POWER GENERATION

Gaumer has been a part of the power generation industry since 1962. The electric power industry is the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electric power to the general public. Gas-fired power plants have clear economic advantages due to their low capital investment, short construction period and excellent dynamic response in operation.

The recent increase in the generation of electricity by natural gas power plants is largely due to an increase in the known supply of natural gas resulting in lower forward-looking prices, increasing focus on power plant carbon dioxide emissions and the relative flexibility of constructing and operating natural gas power generation. The increase in supply is a result of gas production from unconventional sources, such as shale gas or tight gas, which is trapped in deep impermeable rock or non-porous limestone and sandstone. Natural gas has much lower emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) as compared to coal. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are approximately 50 percent lower than coal when burned to generate electricity.

• There are three major type of gas fired power plants:

• Simple-cycle: Burn natural gas in a combustion turbine to produce high-pressure, high-temperature gas, that is then used to spin the turbine. These plants have short start-up times and are used during periods of peak demand. They are relatively inefficient in their ability to convert heat into electricity so their use is often limited to periods of high demand.
• Combined-cycle: Incorporate simple cycle combustion turbines and a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). Waste heat from combustion turbines is used to generate steam in the HRSG to drive a steam turbine. The use of waste heat results in higher plant efficiency (50+ percent).
• Steam Plants: Use natural gas to heat water and create steam that spins a turbine, just as in a coal plant.

• Major processes include:

• Flow Metering
• Pressure Reduction
• Gas Conditioning
• Gas Heating
• Gas Filtering