-
What is a fixed charge
Equity, Debt,Taxes
-
Busbar cost
cost per unit of energy
-
What are O&M charges
Operating and Maintenance costs
-
What is a rule-of-thumb fixed charge rate for large energy projects
17%
-
What energy sector is regulated by state regulatory commissions
Electricity
-
Increased revenues are necessary to cover what types of expenses related to a project
Fixed costs
-
Why is capacity factor important in calculating busbar costs
the percent of energy generation
-
Can you describe “busbar” and its importance in the grid
cost per unit of energy at the point where the generator interconnects with the grid
-
How does inflation affect annual project cash flow estimates
increases the cost of a project over time
-
What are the two primary sources of capital for large projects
- direct costs
- indirect costs
-
How is a weighted cost of capital determined
The weighted cost of the total investment of capital is (percent of investment) X (bank interest) plus (percent of Investment) X (loan interest)
-
Why are accurate project cost estimates important
- Profitability (cost/benefit analysis)
- Valid comparison with alternatives
- Provides timing of cash flows for financing
- Assists with managing project
- Management credibility with shareholders
-
What is FERC
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
-
What guidance does FERC provide during estimation
- account for construction and operating costs using a “chart of accounts”
- FERC Uniform System of Accounts
-
What is the name of the financial incentive that the US government offers to certain energy projects?
Production Tax Credit
-
What are the key initial steps you would take as the manager of a project
- Identify your executive sponsor
- Establish the project team
- Interview and select consultants
- Create specifications, evaluation criteria
- Establish supplier, contractor contacts & teams
- Executive contracts
- Establish project schedule with critical path
- Establish monthly cash flow budget
-
What is a project’s critical path
minimum length required
-
What are the types of impact on the environment that arise from the conversion and transmission of energy
- waste heat
- effluents
- sound
- electromagnetic radiation
- ionizing radiation
- asthetics
-
Energy competes for water with what other forms of socioeconomic activity
agriculture, industry, municipal, & domestic needs
-
Two U.S. federal rules, CSAPR and MACTS, regulate power plant air emissions. What are the names of these rules, and what pollutants does each address
- Replaces Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR)
- Applies to Plants >25 MW
- Assists with National Ambient Air Quality
- Targets SO2 and NOx
- MACTS applies to mercury, hydrogen chloride, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5)
- Plants must reduce Hg by 90% relative to pre-control levels (April, 2015 deadline)
-
What is the general trend over time of power plant emissions of CO2, SO2, and NOx
decrease
-
What is the IPCC, and to what organization does it report
- International policy for climate control
- United Nations
-
What significantly affects earth’s reflectance
land/water ratio and cloud cover
-
What significantly affects earth’s emissivity
greenhouse gas concentration
-
Regarding the formula for radiation heat transfer, what temperatures are used for the calculating the radiation power density from the sun and from the earth
-
The sun’s radiation is received in the visible part of the spectrum and reradiated in what part of the electromagnetic spectrum
infared
-
According to Wien’s Law, in what way does increasing the temperature of a blackbody radiator change the peak wavelength at which the object radiates
Decreases
-
What are the three categories of biomass fuels
- Wood and Wood Waste
- Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and Landfill Gas
- Biofuels
-
Of the total biomass consumed annually, about what fraction is devoted to electric generation
10%
-
Of the solar radiation penetrating the canopy, about what percentage is estimated to be stored through photosynthesis
7%
-
The heat of combustion of biomass is similar to what other fossil fuel
lignite
-
What are the challenges of burning biomass
- Water content
- Non-organic content
- Non-beneficial oxygen adds to bulk
- Expensive to haul, low production density, competition
-
What do the acronyms “MSW” and “RDF” represent
- Municipal Solid Waste
- Refuse Derived Fuel
-
Can you describe how synthetic gas is derived from coal
Coal heated without oygen
-
What does IGCC stand for
Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle
-
What are the two cycles IGCC references?
- IG-integrated gasification, Single Cycle (Brayton)
- CC- combined cycle, Combined Cycle (Brayton+Rankine)
-
Can you describe the three phases and the role of bacteria in producing biofuels
- Solid- ferment (carbs, lipids, protiens)
- Liquid- Propionic, acetogenic, & acidogenic Bacteria (Fatty acids, glucose,amino acid)
- Gas- Methanegenic Bacteria (organic Acids)
-
How does the Btu content of ethanol compare to gasoline
1:7
-
What is the Renewable Fuels Standard, and what sources are predicted to support increased biofuel production in the future
cellulosic biofuels
-
What challenges exist with transporting ethanol
- where its produced vs needed
- Ethanol Pipeline Challenges
- Corrosion
- Affinity for water
-
Definition: turbine
- An energy conversion device
- A device in which energy is transferred from a continuously flowing fluid by the action of one or more moving blade rows.
-
Turbine types: Fluid
hydraulic, wind, gas, steam
-
Turbine Types: Direction of Flow
axial, mixed, radial
-
Turbine Types: flow process
impulse, reaction
-
Wicket gates
direction of flow
-
Turbines: speed
constant – mass flow adjusted to produce desired output
-
Pmech = τ * ω = m’(r1Vu1-r2Vu2)* ω
- τ = torque
- m’ = mass flow rate
- r1, r2 = blade radius at inlet, outlet
- Vu1, Vu2 = component of fluid velocity parallel to blade tip direction
-
Euler equation
- Pmech = m’(U1Vu1-U2Vu2)
- Velocity of blade
- Velocity of fluid
-
Faraday’s Law:
quantifies induction of voltage by time-varying magnetic flux
-
Synchronous generators
identical electrical and mechanical frequencies
-
Mechanical Energy Input
dWmech = dWfield + dWelec
- Increase in + Electrical Energy Output
- Energy
- Stored in
- Coupling Field
-
n = 120*f/p
- n = # of rpm’s
- f = elec freq in Hz
- p = # of poles
-
Line voltage
measurement between two phases
-
Phase voltage
measured between phase and neutral
|
|
