ASME B&PV Code for Hydro – Does it fit?
EME has supported the hydro power generation for over 30 years. Prior to the widespread availability of large-scale Finite Element Analysis, generator design & fatigue calculations were performed primarily using classical “closed form” calculations, stress concentration factors, and fatigue strength correction factors. The stator and rotor structures were considered as the fabricated components that they are and stresses calculated based [...]
Grid Stability – Here’s how to achieve it
With the addition of more renewables at an increasing pace, and the shuttering of large fossil plants, grid stability continues to be a challenge to for the US electrical grid. How should the US ISO's and RTO's respond? A highly cost effective ($/MVAR) solution is the conversion of retired generators to a synchronous condenser. In addition to the increase [...]
The Quarterly Engineering Problem – An Actual Case
A ventilation study was performed on a Hydro Generator as part of an uprate study. The objective of the study was to determine if the existing ventilation would be sufficient to maintain satisfactory operating temperatures when the unit for a proposed uprate to 134 MVA from 82.5 MVA (62% increase). Combining test measurements of stator vent velocities with EME [...]
People Matter – Ty Doan
People Matter - Ty Doan Ty is the most recent addition to the EME engineering corps. A graduate of Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Ty has quickly become an integral part of the design team for a large hydro project we are executing. His contributions focus on providing Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for the structural components on the generator rotor [...]