POWER April 2013 - 25

COAL PLANT OPERATIONS
the nation's leading suppliers of cleaner
energy by 2020.
Record-Setting Performance
The long-run record for cyclone-fired
boilers-259 days, 16 hours, and 40
minutes-now belongs to Paradise Unit
2. That eclipses the previous record held
since 1993 by Paradise Unit 1: 255 days, 8
hours, and 50 minutes. Astute readers will
recall a similar record-setting performance
of TVA's Shawnee Fossil Plant Unit 6 (see
the February 2008 issue in our archives at
www.powermag.com). That long-run record
of 1,093+ days was for a pulverized
coal boiler. The Shawnee and Paradise
boilers were both supplied by Babcock &
Wilcox, but the similarity between the boilers
ends there (see the sidebar, " Cyclone
Furnaces Are Unique " ).
" It is a great distinction to surpass any
industry record such as this, " said Dennis
Spencer, vice president of Coal Operations.
" It makes me even more proud when the
world record we break is a record held by
another TVA unit. It demonstrates what we
all know-our employees have the capability,
willingness, and passion to accomplish
great things. "
The record run began May 1, 2012, and
ended Jan. 16, 2013, at 8:26 a.m., when
Unit 2 came offline for a planned maintenance
outage (Figure 1).
Current Operations Are Tougher
The new long-run record has added significance
when the increased complexities
and additional equipment found in today's
1. Dedicated to success. Plant Manager
Scott Fallacker (left) and Assistant Plant
Manager Billy Sabin lead the 398 staff members
at Paradise. Courtesy: TVA
plant are considered. And don't forget that
the plant is now operated and maintained
by a less-experienced but better-trained
staff than in 1993.
Twenty years ago, only Units 1 and 2
were equipped with mature wet FGD systems
but no SCR system. The wet FGD and
SCR systems can be tricky to operate; a
Staff today also operate a unit that is
Today there are 398
employees on site,
and five years is
the average experience
level for plant
operators.
poor batch of fuel can cause plugging of
the SCR, and the wet FGD must maintain
its chemistry and has many moving parts.
Both devices can be problematic during
normal plant operation and are often the
cause of plant outages and reductions in
plant availability. Unit 2's run includes the
added complexities of operating a 20-yearold
wet FGD system and its new SCR system
and ammonia grid, not to mention the
unit has aged another 20 years, particularly
the cyclones.
much less forgiving and has much less
room for operator error. For example, Unit
2 now operates with reduced margin in its
induced draft fans with the SCR addition,
particularly during load swings. Also, the
SCR has an ammonia grid that demands
routine attention, and combustion has to
be spot on to minimize excess dust that
will accumulate in the ductwork, perhaps
causing an outage. Since 1993, the control
system has also been upgraded from its
original analog configuration to a modern
digital control system, which is capable of
maintaining tighter control of plant operations
(Figure 2).
The experience profile of the typical
plant operator has noticeably changed
since 1993. Billy Sabin, Paradise assistant
plant manager, estimated that assistant
unit operators averaged 15 to 20 years of
experience and control room operators 20
to 25 years during the plant's 1993 record
run. Since that time, operator retirements
have provided an opportunity for a new
generation to take control of the plant. Today
there are 398 employees on site, and
five years is the average experience level
for plant operators. In fact, shift supervisors,
usually promoted from the ranks of
control room operators, now average less
than three years' experience as supervisors
with TVA. Paradise has added nine
new shift supervisors over the past year
and a half.
Today, plant operators and maintainers
do enjoy one significant advantage:
training. The past generation of operators
2. Tighter control. Digital control upgrades provided better tools for managing plant operations.
This photo was taken during a recent plant outage. Courtesy: TVA
April 2013 | POWER
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POWER April 2013

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