Improving Dust Control to Upgrade PRB Coal Handling

Abstract

Plant management had a mission: to make the Midwestern 646-megawatt power plant a leader in the clean and safe handling of PRB coal. To accomplish that goal, the organization embarked on an ambitious five-year plan to upgrade the plant’s coal handling system. The plant improved its conveyor transfer points, and installed new dust management systems, controlling dust and spillage, and improving plant safety and efficiency. This presentation will discuss the initial surveys that led to the development of the 5-year plan, and the resulting project priorities, the problem areas, application points identified, and the various technologies applied. Included in the goals for the upgraded systems installed were the elimination of spillage through the improvement of transfer points on coal-handling conveyors using improved belt support and sealing systems. In addition, new air cleaners were installed at seven loading zones, and a foam dust-suppression system added at one location to provide dust management throughout the plant’s coal handling system. These new dust control systems allowed the plant to eliminate its older central dust collection system that had greater risks of explosions. A continued series of monthly inspection and service visits by conveyor maintenance technicians helps continue the coal handling system’s high levels of performance. This five-year plan helped the power plant take “great leap forward” in controlling dust and spillage from handling PRB coal.