Payback enormous for variable-frequency motor drives

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Power; (United States)

OSTI ID:5999874

Collins, S

The City Utilities of Springfield's (Mo) 200-MW Southwest power station is a 200-MW plant anchored around a single coal-fired steam generator and its major support systems, including an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and two wet limestone scrubbers. In the late 1980s, engineers at Southwest began evaluating the feasibility of installing variable-frequency drives (VFD) to reduce the plant's parasitic load and boost overall performance. This article reports on VFDs installed to control the induced draft (i-d) and forced-draft (f-d) fan motors at the plant. The devices have surpassed the utility's expectations by reducing parasitic load, improving combustion control, and increasing overall plant reliability. Virtually every major plant component--including the ESPs and scrubbers--performs better as a result of the retrofit.

• OSTI ID: 5999874
• Journal Information: Power; (United States), Vol. 137:2; ISSN 0032-5929
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
BLOWERS
ELECTRIC MOTORS
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE
PERFORMANCE
ENGINES
EQUIPMENT
MOTORS
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
320303* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Industrial & Agricultural Processes- Equipment & Processes
200104 - Fossil-Fueled Power Plants- Components