The Next Generation of Power Generation

As older coal-fired power plants are being retired, they are being supplanted by the next generation of power plants fired by natural gas, wind and solar farms, and hydroelectric systems that are often are simpler to operate and require fewer workers. Natural gas, hydropower, wind and solar now generate 47 percent of the electricity in the U.S. In 2016, the most recent year that federal data is available, gas provided about 33.8 percent of U.S. power, hydropower was about 6.5 percent, wind was 5.6 percent and solar was 1.3 percent.^{1, 2} A flood of inexpensive natural gas created by fracking operations has helped drive this move into next generation power, particularly in several Northeastern states where the glut of gas now being pumped from U.S. shale fields is fueling a power-plant construction boom.³ Many of the natural gas-fired power plants currently under construction are also located in Mid-Atlantic states and Texas, where the nation’s major natural gas shale plays are located. Expanding natural gas pipeline networks also help support the growth in natural gas-fired electric generating capacity.⁴

On top of that, there are state mandates and federal tax credits for more renewable energy, along with the lower operating costs for the newer plants. It generally takes five times as many coal mining and power plant workers to generate one megawatt hour of electricity as wind farm operators, according to BW Research Partnership (Carlsbad, CA), an economic and workforce consultancy, which also estimates that coal takes 50 percent more workers than gas, and twice as many as solar.¹ Coal plants require people and machines to unload the combustible rocks, sort them into piles and prepare them to be pulverized into a fine mist, which is then blown into boilers. Once the coal is burned, the resulting ash needs to be collected and disposed. But natural gas is typically delivered straight to power plants by pipeline, no unloading required. It combusts completely, so it doesn’t need people or machines to handle the residue.¹ Wind and solar farms don’t require fuel to make power, so they don’t need workers to procure, deliver or process it. Some of the newer wind turbines use permanent magnet motors instead of gearboxes connected to shafts, reducing the maintenance required. Solar farms have few moving parts that require maintenance or repair.¹

References

1. “At Modern Utilities, Jobs Go Up in Smoke,” Russell Gold, The Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2018. Retrieved from www.wsj.com.
2. “Energy Explained: Electricity in the United States,” U.S. Energy Information Administration, February 1, 2018. Retrieved from www.eia.gov.
3. “Power Plants Arise Near Natural Gas,” Erin Ailworth, The Wall Street Journal, December 29, 2017. Retrieved from www.wsj.com.
4. “Today in Energy: Natural Gas-Fired Generating Capacity Likely to Increase Over Next Two Years,” U.S. Energy Information Administration, February 1, 2018. Retrieved from www.eia.gov.

The lower cost of operating next generation power plants can be staggering. For example, the nuclear-powered 2,300 MW Limerick Generating Station in Pottstown, PA, is run by Exelon Corporation (Chicago, IL) and requires 800 workers. Two hours north, Invenergy LLC (Chicago, IL) is building the 1,480 MW Lackawanna Energy Center, a natural gas-fired plant in Jessup, PA, that will employ only 30 people.¹ This is a primary reason why the electricity industry plans to increase natural gas-fired generating capacity by 25.4 GW in 2018, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA; Washington, DC).⁴ If these plants come online as planned, they would increase natural gas capacity by 8 percent from the capacity existing less than two years ago. Depending on the timing and utilization of these plants, the new additions could help natural gas maintain its status as the primary energy source for power generation, even if natural gas prices rise moderately.⁴

Making Fabrication More Efficient in Power Plant Construction
During construction, miles of pipelines are fabricated from a variety of materials with variable diameters and nominal widths. To save time and reduce costs, automated CNC tube bending machines can bend, measure and adjust 3D pipe systems in a single operation – without welding – with a measuring system integrated into the bending tool.

