Plant Needed Solution To Coal Dust Fire Hazard
Product Types Used Transfer Point Solutions , Belt Sealing , Belt Support , Chute Structure , Dust Containment
Industry Coal-Fired Power
Customer AmerenUE Meramec Plant St. Louis, Missouri

Problem

The AmerenUE Meramec plant is a four-unit, 865 MW facility fired with PRB coal.

The transfer chutes of these redundant systems would choke, cutting coal flow to 550 tph, roughly half the system's design capacity. This required the operation of both twin bunker feed conveyors on longer schedules without allowing for system maintenance. In addition, the transfer points created large quantities of coal dust, creating a fire hazard and maintenance headache.

Solution

Martin® Transfer Chute Technology has doubled the material flow rate while reducing the dust level by over 98%.

With Martin® Transfer Chute Technology, a clamshell or hood controls the flow of material from the discharging conveyor, maintaining a coherent material stream and minimizing induced air. A smooth line transfer chute or spoon lays the stream of material onto the belt at the proper speed and angle and without impact, to minimize material degradation, belt abrasion and the expulsion of airborne dust.

To improve dust control, the system incorporates dust curtains at the exit to slow air movement and minimize dust escape. By controlling the flow of material, the engineered chute eliminates blockages, shapes the load and minimizes the creation of dust.

Results

Material analysis and study of the flow requirements led to this design for the Martin® Transfer Chute installed at the AmerenUE Meramec Plant.

Martin® Transfer Chute Technology was engineered and modeled to provide the proper flow rate, eliminated the bottleneck and allowed the plant’s production material handling rate to climb nearly 50% to reach its 1000 tph design capacity. The system also improved the plant’s dust control by reducing the amount of material lost by over 98%, while allowing a significant reduction in the amount of dust suppression chemicals applied.

Resources

PDF - Printable Version of Case Study Download
Brochure - Coal-Fired Power Industry Download
Brochure - Transfer Point Solutions Download
Brochure - Martin Engineering Corporate Profile Download

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