Advanced coal-fired power plant uses digital network

Staff -- Control Engineering, 9/1/2006

Drax Power Station, reported to be the U.K.'s largest, cleanest, and most-efficient coal-fired power plant is installing FOUNDATION fieldbus-based Rosemount temperature transmitters and interface units on one of its units, says owner Drax Power Ltd.

The system transmits data from more than 500 temperature monitoring points on one selected boiler and turbine pair. Drax Power and their refurbishment contractor, Capula, chose the Rosemount 3420 fieldbus module to interface with their Schneider PLC host system. The temperature sensors are mainly thermocouples used for monitoring the boiler, superheater, and re-heater, plus turbine and generator temperatures in high-density arrangements. They can detect any irregularities or “hot spots.”

While providing Drax Power with a neat and accurate system solution, extra capabilities allow further investigation of any unusual heat patterns during tests of alternative fuels and firing systems. The module reduces the complexity and time for rewiring during the retrofit.

Fieldbus segments around the boiler will allow addition of further test equipment or other sensors for plant condition monitoring, with relatively simple configuration to transmit data back to the supervisory systems. For “Drax facts,” read this online at www.controleng.com/archive, September 2006. www.draxpower.com