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Energy is necessary to transport, treat, pump, convey, cool, and heat water such that it is available at the appropriate time, place, temperature and salinity for an array of human uses. Water is required to produce and extract fuel sources such as oil and gas, and it is used in the cooling systems of power plant operations as they generate electricity. This dissertation examines the interrelationships between these resources, also known as the Energy-Water Nexus, and the associated actors, technologies, environments, and policies that affect them. While there are many interrelated system boundaries to this relationship that are critical to society—such as food, sanitation, and carbon footprint—I focus on large-scale solutions that can make a significant difference in efficient use of energy and water. Specifically, this study is focused on the use of water in thermoelectric power plants and investigates which factors lead decision-makers toward using reclaimed water rather than the traditionally used freshwater. Important quantitative studies have addressed feasibility, costs, logistics, and policy developments related to the use of reclaimed water for cooling, but these studies leave a substantial gap in qualitative understanding of the sociopolitical influences on this transition. To support a growing understanding of using reclaimed water as an alternative, this research design is guided by methods developed in Science and Technology Studies (STS), a field of study that recognizes the complicated and continuously evolving nature of energy and water use. The research began with an Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) of utility company relationships within the ecosociotechnical infrastructure in the state of Texas. This method was followed by and completed with Naturalistic Inquiry, which is well-suited for this research because of the complex and dynamic nature of the topic under study. This approach is especially important to the energy-water nexus as the units of analysis include not only policies, climates, and social pressures, but also the changing relationships between them. Where possible, diagrams have been created to visually aid interpretation and indicate connections between scenarios and solutions. The goal of this research was to: (1) understand the variables that influence the decision-makers in the process of shifting to reclaimed water use, (2) understand how these variables relate to each other, and (3) use that understanding to articulate how to support a dynamic and adaptive framework for continual evaluation of electricity generation and water resource alternatives, and to identify the factors that influence both theory and practice in energy and water planning.

The effect of two different milling devices, namely attrition mill versus vibration mill, on the reactivity of fly ash was studied. High calcium fly ash from 4th Thermal power station of Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) was used for the experiments. The raw and processed samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, Particle size distribution, BET, Blaine surface area and density measurements. The efficiency of 1 hour milling was evaluated with the Blaine surface area set to be more than 5000 cm2/g. The physical and chemical properties of the attrition milled fly ash changed not much compared to the vibration milled samples. For example the d50 particle size became reduced from 29 µm to 6 µm by attrition milling and in vibration milled fly ash it was reduced to 7 µm. The density increased from 2.44 g/cm3 of raw fly ash to 2.84 g/cm3 and 2.79 g/cm3 in attrition and vibration milled samples, respectively. Mechanical milling revealed not only a particle size reduction but also the formation of a denser microstructure. As a result the vibration milled fly ash showed a weaker interaction with the alkaline solution (8 M NaOH used here) compared to the attrition milled fly ash. Consequently, compressive strength of the binder prepared using the attrition milled fly ash was higher, 61 MPa, while for vibration milled fly ash it was 49 MPa. For comparison unmilled fly ash, it was 21 MPa.

Resumen: Las centrales termoeléctricas (CTE) a carbón representan un riesgo para la salud de las comunidades expuestas. Se realizó una revisión de la literatura científica nacional e internacional enfocada en los efectos en salud de niños y la exposición a emisiones al aire provenientes de CTE a carbón. Se inclu yeron 21 artículos para su revisión en texto completo, donde se midieron efectos en salud infantil relacionados a presencia de biomarcadores de exposición y efecto, daños perinatales, neuroconductuales y respiratorios principalmente. La exposición a emisiones de CTE a carbón en el embarazo se asoció a niños con bajo peso y muy bajo peso al nacer, menor talla, menor diámetro de Circunfe rencia del Cráneo (CC) y prematuridad; el diámetro de CC aumentó en recién nacidos después del cierre de CTE. Se encontraron menor coeficiente de desarrollo (CD) y coeficiente intelectual (CI) en niños expuestos a emisiones de CTE a carbón comparados con no expuestos; CD aumentó cuando la central fue cerrada. Por otro lado, vivir en zonas con fuentes de emisión de mercurio (asociadas a CTE y plantas de cemento que funcionan con carbón) se asoció con mayor riesgo de autismo. En salud respiratoria, los artículos fueron consistentes en reportar menor función pulmonar en niños residentes en zonas expuestas a fuentes de combustión de carbón comparados con grupos de niños no expuestos. Es muy necesario abrir el debate en Chile sobre los riesgos controlables a los que se enfrenta la población infantil a consecuencia de plantas generadoras de energía instaladas en Chile. Abstract: Coal-fired power plants (CFPP) represent a health risk to the exposed communities. A review of national and international scientific literature was made focused on the health effects on children and exposure to air emissions from CFPP. Twenty-one articles were included for full-text review, where effects on child health mainly related to the biomarkers presence of exposure and effect, pe rinatal, neurobehavioral and respiratory damages were measured. Exposure to CFPP emissions in pregnancy was associated with low birth weight and very low birth weight, shorter height, smaller head circumference (HC) diameter, and prematurity; the HC diameter increased in newborns after the CFPP closure. Lower coefficient of development (CD) and intelligence quotient (IQ) were found in children exposed to CFPP emissions compared with unexposed ones; CD increased when the plant was closed. On the other hand, living in areas with mercury emission sources (associated with CFPP and cement plants that work with coal) was associated with an increased risk of autism. In respira tory health, the articles were consistent with reporting lower pulmonary function in children living in areas exposed to coal combustion sources compared with groups of unexposed children. There is a great need to open the debate in Chile on the controllable risks faced by the child population as a result of power generation plants located in Chile.

