Activity

  • Reliable Data = Reliable Operations

    Jim Cahill
    We all know that assets fail. The question is not one of “if” but rather “when” and “how catastrophically”. But what many people don’t know is that the need to repair failing assets is not the only concern with asset health. In his presentation at the 2025 Ovation Users’ Group Conference , Tinh Phan shared that it costs companies an average of 3.46 times more money to run their equipment unreliably. Between unexpected…

  • From Sun to Screen: Simulating Renewable Power with the Ovation Digital Twin

    Jim Cahill
    For years, simulation has been a core technology for effective and efficient testing and training. Live digital twin simulation duplicates a physical plant, creating a dynamic digital replica that allows users to operate the controls and receive clear results and feedback as though they were in the live plant. “It’s a virtual representation of a system that can be created in the simulation space. With the digital twin…

  • Ovation Remote Operations Control Center Topologies

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Chris Blasi and Kevin Rossi presented For Those About to ROCC, We Can Help You at the 2025 Ovation Users’ Group Conference. In their presentation, Chris and Kevin provided a look at various architectures and topologies for the Remote Operations Control Center (ROCC) , including many examples from projects implemented to date. Remote operations are primarily separated into islands that don’t fully integrate…

  • Consistent and Optimal Combined Cycle Operations

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Ranjit Rao and James Nyenhuis joined an engineering professional with a leading electrical power company to present Consistent and Optimal Combined Cycle Operations at the 2025 Ovation Users’ Group Conference. The case study highlighted a project to standardize the company’s automation platform, addressing increased operational flexibility for the electrical power market it served, as well as cybersecurity,…

  • A Powerful Platform for Digital Grid Management

    Jim Cahill
    One of the most prominent topics of discussion at the Ovation Users’ Group Conference 2025 has been the increasing challenges the grid faces as electrification continues to expand across the globe. In his presentation on Tuesday, Adam Wortz dug into the details to help attendees see exactly why this is happening. The grid, Adam explained, will both grow in electricity generation and increase in size dramatically in…

  • Ovation 4.0 Headlines the 2025 Ovation Users’ Group Conference

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Bob Yeager , Rick Kephart , and Glenn Heinl launched another exciting week in Pittsburgh with their keynote presentations at the 2025 Ovation Users’ Group Conference . Bob began the event by sharing some of the many ways Emerson will be “leading the future”, including a deeper view into the Ovation Automation Platform 4.0 . The rise of AI, data centers, and more is changing the grid as we know it and driving…

  • Stronger Together: Why Power Industry Cybersecurity Starts with Collaboration

    Jim Cahill
    One of the greatest challenges around the world is convincing people (or companies, for that matter) to make changes they don’t want to invest in. Regardless of the state of the marketplace, change that comes with added costs is always a difficult sell. And if that change adds complexity to daily life, it becomes even more of a challenge. In many cases, that resistance to change is overcome by regulation—if there are…

  • Protecting Critical Facilities from Cyber Attacks

    Jim Cahill
    A recent Forbes article, 7 Steps Utilities Must Take To Protect Critical Facilities From Cyber Attacks , highlights focus areas for manufacturers and producers to strengthen their operational resilience. These seven steps include: Knowing What You Need To Protect: Build A Complete Asset Inventory Focusing On What Matters: Prioritize Cybersecurity By Real Consequences Closing The Gaps: Conduct Regular Vulnerability…

  • Driving Reliability Performance Improvements for Power Producers

    Jim Cahill
    Reliability is a primary focus across all manufacturers and producers. For electrical power producers, it’s especially critical to be able to respond to the instantaneous demands placed on the grid. In a Power article, The POWER Interview: Emerson Exec Discusses Grid Enhancements , Emerson’s James Nyenhuis shares ways technology and transformed work practices can drive reliability performance enhancements. In the…

  • Understanding Generator Excitation Systems in Power Generation

    Jim Cahill
    A post from many years ago, Generator Excitation 101 , remains highly popular year after year here on the blog. For synchronous generators, excitation control is what controls the output voltage under changing electrical load conditions by adjusting the direct current (DC) to the generator’s field windings. Since a 101 post is so popular, let’s go back to the basics. Hopefully, most of you remember your grade school…

  • The Evolution of Solar Farms Leans Smarter, Faster, and Digitalized

    Jim Cahill
    Few people still working in the industry today likely remember the earliest solar production facilities, which operated more like traditional generation plants than their modern counterparts. Unlike those old sites, using solar collectors to produce steam and turn turbines, today’s operations are nearly entirely digital . As the solar plants have changed, so, too, have their operations, which Emerson’s James Fraser…

  • AI will Drive the Future of Power

    Jim Cahill
    While we’ve seen a recent explosion in focus on artificial intelligence in the last few years, AI has been around and in development for a long time. Machine learning engines have been helping operators and technicians better perform their tasks for many years now. So what has changed to make everyone suddenly shift focus? The answer is Generative AI, or GenAI for short, and it’s the topic of a recent interview Rick…

