Technology survey report on electric power systems
Barthold, Lionel O.
This report presents an overview of the status of today's power system technology and expectations for future development. It examines the main areas of the power system: supply and demand, generation, energy storage, transmission lines, transmission substations, system operation, distribution, system design, software, and utility management. Combined cycle units are emerging as the preferred generating source because of their low capital cost and high efficiency, particularly where gas is available. These units can also be adapted to coal fueling through coal gasification to minimize using oil as a fuel and to utilize indigenous resources. Increased environmental concern is giving impetus to the development of fluidized bed and coal gasification technologies to permit wider use of coal for electricity production. The report also points out that public concern, low oil prices and high capital cost will limit the use of nuclear power to only a few developing countries. It will also be many years before new technologies such as fuel cells or ocean thermal energy conversion could be considered for the developing countries. Finally, there is considerable scope for improving utility productivity through computer automation in specific areas such as generation dispatch, distribution operation and system control optimization.
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