Crusher House Dust Mitigation – Shaker Replaced with Screen System

Situation

At a Midwest U.S. power station, the transfer chutes in the crusher house were at end-of-life conditions and failing. In addition, the plant was experiencing high levels of material spillage and high dust emissions from the chutes due to poor traditional design and age. Requiring focused efforts with maintenance and housekeeping staff to maintain safety and fueling ability. Adding to the dust issues, the transfer included a shaker system to remove large pieces of coal to bypass the crushers, minimizing wear.

The plant was able to sell the oversized coal to a local agriculture company, providing a good source of income. However, if the plant could not address the dust and spillage, it would need to remove the shaker from the process to seal the area, thus losing this revenue source.

Benetech’s Solution

Benetech utilized its experience with chute technology to provide a cost-effective solution, addressing spillage and dust issues while maintaining the plant’s ability to segregate the oversized coal from the material stream. Benetech engineered and supplied Advance Flow Transfer Chutes, providing a simple, reliable, and maintenance-friendly screening system to replace the shaker system. Ensuring the separation of oversized chunks of coal, the system thereby reduces/eliminates crushing requirements. Separated coal is discharged to a silo for storage until shipment to the local customer. In addition to the upgraded chute, a fixed washdown system was included in the scope and installed in the crusher house to wash away fine float dust, further decreasing the necessary time for housekeeping.

The Benetech EPC Approach

The plant continues operating without issue and reducing maintenance and housekeeping, as expected. In addition, the new systems have addressed the spillage and dusting issues, and the plant has been able to maintain its revenue from oversized coal sales.