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Electric Power & Utilities/Questions Answered by Expert W.A. (Bill) Stevens
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Power plant natural gas use | 9/29/2011 |
| Q: how many cubic meters of natural gas per year would a power plant burn if it were rated as a 500 mw ... A: John - a) Let's say the the electrical generator is a very efficient combined-cycle unit with a heat ... | |
| Biomass Gasifciation Efficiency | 8/12/2011 |
| Q: Here is my question. My company is working on a project to gasify biomass derived from municipal ... A: David - Sorry for the tardy response. I've been on a short vacation. And, sorry to say I'm no expert ... | |
| Super critical boiler | 7/20/2011 |
| Q: Sir i m working in ' cgpl tata power' its 4000MW power plant...and in it super critical boiler.... ... A: Raj - A supercritical steam power plant uses a boiler that makes steam at a pressure above the ... | |
| Natural Gas to Power calculation | 6/24/2011 |
| Q: Greetings from Africa :-) I am currently working on Natural Gas to Power Generation Project and need ... A: Guarang - a) Let's say the the electrical generator is a very efficient combined-cycle unit with a ... | |
| Power Production | 6/3/2011 |
| Q: If one m3 of LNG = 22.5 decatherms (mmbtu's) how many m3/day of LNG is needed to fuel a 1Mw ... A: Jay - Let's say the the generator is a very efficient combined-cycle unit with a heat rate of 7000 ... | |
| Natural gas, BTU and Elec Power | 4/23/2011 |
| Q: If a manufacturing process requires 10 kBTU of natural gas per dollar value of shipments, a plant ... A: James - Maybe this will help: 10,000 Btu/$ x $10,000,000/yr = 100,000,000,000 Btu/yr = 100 Billion ... | |
| TRANSFORMER IN YARD OF HOME | 3/31/2011 |
| Q: I have a transformer in my back yard that has been there for over 30 years. In the house, the ... A: Jan - The transformer should not be affecting the amount of electricity you use. But I do have to ... | |
| Problem with a definition -- "topping burner" or "topping combustor?" | 3/30/2011 |
| Q: I am not formally trained in science -- I majored in Asian history. I am studying source material ... A: Julian - Interesting historical artifacts. I note in the final sentence of the source material the ... | |
| Engineer Career | 3/8/2011 |
| Q: I am 23 year old male.My nationality is Indian.Curently i lived in United States. I am Green Card ... A: Jagmohan - The good news is that you will soon find many openings for your particular background, ... | |
| Profiting from Selling energy | 3/7/2011 |
| Q: Hey Assume that I have a company with solar and wind renewable energy sources. If I am paying, say ... A: Neelarjo - If you are company with existing solar and wind electricity generating assets, then you ... | |
| steam generators | 3/3/2011 |
| Q: thinking of useing magnetic induction for heating a water tube boiler for a SMALL steam turbine to ... A: Todd - Glad to assist in any way I can, but in this case am sorry to say that even if one could ... | |
| steam generators | 2/27/2011 |
| Q: thinking of useing magnetic induction for heating a water tube boiler for a SMALL steam turbine to ... A: Todd - The use of magnetic induction heating is not inefficient in itself, in fact it is quite ... | |
| steam generators | 2/26/2011 |
| Q: thinking of useing magnetic induction for heating a water tube boiler for a SMALL steam turbine to ... A: Todd - Interesting question. I've never heard of this power generation concept, and so feel a bit ... | |
| blower motor on lenox furnace | 1/5/2011 |
| Q: When furnace is running through cycle, we hear the phases (gas valve open, close, blower start, ... A: Norm - Ours does that too sometimes. To me it sounds like the sheet metal ductwork flexing as the ... | |
| Supercritical boiler | 12/10/2010 |
| Q: According to Thermodynamics ,In a heat exchange process if the temperature difference between the ... A: Abhijit - In practice a subcritical boiler can indeed be just as efficient or even more efficient ... | |
| efficiency of supercritical boilers | 11/23/2010 |
| Q: From the point of view of Rankine cycle diagram, why is the efficiency of a supercritical power ... A: Here's a link to a good wiki discussion of the basics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnot_cycle My ... | |
| transformers | 9/28/2010 |
| Q: How is it that an electrical transformer can be exposed out in the weather and rain ? Do they short ... A: Those small electrical transformers you see on power poles, and the ones inside the metal boxes you ... | |
| CNG consumption for a given power output | 8/16/2010 |
| Q: Can you assist me with a very general question regarding the consumption of Compressed Natural Gas ... A: Noel - A high efficiency 40 MW simple-cycle gas turbine sounds like it might be a GE LM6000 model. ... | |
| Steam power plants | 8/8/2010 |
| Q: What are the peak temperatures and pressures, greatest number of reheat cycles, and peak efficiency ... A: Stephen - In the engineering of complex systems, the answer to any question is almost always either ... | |
| Auxiliary boiler in combined cycle power plants | 7/18/2010 |
| Q: please explain deciding between 1 fire tube boiler and 2*50%fire tube boiler in combined cycle power ... A: Hamid - If the combined cycle plant has only one auxiliary boiler sized to produce 100% of the max ... | |
| magnetic flux | 6/24/2010 |
| Q: i want to know about the nature of magnetic flux that either it is matter or energy or any other ... A: Azmat - Good question! Flux is neither matter nor energy. First we'll need to discuss ... | |
| Biomass burning | 5/11/2010 |
| Q: I've been considering a way of using/storing the vast amount of wasted heat from bonfires. I grow my ... A: Julian - I've been looking around the net for something, anything, on energy recovery from bonfires, ... | |
| measuring electricity - per hour? | 5/4/2010 |
