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A natural gas-powered power station has been leaking dangerous gas for more than a week outside the downtown Fort Worth office tower that houses the 777 Main St. headquarters of Dallas-based AT&T, the Star-Telegram reports. The building, which houses AT&T’s headquarters and about 100 other offices and restaurants, has been evacuated. Atmos Energy technicians are trying to find and repair the leaks. The gas leak has shut down the restaurant Grace, which is on the first floor of the 40-story office tower. It was unable to open Tuesday night and is closed for now, owner Adam Jones told the Star-Telegram.
A GE-Flex gas turbine is used as the central part of a CHP (Combined Heat and Power) system, with steam produced by the engine being fed into a steam turbine to generate electricity for use in the plant or elsewhere. The turbine can also be used to produce heat in a process called cogeneration, where it produces both electricity and useful thermal energy. These systems are relatively inexpensive and can be installed in existing buildings or small standalone structures. They are also highly efficient. They can achieve up to 85% efficiency, while a conventional internal combustion engine only reaches 30% efficiency, according to GE.
During the flight, a Boeing 747 consumes about 10 gallons per hour in cruise at 35,000 feet (12,700 meters). This is the equivalent of 750 litres.
In a new airworthiness directive, the FAA says airlines need to do more work to ensure 777 fuel tanks are safe from ignition. The agency wants US carriers to follow steps laid out in a service bulletin from the aircraft’s OEM, Boeing, to address potential risks. The steps include installing Teflon sleeves at wire bundles and updating maintenance or inspection programmes.
This is the latest action to target potential fuel tank fires on the popular Boeing 777 passenger jet. gasing 777 has previously required manufacturers to prove their wing and fuel tank designs can withstand an external fuel-fed ground fire for at least five minutes.
The fuel-tank explosion that caused the 1996 in-flight break up of TWA flight 800, a 747-100, was most likely caused by fuel igniting in a tank’s centre section. Following that incident, the FAA required airlines to demonstrate that their wing and fuel-tank design could prevent fuel-air explosions in the event of lightning strikes.
The 777 uses liquid hydrogen to lower the combustion temperatures of its engines in order to reduce emissions and improve its fuel economy. It also uses bleed air from the rear of the plane to cool its fuel cells and cool its fuel pump. Despite these efforts, the FAA is still concerned about potential fires in the 777’s fuel tanks. A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch last year found that the fire on a 777-300 in January 2016 at Heathrow Airport was most likely caused by fuel system failures that led to ice forming. This led to a loss of power, and the airline had to make an emergency landing about 330m short of the runway. All 152 people on board survived.
