The development and implementation of a strategy for organizational reconfiguration of a digital heat and power super system to streamline the processes of providing structured technological zones with heat makes the basis for creating a coordinated system for optimizing the tariff and price load on heat and electricity consumers in the Russian economy. Providing the industry with a mechanism for regulating the processes of rendering heat energy services based on the transition to the system of Unified Heat-Supply Organizations (ETOs) and ensuring a return on price trend investment in the heat market with the possibility of transferring departmental reporting and analytics to a single regulatory legal basis enables regulating the operation of the power system as a subsystem of the Russian energy sector with a common information technology platform. It is proposed to develop a methodology for constructing mathematical estimates of reliability indicators of provided heat and power services in the form of analytical relationships and simulation models, taking into account the complex nature of the operation of electric power transmission and heat transportation networks as well as information systems that provide processing, storage and distribution of digital data and documents. The key activities are: development of a methodology for constructing mathematical estimates of reliability indicators of provided heat and power services in the form of analytical relationships and simulation models; development of digital methods for detecting hazardous effects; development of algorithms for storing information in the presence of natural and artificial interference; development of digital methods for optimization, modernization and transformation of production chains and processes, control models and planning procedures to neutralize threats to the reliability of provided heat and power services. The result should be the creation of a computer-based information system for modeling impacts on the electric and heat grid facilities.

The object of study is the power equipment of thermal power plants. When developing new parts and components of power equipment, a problem arises of ensuring the quality and reliability at the stage of their putting into production and in the process of serial production. To solve this problem, the following tasks have been set: to develop ways and methods to ensure the quality and reliability of the development batch of equipment; to determine the scope of running-in tests of components as part of a prototype during serial production; to show the influence of production factors on the quality and reliability of the output product; to determine the nomenclature of production quality parameters and their impact on the manufacturability and reliability of products. The scientific novelty consists in generalization of methods, ways, mathematical models for ensuring the quality and reliability of newly created similar products. The theoretical approaches, which are proposed in the article, can be aimed at creation of state-of-art conditions for manufacturing of parts, structures and components of power equipment with new process and material characteristics in terms of reliability. The practical significance is determined by implementation of the developed methods, ways, mathematical models in the normative and technical documentation of newly created equipment. A procedure is described for holding running-in and acceptance tests. The factors, which affect the quality and reliability of components of power equipment of thermal power plants, are considered. Various groups of parameters for assessment of the quality of output products have been described. Equations are presented for calculation of manufacturability parameters, in particular, for labor-intensity, material consumption, material utilization rate, production prime cost, as well as for standardization and unification parameters. Methods are considered for determination of the product quality parameters.

The concepts of developing efficient and reliable schemes for the use of waste heat of low-potential energy resources in heat transformers (HT) are considered. Examples of using HT in several non-ferrous metallurgy plants in Russia and Kazakhstan are given: the production of nickel, zinc and ferroalloys. In the case of nickel production, two schemes are proposed for consideration: for summer and winter modes. The main object of study is a nickel production scheme using a lithium bromide absorption chiller (AbCh). Recycled water is the main source of utilized low-grade waste heat for AbCh. The cold obtained in AbCh is necessary for the technological process. The basic parameters were calculated under various extreme conditions, the energy effect of the modernization of the circuit was estimated, and equipment was selected. Studies have shown the feasibility of introducing AbCh into circuits with a large amount of waste heat. Low-grade heat utilization of nickel production using heat pump unit (HPU) in winter allows to obtain heat energy for heating water from the heating network and raw water for feeding the boiler house of a thermal power plant.

Another example of HT use is a heat pump unit (HPU) in the production of zinc and ferroalloys. HPU is designed to heat feed water before chemical water purification and at the same time “cool down” the circulating water, which is then used on a series of electrolysis, replacing purchased artesian water. In winter, the heat produced at HPU is used for heating, ventilation and hot water supply, which allows to dispense with the services of a third-party thermal power plant.

This paper presents a method of sorption using peat for elimination of emergency spills of crude oil and petroleum products and the possibility of energy use of oil-saturated peat. The results of assessment of the sorbent capacity of peat are presented, with waste motor oil and diesel fuel chosen as petroleum products. Natural peat has been found to possess sorption properties in relation to petroleum products. The sorbent capacity of peat can be observed from the first minutes of contact with motor oil and diesel fuel, and significantly depends on their viscosity. For the evaluation of thermal properties of peat saturated with petroleum products, experimental studies have been conducted on determination of moisture and ash content of as-fired fuel. It is shown that adsorbed oil increases the moisture and ash content of peat in comparison with the initial sample. Therefore, when intended for energy use, peat saturated with petroleum products is to be subjected to additional drying. Simulation of net calorific value has been performed based on the calorific values of peat and petroleum products with different ratios of petroleum product content in peat and for a saturated peat sample. The obtained results are compared with those of experiments conducted in a calorimetric bomb and recalculated for net calorific value. A satisfactory discrepancy is obtained, which amounts to about 12%. Options have been considered providing for combustion of saturated peat as fuel (burnt per se and combined with a solid fuel) and processing it to produce liquid, gaseous and solid fuels. Peat can be used to solve environmental problems of elimination of emergency spills of crude oil and petroleum products and as an additional resource in solving the problem of finding affordable energy.