| Q: I have a generator that puts out power. I have a multimeter that I connect and it reads 112.5V AC at ... A: First: 0.5 milliamp is 0.0005 amp. That will change your power = volt x amp answer to 0.056 watts. ... | |
| Gasification vs Steam | 4/24/2010 |
| Q: What are the relative merits of using a gasifier plus gas genset vs raising steam to drive a steam ... A: Peter - I hear that there are some fairly simple partial oxidation gasifiers that operate on air to ... | |
| How to measure increased electrical output | 4/22/2010 |
| Q: I have a machine that rotates weights. This produces torque on a shaft which is then hooked up to a ... A: Doug - You've got the right formula for horsepower: HP = ft-lb x RPM / 5252 (at 100% efficiency, ... | |
| Turbine energy | 3/27/2010 |
| Q: Stevens, Over the years I have become very interested in wind technology. I do not have a ... A: Anrde - "American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has identified 30 Wind Technician education ... | |
| Hybrid Electical system | 3/20/2010 |
| Q: Can you design hybrid electrical system for commercial use? I mean if I can have 1 MW solar PV ... A: S Khan - Sorry to be late getting back to you. I've been traveling. It's certainly possible, ... | |
| Energy conversions and use rates | 3/11/2010 |
| Q: Mr. Stevens, I have been working for some time on a rather large scale project idea that would ... A: Martin - For max clarity let's start with an "identity:" 1 kilowatt-hour of electrical energy is ... | |
| Hydro-Electrical-Generation | 2/21/2010 |
| Q: I am attempting to produce electricity to run my single story home. Last year the maximum of 1100 ... A: Jack - Sorry to say that if you're pumping the water from underground with a 1/2 HP electric motor, ... | |
| noisy junction box | 2/17/2010 |
| Q: Howdy. Our junction box is unfortunately set 6 feet from the front door and right next to the porch ... A: Susan - If it is actually a "transformer" that you're talking about, a device that reduces the ... | |
| noisy junction box | 2/15/2010 |
| Q: Howdy. Our junction box is unfortunately set 6 feet from the front door and right next to the porch ... A: Susan - I'm not expert in electrics, but if I had a buzzing electrical box I'd call a professional ... | |
| COAL FIRED OR HFO POWER PLANT | 2/13/2010 |
| Q: Iam from a small country of few islands burning a very expensive diesel fuel to get no more than ... A: Nadhoim - I'm sorry to say that a coal-fired steam power plant of a very small size like 1 MW would ... | |
| Halogen Lighting Mystery | 2/12/2010 |
| Q: I have a set of three Hampton Bay halogen lights that that have a touch dimmer (low, medium and ... A: Wayne - This is just an slightly educated guess ... Perhaps the dimmer switch and/or the wire from ... | |
| parallel pumps | 1/28/2010 |
| Q: i wanna ask u about parallel pumping. can u explain for me is it possible to parallel 2 same ... A: Amir - I certainly is possible, and happens all the time in large industrial and power plants. One ... | |
| CPAITAL COST OF BIOMASS GASIFICATION | 1/15/2010 |
| Q: I am doing some financial modelling / feasibility for several countries in Asia on biomass ... A: Austin - I wish I could help more, but almost all my work is on large utility scale scale power gen ... | |
| megawatt | 1/14/2010 |
| Q: I am an engineer so understand some of the math, but I am unclear on public usages of the term ... A: Rod - The press normally has no idea what they mean when they're talking about electricity, but when ... | |
| Ceiling light always dim | 12/27/2009 |
| Q: The upstairs bedroom has a ceiling fan and light. We replaced the unit twice, thinking it was the ... A: Well, Sherri, apologies in advance because this is just a wild guess ... I have a ceiling fan with a ... | |
| all-one smokestack | 12/9/2009 |
| Q: What would be the diameter of a global "Tailpipe/Smokestack" if you added up all the fossil fuel ... A: Gene - That's a clever question, and might create an interesting visual for various comparisons. ... | |
| HP compressor efficiency | 12/7/2009 |
| Q: Please could you help me on the following problem or, if you're not the right expert, give me the ... A: But maybe the compressor runs at essentially constant discharge pressure, filling the tank via a ... | |
| HP compressor efficiency | 12/5/2009 |
| Q: Please could you help me on the following problem or, if you're not the right expert, give me the ... A: Steve - I think you were on the right track at the beginning. The efficiency will certainly be low ... | |
| incandescent lightbulbs | 12/2/2009 |
| Q: In my kitchen we have high ceilings and 4 recessed light fixtures. BR40 flood lights fit the ... A: Michelle - Glad to hear of your committment to energy conservation. Please keep that going! So sad ... | |
| Energy losses | 11/21/2009 |
| Q: I read in an article that approximately 62% of power produced is lost by the time it get to the ... A: When electricity leaves a power plant and is transmitted hundreds of miles over high voltage lines, ... | |
| Supercritical Boiler Efficiency | 11/12/2009 |
| Q: Bill: I have read that the supercritical, and ultra-supercritical boilers are more efficient in ... A: Scott - It all boils down to (no puns!) ... All right, it all depends on temperature. In the ideal ... | |
| electric bill and electric meter question | 11/11/2009 |
| Q: We just buy a brand new home 3300sq, and we have not moved yet, but we do go there over the weekend ... A: Suketu - Sounds like you might just have to live in the home for a month and keep track of the meter ... | |
| electric bill and electric meter question | 11/11/2009 |
| Q: We just buy a brand new home 3300sq, and we have not moved yet, but we do go there over the weekend ... A: Suketu - We live in a 2500 sq ft home. We have a gas water heater and gas clothes dryer. We both ... | |
| power generation | 10/31/2009 |
