Power to the people
We've got a problem with energy generation. We need more capacity and higher efficiencies to cater for unrelenting increases in demand, but we also need to reduce CO2 and other emissions. This at a time when many of our fossil fuel power stations face closure, as the costs and engineering issues around fitting flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) equipment - to reduce SOx and NOx respectively - prove insurmountable.
Reaching the parts
Environmentally friendly and synthetic lubricants are creeping into mainstream plant applications as alternatives to conventional mineral oils – and for good, solid economic reasons, as Brian Wall reports
Renewable Energy - Cast your fortune to the winds
Search the internet for the keywords 'wind power', 'manufacturing', 'process' and 'industry' and see what you find. After a little delving in relation to business, the sector you might come across most is farming and 'wind farms', but not much about wind power for manufacturers and process plant operators. A pity, for it seems these enterprises would benefit by offsetting their energy bills with 'green' electricity generated from one or more wind turbines on their premises. This is no longer far-fetched: in recent decades wind power generation has become a highly developed industry.
Renewable Energy - Out of the shadows
Green energy is high on the UK agenda. Announcements are spawned on a seemingly daily basis about the government's commitment to renewable energy - and the Prime Minister has said that he will try to use Britain's forthcoming pole positions as head of the G8 and presidency of the European Union to push the environmental arguments still further.
Latent heating
As UK government ups the ante on going green and slashing emissions, air- and ground-source heat pumps are rearing their heads again. Brian Tinham examines the issues
Sustainable engineering
'Sustainability': that word is rising up the engineering agenda even faster than 'environmental' did before it. The latest development was last month's release of the Engineering Council's new guidelines on sustainability. Others, however, have included revised thinking on the use of renewables in all sorts of applications and new efficiency initiatives around several plant types – all suddenly in the name of 'sustainability'. It may be good and worthy stuff, but perversely, an issue for us, as practicing engineers, is to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Hose pump distils solution
Plant engineers at whisky manufacturer Chivas Regal say they selected a Verderflex Dura 10 peristaltic hose pump for a lime-dosing water treatment application at the Glenlivet plant, because of its suitability for dosing abrasive and viscous fluids.
Energy efficiency
With energy-related issues topping most plant engineers' agendas, Laura Cork looks ahead to the forthcoming Energy Event, which promises a packed educational programme
Energy Efficiency - Powered for change
The government is now aware we have to take drastic steps both to save energy and find new sources of supply. There are many ways to achieve these goals. Top of the list has to be to take advantage of government-backed schemes that provide free advice on how to reduce energy waste; to adopt every technology available to make best use of the fuels and energy sources we have already; and to convert waste materials into usable energy, both in the form of electric power and heat.
Environment - Powered up for the green challenge
Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station was constructed during the late 1960s, with the final unit being commissioned during 1970. All units have achieved over 230,000 running hours; at present they are required to operate to a mixed running regime, where plant can be required to generate continuously (base load in winter time), two shift operation (during summer) or peak lopping (at holiday periods). Since that time, the station has had to meet the challenges arising from developments in environmental legislation.