Industry Articles

• NeuCo Featured in May 2011 Edition of Power Engineering Magazine
  May 17, 2011
  The Boiler Optimization Journey talks about the evolution of power plant optimization software over the past 15 years, from neural network-based systems that advised operators how to bias fuel and air in the furnace to reduce NOx emissions, to integrated closed-loop combustion and sootblowing systems that use hybrid AI technologies, solve a broad range of challenges, and provide enhanced benchmarking, analytics and transparency. The article provides examples of several power producers who have helped to advance these boiler optimization systems and drive new applications.
  
  
• Mercury Specie and Multi-Pollutant Control Project
  May 2, 2011
  This fact sheet published by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Labratory, discusses NeuCo's second round Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) project. The project officially concluded with the publishing of NeuCo’s final technical report by the DOE in 2010. Titled “Mercury Specie and Multi-Pollutant Control”, this four-year, $15.5 million cost-sharing project demonstrated the ability to affect and optimize mercury speciation and multi-pollutant control using non-intrusive advanced sensor and optimization technologies to minimize emissions, maximize efficiency and manage by-products at the NRG Limestone Plant in Jewett, TX. It also included the implementation and integration of advanced equipment and performance anomaly detection and diagnostic systems. The Limestone plant is operating with all optimization systems in place on Unit 2.
  
  
• AmerenUE: Still Pushing the Optimization Envelope
  July 19, 2010
  NeuCo and its customer, AmerenUE, were recently honored with the lead feature article in Power Engineering Magazine’s July issue. “AmerenUE: Still Pushing the Optimization Envelope” examines the utility’s proactive emissions reduction efforts and use of optimization software across its four coal plants over the past decade. It also details AmerenUE’s more recent BoilerOpt efforts at its Meramec plant’s four generating units, which resulted in benefits such as reduced NOx emissions, sootblowing counts and tube ruptures, improved exit gas and steam temperatures, and restored capacity.
  
  
• Observations: State of the Coal Industry
  March 9, 2010
  During the recent ACC Spring Coal Forum, key drivers were identified as the coal industry enters another season of uncertainty.  The prospect of federal cap and trade legislation; coal prospect as it relates to electrification of the transportation sector and the DOE/CCS projects at a glance were some of the topics covered at the conference.  Each problem plays an integral part of re-shaping the industry and as always, The Optimization Blog offers readers an outlet to get caught up with industry related news. Read Peter Spinney’s “Weaving the Threads” post on the ACC conference summary.
  
  
• Sootblowing Optimization at Ameren Meramac
  May 12, 2009
  Electric Power Expo; Special Edition: In early 2008, Meramec and NeuCo began installing CombustionOpt and SootOpt on Unit 3.  Together, the two solutions comprised Unit 3's comprehensive boiler optimization system, which replaced an earlier Pegasus combustion optimizer on that unit.  The primary goals of adding sootblowing optimization were to help operators maintain superheat and reheat steam temperatures with a narrower range, reduce air preheater gas inlet temperature excursions on the superheat furnace and reduce sootblower long-lance operations.  Read more on the developing story.
  
  
• Putting Combustion Optimization to work
  May 1, 2009
  NeuCo is featured in this month's Power Engineering magazine discussing ways boiler optimization helps identify and manage interactions between boiler processes and align combustion control and sootblowing operations with a plant’s overall objectives.  Pages 44-48. 
  
  
• Fuel Flexibility Article featured on EnergyCentral.com
  March 24, 2009
  This article describes and quantifies boiler optimization’s ability to manage power generation operating and financial tradeoffs in a manner responsive to uncertain fuel, NOx allowance and carbon markets.  Written by Peter Spinney, NeuCo, Inc.
  
  
• Boiler Optimization and SCR Systems: Reducing NOX, Managing Tradeoffs
  July 1, 2008
  Featured in the July 2008 issue of Power Engineering magazine, this article examines how boiler optimization can help mitigate SCR-related costs and negative operational side effects while better managing interactions between combustion and post-combustion systems. Authors include: Rob James & Peter Spinney of NeuCo.
  
  
• Mercury Specie & Multi-Pollutant Control Project
  May 28, 2008
  NeuCo has begun round two of the CCPI project at NRG Limestone.  The objective of the DOE II project at Limestone is to optimize the efficiency of pulverized coal-fired electricity generation, control the speciation of mercury, and minimize the emissions of mercury and other pollutants.  NeuCo and NRG Limestone will demonstrate the ability to affect and optimize mercury speciation and multi-pollutant control using non-intrusive advanced sensor and optimization technologies.  Read the full article featured on Power Engineering Online. 
  
  
• Integrated Optimization Software at Baldwin
  May 27, 2008
  The NeuCo/DOE 4-year, $19.1 million Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) technology development project has finally come to completion.  Dynegy's Baldwin Energy Complex now hosts the country's most significant integration of real-time asset optimizers for coal-fired power generation.  Read more on the project's approach and updated results in the article featured on Power Engineering Online. 
  
  
• The Optimization Blog featured in Energy Biz Magazine
  March 1, 2008
  While many power plants have not caught onto the blogging trend, NeuCo, the leader in optimization software, has developed a strong following with TheOptimizationBlog.com since it first appeared in 2007.  The blog is recognized as a direct resource for views & news about industry related topics.  We've featured "guest bloggers" and current industry news that our customers can learn from and take back to their peers.  Read on about the succcess of the blog and what makes NeuCo stand out from the rest.  *Article featured in the Utility Bloggers - New Communications Tools - Billing & Customer Care Guidebook, EnergyBiz, Mar/Apr 2008.