The possibility of obtaining a geopolymer binder on the basis of fly ash of the Reft thermal power station and fine-grained concrete on its basis is investigated. It is shown that the chemical-mineral composition and properties of this fly ash allow it to be used as an aluminosilicate component without additional grinding and introduction of mineral additives. In this case, the alkaline activator is an industrial sodium liquid glass diluted to a density of 1200 kg/m3. The dependences of the strength of geopolymer binder and fine-grained concrete on its basis on the conditions of hardening, aggregate consumption and the sequence of mixing of components are established. Based on the fly-ash geopolimer and the screenings crushing granite dropout picked up the fine-grained concrete class B35. © 2019 Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.

Most thermoelectric power plants in the United States (U.S.) rely on fresh water for cooling, resulting in significant water consumption. An understanding of the regional and seasonal water stress impact of such water consumption is needed. In this study, we used a U.S. county-level water stress index, Available Water Remaining for the United States (AWARE-US), with facility-level thermoelectric power generation water consumption data, to quantify the regional and seasonal water stress impact of U.S. thermoelectric power plants. Water stress impact was evaluated as water-scarcity footprint (WSF) using monthly AWARE-US data. Results show that most thermoelectric power plants in the United States that use fresh water are in water-abundant regions. Our findings also show that a small fraction of the U.S. thermoelectric generation facilities (13% by power) located in water stressed regions contribute the most water stress impact (88% of the total WSF) caused by thermoelectric power generation in the U.S. Even if fresh water is abundant on an annual basis, many power plants are in counties with seasonal water shortages. Of the 401 counties with thermoelectric power plants using fresh water for cooling, 80 counties in February and 160 counties in August had fresh water withdrawal requirements that exceeded the sustainable fresh water available (availability minus demand or AMD) in that region. This means that 27% and 46% of power generation facilities have difficulty securing sustainable fresh water in February and August, respectively. This study is intended to support water consumption management in existing power plants and guide the deployment of future power plants to mitigate water stress impact.

Modeling studies predict that droughts and hotter water and air temperatures caused by climate warming will reduce the efficiency (η) of thermoelectric plants by 0.12-0.45% for each 1°C of warming. In Chapter 2, we evaluate these predictions using historical performance data for 39 open- and closed-loop, coal and natural gas plants from across the U.S., which operated under daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations multiples greater than future average warming projections. Seven to fourteen years of hourly water (Tw), dry-bulb air (Ta) and wet-bulb air (Twb) temperature recordings collected near each plant are regressed against efficiency to attain estimates of ∆η per 1°C increase. We find reductions in η with increased Tw (for open-loop plants) up to an order of magnitude less than previous estimates. We also find that changes in η associated with changes in Ta (open-loop plants) or Twb (closed-loop plants) are not only smaller than previous estimates but also variable, i.e. η rises with Ta or Twb for some plants and falls for others. Our findings suggest that thermoelectric plants, particularly closed-loop plants, should be more resilient to climate warming than previously expected. Moreover, our results raise questions regarding the relative impacts of climate change-induced drops in water availability versus increases in ambient temperatures on the ability of thermoelectric power plants to generate power.In Chapter 3, we explore and compare the effects of decreased water availability and increased water temperature on once-through power plants, which are expected to suffer more of the impacts of climate change than recirculating plants. Currently, little is known about which of the constraints, water temperature or availability, has a greater impact on power generation, and how these impacts and trends may vary with plant age, nameplate capacity, fuel type, generator technology, and location. We apply seven years of historical data from 20 once-through coal and natural gas plants into a thermoelectric power generation model to simulate how changes in various external parameters (water temperature, temperature regulations, and water availability) can affect the usable capacity of these plants. We find that depending on the plant, streamflow can contribute to 0-35% of the capacity reduction, while temperature can contribute 0-17% and regulations 48-100%. We also observe that power plants located on smaller water bodies (i.e., The fourth and final chapter of this dissertation diverges from the previous chapters and examines the processes that influence the evolution of fluvio-deltaic systems at passive continental margins. Depositional and erosional patterns that were previously believed to be entirely produced by externally-derived (allogenic) processes are now being recognized as patterns that can develop from autogenic interactions (e.g., channel avulsion and delta lobe switching). In this work, we are interested in understanding how traditional, allogenically-based interpretations of these systems change when we incorporate the impacts of autogenic processes. We introduce a novel first-order numerical basin-filling model to address this question. This model differs from previous work in that external inputs (i.e., subsidence rate, base level change, sediment supply) as well as streamwise and cross-stream transport coefficients can be adjusted to simulate basins that are dominated by allogenic processes (i.e., subsidence, eustasy, and sediment supply), laterally-moving autogenic processes, or a combination of both. Because of this, the model can be used to track how autogenic and allogenic processes interact to impact the evolution of fluvio-deltaic systems as more and more autogenic forcing is introduced. Our ability to identify, separate, and understand the geomorphic and stratigraphic signals of internally-derived processes from those of external controls is critical for better understanding shelf development.