| Q: is bio fuel successful for todays criteria... ANSWER: Subha - It is likely that liquid biofuels ... A: The main attraction of nuclear power plants is that they produce no carbon dioxide (CO2) greenhouse ... | |
| power generation | 10/22/2009 |
| Q: is bio fuel successful for todays criteria... A: Subha - It is likely that liquid biofuels will have a high value for other purposes such as ... | |
| energy source | 10/8/2009 |
| Q: If I wanted to use a new type of energy source in a gas form with triple the calorific power of ... A: Daniel - So sorry for the delayed response ... I've been out of the country. A) If, for example, ... | |
| Steam Generation | 9/29/2009 |
| Q: How much steam can be produced at 120 psi using the waste heat from a four megawatt natural gas ... A: Al - Very roughly ... If the small CT has an efficiency of 25%, it's heat rate (fuel energy in per ... | |
| Cut way back on using natural gas to make electricity? | 9/24/2009 |
| Q: I see in your resume the following sentence: "I can tell you why we have to build more nuclear ... A: Sojourner - Excellent question. Thanks for asking. We should cut way back on using natural gas to ... | |
| Hydro Power | 9/20/2009 |
| Q: How much water per hour is required to generate 1 MW of power? If the water drop variable, how much ... A: Chris - Recalling an old, very rough rule of thumb ... 1 acre of water 1 foot deep falling through a ... | |
| CFB- Boilers/utility boilers | 9/16/2009 |
| Q: Hey, I have a couple of very stupid questions. I hope you still find time to answer them! What is a ... A: Theresa - I assure you that those are not stupid questions. No one knows what those phrases mean ... | |
| AC | 9/13/2009 |
| Q: I believe and have also heard several places recommend that to achieve best energy and cost ... A: Nancy - I think you are both right on the important part, which is to set the temp no higher (in ... | |
| What Constitutes "Green" Power | 9/12/2009 |
| Q: If you build a power plant that is using both methane gas and natural gas as the fuel supply but ... A: Colleen - Natural is almost entirely methane, which when combusted in a power plant turns into water ... | |
| Demand metering | 8/31/2009 |
| Q: Will a demand meter see a instant kw load and regester when it happens A: Dale - Yes it will see any instantaneous load spike, but it may or may not register the full value ... | |
| Load Scheduling and Balancing | 8/10/2009 |
| Q: Kindly explain power generation mix in relation to load profile for me. The generation mix includes ... A: Rowland - Check this out ... | |
| Load Scheduling and Balancing | 8/9/2009 |
| Q: Kindly explain power generation mix in relation to load profile for me. The generation mix includes ... A: Rowland - One needs hourly load duration curves based on actual historical data for days of the ... | |
| Load Scheduling and Balancing | 8/8/2009 |
| Q: Kindly explain power generation mix in relation to load profile for me. The generation mix includes ... A: Rowland - That's actually a very large and complex question ... more than one can address in any ... | |
| it is just my imagination | 5/12/2009 |
| Q: i want to use wind energy and solar energy both ,..on a vehicle top if we put solar panels and a fan ... A: Rashmi - Keep up the creative thinking, but I'm afraid you can forget about this one. When the car ... | |
| Tree has grown around electric wires | 4/22/2009 |
| Q: When my mother passed away a few years ago she left her property to me and my siblings. Most of us ... A: Linda - I'm no expert on this, but will tell you what I think. I think there's a good chance that ... | |
| Gas to Power - Conversion from Resources (Bcf) to Power Generation capability (MW) | 4/20/2009 |
| Q: 1) I try to find out what power plant capacity (how many MW) I can build with a given resource of ... A: David - I can give you only a very approximate way to do the estimates. FIRST - to get the power ... | |
| 110 or 220 | 4/9/2009 |
| Q: I have a well that the pump is submerged roughly 40 ft. and it's a 110V pump. A gentleman I work ... A: Matthew - I'm no expert on motors, but will tell you what I know. Pumping 10 gpm to a 40 foot height ... | |
| Power Generation and Oversupply | 3/28/2009 |
| Q: Do you know how national power system operators deal with oversupply (i.e. if suppliers have ... A: Rhys - An insightful question ... You're right, almost no electricity can be stored by the ... | |
| micro hydroelectric plant | 3/19/2009 |
| Q: I have a small stream flowing besides our house in the village since we are far from the electrical ... A: AGWE - If your hydro system is 100% efficient in converting the potential energy of water at a 10 ... | |
| wood fired small e generator | 3/18/2009 |
| Q: Bill, I am wondering if a small wood fired electricity generator could be built that would feed ... A: Sorry to say I don't think this concept is going to be very economical for your home. One could use ... | |
| basic questions about power | 3/12/2009 |
| Q: I have some basic questions about electricity/power. 1) What's electricity tariff? in the ... A: Van - 1) In the U.S. we speak of a "rate." There are residential rates, commercial, industrial, and ... | |
| basic questions about power | 3/11/2009 |
| Q: I have some basic questions about electricity/power. 1) What's electricity tariff? in the ... A: Van - 1) Tariff is the word often used in non-U.S. countries when referring to the regulated price ... | |
| 1 Megawatt Hour Sale Price USA | 3/7/2009 |
| Q: Please help me.This is the data I am supplying to you from one of your earlier answers to a ... A: Anup - $50/MWh is only the fuel cost if the electricity is from a large highly efficient gas-fired ... | |
| turbine type and exhaust pressure | 3/5/2009 |
| Q: Sir; whats a reaction type turbine and how its blades are arranged.whether it has a stationry blde ... A: Raj - Here's a link to a short but effective description of impulse and reaction turbine designs, ... | |
| Energy:Megawatt | 3/4/2009 |
