In all electric power generation plants (gas, solar, coal or nuclear), the fuel source of choice heats a large boiler, which creates steam that drives turbine blades to rotate. The turbine shaft in turn spins magnets inside the generator, which induces an electrical current in a coil of wires. It’s a high-temperature process both in terms of the boilers and steam, but also at the back end of the process where the electric current generates a large amount of heat that must be managed in order to keep the generator’s wire coils cool enough to avoid degradation or failure. Depending on the MVA size of the generator, hydrogen (H2), air or water is typically used to provide cooling.

Puralytics LilyPads are hardly noticeable in the ponds, lakes, and catchment areas where they are deployed. Made of mesh and plastic, the flat, 1-meter diameter disks could even be confused for their plant namesake if not for their white color.

Valves are one of the most common assets in the process industry, spanning all verticals. Chemicals, refineries, and petrochemicals, however, will find improved valve health diagnostics useful for critical valves and controllers in their plants, while upstream and midstream oil and gas companies may be focused on much larger, critical valves like pipeline or subsea valves. Using Seeq, process manufacturers are able to implement a condition-based monitoring analysis to monitor valve health across an entire fleet. Engineers can utilize the historical data to accurately create a predictive maintenance forecast and preemptively detect valve failures before they occur.

When it comes to answering questions about whether the oil and gas industry’s wastewater can be safely reused for other purposes, like food crops, livestock, or even drinking water, there are a number of other serious factors to be considered.

A large, Midwestern oil refinery installed two identical, 110’ diameter S&L Model R OXIGEST® treatment systems to solve a groundwater treatment problem on-site. Each plant incorporates aeration, clarification, and effluent holding, treating peak flows of 7.2 MGD combined; 4.3 MGD in each plant.

As local breweries grow in popularity, their initial focus on hand-crafted recipes can quickly shift to business realities such as the costs and logistics of process wastewater treatment. Publicly owned treatment works (POTWs), brewery owners, and consulting engineers all have roles to play in making that trajectory smoother for up-and-coming craft and microbrewers.

From the parlor to the pasture, numerous advancements in dairy farm management are helping drive up dairy farm efficiency in North America, and that’s helping drive down environmental impact.

Aire-02 was approached by a large sugar beet processing facility that was in desperate need of a rapid and effective solution for their deteriorating wastewater treatment system.

DC Water’s taste test shines the spotlight on municipal water quality, public perception, and consumer relations.

In commercial brewing — as with other food, chemical, or industrial processes — control over steam heating can have significant influence on process costs and consistent quality in the final product. But its measurement and control can also be impacted by unique circumstances of those applications. Here is how changing just one aspect of steam measurement brought economy and consistency to multiple aspects of a brewer’s overall process.

This article is the first of two in a Women’s History Month series that showcases a handful of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL's) outstanding women researchers in water power.

This Hamilton Project memo presents nine economic facts that provide relevant background context to the water crisis in the United States.

A hydroelectric power plant in Türkiye needed to establish a system for real-time monitoring of water consumption and turbine performance to enhance its operational efficiency. Crucially, the State Water Authority also required continuous, 24/7 remote access to water usage data for supervisory and regulatory compliance.

In commercial brewing — as with other food, chemical, or industrial processes — control over steam heating can have significant influence on process costs and consistent quality in the final product. But its measurement and control can also be impacted by unique circumstances of those applications. Here is how changing just one aspect of steam measurement brought economy and consistency to multiple aspects of a brewer’s overall process.

Anyone remember the old cars of the 1950s and 1960s? They all pretty much came equipped with an ammeter, an oil pressure gauge, a water temperature gauge, as well as a speedometer and a fuel level gauge. 

As local breweries grow in popularity, their initial focus on hand-crafted recipes can quickly shift to business realities such as the costs and logistics of process wastewater treatment. Publicly owned treatment works (POTWs), brewery owners, and consulting engineers all have roles to play in making that trajectory smoother for up-and-coming craft and microbrewers.

China Steel Corporation, a steel producer in Taiwan, produces wastewater that is high in organics, ammonia, solids, and other waste products. The wastewater is treated on-site using a series of biological treatment processes. The variable influent quality can make it challenging to meet treatment objectives.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services perform regular inspections on their assets as part of a larger campaign to rehabilitate stormwater infrastructure across the county. When issues are identified the department works to resolve them by including relevant technical experts.

Despite being shorthanded and missing goals, the EPA hasn’t slowed its ambition. In fact, the agency is taking on more responsibilities.

The textile industry in Bahrain dates to ancient times. In the time of Alexander the Great, the country was as known as a producer of clothes seen throughout Arabia and the Indian subcontinent. Modern day Bahrain maintains its strong tradition in textile manufacture.

"Getting to Neutral" by the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLNL) draws a roadmap to California's carbon neutrality by 2045, removing 125 million tons of CO2 emissions from the atmosphere (and the economy). But unlike the actual map of California, LLNL's carbon roadmap barely includes the 27 million acres of cropland and 16 million acres of grazing land. And that's a massive oversight.

Known for the “best potatoes in the world,” the state of Idaho generates approximately $4 billion in annual agricultural revenue (according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2017).

Regulating the discharge of phosphorus from industrial and municipal wastewater treatment plants is a primary factor in averting the eutrophication of surface water sources. Phosphorus is one of the key nutrients that contribute to this process in both lakes and natural waters. Its existence has caused major water quality issues such as the diminished recreational value of these surface waters, increased water treatment costs as well as the potentially lethal consequences of mycotoxins from algal growth.

Sigura™ calcium hypochlorite offers cooling tower operators and their service providers a highly effective biocide designed for controlling microorganisms to maintain system cleanliness, achieve associated production efficiency gains, and help guard against biofouling. Learn how a West Coast service provider's switch to Calcium Hypochlorite lead to a more consistent chlorine concentration and eliminated the need for frequent pump adjustments.

This article is the first of two in a Women’s History Month series that showcases a handful of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL's) outstanding women researchers in water power.