Reliable operation of oil-filled high-voltage equipment is based, inter alia, on effective diagnostic methods, which make it possible to obtain information on the state of the internal insulation of electrical equipment and, accordingly, take timely measures to ensure its uninterrupted operation. Traditionally, well-known physicochemical methods of analysis are used in laboratory practice, which enable to determine the electrophysical, physical and chemical parameters of a liquid dielectric. Each parameter, and especially their totality, indicate the degree of thermal and electrochemical aging of the oil, and the formation of ionic impurities in it, which coagulate, accumulate in the most stressful places and form conductive deposits. In general, the presence of such "dangerous" substances in the oil leads to a decrease in electrical insulation properties, which increases the risk of developing a defect that can lead to negative consequences. However, traditional methods are not always able to measure the commencement of formation of the colloid-dispersed inclusions preceding the formation of deposits on the solid internal insulation of electrical equipment. Therefore, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the processes occurring in the isolation of high-voltage equipment, it is necessary to introduce highly sensitive spectral control methods.

This study shows the relevance of the introduction of the spectral method in practical diagnosis of high-voltage equipment with liquid dielectrics, in the case of a study of the elemental composition of deposits and paper insulation in high-voltage bushings. This also explains individual cases in the practice of operation of sealed bushings, which have been rejected as a consequence of the results of chromatographic analysis of dissolved gases in oil. Physicochemical parameters of the oil from the bushings does not cause any concern. However, during the detailed examination of the internal insulation of the bushings, wax-like deposits were revealed, and their composition was established using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). In addition, the composition of the paper (OIP) insulation layers of high-voltage bushings was analyzed for the content of organometallic impurities.

24.07.2016 a large group of academicians of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) wrote a letter to the President of the Russian Federation V. V. Putin, in which they gave an unfavorable assessment of the current state of Russian science. The letter listed a number of measures aimed at correcting the current state of science, and noted that "the time of political correctness is over, it is high time to speak out openly calling things by their proper names".

Meeting with a group of academicians of the Russian Academy of Sciences in December of 2016, the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin stressed the timeliness of setting the above problems and the need to eliminate the noted deficiencies, drawing attention to the fact that only outstanding scientists of international standing with significant scientific achievements should be elected as academicians of the RAS.

In connection with the critical assessment of the current state of Russian science in its various fields, expressed in the aforesaid letter of the academicians, it is of some interest to analyze the scientific activities and scientific achievements of some Russian scientists, in particular, in the field of thermal power engineering. For this analysis, articles were used published in the Teploenergetika (Heat Power Engineering) journal as well as a Report prepared under agreement No.

14.574.21.0017 with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (hereinafter — MoE&S) on improving the thermodynamic and technical-economic efficiency of trigeneration plants at distributed and small-scale power generation facilities.

As follows from this analysis, the authors of the aforesaid publications mislead the scientific community and the MoE&S concerning the alleged increase of thermodynamic and technical-economic efficiency of trigeneration plants considered by them. There are no grounds for such conclusions, since the listed materials contain no specific results of experimental and/or calculation studies of thermodynamic and technical-economic efficiency of trigeneration plants. It is therefore very strange that a Committee of the MoE&S signed an Act certifying “proper” implementation of Agreement No. 14.574.21.0017.

The author estimates the impact of PR technologies on the development of nuclear power in Russia and in a number of foreign countries (USA, China, Japan, France). It is determined that as soon as at the stage of development of nuclear generation projects and other nuclear industry facilities, the use of public relations (PR), with a targeted impact on public opinion and interaction with target audiences (TA) at its core, has a significant impact on decision-making in favor of the construction of nuclear power plants, minimizes the protest behavior of the population. It is shown that the advantages of nuclear power among alternative energy sources for strengthening the socio-economic potential of states and increasing their environmental well-being are most clearly, quickly and effectively disclosed through using public relations tools. PR enables to form an adequate and correct understanding of the physical and chemical foundations of nuclear power engineering, the main threats and systems for their minimization or complete elimination at the conceptual, socio-psychological and socio-logical levels, as well as to form, in terms of specific objects and tools, the technological and organizational facilities for the development of nuclear energy projects both in Russia and in foreign countries. The activities of foreign and Russian companies aimed at ensuring loyal public opinion in relation to nuclear projects are critically described and analytically compared. The chronological framework covers the recent period: from the beginning of the 2000s to 2020. This period is noted as the most significant for the development of nuclear power in the world. Statistical data on changes in the attitude of the public in different countries to the prospects for the development of nuclear energy after the Chernobyl and Fukushima-1 disasters are presented. It is concluded that it is PR in its integrated application that contributes to government decision-making and public support in the construction of nuclear power plants in Russia and abroad.

«Правила технической эксплуатации тепловых энергоустановок» (далее ПТЭ ТЭУ) устанавливают требования по технической эксплуатации котельных различных типов, тепловых сетей и сооружений на тепловых сетях, систем теплопотребления всех назначений (за исключением тепловых энергоустановок тепловых электростанций и транспортных средств), т. е. касаются широкого круга производителей, поставщиков и потребителей тепловой энергии. Действующие в настоящее время ПТЭ ТЭУ утверждены и введены в действие в 2003 году.

В последние годы в российской энергетике среди ученых различных университетов и организаций возник интерес к использованию детандер-генераторных агрегатов (ДГА), или просто турбодетандеров, на тепловых электростанциях.