| Q: Please help me.This is the data I am supplying to you from one of your earlier answers to a ... A: Anup, my friend, you need help from an engineer who can spend several hours with you, or maybe ... | |
| solar assisted CHP | 2/24/2009 |
| Q: as a graduation project i am currenlty investigating the oppertunities to intergrate a solar energy ... A: Kees - Here's a link to costs for large utility scale power plants. ... | |
| solar assisted CHP | 2/23/2009 |
| Q: as a graduation project i am currenlty investigating the oppertunities to intergrate a solar energy ... A: Kees - Great project you've started! There's tons of info available on the many technical approaches ... | |
| biomass gasification | 2/18/2009 |
| Q: I would like to thank you in advance for your knowledge and information that you have shared on the ... A: Lee - Glad you caught the decimal ... Seems that you've a perfectly good understanding of the kind ... | |
| biomass gasification | 2/17/2009 |
| Q: I would like to thank you in advance for your knowledge and information that you have shared on the ... A: Sounds like you've already got a good handle on the economics. I would only suggest additional ... | |
| Power Education | 1/23/2009 |
| Q: Sir, I constantly hear there is a shortage of Power professionals in the world. Is this correct? Our ... A: Nadeem - Yes, every country in the world, except maybe China, needs more engineers. Your Bachelors ... | |
| turbine manufacturing | 1/9/2009 |
| Q: i would appreciate it if you could please tell me how a turbine manufacturer (eg siemens, ge, ... A: Sameer - First, some readers will need to know that 1 MW = 1 megawatt = 1 million watts of power. ... | |
| Natural gas power plant efficiency | 12/23/2008 |
| Q: I'm trying to figure out how efficient natural gas power plants will be going forward. Looking at ... A: Well, Frank, those numbers indicate that the average efficiency of natural gas-to-electricity ... | |
| oil equivalent efficiency of power plants | 12/14/2008 |
| Q: What is the equivalent quantity of fuel oil for a modern plant to produce a KWH of electricity? That ... A: Elmer - One of the most efficient ways to make electricity from #2 fuel oil is to burn it in a ... | |
| Converting electricity to BTU | 12/4/2008 |
| Q: Would an electric furnace be 100% efficient at converting KWH to BTU? A: Lyndon - If it's an electric heater with a fan, and depending on the size, etc etc, it will maybe be ... | |
| 3 phase and 1phase..!!!! | 12/2/2008 |
| Q: ...!! In our country 230v/50hz for 1ph and 415v is used for 3ph....to domestic customers some are ... A: Paul - 3-phase power is usually only made available to customers who have a large electric load, ... | |
| cost per kwh of natural gas plants | 11/24/2008 |
| Q: Can you give me some ball park info on the following two questions 1. At today's cost of natural ... A: Ron - 1. I also get 12 cents/kWh, assuming capital cost of $2000/kW and a net heat rate of 7800 ... | |
| Steam flow vs. pressure | 11/21/2008 |
| Q: In our turbine we measure control stage pressure. We have 2*150TPH for 50mw steam turbine. Boiler 1 ... A: Srinivas - Sorry to say that I cannot tell you how to convert control stage pressure to flow unless ... | |
| flow | 11/20/2008 |
| Q: i m srinivas working as a control desk operator in 50mw capitive thermal power plant. I have some ... A: Srinivas - If there is a device measuring feedwater flow to the boiler, it might give a pretty good ... | |
| Clean Coal compared to Geothermal Energy to generate electricity | 11/3/2008 |
| Q: How does the cost of clean coal technology development currently compare with developing geothermal ... A: McNeer - Good questions. Clean coal technology refers to a process that burns coal in a way that ... | |
| 200 mw system worth | 10/24/2008 |
| Q: Can you tell me what amount of kilowatts a 200mw power station would produce, in total on a yearly ... A: Paul - 200 megawatts (MW) = 200,000 kilowatts (kW) If the plant runs at full capacity for 85% of the ... | |
| Turbines | 10/10/2008 |
| Q: What kind of turbines were used at Springdale Power Station located in Springdale, Pennsylvania ... A: Bonnie _ Are you writing a history? All I've been able to easily learn is that the original plant, ... | |
| Price comparison between steam turbines | 10/10/2008 |
| Q: In a proposed 75 MW 1500 PSI, 950 degrees,steam plant, how much more for an extraction turbine for ... A: Jim - I don't know. But I can make a couple of observations: 1. In either case the smaller machine ... | |
| solar power | 9/1/2008 |
| Q: Is there a way to set up a 1kw solar panel and sell the electricity to the electrical company but ... A: Ted - I'm not sure, but probably. Utilities all over the place are wanting to buy solar power, and ... | |
| Deman meter | 8/26/2008 |
| Q: We have 5 AC units at church to bring all 5 units on at once has a large demand. If they are ... A: Larry - Sorry to say that the small print in the Church electric bill, or in its power purchase ... | |
| Noisy power transformer? | 8/23/2008 |
| Q: I saw a post of yours regarding a noisy pole transformer. I have a similar problem except I can even ... A: Ken - Make absolutely sure it is the transformer's fault, get your neighbors involved on the issue ... | |
| Voltage swings | 8/14/2008 |
| Q: I work in a small medical office complex – there are five more offices – and noticed recently that ... A: Johannes - It sounds like the kind of thing that might happen when a large motor starts, like a ... | |
| eletric generators | 8/13/2008 |
| Q: I am interested in finding out if small wood fired electric generator are in the market and what ... A: Michael - I've no experience with actual solid fuel power generating systems of such small size. ... | |
| Cycling machine | 8/12/2008 |
| Q: This is a fantastic forum, good for you. Its funny as i have had this thought for a while now (about ... A: Laurence - In a previous Q&A I estimated that one person burning 2000 calories of food energy per ... | |