As water scarcity and pollution of sources become increasingly severe and widespread, competition over this resource intensifies. Unlike much of the rest of the world, thermal power plants in the US are the biggest users of water due to heavy reliance on once-through cooling technology. This cooling technology withdraws large amounts of water and discharges it back almost in its entirety but at higher temperatures. These water withdrawals are increasingly subjected to legislation intended to reduce the effects of thermal pollution. We utilize an interregional input-output model for quantifying the money costs and the shifts in the distribution of power production by state and by technology when withdrawals and discharges of fresh water are restricted. This model allows for the choice among alternative power generation technologies with different cost structures within each state. We analyze a Baseline scenario for 2010 and alternative scenarios that impose constraints on water withdrawals and inter-state power transmission. Based on an annual analysis, we conclude that this region can satisfy its electric power requirements while fully complying with legislated water restrictions at moderate cost by compensating the curtailment of output from some plants by otherwise unutilized capacities of other plants in the region. When we revisit the analysis using a monthly time step, however, sharp seasonal variations exhibit a strong impact on economic costs. In the summer months, intra-state transmission does not suffice, and regional demand cannot be met in the absence of substantial inter-state transmission. © 2018 This study is based on work supported by U. S. National Science Foundation Award No. 1049181 , “A Regional Earth System Model of the Northeast Corridor: Analyzing 21st Century Climate and Environment.”

In the present study, optimization of two parabolic trough solar thermal power plants integrated with thermal energy storage (TES), and fuel backup system (FBS) has been performed. The first plant uses Therminol VP-1 as heat transfer fluid in the solar field and the second plant uses molten salt. The optimization is carried out with solar multiple (SM) and full load hours of TES as the parameters, with an objective of minimizing the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and maximizing the annual energy yield. A 4E (energy-exergy-environment-economic) comparison of the optimized plants alongside the Andasol 1 as reference plant is studied. The molten salt plant resulting as the best technology, from the optimization and 4E comparative study has been chosen for the viability analysis of ten locations in Algeria with semi-arid and arid climatic conditions. The results indicate that Andasol 1 reference plant has the highest mean annual energy efficiency (17.25%) and exergy efficiency (23.30%). Whereas, the highest capacity factor (54.60%) and power generation (236.90 GW h) are exhibited by the molten salt plant. The molten salt plant has least annual water usage of about 800,482 m3, but demands more land for the operation. Nevertheless the oil plant emits the lowest amount of CO2 gas (less than 40.3 kilo tonnes). From the economic viewpoint, molten salt seems to be the best technology compared to other plants due to its lowest investment cost (less than 360 million dollars) and lower levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) (8.48 �/kW h). The viability study proposes Tamanrasset, as the best location for erection of a parabolic trough solar thermal power plant with a low LCOE of 7.55 �/kW h, and a high annual power generation (more than 266 GW h). According to the feasibility analysis, the semi-arid and arid Algerian sites are suitable for realization of PTSTPP with integrated TES and FBS, especially the southern locations (19 N-32 N, 8 W-12 E). � 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

We cannot in any way attribute the crisis the electrical sector is going through only to the lack of rain; or solely impute the rising electricity tariffs to the need for granting permits for building thermoelectric power plants. The electrical sector is currently in a topsy-turvy state; in which its players, namely state-owned energy generation companies have stopped selling their energy, and are speculating and liquidating in the shortterm market. The reason for implementing costly thermoelectric plants when an option could have been made for low-cost thermoelectric plants is the reason why costs of energy transmission have risen. Tariff skyrocketing has been followed by a risk of rationing; and many industries are making their productive activity impossible, and many electrical power players are making a lot of money.

