Chrome

Introduction

In 2014 Weba designed controlled flow chutes for ten transfer locations throughout the PRB coal handling system for the Laramie River Station, owned by Basin Electric Power Cooperative. The project aimed to facilitate the transfer of coal and minimise plugging, replace older coal chutes, minimise coal dust creation and decrease dust collection volumes.

Together with the aim of minimising wear on conveyors (and components) through central coal loading, spillage would be strictly monitored, and the chutes had to be calibrated to produce less than 2.4 mg/m3 of dust under certain operating conditions.

The client measured respirable dust volumes with PdRs (Personal Data Rams) under strict guidelines. When operated as designed (running the conveyors at full capacity - 700 TPH), the chutes passed all the tests. The Weba designed chutes dramatically reduced dust levels. Due to the more centrally loaded coal (which improved the capacity of Conveyor 18a by around 150 TPH), which would plug less frequently, the need for a dust collector (DC-9) was eliminated, and coal spillage events were reduced drastically.

Additionally, the chutes became easier to maintain due to their bolted section design. The chromium carbide liner within the chutes has a bolt-on design to minimise repair time. Thanks to the science-based approach of the Weba team and the diligence and patience of the Plant Techniques personnel, incredible results were observed. The teams also persistently fine-tuned components to ensure seamless operations and customer satisfaction.