REDUCING COAL YARD OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE COSTS: PROJECT JUSTIFICATION FOR AUTOMATED STACKER RECLAIMER VERSUS MOBILE EQUIPMENT at

摘要

Due to changes in the electric generation industry required by sulfur dioxide reductions and deregulation, many coal burning power plants have switched to Powder River Basin (PRB) coal. Reductions in SO2 emissions and fuel costs are two distinct advantages realized when switching to PRB coal. However, PRB disadvantages include possible boiler modification, and handling additional coal tonnage. These disadvantages are a result of PRB coal's lower density, ash fusion temperature and BTU content. This paper examines the problems associated with receiving, stacking out and reclaiming 20 to 30% more coal with a 25-year-old coal handling system at the AmerenCIPS Newton Power Station. The paper examines options to solve these problems and their operating and maintenance cost impacts. After examining several options, Ameren selected a bucketwheel stacker/reclaimer (BWS/R) as the best solution. With remote automatic operation in both the stacking and reclaiming modes, a BWS/R provided the lowest cost solution. The paper compares the BWS/R capital, operating and maintenance costs to the labor-intensive system of stockpiling and reclaiming with mobile equipment such as dozers and scrapers. A key point in this presentation will be an analysis of the cost justification to complete a