The use of alkali activated binders to improve engineering properties of clayey soils is a novel solution, and an alternative to the widely diffused improvement based on the use of traditional binders such as lime and cement. In the paper the alkaline activation of two fly ashes, by-products of coal combustion thermoelectric power plants, has been presented. These alkali activated binders have been mixed with a clayey soil for evaluating the improvement of its mechanical behaviour. One-dimensional compression tests on raw and treated samples have been performed with reference to the effects induced by type of binder, binder contents and curing time. The experimental evidences at volume scale of the treated samples have been directly linked to the chemo-physical evolution of the binders, investigated over curing time by means of X Ray Diffraction. Test results showed a high reactivity of the alkali activated binders promoting the formation of new mineralogical phases responsible for the mechanical improvement of treated soil. The efficiency of alkali activated binders soil treatment has been highlighted by comparison with mechanical performance induced by Portland cement.

This paper presents a specific method to improve the reliability of the equipment and the quality of power supplied to the electrical systems with the frequency and voltage control of a thermoelectric plant, to guarantee a more stable system. The method has the novelty of combining Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) using only four pillars, with Electrical Predictive Maintenance based in failure analysis and diagnostic. It prevents voltage drops caused by excessive reactive consumption, thus guaranteeing the company a perfect functioning of its equipment and providing a longer life of them. The Maintenance Management Program (MMP) seeks to prevent failures from causing the equipment to be shut down from the electrical system, which means large financial losses, either by reducing billing or by paying fines to the regulatory agency, in addition to prejudice the reliability of the system. Using management tools, but applying only four TPM pillars, it was possible to achieve innovation in power plants with internal combustion engines. This study aims to provide maintenance with a more reliable process, through the implantation of measurement, control and diagnostic devices, thus allowing the management to reduce breakdown of plant equipment. Some results have been achieved after the implementation, such as reduction of annual maintenance cost, reduction of corrective maintenance, increase of MTBF (Mean Time between Failures) and reduction of MTTR (Mean Time to Repair) in all areas. Probabilistic models able to describe real processes in a more realistic way, and facilitate the optimization at maximum reliability or minimum costs are presented. Such results are reflected in more reliable and continual power generation.

Nowadays, the main application of coal mine in the world is to produce energy through thermoelectric power plants. Energy generation is always associated with the production of enormous amounts of ashes, both bottom and fly ashes. The main objective of this work is to study the effect of time, temperate and concentration on Synthetic zeolites produced from utilizing minerals of coal bottom ash. However, for the factor significance analysis, factorial planning of two levels and three factors was used, where eight experiments were obtained, and the results of FTIR transmittance showed favorable variation in time and temperature, and the variation of the NaOH concentration was not significant. It was concluded that the concentration of NaOH only influences the zeolites formation when combined with the crystallization time.

Thermoelectric generation requires large amounts of water for cooling. Recent warm periods have led to curtailments in generation, highlighting concerns about security of supply. Here we assess EU-wide climate impacts for 1,326 individual thermoelectric plants and 818 water basins in 2020 and 2030. We show that, despite policy goals and a decrease in electricity-related water withdrawal, the number of regions experiencing some reduction in power availability due to water stress rises from 47 basins to 54 basins between 2014 and 2030, with further plants planned for construction in stressed basins. We examine the reasons for these pressures by including water demand for other uses. The majority of vulnerable basins lie in the Mediterranean region, with further basins in France, Germany and Poland. We investigate four adaptations, finding that increased future seawater cooling eases some pressures. This highlights the need for an integrated, basin-level approach in energy and water policy.

Alkali-activated materials were prepared from pond ash from the Darkhan city (Mongolia) thermal power station. This ash contains about 60 wt % X-ray amorphous material in addition to quartz, mullite, hematite and magnesioferrite, and presents significant storage problems since it is accumulating in large amounts and is a hazardous waste, containing 90–100 ppm of the heavy metals As, Pb and Cr, and about 800 ppm Sr. Alkali-activated materials synthesized from the as-received pond ash achieved compressive strengths of only 3.25 MPa. Reduction of the particle size by mechanical milling for up to 30 min progressively increases the compressive strength of the resulting alkali-activated geopolymer up to 15.4 MPa. Leaching tests indicate that the combination of milling and alkali treatment does not cause the release of the hazardous heavy metals from the product, making it suitable for construction applications. Se prepararon materiales activados alcalinamente a partir de cenizas de charca de la central térmica de Darkhan (Mongolia). Esta ceniza contiene alrededor de un 60% en peso de material amorfo además de mullita, hematita, cuarzo y magnesioferrite. Presenta además importantes problemas de almacenamiento ya que se acumula en grandes cantidades y es un desecho peligroso, que contiene entre 90–100 ppm de metales pesados como Pb y Cr, y alrededor de 800 ppm de Sr. Los materiales sintetizados a partir de las cenizas de estanque presentaron resistencias a compresión de tan sólo 3,25 MPa. La reducción del tamaño de partícula por fresado mecánico hasta 30 min aumentó las resistencias mecánicas hasta valores de 15.4 MPa. Las pruebas de lixiviación indican que la combinación de molienda y activación alcalina no causan la liberación de los metales pesados peligrosos del producto, por lo que resulta adecuado para aplicaciones en construcción.