| Electric Power Systems | 7/26/2008 |
| Q: Bill, I found your this website and your answers really informative! Would you answer a few ... A: Ken - By the numbers ... 1. Sure. A residential or commercial custormer has a breaker box (or ... | |
| Btu and Electricity | 7/16/2008 |
| Q: Bill, I just ran across a question you answered and I was impressed also I'm confused on a few ... A: Richard - That's an awful lot of waste heat you've got available! If your waste heat Btus are at a ... | |
| Average home--- use of Electric power | 7/7/2008 |
| Q: How much electric power does the And/Or How much solar, or wind power generated electric would ... A: Jim - It varies tremendously - seasonally, regionally, and from house to house... When the lights, ... | |
| Main causes of price fluctuations? | 6/2/2008 |
| Q: The power company that supplies my electricity generates its power via nuclear power plants. On my ... A: Sorry to be so tardy getting back to you ... been out of the country for a week. Today, and except ... | |
| electric energy consumption | 5/21/2008 |
| Q: Does it use more energy to turn a light off when you leave a room for a few minutes, then turn it ... A: David - I personally wouldn't bother to turn off a light for only a minute or two, but that's the ... | |
| Combined cycle power plant | 5/15/2008 |
| Q: We are thinking of setting up a combined cycle power plant using natural gas. What is your opinion ... A: John - I think a gas-fired combined-cycle electric power plant could be very good, very bad, or ... | |
| Transformer Drum Noises during Rain, Storms | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: The pole outside my house has a transformer drum, stepping down the voltage of the AC for my needs. ... A: You're welcome, Peter. Your additional description of the sound increases the chances that it's ... | |
| Transformer Drum Noises during Rain, Storms | 5/12/2008 |
| Q: The pole outside my house has a transformer drum, stepping down the voltage of the AC for my needs. ... A: Peter - Is it possible that the noise is more of a "buzz" and that it's coming from the insulators ... | |
| work for gas companies in northeast pa. | 5/10/2008 |
| Q: I have been told that many of the gas companies that are here in northeast pa. are hiring. Work is ... A: Sheila - I'm not in PA, but I do know that in PA and several other places there is a tremendous ... | |
| storing power | 5/7/2008 |
| Q: Stevens, I have got a noob questions. I am in the industry where we use up quite a lot of ... A: Alan - Good thinking, but there are a few limitations. If the price of electricity during off-peak ... | |
| Shoud I switch to Energy saver light bulb? | 4/14/2008 |
| Q: as much as the title says, I'm very concern about switch to energy saver light bulb, as I have heard ... A: Peter - Very very good question. Everyone needs to properly dispose of compact fluorescent lights ... | |
| query on gas compressor cooling pump | 3/9/2008 |
| Q: my name is lukesh and i work in a town gas production plant.my question is that we have gas ... A: I don't know why cooling water would be needed after all compressors are stopped. Maybe there's a ... | |
| hi. please answer my Q. | 2/20/2008 |
| Q: can you please explain the economic tradeoffs of making electricity from solar? A: Mohammad - A very good question. When evaluated using the monetary values we place on natural ... | |
| Selling Power | 2/3/2008 |
| Q: Stevens, I am curious about information on microgenerating electricity and selling it back to the ... A: William - A noble cause ... You'll have to spend a little time looking into the details with your ... | |
| candles vs. electric lighting | 1/28/2008 |
| Q: Is more environmentally friendly, in terms of CO2 emissions and energy consumption, to burn a candle ... A: Christina - I think that even if there were a CO2 / climate change environmental advantage to using ... | |
| luminous efficacy | 1/15/2008 |
| Q: Hey Bill, I was reading an article in Wikipedia, and I saw something that was unaccounted for in ... A: Shalin - I'll have to look into it, but for now will guess that if a 100 watt bulb designed for 115 ... | |
| over production of power | 1/15/2008 |
| Q: i have a bio fuel platant that burns its wast glysride with a 12% b100 biodiesel mix it burns 100% ... A: Sean - If you have a biomass plant making 200 MW (megawatts) of power, you probably don't actually ... | |
| Compressing Air | 1/14/2008 |
| Q: How many HP would it require to compress 2000 CFM of air at 500 PSI. A: Charlie - Here's a rule of thumb: It takes about 1 HP to compress 4 CFM to 90 psi. That' a ... | |
| Power Conservation Project. | 12/18/2007 |
| Q: my name is Jessica and I am 16 working on a math project for school. I am just wondering how our ... A: Good subject! I'll ask you a simple sequence of math questions. You can make it much more ... | |
| Solid-state generation of electricity without causing hazardous pollution or radioactivity? | 12/18/2007 |
| Q: In the next 20 to 50 years, what is likely to be a solid-state source of electricity that does not ... A: Green - Optics, transmission of energy as light, is not my area of expertise. But, as you know, ... | |
| Solid-state generation of electricity without causing hazardous pollution or radioactivity? | 12/16/2007 |
| Q: In the next 20 to 50 years, what is likely to be a solid-state source of electricity that does not ... A: Sounds like you've already got a pretty good handle on the alternatives. The only "solid state" ... | |
| powerlines | 9/25/2007 |
| Q: I am wondering about the type of power that transformer drums put out, is it the same as power ... A: I think you probably need have no concerns about electromagnetic force field (EMF) effects from the ... | |
| kW/hour | 9/7/2007 |
| Q: can you explain to me what is a kW/hour? how it is used in measuring energy input/output. If you can ... A: Gerald - K stands for kilo which means 1000. W stands for watt which is a measure of electrical ... | |
