System upgrades and new system specification

If you have a part 75 system that was installed back in 1994 then you should be thinking about upgrading that system. In many cases you will have trouble getting support and parts for your older equipment. The threads on your probes are probably stripped and you probably have a few pieces of equipment that you tiptoe by because you don’t know what you would do if it broke.

You are making your life much harder than it needs to be. The analyzers available today are more reliable, easier to troubleshoot, and offer many more features than their 10+ year old predecessors. The newer PLC’s have more memory and are much faster and easier to program. The DAHS hardware and software is light years ahead.

I have experience developing specifications for new systems. I am up to speed on the latest analyzer technology, DAHS hardware and software, PLC systems, and solutions to common problems with old CEMS systems. I will survey your existing system, interview your people, and specify a new system that will be much easier to operate and maintain and eliminate many of your nagging problems.

QA/QC Plan Development

Many times utilities are still using QA/QC plans that were developed back in 1995. It is not uncommon for a second or third generation of I&C technicians to be using QA checksheets that have not been updated in over ten years. It is also not uncommon for a few components of the system to have been upgraded without the needed updates to the QA/QC documentation.

Custom Reports

You probably dread the end of the quarter because you know that you will spend the next month producing dozens of reports for your part 75 requirements, your part 60 requirements, state and local regualtions, and permit compliance. If you are spending days hand assembling data from multiple sources, I can probably help to automate most of it. I have taken data from CEMS systems, PI systems, LIMS systems, SQL servers, Oracle, and control systems to produce final reports in minutes instead of days. I can automatically handle all of the little headaches like missing data or the fact that your DAHS stays on standard time while your other systems probably do not.

Many times companies find that they have violated a limit after the fact because their operations personnel do not receive timely information due to the labor involved in producing reports. I can usually develop automated spreadsheets or web pages that present the data in real time giving projections to help operators manage fuels and additives insuring compliance. Not only do I save you time hand preparing the reports, I make you more effective allowing you to proactively manage your operations instead of reacting to problems.

Mercury CEMS

You may have everything that you can handle with your part 75 CEMS but if you are burning coal then things are going to get much more complicated. If you are worried about the looming Hg CEMS requirements and do not have the time to get up to speed on this new technology, I can help.

I am fortunate enough to be getting valuable first hand experience in the first half of 2007. I am assisting in the installation and commissioning of new Hg CEMS on two large coal/pet coke fired boilers in Jacksonville, FL for the St. Johns River Power Park.

The unique qualities of Hg will cause many changes in how these new CEMS will operate. There are many assumptions that you can make with your part 75 CEMS that are out the window.

I atteneded the Thermo Super Group II meeting last fall and will be attending the EUEC in January 2007 so I will be up to speed on the latest news regarding the CAMR rules, RATA options, and industry trends. My combination of knowledge about CAMR and direct hands on experience with the hardware should be a very valuable combination. If you are worried about implementing your systems and would like to have an experienced hand on the crew, I can help.

You have a lot of money riding on your CEMS. Problems that go undetected can be a ticking time bomb. If you discover today that you have had a leaking solenoid in your calibration system which has thrown off your readings, what will you do? I can implement checks to insure that when something like this happens, you know about it in a day or two, not weeks down the road. This protects your credibility and can eliminate the possibility that you will end up petitioning the EPA to allow you to make adjustments to your data instead of substituting weeks or even months of data. Often times when you make these substitutions or adjustments it has a cascade effect. Not only do you have to resubmit EDR’s, you may now not be in compliance with other state and local regulations or you may not be in compliance with your operating permits. These types of problems are in most cases avoidable.