The Problem With Renewable Energy (and how we’re fixing it)
Frequency regulation on the grid is a big thing.
Power Plants
Bethlehem Energy Center Aka Albany Steam Station
Key Facts:
Location: Bethlehem, NY
MW: 790
Fuel: Natural Gas (Low Sulfur Distillate Oil As Secondary)
Technology: Combined-Cycle
Commercial Operation: 2005
https://www.pseg.com/family/power/fossil/stations/bethlehem.jsp
"Albany Steam Power Station first began operations in 1952 as a coal-fired station and was converted to oil in 1970. It was further modified in 1981 for natural gas and became a 400MW oil and natural gas-fired power plant. The BEC has cut emissions of smog-causing nitrogen oxide by 90%, and reduced sulphur dioxide emissions by 94%. The BEC generates 50% less waste heat than the Albany Steam Station and has reduced air emissions by at least 95%."
https://www.power-technology.com/projects/bethlehem/
"The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (Siting Board) has announced approval of plans to make hardware and software changes at the Bethlehem Energy Center in Glenmont that are designed to help improve the plant’s energy efficiency. The petition was submitted by the plant’s owner, PSEG Power New York LLC. The approved changes will allow for the replacement of certain components of the three combustion turbines and certain changes to related software programs. The equipment being replaced are components of the combustion turbines themselves. According to the Siting Board, the upgrades will result in very little, if any, impact on the environment or the surrounding community, and will not result in any increase in air emissions from the facility."
Isolated Electricity Supplies – Why they are not used for everything
Big Allis
Ravenswood Generating Station is a 2,480 megawatt power plant in Long Island City in Queens, New York. It is owned and operated by LS Power/Helix Energy Solutions Group. The plant is fueled primarily by fuel oil and natural gas which heats the boilers.
Electric Buildings in the Capital Region
America’s Three Power Grids
America has three electrical grids that are not synchronized to each other, and can not move alternating current electricity between one and another.
Generally speaking, a power plant in Oklahoma can't send electricity to most of Texas or Colorado.
Each grid was built separately and are incompatible with each other, although a limited amount of electricity can be moved between the interconnections using AC to DC to AC conversion. But such conversion is complicated and expensive, and isn't as simple as stringing lines between the grids.
In a nutshell an inverter motor works like this …
1) Grid power supplies single phase, 120 or 240 volt AC power at 60 hz
2) That power is run through diodes to create 120 volt or 240 volt direct current
3) A microprocessor connected to three sets of IGBTs (essentially high power transistors) switches them on an off to create three phase power at a variable frequency
4) The three phase, variable frequency AC electricity drives a three phase motor – no losses from shaded poles or starting coils – or coasting between the two poles
5) By varying the frequency of the AC, you vary the speed of the AC motor efficiently
6) Also, you can have smaller coils if you drive the motor at a higher frequency then gear the motor down for power and speed desired