| Noisy insulators on power pole | 8/24/2007 |
| Q: Bill - I hope your expertise covers this. The power pole in front of my house has noisy insulators ... A: DR - Sorry to say that altho I'm aware of the phenomenon, I have no knowledge of new solutions. ... | |
| sub station | 7/25/2007 |
| Q: How does a power sub station convert electricity to designated grid? How does it take a larger flow ... A: Brian - A substation would be better called a reducing-and-splitting station, but that's too many ... | |
| hi | 7/20/2007 |
| Q: lately i ahve heard of someone that out of deseperation is hiring an electrician to install ... A: Yom - Yes, electricity can flow without going through your apartment's meter if you tap in upstream ... | |
| hi | 7/18/2007 |
| Q: lately i ahve heard of someone that out of deseperation is hiring an electrician to install ... A: I don't know anything about New York's building codes, but I wouldn't worry a bit about an ... | |
| gas vs electri dryer | 5/25/2007 |
| Q: We're moving into a new house & have to buy a washer & dryer. There aren't any hookups for a gas ... A: Linda - Where you live a lot of your electricity is made from gas, so the price of gas is reflected ... | |
| Washing machine 60 Hz working in country supply 50 hz | 5/17/2007 |
| Q: , I would be most grateful if you help me with this issue. I bought a washing machine 10 kg capacity ... A: Sounds like you've bought a 60Hz machine that Hoover sells in 50Hz countries. I'm not actually an ... | |
| concise explanation of difference 208 vs 240 | 5/14/2007 |
| Q: I sell foodservice equipment. A common issue that we run into is that some equipment is spec'd at ... A: Darrel - Concisely speaking: 220v does not mean 208v. 220v is single phase power; 208 is the voltage ... | |
| Generator Mode | 5/12/2007 |
| Q: Goodday.. Could you explain the meaning of generator droop and isochronous mode? A: Adam - Quote On a small electrical grid, one machine is usually operated in Isochronous Speed ... | |
| Efficiency of CCPP due to GT failure | 5/9/2007 |
| Q: If the CCP is configured in 3x3x1 and the each GT rated at 50MW and ST rated at 100MW, ie total ... A: Toh - Sounds like you may be an anxious investor in a new combined-cycle power plant that's having ... | |
| Noisy Bearings? | 4/30/2007 |
| Q: A friend gave me an old model C2548C1 1 HP Dayton capacitor motor which runs fine for now but makes ... A: Rod - I'm not a motor guy, but a grinding noise from a motor doesn't sound good. HA! <sorry ...> Did ... | |
| electrical wiring | 4/9/2007 |
| Q: I have a question, is there anyway to ruin electrical wiring? I have a question for my homework, ... A: Rob - That is indeed a confusing question. If it's electrical wire, insulated metal conductors, you ... | |
| UV lights to clarify pond water. | 4/4/2007 |
| Q: I have a 12,0000 gallon fish pond in my backyard that my sons and I built. I use a 6500 gallon per ... A: Charles - Beautiful pond,really amazing. I know nothing about UV bulb effective life, but can ... | |
| Electric Cars | 4/4/2007 |
| Q: Mr. Stevens, Are the benefits of electric cars to the environment reduced or nullified because ... A: John - Good questions. Electric cars will not decrease CO2 emissions, period. They only cut down ... | |
| combined cycle power plant | 2/27/2007 |
| Q: Please advise your opinion on a c.c.p.p module comprising of four gas turbine as connected to one ... A: Hamid - Four CTs exhausting to one HRSG would lead to a Big problem if one of the CTs tripped off as ... | |
| Am I too old? | 1/19/2007 |
| Q: I was hoping you could answer a question for me. I am looking for a career change and always wanted ... A: Marcus - Thirty-eight is certainly not too old to start anything, careerwise. Neither is ... | |
| integrated renewable energy systems | 1/6/2007 |
| Q: i am a prospective masters student who wish to design IRES for an african community .my problem ... A: Adam - You're embarked on a wonderfully challenging project! Stick with it. Alas, all I can do is ... | |
| cowabunga | 12/20/2006 |
| Q: Is generating electricity from cow-sourced methane practical? Wehre can I get more info on this ... A: Kevin - Cow poop to methane to electricity is certainly possible. The question is always about ... | |
| Distribution line transformer to be placed in yard | 11/29/2006 |
| Q: I went home yesterday to find a business card from an engineer from power co. & request to call. Due ... A: M.J. - My sympathies to you. Cutting aesthetically and ecologically valuable trees to make room for ... | |
| electric sub station | 11/24/2006 |
| Q: I am not sure how big it is at present , its behind a fence, I think its about the size of a large ... A: Paul - Yes, that helps. Sounds quite small as such things go. It's probably just a transformer that ... | |
| wye to delta | 11/22/2006 |
| Q: How do you feed a delta transformer from a wye one? This was the situation we were presented here ... A: http://www.elec-toolbox.com/ Dave - Sorry to say I'm the wrong guy to be advising you on anything ... | |
| Electricity Generation Bottom Line. | 11/20/2006 |
| Q: We're trying to make sense on how to make good return of our investment in a power generating ... A: Ron - Sounds like you already understand the critical issues: Electricity price per kWh - has to be ... | |
| i need some help | 11/15/2006 |
| Q: Stevens, i have a question. can u put a power storage underground?like a storage box to store ... A: Zohair - I really wish we could store electricity in a box, but we can't. We can store electrical ... | |
| power plant efficiency | 10/31/2006 |
| Q: Bill, Just to clarify a little more about what I am looking for. I would like to take a look at a ... A: Priscilla - Instead of writing a book that might not give you what you need, I did a little googling ... | |
| power plant efficiency | 10/27/2006 |
