Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative Inc.

: Article by Alan Dorich; Profiles

Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative Inc.

After 65 years, Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative Inc. has moved itself beyond the mere provision of power. “What we’ve done is change ourselves [through] growth into a service-type of organization,” General Manager and CEO Vic Simmons says.

Rapid City, S.D.-based Rushmore Electric delivers wholesale power to eight rural electrical cooperatives in western and central South Dakota. Simmons notes that four of the co-ops began developing in the state before World War II.

But the operations were put on hold until after the War, when the co-ops began building wires to service their customers. When the four entities realized they could not meet the demand for power by themselves, “They decided to join together and created Rushmore in 1950,” he explains.

: Article by Bob Rakow; Profiles

PSC

Hydroblasting is a highly effective way to clean industrial equipment, but it is an inherently high-risk activity as well. “A lot of bad things can happen,” says Joe Davis, vice president of sales and marketing for PSC, a provider of specialty maintenance services to the energy infrastructure marketplace.

The use of high-pressure water cleaning systems at pressures up to 40,000 psi to clean oils, sludges, polymers and other contaminants from plant equipment has been an industry standard for more than 30 years, Davis explains.

Until recently, however, hydroblasting was primarily achieved through manual handling of lancing equipment, either stiff or flexible.

: Article by Jim Harris; Profiles

Hamon Deltak Inc.

An internal investment in technology and engineering drives Hamon Deltak Inc. to provide high-quality solutions to its customers’ needs. The company, founded in 1972 as Deltak Inc., manufactures heat recovery steam generators and waste heat boilers for a variety of power and industrial applications.

“Over the years, we’ve been a very innovative company,” Vice President of Commercial Operations Roger Sjoberg says. “Quality and customer satisfaction are areas we really focus on; we meet our customers’ requirements and deliver on time. The innovation of our manufacturing and engineering teams allows us to provide value-added solutions to complex issues.”

: Article by Alan Dorich; Profiles

Applied Materials Inc. – Superconducting Fault Current Limiter Project

As power demands have increased and new generation sources are added to the electric grid system, fault current mitigation has become a growing concern for utilities. Fortunately, Applied Materials Inc.’s superconducting fault current limiter (SCFCL) technology presents a new, viable solution to address this issue for electric utilities around the world.

“Applied Materials has developed a superconducting fault current limiter that can be seamlessly integrated into an existing distribution and transmission grid to absorb fault current before a disruption occurs,” says Paul Murphy, general manager of the Applied Materials Power System Group. “It provides critical impedance on demand capability, introducing impedance only when the system needs it to protect the grid and improve reliability.”