Industry Terms DATA sheet

Power Generation Page 1 of 10

Attemperator A device to reduce and control the temperature of

superheated steam.

Blowdown 1: Connection in an evaporator for removing accumulations

of solids, sludge and scum by partial draining during
operation or continuously bleeding liquid from the bottom of
a boiler, evaporator, vaporizer or kettle-type reboiler.

2: With boilers, the process of discharging a significant

portion of the aqueous solution to remove accumulated
salts, deposits and other impurities.

Boiler A device for generating steam for power, processing or

heating purposes or which generates hot water for heating
purposes or hot water supply. Heat from an external
combustion source is transmitted to a fluid contained within
tubes found in the boiler shell. This fluid is delivered to an
end user at a desired pressure, temperature and quality.

Combined Cycle An electric generating technology in which electricity is

produced from otherwise lost waste heat exiting from
one or more gas turbines. The exiting heat is routed to a
conventional boiler or to a heat recovery steam generator
(HRSG) for use by a steam turbine in the production of
electricity. This process increases the efficiency of the
electric generating unit. Combined-cycle retrofits were a
popular way of increasing efficiencies in older facilities.

Combustion Turbine An internal combustion engine which is fueled by liquid

or gaseous fuel to generate mechanical energy through a
rotating shaft, which drives an electric generator or other
piece of equipment. In simple cycle use, the turbine mixes
compressed air with natural gas or oil then burns the
mixture, expanding the gases. The expanded gases then
pass through the turbine blades. Combustion turbines are
also used in combined cycle by adding a heat recovery
steam generator to the system.

Compressor A pump or other type of machine using a turbine to

compress a gas by reducing the volume.

Condensate The liquid which separates from a gas when the

temperature decreases.

Condenser A device that cools low-grade steam discharged from a

turbine generator back to water so it can be reheated in
a boiler or HRSG to produce more steam for the electric
generator process.

www.mogas.com

© Copyright MOGAS Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. 02/2010

Industry Terms DATA sheet

Power Generation Page 2 of 10

Condenser Cooling Water A source of water external to a boiler’s feed system is

passed through the steam leaving the turbine in order to
cool and condense the steam. This reduces the steam’s
exit pressure and recaptures its heat, which is then used
to preheat fluid entering the boiler, thereby increasing the
plant’s thermodynamic efficiency.

Continuous Vent Connection and collection device in the shell of a closed

feedwater heater for continuously collecting and removing
noncondensibles from the extraction steam. Continuous
vents should be capable of passing at least 0.5 percent of
the steam to prevent noncondensibles from accumulating,
thereby causing capacity loss and corrosion. They should
be bypassed during start-up to allow for rapid purging of
inerts.

Cooling System An equipment system that provides water to the

condensers and includes water intakes and outlets, cooling
towers, ponds, pumps, valves and pipes.

Critical Temperature A term most often used to denote the maximum

temperature at which gas or vapor may be liquefied by
application of pressure alone. Above this temperature, the
substance exists only as a gas.

Deaeration Removal of noncondensible gases from water.

Desuperheating Zone That part of a closed feedwater heater’s outlet tube that is
reserved for transferring sensible heat to feedwater from
superheated extraction steam.

Distillation Unit A device or vessel in which one or more feed streams are
separated into two or more exit streams, each exit stream
having component concentrations different from those
in the feed streams. The separation is achieved by the
redistribution of the components between the liquid and
the vapor phases by vaporization and condensation as
they approach equilibrium within the distillation unit. The
distillation unit includes the distillate receiver, reboiler, and
any associated vacuum pump or steam jet.

Double Block And Bleed Two block valves connected in series with a bleed valve or
line that can vent the line between the two block valves.

www.mogas.com

© Copyright MOGAS Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. 02/2010

Industry Terms DATA sheet

Power Generation Page 3 of 10

Dry Bottom Boiler No slag tanks at furnace throat area. The throat area is
clear. Bottom ash drops through the throat to the bottom-
ash water hoppers. This design is used where the ash
melting temperature is greater than the temperature on
the furnace wall, allowing for relatively dry furnace wall
conditions.