  • Digital Tools Keep the Lights On

    Jim Cahill
    Because power plants provide critical infrastructure, they are often subject to more scrutiny than other facilities. First and foremost, power plants are less able to tolerate unanticipated outages and service delays because they can mean failure to deliver the critical energy people and businesses rely upon. In addition, the criticality of power operations also makes energy generators tempting targets for bad actors…

  • Data Mobility Drives a More Stable Grid

    Jim Cahill
    The power industry is in a state of rapid change, and generation and distribution operations are changing alongside. The cost of renewables assets has reduced dramatically, making it common for modern power generators to harness a wide array of technologies to meet their needs. Further complicating the industry is the fact that it’s not just power plants generating electricity for the grid these days. Solar panels and…

  • Solar and Battery Storage Success Comes from Data-Driven Operations

    Jim Cahill
    One of the most exciting things about the rise of solar energy as a viable technology has been witnessing just how quickly solar operations around the globe have grown in scale. Today’s utility-scale solar farms can be huge, generating hundreds or thousands of megawatts of power and making a significant contribution to the grid. With growth, however, comes added complexity. Excess generation cannot simply be pushed…

  • Turn Excess Energy into Flexibility with H2

    Jim Cahill
    Whether it is utilities generating the electricity that powers homes and businesses around the globe, or more localized power facilities providing generation for industrial processing plants, such as oil cracking or chemical manufacturing, modern power generation is far less predictable than it was just five or ten years ago. Renewables are hot at the moment, with generators installing solar and wind assets at a breakneck…

  • The Power of Modern Simulation

    Jim Cahill
    The continuing changes in the electrical grid that have come as a result of the shift toward more renewable energy have dramatically increased complexity of power generation and distribution operations. Operators not only need to keep a close eye on their plants to ensure they are supplying (and not over-supplying) adequate power, but they also need to predict the future and react—following both weather forecasts and…

  • 150 Years of Performance

    Jim Cahill
    The year 1874 was 150 years ago. It’s hard to imagine a brand beginning then that is still available today. But so it is with Emerson’s Sempell brand of customized and engineered valve solutions. The company was founded as the Rheinische Maschinenfabrik in 1874 by Albert Sempell. The first valves for nuclear power plant applications in Germany were delivered in 1960. Pilot-operated safety valves came next to this industry…

  • Optimizing Combined Cycle Operations

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s James Nyenhuis , Ranjit Rao , and Jonathan Gillam presented Consistent and Optimal Combined Cycle Operations at the 2024 Ovation Users Group Conference. Here is their presentation abstract. The increase of renewable assets on the power grid are requiring combined cycle plants to cycle and move load more frequently. This abstract will discuss the process of analyzing the operation of a unit over time using…

  • Changing Valve Automation Requirements for Sustainability

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Tom Mullins and Daniel Quintero presented How Will Valve Automation Change in a Sustainability and Decarbonization World at the 2024 Ovation User Group Conference. Here is their presentation abstract. Sustainability and Decarbonization (S&D) are increasingly highlighted in corporate annual reports as a desired objective. The move to drive down emissions and use lower environmental impact alternatives will…

  • Security for Cloud-Based Applications

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Alejandro Cruz and Nick Janouskovec presented Cloud & Security for Cloud Environments at the 2024 Ovation Users Group conference. Here is their presentation abstract. This breakout session will introduce the different cloud service offerings and discuss the basic security concepts that are essential to protecting cloud environments. We will define some of the benefits and disadvantages provided to stakeholders…

  • Turbine Control Mechanical Updates

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2024 Ovation Users Conference, Emerson’s Jared Lubbert and Steve Sinka presented Mechanical Upgrades for Turbine Control Retrofits. Here is their presentation abstract. No turbine control system upgrade is complete without interfacing to the existing field devices, especially those devices that drive the turbine hydraulic or electro-hydraulic control system. This break-out session highlights several of the mechanical…

  • Turbine Control Mechanical Updates

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2024 Ovation Users Conference, Emerson’s Jared Lubbert and Steve Sinka presented Mechanical Upgrades for Turbine Control Retrofits. Here is their presentation abstract. No turbine control system upgrade is complete without interfacing to the existing field devices, especially those devices that drive the turbine hydraulic or electro-hydraulic control system. This break-out session highlights several of the mechanical…

  • Generator Excitation Tips and Tricks

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Matt Pizarchik presented Excitation Theory and Ovation Excitation Tips and Tricks at the 2024 Ovation Users Conference. Here is his presentation abstract. Generator voltage regulators are typically supplied by the generator OEM. This presentation will provide a basic overview of how voltage regulators work no matter who the manufacturer is. Putting voltage regulator controllers on the Ovation network provides…

  • Generator Excitation Tips and Tricks

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Matt Pizarchik presented Excitation Theory and Ovation Excitation Tips and Tricks at the 2024 Ovation Users Conference. Here is his presentation abstract. Generator voltage regulators are typically supplied by the generator OEM. This presentation will provide a basic overview of how voltage regulators work no matter who the manufacturer is. Putting voltage regulator controllers on the Ovation network provides…

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