Power plants, fossil-fueled capacities

Biofouling is of great influence on costs and expenses in indnstry A 1999 report by Naval research laboratory indicates that use of antifouling paints conld save up to 10% of the US Navy s annual fuel bill. The same report quotes from another report prepared by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) that more than 75% of condenser loss in fossil-fueled power plants with a capacity of more than 600 MW is due to biological factors, of which 30% were due to macrofouling. Research indicates that barnacles are indeed capable of inducing localized corrosion. 

As a rule, the use of traditional fossil-fuelled electric power plants and low-capacity boiler plants for heating is associated with the delivery of fuel and combustive-lubricating materials, which is risky and results in the considerable increase of the costs of electric and heat power generated in these regions. Pending problems of power supply became an obstacle of social and economical development of the Russian northern territory [1]. 

Nuclear Reactors. Nuclear power faciUties account for about 20% of the power generated in the United States. Although no new plants are plaimed in the United States, many other countries, particularly those that would otherwise rely heavily on imported fuel, continue to increase their nuclear plant generation capacity. Many industry observers predict that nuclear power may become more attractive in future years as the price of fossil fuels continues to rise and environmental regulations become more stringent. In addition, advanced passive-safety reactor designs may help allay concerns over potential safety issues. 

Many dozens of industrialized countries now employ nuclear reactors for power generation, and some countries produce more electrical power by nuclear reaction than by fossil fuel combustion (France is an example). The United States, however, has the largest installed capacity of nuclear-powered boiler plants (in the year 2000 there are more than 120 nuclear reactor power plants in the United States). Nuclear power is also widely used for marine duty in both commercial and naval vessels. 

The advantages of nuclear power plants include the fact that they operate at a 90% capacity factor (loading). Also, 1 kg of natural uranium generates about as much electricity as 20,000 kg of coal. In contrast to fossil fuels, nuclear power does not contribute to global warming. In the past, the cost of... 

Some of the IBPCSs that have been proposed for power production in the United States are listed in Table 14.5. Most of them are considered to be modules of full-scale IBPCSs. Note that the power capacities are small relative to the capacities of fossil-fueled power plants. One of the largest commercial biomass-fueled power plants is the 60-MW plant in Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada. It is fueled with waste biomass from nearby lumber mills... 

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