DOE Funds Tampa Electric Laser Project

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 23 -- The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced plans to provide Tampa Electric with more than $1.5 million in funding to test and demonstrate new technologies to improve reliability and reduce pollutants at coal-burning power plants.

In one project, Tampa Electric will demonstrate a laser system to measure the deterioration of the refractive brick liner inside the coal gasifier at Polk Power Station in southwest Polk County. The DOE will fund $640,000 of the $1.7-million expected total cost.

For the second project, a sophisticated computer technology will be used to determine when and how best to clean soot that can build up inside a boiler and hamper performance. The 36-month project will receive just under $1 million from the DOE, and Tampa Electric expects to provide almost $1.5 million.