Using a Grapple to Remove Woody Debris in Front of Turbine Intakes

摘要

Buildup of woody debris on the trash-racks at the 44-MW Yates and 78-MW Thurlow plants on the Tallapoosa River in Alabama blocked as much as 25 percent of the turbine intakes. Removal of this debris restricted plant operations, took much time, and was costly. To make the process simpler and less expensive, project owner Alabama Power Company installed a hydrauli-cally operated grapple on the existing gantry crane. This grapple can be operated by plant personnel and requires less time than the old method.