| Q: I have a question about the kind of technologies and approaches available for enhancing existing ... A: Pricilla - You've asked a Huge question, one that I would love to answer. But because of it's large ... | |
| power demand versus kilowatt hour | 10/19/2006 |
| Q: example: I am running a waste water plant and I need to know how much power I am drawing because I ... A: Harry - Power demand is the maximum load in kW that you put on the utility during the month. It will ... | |
| generator capacity | 9/29/2006 |
| Q: I represent a natural gas exploration company and we have a significant amount gas reserves that are ... A: Ron - Sorry for the tardy reply ... been traveling. A 1 MW generator operating at full capacity ... | |
| Power Transmission | 9/25/2006 |
| Q: Bill, This is related to a previous question, but with a slightly different tilt. While solar power ... A: Matt - I don't have any data on per mile losses for various voltages and conductor sizes etc, but I ... | |
| selling electricity to public utilities | 9/20/2006 |
| Q: I have read that in some western states, people that have private homes can sell excess power to ... A: Phil - If the utility power to your home fails, a line is down or a circuit breaker is open, and ... | |
| House fuel price trend | 9/20/2006 |
| Q: In your opinion, in the next 12 months, do you think that house gas fuel will be going up, down, or ... A: Sallie - I think in the short term, 12-months or even 1-3 years, all fuel prices will continue to go ... | |
| Balls on Power Lines | 9/19/2006 |
| Q: beach-ball size and they are sporadically strung on the lines in mostly non-residential areas. ... A: Those power line balls are easily visible, right?, and are to alert pilots of (usually) small ... | |
| electric bills | 8/31/2006 |
| Q: Is there a way to view on-line the electric bills of other houses in my community? A: Gary - Not that I'm aware of. But maybe the utility would give you average billpayer data for ... | |
| combined cycle power plant module | 8/14/2006 |
| Q: we are dear sirs, we are requested as aconsultant tocomment on a module comprising of 3 gas ... A: Sorry to say I cannot cite a public study of these two arrangements, but I have worked with both. ... | |
| Combined Cycle Power Plant | 6/16/2006 |
| Q: How many watts of power can be generated per mmbtu in a combine cycle power plant. A: Dayamay - Depends on how the plant is designed, how old it is, etc. But my guess is that the average ... | |
| power lines | 6/10/2006 |
| Q: could u tell me what the things that hold the line on a wooden pylon are called and made from please ... A: I think you're referring to "insulators." They are made of material that does not conduct ... | |
| How much do you know? | 6/6/2006 |
| Q: Stevens, I wonder how much do you really know about the construction of power plants, its costs, ... A: Chow - Anyone who hopes for competent assessments of the technical, economic, financial, operational ... | |
| Storing of excedent energy produced | 4/21/2006 |
| Q: Using induction motors as generators and wind turbine as prime mover , How should one stores the ... A: Good thinking, Florent! Actually, the utility grid cannot "store" the excess energy generated by the ... | |
| Steam Turbine | 2/12/2006 |
| Q: I would like to know as to what is the optimum steam turbine inlet pressure(in bar) if the ... A: nitin - That's a sophisticated question. If your question relates to a real life situation then it ... | |
| International power gird | 1/21/2006 |
| Q: Your profile is indeed impressive so I would greatly value your help in answering my question. I ... A: Frank - I appreciate your question and applaud your sincere concerns. Alas, scientists, engineers, ... | |
| Electricity Conservation | 1/20/2006 |
| Q: I am the Administrator of a Health Care Facility. Due to increase in electric rates, I'm asking ... A: Billy - Not true. Motion sensor with built in time delay of like 5 minutes would be ideal for ... | |
| using electric | 1/13/2006 |
| Q: Bill just a basic question. I am forever running around my home turning out lights that my kids ... A: Glad you asked! Two important reasons to keep setting a good example yourself and to keep pressing ... | |
| Electrics | 12/29/2005 |
| Q: don't know if you may be the right person to talk to . I want to negociate with an electric company ... A: Mr Soul - You can look in the phone book yellow pages or on the internet for electric utilities, to ... | |
| Electricity generation | 12/18/2005 |
| Q: My son has been given a school project on ideas for power generation. He and his class-mates have ... A: Ah, the old reciprocating engine. Whether it's up/down or back/forth sideways, we can pin one end of ... | |
| electricity | 12/17/2005 |
| Q: i understand that to produce electricity conductors have to be cut, normally at right angles to each ... A: Philip - Obviously you've given this a lot of serious thought. But the simple answer is: We're ... | |
| Heating costs | 12/8/2005 |
| Q: I know that heating with electricity is much cleaner, although sometimes problematic because of ... A: Sorry I can't answer generally, because it depends on relative prices of energy from gas and ... | |
| cost | 11/17/2005 |
| Q: I have been trying to figure out cost and this is what I have. My furnace is 100000 btu and about ... A: Gary - Been outta town and forgot to sign off, sorry for the delayed response. Let me do an example ... | |
| Insulation of a High Power line | 11/14/2005 |
| Q: How much insulation would be required to fully (safely) insulate a high power line running from a ... A: Matt - Been out of town and forgot to sign off ... sorry for the delayed response. It all depends ... | |
| cycling energy | 11/4/2005 |
| Q: Would it be possible to create enough energy to run the average household by harvesting the energy ... A: Tom - Let's say that all you want to do is power 10 light bulbs, each 100 watts, for just one hour. ... | |
| What is cheaper?? | 10/18/2005 |
