TVA Employees Win EPRI Technology Transfer Awards

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Several Tennessee Valley Authority employees have been selected to receive prestigious Technology Transfer Awards from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for their achievements in collaborative research and development projects.

Presented annually, EPRI’s Technology Transfer Awards recognize industry leaders and innovators who help companies transform research into results and solutions that can improve the efficiency of power plants, harden transmission and distribution equipment, improve cybersecurity, and enhance end-use electrification — all for the end-benefit of utility customers.

“This recognition by EPRI is a testament to the talent we have at TVA. The persistence, professionalism and innovation demonstrated by these employees is a great example of how we carry out continuous improvement every day,” said Chief Operating Officer Mike Skaggs. “We are proud to have these individuals on our team as we deliver on our mission of service to make life better in the Tennessee Valley region.”

The following TVA employees will receive Technology Transfer Awards:

• Herbert C. Hill, Michael Norman and John Keith Taylor successfully transferred EPRI research findings on valve damage tolerance to a steam turbine valve body. By using this research, the TVA team was able to defer the repair at one of TVA’s nuclear plants, saving an estimated $670,000.
• Hobson G. Best, John P. Boggess, Shane M. Lott, John E. Taylor and C. Steven West demonstrated a technology that can refine the use of high-energy radiography to inspect for cracking of steam turbine blade attachment features, with specific focus on blade attachment designs that would normally require blade removal for conventional inspection. TVA’s field demonstration showed that continued research could enable elimination of the blade removal requirements for pinned root blades, significantly reducing inspection time, cost and the risk of blade damage.
• Anne Aiken, Tyler Baker, Steve Barnes, John Tracy Baxter and Shannon O’Quinn received an award for their demonstrated leadership and strategic thinking in a case study that examined the value of watershed projects to drive improvements in ecosystems and reduce risks to company operations. The case study documented benefits to the ecosystem and the community.
• Leo Scott Britt, Gary Elkins, Ronda Hooper, Nick McClung and Sidney Whitehead received an award for their leadership and support that helped advance monitoring and testing for innovative environmental monitoring technology. The advances in this research and technology have the potential to help transform how the electric power industry uses sensors to measure environmental applications, including air, soil and water.
• Dennis Baxter and Terence (Terry) Cheek led and supported a case study using EPRI-developed resources at the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant that demonstrated technical approaches to satisfy EPA's development of a rule to implement Section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act that provides protection for aquatic organism at cooling water intake structures. With Cheek and Baxter’s vision and guidance, compliance efforts and insights were gained to support the compliance and the case study was one of the first applications of EPRI research in the country that implements the Clean Water Act to support § 316(b) permitting.
• Anne Aiken, Steve Barnes and Lindy Johnson received an award for their leadership and support of a pilot-scale evaluation of a wastewater treatment technology. The evaluation results were critical to informing a request to the EPA to reconsider the Effluent Limitations Guidelines rule.
• Sam Delay and Andrew (Drew) Frye helped lead a research demonstration project involving 12 utilities at over 60 sites in 19 states that installed more than 250 energy management circuit breakers, a device that can allow utilities and customers to monitor and control electricity use. This demonstration project has vetted EMCB’s for multiple use cases, identified installation challenges and helped to test the data collection system and associated tools.

“The 2018 Technology Transfer Award winners have demonstrated initiative, collaboration and leadership and represent the very best in power industry R&D,” said Arshad Mansoor, senior vice president of R&D at EPRI. “They’re shaping, enhancing and transforming the power system of the future by harnessing new and evolving technologies that can deliver benefits to their companies and the entire power industry.”

About TVA

The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power companies serving nearly 10 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. In addition to operating and investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.

About EPRI

The Electric Power Research Institute Inc. (www.epri.com) conducts research and development relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public. An independent, nonprofit organization, EPRI brings together its scientists and engineers as well as experts from academia and industry to help address challenges in electricity, including reliability, efficiency, affordability, health, safety and the environment. EPRI's members represent approximately 90 percent of the electricity generated and delivered in the United States, and international participation extends to more than 30 countries. EPRI's principal offices and laboratories are located in Palo Alto, Calif.; Charlotte, N.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Lenox, Mass