Humboldt Bay Generating
Station
Presented by,Daniel and
Mileshttp://www.pge.com/about/environment/pge/minimpact/humboldtbay/
History
http://khum.com/sites/default/files/pictures/donbass_0.bmp
•Originally used biomass to produce electricity
•1947, salvaged a Russian tanker for supplemental energy
History Cont.•Nuclear power was the next type of power production
•Closed for repair then later decommissioned
•Decommissioning will be completed by December 31, 2015
http://online.redwoods.edu/instruct/colloquium/0607/
Generating Electricity• Most power plants use fuel to generate steam
that drives a turbine.• These thermal power stations generally have an
efficiency between 30% and 50% • Humboldt Bay has primarily used biomass and
natural gas as fuels used for steam turbines.
http://geothermal.marin.org/geopresentation/sld038.htm
Natural Gas as a Fuel
• Fuel versatility and flexibility• Reduced environmental impact and emissions
compared to biomass or coal
Natural gas seems logical for Humboldt
•Low production costs•Low transport costs once pipeline is installed•Stable national supplies and energy security
http://arstechnica.com/security/2012/08/natural-gas-producer-knocked-
offline-by-malware-attack/
• Natural gas pipeline already in place
• Uses natural gas to power an engine instead of producing steam
• Increased efficiency• Fuel flexibility• Difficult to make and
maintain the exceptionally large engine that would be required to power a city
Engine Generation
http://www.schatzlab.org/news/tag/california-energy-commission/
Reciprocating Parallel Engines
• Instead of one big engine, utilize ten smaller engines running in parallel
• For a generator to perform at maximum efficiency, it generally needs to be running at full capacity
• Using smaller engines, only a few engines need to be turned on and performing at maximum during non-peak times
http://www.pge.com/about/environment/pge/minimpact/humboldtbay/
Ongoing Research
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/manufacturing/distributedenergy/pdfs/recip_engines_brochure.pdf
•Goals of ARES:• 50% Brake Thermal
Eff.• Max .1 gm /bhp-hr
Nox emissions• Maintenance costs
of $.01 EkW –hr• Cost
competitiveness
•Advanced Reciprocating Engine Systems (ARES)
References
•http://www.pge.com/about/environment/pge/minimpact/humboldtbay/•Oppenheimer, Natural Gas: The Best Energy Source, Pen & Podium Inc, 1989, 99•Kazmi SK. Generating electricity on natural gas. Pakistan & Gulf Economist. 2012;31(36):52-3.•http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/humboldt/documents/applicant/afc/Volume_01/Section%202.0%20Project%20Description.pdf•Sridhar G., Paul P.J., Mukunda H.S. "Biomass derived producer gas as a reciprocating engine fuel-an experimental analysis".Biomass & Bioenergy. 2000•Dorf, Richard C. "Components of Cogeneration Systems." The Engineering Handbook. 2nd ed. Hoboken: CRC, 2004. 75-12. Print•http://www.wartsila.com/en/references/humboldt-bay•http://www1.eere.energy.gov/manufacturing/distributedenergy/pdfs/recip_engines_brochure.pdf