 1 covered the impact of fuel cost on heat rate. This blog covers the impact of cycling on heat rate. Conventional power plants ar… Read More
2021-11-03 12:00
Fueling the Comeback
The seeming pariah of energy generation, coal, is making a comeback. And it’s quite ironic that climate change is a big reason why. For years, coal-generated el… Read More
2021-10-20 18:08
The presence of scaling in water systems at power plants, heating, and cooling plants, and other process facilities can reduce plant efficiency by blocking flow and reducing heat transfer ca… Read More
2021-10-11 12:00
Setting SMART goals is a critical step in the development of any training program. What is the point of the training program if it doesn’t have a goal? Furthermore, without goals, it c… Read More
2021-09-27 12:00
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 on plant efficiency is… Read More
2021-09-13 12:00
In my previous blog, we pulled back the curtain to discuss what a Distributed Control System is and how it works. We looked at the major pieces and how they replace hundreds of relays and mi… Read More
2021-08-31 12:00
The Meeting:
A group of 20 wealthy nations developed the communique at a Climate and Energy meeting. This meeting took place in Naples, Italy, on July 23rd. Under the Italian Ecological T… Read More
2021-07-13 12:00
It is neither a secret nor a surprise that coal-fired power generation is fighting an uphill battle. Today holds challenges in nearly every operational area. Prevailing governmental actions… Read More
2021-06-29 12:00
In most plants, steam generates at a single, high pressure, and where necessary, its pressure reduces. When pressure reduces, steam retains its high temperature. High-temperature steam requi… Read More
2021-06-11 12:00
Greenhouse gases and global warming have, over time, become accepted as the reason for Climate Change. Environmental scientists have concluded that greenhouse gases (GHG) are a major c… Read More
2021-05-27 12:00
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 monoxi… Read More
2021-05-17 12:00
For most of us born before 1990, controls or logic diagrams remind us of Indiana Jones trying to decipher some ancient scroll. The language is foreign to us, and computers have always been … Read More
2021-05-11 12:00
Total Suspended Solids, Total Dissolved Solids, and Total Solids Concentration
Throughout various industries, control of water quality is critical to the proper operation of equipment and… Read More
2021-04-07 12:00
If you are reading this blog, chances are you like to keep up-to-date on the latest trends and information when it comes to Energy (and other related topics we write about).
Fossil… Read More
2021-03-19 12:00
Electric grid designers and operators increasingly look at energy storage as an essential tool in improving and maintaining grid reliability and flexibility.
Energy can be stored in a var… Read More
2021-03-12 13:00
Beans, Beer, and Boilers.
How water chemistry affects the important things in life.
If you’re anything like me (and millions of other people on this beautiful rock), your day st… Read More
2021-02-08 13:00
Greenhouse gases and global warming have, over time, become accepted as the reason for Climate Change. Environmental scientists have concluded that greenhouse gases (GHG) are a major contrib… Read More
2021-01-21 13:00
As reported in the revealing and comprehensive 2017 maintenance survey, “Help wanted: More training, equipment upgrades,” published by Plant Engineering[1], equipment upgrades an… Read More
2021-01-14 13:00
Periodically throughout the year, each of us at Fossil Consulting Services contributes a post to our blog. This allows us to present information on topics we are interested in, providi… Read More
2021-01-06 13:00
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 the inlet louvers or… Read More
2020-12-22 13:00
Early in American history, scientists and naturalists became concerned that America and the world were using natural resources faster than they could be replenished, largely because building… Read More
2020-12-16 13:00
This blog article will explore President-Elect Joe Biden’s energy sector goals for his administration. This is important for us in the Energy industry so we understand what chang… Read More
2020-10-30 12:00
As solar and wind generation sources increase their penetration into the bulk electric system (BES), the overall reliability of the BES may be impacted. One aspect of BES operation tha… Read More
2020-10-14 12:00
In March 2020, FCS published a blog introducing the fundamentals of Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) solutions to wastewater management. Today, we would like to delve deeper into the subject by e… Read More
2020-09-30 12:00
Two of the most popular forms of renewable energy are wind and solar. While nearly everyone has seen a photovoltaic solar cell on a rooftop or their pocket calculator, this blog introd… Read More
2020-09-17 12:00
Today’s power industry is facing many more challenges than even, say, 10 years ago. For instance, many expect the Power Industry to lose a significant portion of its workforce ve… Read More
2020-08-26 12:00
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 a forced draft fan, and another fan th… Read More
2020-08-07 13:11
Graphic software, style, and usage have changed over the past few decades. It is important that facilities adapt and continually update graphics to enhance learning and provide more ef… Read More
2020-07-27 18:14
The novel coronavirus, Covid-19, approaches 6 months since it was first detected in the United States and likely 9-12 months since the first global cases were discovered. In that time, as al… Read More
2020-07-13 18:24
At 18-years-old, I had no clue what watchstanding was, let alone watchstanding principles.
