[en] Wall thickness of fossil fuel firing power boiler tubes are measured by ultrasonic test at regular intervals as part of in-service inspections. The measuring tubes are located high up on the boiler and at restricted sites, and many man-hours are required for preparatory of boiler tube wall thickness scale removal. To improve the efficiency and reliability of boiler tube wall thickness measurements, a system was developed for measuring the tube wall thickness by ultrasonic test from inside the tube. The primary features of this system are: 1) polishing on the outersurface of boiler tubes is not necessary because measurements are made from inside. (Reduction of man-hours), 2) measurements in limited places where manual measurement is difficult or impossible is made possible because automatic measurement from inside the tube is made by an ultrasonic probe introduced into the tube from the inspection hole of the header. (Improvement of reliability), and 3) the tube wall thickness is measured by a submerged ultrasonic rotary probe at an accuracy of ±0.1 mm along the full length. (Improvement of reliability)

[en] This article is a review of proposals to convert the aborted Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant to a gas-fired unit. Three joint ventures have submitted such proposals. The price associated with each proposal is given, as is the electrical generation capability that would be installed

[en] Materials research programs sponsored by EPRI are described concerning the following alternate energy sources and energy conversion equipment: coal conversion to clean fuels; PC boilers; fluidized bed boilers; steam turbines; and gas turbines for combined cycle service

[en] Coal is known to contain naturally occurring radioactive elements and there has been speculation that as a results, coal-fuelled power generation stations may be significant emitters of these substances. In this report, the subject of radioactivity is introduced. The kinds of radioactive substances which occur naturally in coal formations, the nature of their emissions and the existing information on their behaviour and their effects on environmental organisms are also reviewed. The results of an examination of levels of alpha, beta and gamma radiaton levels, and the substances which produce them in coals, fly ashes, bottom ashes and related wastewaters at six Canadian coal-fuelled power stations are presented. Difficulties in studies of this nature and the potential effects of these releases on organisms in the adjacent aquatic environment are discussed. Existing and potential technologies for the removal of these substances from wastewaters are examined. In general the releases in wastewaters from the six stations were found to be lower than those known to cause short-term or acute biological effects. The potential for long-term effects from such low-level releases could not be accurately assessed because of the paucity of information. A number of recommendations for: improvements in further studies of this nature; the further examination of the fate of naturally occurring radionuclides in the environment; and the determination of the long-term effects of low levels of naturally occurring radioactive substances on aquatic organisms, are made

[en] Details are listed of all the gas-fired power stations in the United Kingdom which are under construction or about to be constructed. The information given includes: the capacity of the station; the ownership; the gas bought and its source; the length of the gas contract; the date of start of construction and the contractor. (UK)

[en] The Townsville Standby Power Station (TPS), developed by Transfield, represents another pioneering step in the development of the independent power production market in Australia. Uniquely, it is the first privately owned power station designed solely for the provision of standby power. The station, which will initially be fired using either Jet A-1 or distillate, is being developed adjacent to the Queensland Nickel refinery at Yabulu on the outskirts of Townsville in northern Queensland. It will provide peak load support and back-up in the event of high-voltage distribution line failure to Townsville and the far north of Queensland. TPS is based on a single Siemens V94-2 gas turbine generator in open-cycle configuration and is rated at 159.5MW. TPS was awarded a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to provide standby power. This is possibly the last such agreement to be awarded as the Australian market for independent power projects (IPPs) matures. This article provides an outline of the project and summarises the key commercial terms of the transaction. (author)

[en] In several Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) industries, relatively high temperatures are used as part of their industrial processes. In coal combustion, as occur in other high temperature processes, an increase of the activity concentration of every natural radioisotope is produced both, in residues and by-products. An additional increase can be observed in the activity concentration of radionuclides of elements with low boiling point. This work is centred in the increase of polonium, more precisely in its radioisotope Po-210, present in the natural chains, and with a half-life long enough to be considered for radiation protection purposes. This additional increase appears mainly in the residual particles that are suspended in the flue gases: the fly-ashes. Besides, scales, with a high concentration of this radioisotope, were observed. These scales are produced on surfaces with a temperature lower than the boiling point of the chemical element. Both, the accumulation in particles and the production of scales are attributed to condensation effects. When effective doses for the public and the workers are evaluated, taking into account these increases in activity concentrations, the use of theoretical models is necessary. In this work a theoretical description of those effects is presented. Moreover, a verification of the predictions of the model was performed by comparing them with measurements carried on in coal-fired power plants. The same description here presented is applicable in general to the behaviour of Po-210 in other NORM industries where high temperature processes involving raw materials are used, as can be ceramic, cement production, tiles production or steel processing.

[en] Without getting into detailed basics of the economics of power production in general and nuclear power in particular, due to time and scope limitations, a few aspects will be focused on; these aspects are naturally interrelated. (author)

[en] Economic analysis on a power plant is a key activity in its feasibility study. This paper deals with the problems in this field faced by Chinese power system planners, and describes the experience in solving the problem. Particular emphasis is given in the paper to the evaluation of shadow prices to reflect the opportunity costs for the commodities needed for construction of power plants and their future operation. An attempt to evaluate these costs for some power plants is described in the paper. (author). 5 tabs

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