Twenty years ago on page 6 of the January 1988 edition of Power Engineering magazine, a full-age ad introduced “POWER-GEN ‘88” to the world. The inaugural event, which grew to become POWER-GEN International, was held at the Orlando Convention Center from December 6-8. The event covered fossil and solid fuel power generation, including coal, oil, natural gas, municipal solid waste and other waste fuels. “Paper abstracts are invited,” the ad read. That opened the floodgates, which, over the next 20 years, would see thousands of papers researched, written and presented at the world’s largest and most prestigious exhibition and conference for the power generation industry.
Power Engineering magazine has been PGI’s flagship media sponsor since the beginning 20 years ago. This year to celebrate PGI’s 20th anniversary we’ll take a look back at some of the issues and events that were making news. A lot of the same issues continue to make news today.
The editor’s column from the July 1988 issue deserves a second look 20 years later. Read the piece, by then Senior Editor R. C. Rittenhouse, and see if you don’t agree that the phrase “the more things change, the more they stay the same” rings true. Rittenhouse offers much deserved recognition to the men and women whose profession it is to provide electric power.
“There have been peace marches, anti-war and anti-nuclear protests, and other exercises that, by inference, confuse power plants with warheads and vice versa. The protest beat and other nonproductive pastimes have preoccupied the general media and even some in this industry for far too many years.
“Granted, it is more fun to ruminate over the big picture—the philosophy of the nuclear world. And although the discussion of world politics and the generalities of nuclear power is a deadly serious responsibility for some, it merely is an interesting academic exercise for most of us.
“Meanwhile, back at the power plant, much work is being done and not a whole lot is being said about it. As so many power plant people repeat and repeat, ‘Our job is to keep the generators turning. So, let’s just get down to cases and talk about what makes power plants run better, longer.’
“The heroes in this piece are the engineers and technicians who are back at the plant using ultrasonic testing to find a leaky valve or listening to an expert discuss the value of belleville springs to restore those valves to their original condition; the maintenance people who keep the power plants on line; the researchers who are developing new technologies for the new smaller, more efficient nuclear power plants that are in danger of not being built; and those who are striving to reduce construction delays by fighting for that better technology and the modernization of licensing requirements. Nuclear power plants themselves are an international topic and their operation and upkeep seems interesting enough for the most dedicated nuclear advocate.
“What we need now is an even stronger campaign to spotlight the nuts and bolts—quality maintenance, upgrading and operating procedures—that now boost efficiency/reliability in nuclear power plants. Those procedures that implement plant life extension also deserve greater emphasis. Developing additional ways to achieve and share those findings with the industry and the world would seem to be infinitely worthwhile.”