AISI 316L stainless steel is widely used as a structural material of high temperature thermoelectric power plants, since austenitic stainless steel has excellent mechanical properties. However, creep damage is generated in these components, which are operated under a high temperature and high pressure environment. Several researches have been done on how microstructural changes of precipitates affect to the macroscopic mechanical properties. And they investigate the relation between ultrasonic parameters and metallurgical results. But, these studies are limited by experiment results only. In this paper, attenuations of ultrasonic with isothermal damaged AISI 316L stainless steel were measured. Also, simulation of ultrasonic attenuation with variation of area fraction and size of precipitates were performed. And, from the measured attenuations, metallographic data and simulation results, we investigate the relations between the ultrasonic attenuations and the material properties which is area fraction of precipitates for the isothermal damaged austenitic stainless steel specimens. And, we studied parametric study for investigation of the relation between ultrasonic parameters and metallurgical results of the isothermal damaged AISI 316L stainless steel specimens using numerical methods.

In this study, according to increase of thermoelectric power plants that use LNG, LNG-FSRU(Floating- Storage and Regasification Unit) appeared and it is installed on the Topside in order to deliver in a gaseous state to consumers who are in the shore. This study about the study on the characteristics analysis of the system depending on changes in performance with the vaporization and temperature of the heat source. For the characteristics analysis of the system, we devided vaporization method into Ethylene glycol water vaporization method and sea water as a heat source. Then the system that can vaporize 200ton per hour of LNG of -157.9℃ and 10,400kPa was configured, and according to the temperature of supplied sea water, required minimum flow rate value was calculated. Also in case of using Ethylene glycol Water as a vaporization method, providing for regional and seasonal factors such as decrease of temperature of water. The system is configured by adding a steam boiler of 174.5℃ , 775kPa as heat source. The generation amount of the steam required according to the performance of the vaporizer compared to the water temperature changes in the steam boiler and the amount of required evaporative performance due to changes in the quantity of steam and Ethylene glycol Water was confirmed. Keyword: LNG, LNG-FSRU, Vaporizer, Ethylene glycol

The power plant boiler is one of the most important facilities in thermal power plants. The thermal efficiency of power plant boilers is the index. This paper discusses the relationship between the boiler thermal efficiency and the coefficient of excess air via two methods, one is called the simplified calculating formula and the other is the calculating formula according to the The People's Republic of China national standard power plant boiler performance test procedures. According to the proposed methods, by solving the same optimal problem, optimum excess air coefficients are obtained. Then a comparative analysis is given. Moreover, an improved way for saving calculation time to get the coefficients of the mixed coal in the so called simplified calculating formula is developed.

The objective of this study is to find the electrical properties of Bottom ash from thermoelectric power plants in Korea. By using Parallel Plate Method, the electrical resistivity and dielectric constant were measured at the frequency from 20 Hz to 10 MHz. Also, unconfined strength test, XRF and sieve analysis were performed for finding the relationship between strength, physiochemical properties and electrical properties. In the result, the change of electrical resistivity and dielectric constant of bottom ash against frequency was similar to that of general soil. The proportion of fine grain in bottom ash had the positive correlation with dielectric constant and negative correlation with electrical resistivity. Chloride and sulfur trioxide were proportional to dielectric constant and the more bottom ash had chloride content, the lower electrical resistivity appeared in bottom ash. Unconfined strength of bottom ashes had a range from 200 kPa to 780 kPa and strength was inverse proportional to electrical resistivity.

Two-thirds of the world’s population experiences water scarcity at least one month a year, according to the United Nations. Cooling towers in thermoelectric power plants are major consumers of fresh water. Pairing these towers with water vapor–capture systems could lessen industrial freshwater use, leaving more of the essential resource for people to drink. But these systems are too costly or use too much energy to be competitive. Now, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, led by Yongho Sungtaek Ju have improved the efficiency of one such system, called humidification-dehumidification (HDH) desalination. Like previous versions of the technology, the approach collects condensed water from humidified air. With the help of some cotton strings, Ju’s team built a device with a condensation rate per volume up to three times as high as that of previous designs (Sci. Adv. 2019, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav7662). In the new device, cold water beads traveling down

Non-fired fly ash gravel was obtained on the basis of fly ash of thermal power plant no 5 of JSC "SIBEKO", 15 % of Portland cement and the hardening accelerator. The gravel of 5-20 mm fraction and 6 months' air-moist curing is 900 density grade, P300 strength grade, frost-resistance grade - F35. The compositions of cement concretes of strength class from B10 to B25 were established and their physical and mechanical properties were determined using obtained non-fired fly ash gravel. They belong to the lightweight concrete according to the density (1817-1857 kg/m3). The introduction of superplasticizer SP-1 reduces water demand of concrete mixture and increases strength of concrete on fly ash gravel. © 2019 Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd. The work was supported by Act 211 Government of the Russian Federation, contract № 02.A03.21.0006.