Dryback Boiler A boiler with combustion chamber lined in refractory brick.

Dual Fuel System An engine that can switch back and forth from one fuel
type to another, or which can burn two different fuels
simultaneously with no modifications and/or minimal
downtime.

Dual-Fired Unit A generating unit that can produce electricity using two or
more input fuels. In some of these units, only the primary
fuel can be used continuously. The alternate fuel can be
used as a start-up fuel or in emergencies.

Economies Of Scale Reduction of the average per-unit of electricity as the size

of the power plant increases. When there are economies
of scale, larger facilities will have a lower unit cost than
relatively smaller facilities. Construction costs do not
always increase in the same percentage as output.

Economizer 1: A set of tubes in a steam generator through which

boiler feedwater passes before entering the main boiler
drum. An economizer boosts boiler efficiency by raising
the temperature of the water to slightly less than the
temperature of the water in the boiler.

2: Heat exchange device to increase feedwater temperature

through heat recovery from gases exiting the boiler.

Efficiency 1: Ratio of energy input to useful output

2: The gas turbine manufacturer’s rated heat rate at peak

load in terms of heat input per unit of power output based
on the lower heating value of the fuel.

Electric Energy The ability of an electric current to produce work, heat, light
or other forms of energy. It is measured in kilowatt-hours.

Electric Generation Grid-interactive and remote or stand-alone power

generation for general uses, including those for grid
distribution and general remote uses such as residential or
commercial power.

www.mogas.com

© Copyright MOGAS Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. 02/2010

Industry Terms DATA sheet

Power Generation Page 4 of 10

Electric Generator 1: A source of electricity, especially one that transforms

mechanical or heat energy into electric energy.

2: All utility and nonutility power producers as well as all

privately owned companies and all publicly owned agencies
engaged in the production of electric power for public use.

Electric Power Plant A station containing prime movers, electric generators, and
auxiliary equipment for converting mechanical, chemical
and/or fission energy into electric energy.

Electric Utilities Businesses engaged in the generation, transmission and

distribution of electricity to end-use customers. Utilities
are often categorized by their ownership, including investor
and cooperatively owned utilities and government owned
utilities such as municipal systems, federal agencies, state
projects, and public power districts.

Electricity A form of energy generated by friction, induction, or

chemical change that is caused by the presence and
motion of the elementary charged particles of which matter
consists.

Energy Loss The difference between energy input and output as a result
of an energy transfer between points.

Engineering Procurement
and Construction (EPC) A turnkey Engineering, Procurement and Construction
contract used in most power projects. These usually
include provisions and guarantees for completion,
performance, output, emissions and other operational
specifications.

Equalizer Connections In a closed feedwater heater, connections provided for

installing pipelines to equalize the pressure between the top
and bottom liquid-level controllers and gauge glasses. The
function of equalizer lines is to avoid false readings due to
siphoning.

Fahenheit Temperature scale commonly used in the United States,

with the boiling point at 212 degrees at sea level and the
freezing point of water as 32 degrees.

Fatigue Tendency of material to fracture under repetition of a stress,

which is less than the ultimate static strength. Fatigue
strength, also called endurance limit, refers to the maximum
stress, which can be incurred and reduced indefinitely
without producing a fracture.

www.mogas.com

© Copyright MOGAS Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. 02/2010

Industry Terms DATA sheet

Power Generation Page 5 of 10

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission (FERC) Regulates the production, transmission and wholesale sales
of electricity and natural gas when they are interstate. Its’
predecessor was the Federal Power Commission.

Fire Point The minimum temperature at which a flame is sustained.

Fire-Tube Boiler A boiler in which hot flue gases pass through tubes
surrounded by water.

Flash Point Temperature at which a liquid will give off enough flammable
vapor to ignite.

Force Majeure A contract clause allowing extraordinary events such as

natural disasters, war, terrorism or governmental actions
to either terminate or suspend a contract or performance
clause without penalties being levied.