| Q: What is cheaper, gas or electric stoves and dryers for the average households utility bill? A: Robert - We just bought a washer and dryer ourselves, and are looking at a new kitchen range/oven as ... | |
| efficient power plant | 8/30/2005 |
| Q: what is the most efficient power plant today? A: Sorry to be so late in getting back to you ... I've been out on 2 weeks vacation and just got back ... | |
| Economy Of Air Conditioning | 8/26/2005 |
| Q: I have a question about whether to use aor con or fan. I am visiting my brother who seems to beleive ... A: Sorry to be so late in getting to your question ... I've been out of the country. If you have ... | |
| Parallel operation of power transformers | 7/21/2005 |
| Q: Good day! would just like to ask your thoughts about paralleling power transformers momentarilly for ... A: Eric - Don't rely on anything I say about this ... I'm a mechanical engineer, not electrical. Any ... | |
| Electric Cars | 7/13/2005 |
| Q: I have been researching electric cars and how they stack up to gasoline motors. Most electric car ... A: Brad - You're doing some good thinking there. Keep it up. There are a few wrinkles to be worked out ... | |
| steam turbines | 7/8/2005 |
| Q: sir, you have given us the information at a turbine efficiency of 75 %.however the normal ... A: Mithun - The max 40% efficiency number you mention would be about right for the overall, entire, ... | |
| Explanantion, Apology | 7/6/2005 |
| Q: Mr. Stevens: Evidently, I may have inadvertantly insulted your expertise, or hurt your feelings, by ... A: Ok, ok ok, Mike! What it it? Do you have a bet with someone? I haven't checked our subject board so ... | |
| about steam turbines | 7/6/2005 |
| Q: sir,i didn't get your previous mail since my email id on yahoo.com was expired so please give me the ... A: Mithun - I'll explain the estimate, but must do it in English units since it's late at night here at ... | |
| Pump Handle on High Power Breaker Box | 6/29/2005 |
| Q: Bill, and thanks in advance for your answer. I was watching Jurrassic Park last nite, and a freind ... A: Mike - I don't remember the scene, but as you describe it I understand the question. First, I must ... | |
| wasteheat boiler | 6/20/2005 |
| Q: Please advise the best way to use the byproduct gas with following details for power generation. By ... A: Pothalakaro - Sorry to be so late getting back to you! What a great engineering economics question. ... | |
| solar garden light | 6/9/2005 |
| Q: I need some information about solar garden lights about their structure and how they work .I am a ... A: Reza - I'm not an expert in solar panels, but I know that the garden lights simply use a small solar ... | |
| Peak and it's impact to billing, nonresidential | 4/8/2005 |
| Q: Figuring the cost of operating a load in a residence with a fixed KWH rate is not a problem for me. ... A: Roman - You've got the right idea. Commercial/industrial rate practice varies slightly from utility ... | |
| parallel operation of two alternators | 4/5/2005 |
| Q: my question is how do i parallel two alternators? How do I use a lamp indicator to know when the two ... A: Mark - These's a good discussion of synchronizing practices in the following online document, Sec 6, ... | |
| Engineering Services in Utility | 3/9/2005 |
| Q: Our company provides engineering solution for various domains of industries like power, Oil&Gas, ... A: Siddharth - How much outsourcing of CAD etc varies greatly depending mostly on the size of the ... | |
| Wind Power | 2/27/2005 |
| Q: The company I work for is exploring alternative power sources, particularly wind generated power in ... A: Joe - You're going to need a very detailed study with several kinds of expertise involved to tell ... | |
| Three Phase versus written-pole | 2/19/2005 |
| Q: Bill. A clarification and a follow-up, if I may. I want to purchase a variety of three phase ... A: Aha! New machines coming in that already have 3-phase motors. That in itself ought to be sufficient ... | |
| Three Phase versus written-pole | 2/16/2005 |
| Q: My utility is offering financial support for companies, like mine, that want to bring three phase ... A: Nick - Sorry for the delay in response, I was away and neglected to change my availability. If your ... | |
| can you help | 11/28/2004 |
| Q: the local electricty company have preposed to lay an underground high voltage cable along our street ... A: John - I'm not an electrical transmission expert, so my opinion is not expert. However, I'm aware ... | |
| Power Plant | 9/20/2004 |
| Q: I bought a second hand old Diesel french electrical plant brand AUBRY for my fishing lodge in ... A: Philippe - Checked your website and must congratulate you on a great presentation and a wonderful ... | |
Electric Power & Utilities
Answers by Expert:
W.A. (Bill) Stevens
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can explain the technical and economic tradeoffs of making electricity from natural gas, coal, nuclear, wind, solar, and biomass energy sources. I'm familiar with air pollution control technologies. I have a good understanding of the science on global warming and can explain how the various fuels and energy conversion technologies contribute to that process. I can tell you why we have to build more new nuclear, wind, and solar power plants, but will still have to keep using coal for a long time to make elctricity. I understand energy conversion efficiency. However ... I'm not an electrician, so probably cannot help with any questions on motors or wiring.
Experience
Forty years as a registered professional mechanical engineer.
Education/Credentials
Graduate of Purdue University, School of Mechanical Engineering.
Past/Present Clients
EPA, DOE, State Department, USAID, World Bank, Bechtel Power Corporation, U.S. Generating Company, numerous electric utility and independent power companies.
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