These values of time efficiency, material savings and work simplification must be provided by job shops, metal service centers, contract manufacturers, OEMs and other fabricators who are bidding on work to supply parts and assemblies used in power plant construction and repair. To help them stay competitive on job bidding, here is some of the latest fabrication equipment, materials and tools to help them reduce their operating cycles, save time and labor, and turn jobs around quicker:

Automated Pipe Moving Logistics Combines with Highly Accurate Cutting
The SPC 1200 RB pipe cutting and 3D profiling machine from HGG eliminates cranes for material handling and ensures accurate, repeatable, on-the-fly measurement and compensation of longitudinal material movement during pipe rotation.

Pipe Fabrication Tools for Boiler Tubes, Steam Turbines and More
The MILLHOG BSR bolt seat resurfacing tool, MILLHOG Mini Electric Pipe Beveling Tool, and MILLHOG Rolling Motors and Tube Expanders from ESCO Tool ensure cost effective fabrication of stainless steel pipe and other highly alloyed metals.

Grit Blaster for Batch Processing Gas Turbine Blades
The custom SP-10 semi-automatic grit blast system from Guyson completely blasts and batch processes gas turbine blades in one operation by using six guns mounted to a gun oscillator that moves at a programmed rpm that is adjustable on the HMI.

Corrosion Resistant Pipe Material for Power Generation Applications
Sanicro 60 (Alloy 625) from Sandvik is a corrosion resistant material grade offered in hydraulic and instrumentation tubing and heat exchanger forms for harsh environments.

Advanced Control for Bending Rolls, Plate Rolls and Specialty Machinery
The Swebend Seven CNC control from Trilogy Machinery takes the guesswork out of rolling operations by managing minor variations commonly found in all materials.

Bending Complex Geometries for Power Plants
The transfluid t bend DB 622 CNC R/L mandrel bending machine, the fully automatic t bend DB 2090 CNC VE machine, the t cut RTO 628 chipless orbital cutting system, and the REB 632/SRM 622 CNC combination machine from Advanced Fabricating Machinery fabricate pipe for meeting the highest loading requirements, including tight bending radii to ensure optimum surface area for thermal transfer.

The Next Step in Precision Tube Bending
The Opt2Sim tube bending machine simulator from Unison accelerates the generation of error-free programs for bending tubular parts and includes powerful collision detection capabilities that can be used to avoid and verify a wider range of problem scenarios.

Heavy Duty Inert Atmosphere Furnace for Heat Treating Turbine Components
The heavy duty No. 1039 inert atmosphere furnace from Grieve reaches 2,000 deg F by using ICA wire coils supported by vacuum-formed ceramic fiber installed on all interior surfaces, including the door and beneath the hearth.

Cost Effective Brazing of Light, Thin Section Parts Used in Power Generation
The horizontal-loading MetalMaster vacuum furnace with 2-bar gas quenching from Ipsen features a 36 in x 36 in x 72 in graphite work zone with a carbon steel gas distribution plenum and graphite heating elements, as well as a 3,000 lb load capacity.

Superior Bending with Unparalleled Productivity
The TruBend Series 5000 press brake from TRUMPF is equipped with a ToolMaster for automatic tool changes in seconds and achieves unparalleled productivity by combining high axis speeds and acceleration rates with innovative operating aids.

Fiber Laser System Machines 3D Parts
The five-axis LT-FREE fiber laser machine from BLM performs traditional cutting, drilling, punching and milling operations that are normally carried out in sequence on separate machine tools.

Press System with In-Die Laser Welding Eliminates Time-Intensive Labor
The laser welding, parts assembly and cut-off operations inside the pneumatic stamping press system with in-die laser welding capability from Airam eliminate time-intensive labor, improve repeatability and reduce material handling without sacrificing production speed.

Portable All-Electric Press Brake for Versatile Forming of Basic and Complex Shapes
The versatile all-electric GOFORM 40 ton press brake from Cincinnati Incorporated is perfect for small parts up to 0.25 in thick and less than 50 lb, but also has a 10 in stroke and 17 in open height for jobs requiring tall tools and adapters.