Fuel Any combustible material that can be burned to produce

heat.

Generating Unit Any combination of physically connected generators,

reactors, boilers, combustion turbines and other prime
movers operated together to produce electric power.

Generator An electric generator is a device that converts mechanical

energy to electrical energy. The reverse conversion of
electrical energy into mechanical energy is done by a motor;
motors and generators have many similarities.

Gigawatt A common measurement of electricity. One gigawatt = 1

billion watts or 1 million kilowatts or 1 thousand megawatts.
GWe = gigawatt electric / GWh = Gigawatt hour

Grid The layout of an electrical distribution system including

the interconnected transmission lines, substations and
generating plants.

Heat Capacity Measured in joules per Kelvin, it is the quantity of heat

needed to raise the temperature of a body one degree.
Once called thermal capacity.

Heat Exchanger Transfers heat from one fluid to another without the fluids
coming into contact. Used to regulate fluid temperature or
to use heat that would otherwise be wasted.

www.mogas.com

© Copyright MOGAS Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. 02/2010

Industry Terms DATA sheet

Power Generation Page 6 of 10

Heat Rate Measure of generating station thermal efficiency generally

expressed in BTUs (British Thermal Units) per net kilowatt-
hour.

Heat Recovery Steam

Generator (HRSG) A boiler attached to the exhaust of a combustion turbine to
recover heat from the exhaust and converted into steam.

High-Low Fire A burning that has two firing rates to accommodate load
demand.

High Pressure Hot Water Boiler A boiler that provides water hotter than 250ºF or at
pressures exceeding 160 pounds per square inch.

High Pressure Steam Boiler A boiler that provides steam at pressures exceeding 15
pounds per square inch.

High Pressure Switch A piece of equipment monitoring liquid, steam or gas

pressure which will shut down the burner at a specified
pressure.

Hours Under Load The hours the boiler is operating to drive the generator
producing electricity.

Induced Air Air flowing into a furnace because the furnace pressure is
less than the atmospheric pressure.

Induced Draft Mechanically produced air movement into the combustion

chamber, creating enough pressure to exhaust the
combustion products.

Life Cycle Costs (LCC) Total costs incurred over the life of a plant or piece of
equipment; including operations, maintenance, spare parts
as well as initial capital costs.

Main Fuel Valve The valve controlling fuel input to a burner.

Main Stop Valve The valve connected to the boiler allowing steam to exit the
boiler.

Megawatt (MW) One million watts. Mwe = one million watts of electric
capacity / MWh = one million watt hours.

Multipass Boiler A boiler in which flue gases are passed through the boiler
shell multiple times, through the tube arrangement or
baffles.

www.mogas.com

© Copyright MOGAS Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. 02/2010

 DATA sheet

Page 7 of 10

Nameplate Rating The full load continuous rating of a generator, prime mover
or other electrical equipment under specified conditions as
designated by the manufacturer.

Net Available Capacity The gross available capacity less the unit capability used for
that unit’s station service or auxiliary loads.

Net Heating Value The amount of heat generated by combustion of

hydrocarbons including water vapor.

No-Load Loss Power and energy lost by an electric system when not
operating under demand.

Nonutility Generator (NUG) An entity, other than an electric utility, that engages in
wholesale power generation or self-generation.

Once-Through Cooling A power plant circulating water system which takes water
from a single source and pumps it through a condenser,
thereby cooling the hot condenser water.

Open-Ended Valve or Line Any valve, except safety relief valves, having one side of the
valve seat in contact with process fluid and one side open
to the atmosphere, either directly or through open piping.

Operating Availability Factor The percentage of time a unit was available for service,
whether operated or not.

Operating or
Working Temperature The temperature that will be maintained in the metal of
the part of the vessel being considered for the specified
operation of the vessel.

Operating Pressure 1: Pressure for which a side of a unit is thermally designed

and rated.

2: The pressure at the top of a pressure vessel at which it

normally operates.

