Photo Credit: Alex Mead
Seen here is a smoke stack on a building in downtown Grand Rapids, MI. This shot was taken using an extended exposure, which makes the steam rising from the smoke stacks appear to be flowing in an odd manner. Although it is hard to tell from this angle the plume is a looping plume.
Photo Credit: Alex Mead
Pictured above is a flare, common to many industrial complexes around the world. The purpose of a flare is to burn off unwanted gases, such as methane, which could pose a threat of explosion if they were allowed to collect. The flare may seem like a waste of energy, but unfortunately it is not economical to actually capture this gas and use it. However, as fuel prices rise, this uneconomical gas is becoming viable and in turn being captured and used by many flare operators.
Photo Credit: Alex Mead
Seen here is the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) power plant. It is a natural gas fueled power plant that also provides process heating to the buildings of the Central campus for heating in the winter and absorption cooling in the summer. Many people are alarmed upon first seeing the large plumes of smoke coming from the smokestacks. However, these plumes of “smoke” are actually mostly water vapor and disappear quickly as the hot water vapor is absorbed into the cold winter air. In summer months the plumes are not visible as the water vapor is instantly absorbed into the air.