Fatigue failures of motor crankshafts operating in thermoelectric power plants have recently been reported. Stress fields provided by finite element calculations at critical points of a crankshaft that failed in service are used to test the structural integrity of the component. Taking into account the fact that the stresses acting at a given point are most likely out of phase, multiaxial fatigue criteria based on the von Mises stress are considered to be most suitable for predicting the fatigue behavior of the crankshaft. Using the von Mises stress, it was also possible to apply octahedral shear stress-based criteria and the results obtained have indicated that the crankshaft made of DIN 34CrNiMo6 steel should not suffer fatigue failure under the action of the stress fields in question. However, such failures have been occurring and this apparent discrepancy is presented and briefly discussed in the present study.

The production technology of activated carbon using the conventional equipment of the thermal power stations and boiler houses is proposed. The obtained product is directed into the systems of chemical water preparation and water drain of enterprises. The production cycle is invariable when producing the activated carbon by the proposed technology. The fuel consumption and heat losses are considerably reduced when implementing this technology compared with the known analogs of the carbon sorbent. The production efficiency increases if small dust particles are preliminary separated and coal is activated in narrow ranges of fraction sizes. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

Examples of projects on retrofitting, modernizing, and renovating steam turbine units at thermal power stations implemented with participation of the Ural Turbine Works are given. Advanced construction and layout solutions were used in implementing these projects both on the territory of Russia and abroad. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

Plate-type electrostatic precipitators are the largest and most used industrial dusts control, most applications are in the production of electricity (thermoelectric power plants). In many industrial applications, plate-type precipitators have three sections and silicon-controlled rectifier power supplies type. Although, the collection efficiency obtained by these type of precipitators are more than 95%, most of the dust particles with diameter less than 10 μm remain un-collected. To improve the collection efficiency different electrical and/or mechanical options can be used. To improve the collection efficiency of industrial plate-type precipitators, the paper presents two practical options. The first solution would be replacing the power supplies silicon-controlled rectifier - with other special power supplies (intermittent power supplies, high frequency power supplies) depending on the dust resistivity; the second solution would be to add a new section at precipitator an expensive solution, usually the last. The technological and electrical sizes, simulated and measured, are presented for the proposed solutions.

This article analyses the increase in water withdrawal due to the implementation of carbon capture by chemical absorption, with the use of monoethanolamines (MEA), in coal-fired thermal power plants installed or planned to operate in Brazil. Due to the installation of an amine-based carbon capture system, results indicate that water withdrawal increases, respectively, by 102–121% and by 93–113% in thermal power plants equipped with once-trough cooling and closed cooling systems. Therefore, if thermal power plants are installed in hydrographic regions where water levels are critical, the lack of available water may limit the implementation of CO 2 capture. The analyses show that the thermal power plants in the Candiota and Porto de Pecem regions are the most vulnerable from the viewpoint of water stress. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering water availability in deciding the places where future coal-fired power plants will be installed, especially if the objective is to build capture-ready thermal power plants.

The use of some additions as cement replacement has played an important role in the amount of clinker reduction. Due to its huge worldwide availability one of the most important and recognised replace agent is the fly ash, but is also estimated that only 30 to 40% of fly ash is used, although there are some challenges to be overcome, such as the reactive potential quantification. Chemical analysis is typically determined by the oxides content and does not take into account the vitreous and crystalline phase ratio. Therefore, this paper describes in detail one selective dissolution method, based in the hydrofluoric acid attack, to the quantification of the vitreous phase (reactive) and crystalline phases (not reactive). Fly ash from Portuguese Pego thermoelectric power plant was submitted to different attacks. To confirm the method and its effects, chemical and physical analysis were performed, such as STA, XRF, XRD with Rietveld refinement, SEM, EDS and laser diffraction granulometry. The results can be used to quantify the potential reactivity of this type of fly ash. The best results were achieved with 1% hydrofluoric acid attack during 6 hours., The authors wish to acknowledge the SEM and XRD facilities were funded by FEDER Funds through QREN – Aviso SAIECT-IEC/2/2010, Operação NORTE-07-0162-FEDER-000050.

Introduction The area around Brindisi (Apulia region) is characterized by three thermoelectric power plants established in different time periods (1961, 1969, and 1991), two of which remain active....

Combined water and power models are important to predict how changes in one resource will impact the other. A new global assessment of hydropower and thermoelectric power plants predicts future vulnerabilities arising from climate-change-induced water constraints and tests possible adaptation options.

The adsorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) become the prime attention nowadays due to the fact that increasing CO2 emissions has been identified as a contributor to global climate change. Major sources of CO2 emissions are thermoelectric power plants and industrial plants which account for approximately 45% of global CO2 emissions. Therefore, it is an urgent need to develop an efficient CO2 reduction technology such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) that can reduce CO2 emissions particularly from the energy sector. A lot of sustainable catalyst supports have been developed particularly for CO2 gas adsorbent applications.

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The Venice Lagoon is exposed to atmospheric pollutants from industrial activities, thermoelectric power plants, petrochemical plants, incinerator, domestic heating, ship traffic, glass factories and vehicular emissions on the mainland. In 2005, construction began on the mobile dams (MOSE), one dam for each channel connecting the lagoon to the Adriatic Sea as a barrier against high tide. These construction works could represent an additional source of pollutants. PM10 samples were taken on random days between 2007 and 2010 at three different sites: Punta Sabbioni, Chioggia and Malamocco, located near the respective dam construction worksites. Chemical analyses of V, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, Sb, Tl and Pb in PM10 samples were performed by Inductively coupled plasma-quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-QMS) and results were used to identify the main aerosol sources. The correlation of measured data with meteorology, and source apportionment, failed to highlight a contribution specifically associated to the emissions of the MOSE construction works. The comparison of the measurements at the three sites showed a substantial homogeneity of metal concentrations in the area. Source apportionment with principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) showed that a four principal factors model could describe the sources of metals in PM10. Three of them were assigned to specific sources in the area and one was characterised as a source of mixed origin (anthropogenic and crustal). A specific anthropogenic source of PM10 rich in Ni and Cr, active at the Chioggia site, was also identified.

Matters concerned with organizing combustion of different types of coal-water slurries in coalfired boilers at thermal power stations are considered. Recommendations for improving the economic and environmental indicators and for achieving more reliable operation of furnace devices and boiler as a whole are given. © Pleiades Publishing, Inc., 2012.

Climate change and increasing electricity production affect future freshwater requirements for thermoelectric power plants in Europe. This paper explores the reasons and shows ‘hot spots’ for further analysis. A scenario and simulation approach was selected to estimate water availability and water uses in Europe up to 2050. Depending on the scenario, water withdrawals in thermal electricity production would increase by 64% or decrease by 92% between 2005 and 2050. At the same time, average summer water availability is expected to decrease because of climate change in southern and south-eastern parts of Europe. In these regions in particular, hot spots were identified where water is scarce and where growing water demand is likely to exacerbate water stress which may cause economic losses. Hot spots identified in the Economy First scenario indicate increasing competition for freshwater resources for the thermal electricity production sector. Increasing efficiency and improved awareness as assumed in the Sustainability Eventually scenario can reduce these hot spots by 90%.

This paper analyses the technical efficiency of Portuguese thermoelectric power generating plants with a two-stage procedure. In the first stage, the plants' relative technical efficiency is estimated with DEA (data envelopment analysis) to establish which plants perform most efficiently. These plants could serve as peers to help improve performance of the least efficient plants. The paper ranks these plants according to their relative efficiency for the period 1996–2004. In a second stage, the Simar and Wilson [Simar, L., Wilson, P.W., 2007. Estimation and inference in two-stage, semi-parametric models of production processes. Journal of Econometrics 136, 1–34] bootstrapped procedure is adopted to estimate the efficiency drivers. Economic implications arising from the study are considered.

Biological recultivation is conducted regularly on ash and slag dumps of thermoelectric power plants. New methods and new plant species for use in the process of recultivation are being investigated by experts the world over. Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) represents a potentially valuable species that should become an ingredient of sowing mixtures used in the process of revitalisation of ash and slag dumps of thermoelectric power plants.

Thermodynamic, economic and environmental analyses of concentrating solar power plants assist in identifying an effective and viable configuration. In this paper, a 4E (energy-exergy-environmental-economic) comparative study of 8 different configurations of parabolic trough solar thermal power plants with two different working fluids (Therminol VP-1 -oil and molten solar salt), with and without integrated thermal energy storage or/and backup fuel system is presented. The results of the comparative study indicate relevant differences among the 8 configurations. The molten solar salt configuration with integrated thermal energy storage and fossil fuel backup system exhibits the highest overall energy efficiency (18.48%) compared to other configurations. Whereas, the highest overall exergy efficiency (21.77%), capacity factor (38.20%) and annual energy generation (114 GWh) are found for the oil based configuration with integrated thermal energy storage and fossil fuel backup system. The results indicate that the configurations based on molten salt are better in terms of environmental and economical parameters. The configurations with integrated thermal energy storage and fossil fuel backup system are found to be techno-economical, but on the other hand are less environment friendly. A detailed comparison of these plants after optimization must be performed before drawing a final conclusion about the best configuration to be adopted in parabolic trough solar thermal power plant. � 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