Outage The period of time when a generating unit, transmission

line, or other facility is out of service.

Output The amount of power or energy produced by a generating

unit, station or system.

Particulate A fine grained particle(s) small enough to be suspended in a

gas or liquid but large enough to be filtered out.

Peak Demand The maximum load during a specified period of time.

www.mogas.com

© Copyright MOGAS Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. 02/2010

 DATA sheet

Page 8 of 10

Peak Load Station A generating station which, because of its cost, is normally
operated only to provide power during maximum load
periods.

Peaking Facility A power plant that is used only when electricity demand is
at its highest point or peak.

Planned Outage The removal of a unit from service to perform work on

specific components which is scheduled will in advance
and is of a predetermined duration.

Plant Efficiency The percentage of the total energy content of a power

plant’s fuel that is actually converted into electricity.

Postweld Heat Treatment (PWHT) Heating a piece of equipment to a sufficient temperature

to relieve the residual stresses which are the result of
mechanical treatment and welding.

Power Generation Conversion of primary sources of energy into electric

energy.

Pressure Force exerted over an area.

Pressure Relief Valve A valve which relieves pressure beyond a specified limit and
recluses upon return to normal operating conditions.

Process Vent Includes vents from distillate receivers, product separators,

and ejector-condensers.

Pump A mechanical device used to increase fluid pressure or

move fluids.

Regenerator A heat exchanger that transfers heat from a turbine’s

exhaust gases to the compressed air stream.

Reheater A combustor located between two turbine stages to

increase the temperature of the working fluid and the power
available from it.

Reliablity A measure of how well equipment will operate without

failure.

Relief Valve A valve which opens at a designated pressure and bleeds a

system in order to prevent a buildup of excessive pressure.

Retrofitting Adaptations and/or changes to existing equipment to permit

substitution of one fuel for another.

www.mogas.com

© Copyright MOGAS Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. 02/2010

 DATA sheet

Page 9 of 10

Safety Shut-Off Valve A valve that is automatically closed by the safety control
system or by an emergency device to completely shut off
the fuel supply to the burner.

Seating Torque A value depicting the turning force required to set a valve
into its closed position.

Shutdown Valve An automatic valve used to isolate a component in a

system.

Simple-Cycle Turbine A turbine in which the working medium passes successively

through the compressor, combustor, and turbine.

Start-Up The procedure used in starting a power plant’s prime mover

and supporting auxiliaries.

Steam Generator A huge “radiator” where heat from the primary loop is
transferred to the secondary steam loop without mixing of
the two streams of water.

Steam Turbine A rotary engine with a series of curved vanes on a central

rotating spindle, or shaft, that is powered by steam.

Stress Relief The heating of a substance to a specific temperature to

relieve any residual stress.

Sump 1: A depression or tank that catches liquid run-off for

drainage or disposal.

2: The auxiliary portion of a condenser shell for

accumulating condensate.

Thermal Capacity The maximum amount of heat that a system can produce.

Thermal Efficiency The ratio of the electric power produced by a power plant to
the amount of heat produced by the fuel.

Thermal Expansion The increase in volume of a fluid or length of a solid as a

result of a change in temperature.

Train A group of closed feedwater heaters connected in series on

the feedwater side.

Turbine A machine / motor that consists of a rotating shaft with

blades that are driven by a fluid or steam for generating
rotary mechanical power from the energy of stream of fluid
or steam.

www.mogas.com

© Copyright MOGAS Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. 02/2010

 DATA sheet

Page 10 of 10

Unplanned Outage Hours Sum of all unplanned outages, start-up failures,

maintenance outages and the scheduled outage extensions
for maintenance.

Venting Discharge into the atmosphere, allowing excessive or

unwanted media to escape as planned

Waste Heat Boiler A boiler that receives all or most of its energy input from
the combustible exhaust gases for a separate fuel burning
process.

Water Tube Boiler A boiler where the water being heated passes through tubes
surrounded by the flue gases.

www.mogas.com

© Copyright MOGAS Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. 02/2010