My only work experience before joining the Navy
Working at the drive-thru at McDonald’s.
Th… Read More
2020-06-29 12:00
Net-Zero emissions have become a buzz phrase used by Presidential Candidates, state governments, and utilities as a goal to be achieved in the not too distant future. How far in the fu… Read More
2020-06-15 12:00
FCS is celebrating its 25th anniversary!
The Beginning of FCS
It is surprising to me that 25 years have passed since the founders including Michael McClintock and myself decided to start a… Read More
2020-06-12 12:00
Your staff may require training, perhaps to meet an annual certification requirement. But, what do you when it isn’t possible to gather everyone in a classroom? Luckily, we live i… Read More
2020-05-15 12:00
Several states, including FCS’s home state of Maryland, have aggressive renewable energy goals. As more renewable energy sources come online, more conventional sources (e.g., coa… Read More
2020-04-29 12:00
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 emerging technologies to m… Read More
2020-03-30 12:00
Electricity is generated and supplied to the electric grid from a variety of sources, including fossil fuel (coal, oil, and natural gas), nuclear, and renewable energy (solar, wind, and hydr… Read More
2020-03-24 12:00
Why ZLD?
Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) is increasingly becoming a solution to wastewater management at power plants. Stricter environmental regulations, public perception, and water shortages… Read More
2020-03-02 13:00
An industrial fire. Our regularly scheduled program halts due to massive pillars of smoke, red lights and sirens, and massive explosions. While they aren’t that common, the… Read More
2020-02-06 13:00
Lately, the power industry has been hearing of a new acronym around the halls, ELG. ELG stands for EFFLUENT LIMITATION GUIDELINES and under President Obama, the EPA set down rules and… Read More
2020-01-21 13:00
2020-01-09 13:00
Why do Ash Ponds need to be retired?
Coal Power Plant System for Ash Ponds
There is a nationwide push for the retirement of ash ponds. Since the need for ash storage remains, many plants are… Read More
2020-01-09 13:00
2019-12-23 10:00
One of the most surefire ways of running a power or industrial plant safely, effectively, and efficiently is to maintain a well-trained staff of personnel. A well-designed, comprehensi… Read More
2019-12-23 10:00
Computer-Based Training has the power to close knowledge gaps and expedite training at your facility.
One surefire way of running manufacturing plants safely, effectively, and efficiently is… Read More
2019-09-30 12:00
Ask anyone in management what their biggest challenges are, and you’ll likely hear the same few answers:
“Equipment downtime and maintenance costs”
”The cost o… Read More
2019-09-12 12:00
I am always perplexed when I visit a site that does not enforce strict compliance with approved procedures.
From the Physical Plant Operations Handbook:
“Without rules and guidel… Read More
2019-09-05 12:00
2019-08-22 12:00
2019-08-05 12:00
2019-07-15 12:00
Power plants and other complex industrial facilities require extensive initial training for new operators and technicians. For some, this can be a daunting experience due to the sheer volume… Read More
2019-05-29 12:00
Condensate-induced water hammer is an extremely dangerous phenomenon and operators should be trained to ensure they fully understand. Water hammer occurs when water in a pipe is brought to a… Read More
2019-05-17 12:00
Many expect the Power Industry to lose a significant portion
of its workforce in the very near future.
Baby boomers born after WWII, between 1946 and 1964, entered the
workforce when m… Read More
2019-04-24 12:00
Why Do We Need Clarifiers?
With increasing world population and advances in the industry, demand for quality water also continues to increase. As with most other industries, the pow… Read More
2019-03-27 18:44
When considering modifying an existing coal fired boiler to burn natural gas, it is usually in terms of a complete changeover of fuels. In some cases, it may not be possible to achieve 100%… Read More
2019-03-11 14:34
A Personal Story
In my career in the power utility business I have had many different jobs. In the winter of 1981-82, in the wake of the Three Mile Island accident, I was a field engineer o… Read More
2019-03-01 19:51
Coal-fired generating stations receive and burn millions of tons of coal per year. The cost of this coal is the single largest operating expense of a coal-fired plant. If “coal is just… Read More
2019-02-07 19:32
After over a decade in our previous location, FCS has “pulled roots” and moved to its new location on Twin Knolls Road in Columbia, Maryland. Although only a few miles away, the… Read More
2019-01-21 21:14
Processes
Power Plants, Steel Plants, Petroleum Plants, Paper Mills, so on and so forth; all depend on the processes that define what they are producing. Each of these types of plants and f… Read More
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