The Kalina cycle has seen increased interest in the last few years as an efficient alternative to the conventional steam Rankine cycle. However, the available literature gives little information on the algorithms to solve or optimise this inherently complex cycle. This paper presents a detailed approach to solve and optimise a Kalina cycle for high temperature (a turbine inlet temperature of 500 °C) and high pressure (over 100 bar) applications using a computationally efficient solution algorithm. A central receiver solar thermal power plant with direct steam generation was considered as a case study. Four different layouts for the Kalina cycle based on the number and/or placement of the recuperators in the cycle were optimised and compared based on performance parameters such as the cycle efficiency and the cooling water requirement. The cycles were modelled in steady state and optimised with the maximisation of the cycle efficiency as the objective function. It is observed that the different cycle layouts result in different regions for the optimal value of the turbine inlet ammonia mass fraction. Out of the four compared layouts, the most complex layout KC1234 gives the highest efficiency. The cooling water requirement is closely related to the cycle efficiency, i.e., the better the efficiency, the lower is the cooling water requirement.

Fly ash from coal causes erosive wear in equipments in thermoelectric power plants. This paper investigates thermal sprayed coatings produced by the high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) to improve the material performance under such condition. Three different HVOF sprayed coatings (WC–12Co, Cr 3 C 2 –NiCr and WC–CrC–Ni) were tested under high temperature (∼310 °C) erosion by means of an apparatus that simulated real conditions. Fly ash was employed as erosive material. The results showed that under these tests conditions the WC–12Co coating worn about 18 times less than bare SAE 1020 steel.

Characteristic features of the dynamic performance of foundations supporting turbine-driven sets in thermoelectric power plants, which have been revealed in various experimental and theoretical research, including our own, are generalized. Among them, the vibration modes of the foundation components and their interrelation with the parameters of the effective dynamic loads are of determining significance. A new approach to dynamic analysis of turbine foundations, which takes these factors into account, is proposed. The proposed analysis is confirmed for a foundation segment in the form of a four-pedestal spatial frame.

El presente artículo intenta analizar las principales características, fortalezas, oportunidades y amenazas del sector construcción. Para ello se revisará los factores internos y externos que influyen sobre las decisiones y resultados de las empresas incluidas en este sector. En cuanto al entorno general se revisará los datos que rodean a la industria desde una perspectiva genérica, para ello se presentan las cifras macroeconómicas del entorno y la evolución del sector. Para obtener los resultados se realizó una revisión de los principales informes emitidos por instituciones especializadas tanto públicas como privadas, así mismo se usó información de las principales series estadísticas del Banco Central de Reserva del Perú. Entre los principales resultados se determinó que la construcción se ha posicionado en los últimos años como un sector dinamizador del crecimiento económico del país y ello continuará por lo menos en los próximos tres años debido a la expansión de la inversión pública y de los proyectos de construcción privados (centros comerciales, tiendas por departamentos, viviendas, centrales hidroeléctricas y termoeléctricas, proyectos de irrigación, ampliación y modernización de plantas industriales y centros mineros, construcción de carreteras y aeropuertos, entre otros). Se culmina el artículo presentando un análisis FODA del sector.

Experimental data collected from different plate-type electrostatic precipitators used in a thermoelectric power plant has been analyzed. The following parameters were considered: the collection efficiency, average migration velocity of dust particles, velocity distribution of the gas in the input and output channels of precipitators. The average migration velocity of dust particles can be estimated using various mathematical models, and the gas velocity can be computed using the velocity distributions from the input channels of the precipitators. The traveling time of dust particles between the electrodes is smaller than the traveling time along the precipitator sections.

Recent droughts and heatwaves showed the vulnerability of the electricity sector to surface water constraints with reduced potentials for thermoelectric power and hydropower generation in different regions. Here we use a global hydrological-electricity modelling framework to quantify the impacts of recent drought and warm years on hydropower and thermoelectric power usable capacity worldwide. Our coupled modelling framework consists of a hydrological model, stream temperature model, hydropower and thermoelectric power models, and was applied with data of a large selection of hydropower and thermoelectric power plants worldwide. Our results show that hydropower utilisation rates were on average reduced by 5.2% and thermoelectric power by 3.8% during the drought years compared to the long-term average for 1981–2010. Statistically significant (p < 0.01) impacts on both hydropower and thermoelectric power usable capacity were found during major drought years, e.g. 2003 in Europe (-6.6% in hydropower and -4.7% in thermoelectric power) and 2007 in Eastern North America (-6.1% in hydropower and -9.0% in thermoelectric power). Our hydrological-electricity modelling framework has potential for studying the linkages between water and electricity supply under climate variability and change, contributing to the quantification of the 'water-energy nexus'.