POWER July 2017 - 23

PRB COAL
2. Pressure wash. Installing an automatic washdown system on the tripper floor has not
only improved cleanliness and reduced the fire hazard, but it has also decreased labor costs
because fewer workers are needed to clean the area. Courtesy: Georgia Power
per floor, however; it was also a challenge
in other areas of the plant. One big reason
was that the plant's dust collector was not
doing its job. Slappy said it was recirculating
dust rather than adequately removing it.
To remedy the problem, the team installed a
new Engart system (Figure 3). Just like the
washdown system, water flushes the dust to
the coal pile runoff where it can be managed
appropriately.
3. Efficient dust removal. Plant Scherer's old dust collector had deteriorated and was
recirculating dust rather than removing it. A new Engart system was installed to remedy the
situation. Courtesy: Georgia Power
Let There Be Light!
Most people probably wouldn't place lighting
at the top of the list of improvements needed
to turn a power plant into a top performer, but
then, they might be wrong. The fact is, you
can't clean or fix what you can't see.
Howze had been part of some LED lighting
projects at other plants during his career,
so he knew what a difference improved
lighting could make. When he was plant
manager of Wansley, an employee came up
to him after new lighting was installed and
said, " I'm seeing things that I've never seen
in 30 years! "
" When a 30-year veteran tells you that,
you say, 'there must be something to this
thing,' " Howze said.
Slappy agreed with the assessment. " If
you haven't invested in LED lighting at your
facility, I would tell you, if you transition
from what you have today to LED lighting,
you will think you're in a different world, " he
told an audience of power plant personnel at
the PRBCUG event.
poses a serious fire hazard and can even lead
to explosions.
Rahm noted that when he visited Plant
Scherer for the first time back in 1996 or
1997, workers routinely cleaned the tripper
floor using air lances, which was dangerous
and ineffective because it blew a lot of
dust airborne only for it to resettle on surfaces
elsewhere. Although cleaning practices
evolved greatly since that time, the new
washdown system takes cleaning to a whole
other level.
The washdown system (Figure 2) was
designed with the help of Fort Myers, Fla.-
based Acensium. It is operated on a timer,
usually during the night shift because load
is generally less and there are fewer people
affected by the activity. First, water sprays
through a header to washdown the top of the
July 2017 | POWER
tripper floor, then a bottom washdown system
flushes material to a drain on the floor.
The drain discharge goes to the plant's coal
pile runoff where a process has long been in
place to deal with the water/coal mixture.
Although the washdown system is ultimately
about safety and reducing the fire
hazard on the tripper floor, the system also
provides a financial benefit. Fuel and labor
are typically the two biggest costs for most
coal plants. If a manager wants to save money,
the easier of the two to cut is labor, and
that's exactly what installation of the washdown
system allowed Plant Scherer to do.
Rather than keeping 10 Zachary-supplied
laborers on shift cleaning around the clock,
the plant was able to cut that number by more
than half.
Dust was not just a problem on the tripwww.powermag.com
Upgrading
to LED lighting (Figure 4) not
only helped laborers see what needed to be
cleaned, it also helped maintenance personnel
see what needed to be fixed. Although coal
leaks have always been considered unacceptable
and given the highest repair priority at
Plant Scherer, prior to the lighting upgrade,
leaks could go unnoticed due to poor visibility.
With LED lighting, that is no longer a problem
and leaks receive quick attention.
" We've made a conscious effort that when
you have a coal leak, regardless of what kind
of megawatts you're producing, you take it
off. You take the mill off. You find a way to
repair that coal leak, so that you don't put
anyone in harm's way-that you don't cause
or increase the chances of something combusting, "
Slappy said adamantly.
Other process improvements at the plant
include utilizing 3-D modeling and design
technology, and taking a multiangle
approach to transient pressure excursion
(TPE) issues. Slappy said the 3-D modeling
has allowed employees to get engaged in
plant design. The tool has helped determine
the best places to install safety switches and
access doors, and has really added value
throughout the operation.
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POWER July 2017

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