Rotork actuators in power station refurbishment

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Oct 18, 2000

Rotork electric valve actuators are being used in a project that will see a coal-fired power station re-open with increased capacity, improved efficiency and the latest clean environmental technology

Rotork electric valve actuators are being used in a refurbishment project that will see a coal-fired power station re-open with increased capacity, improved efficiency and the latest clean environmental technology.

Uskmouth B power station, at Newport in South Wales, was built in 1959 and closed in 1995.

In 1998 the station was purchased by the global power company AES, who have appointed a consortium led by General Electric International Inc and including ABB Combustion Services Ltd and ABB Environmental Systems to perform a complete refurbishment and re- commissioning project.

When the station reopens later this year - renamed as AES Fifoots Point - its generating capacity will increase from 360 to 393 megawatts whilst a new flue gas desulphurisation plant and low-nox burners together with low profile fan assisted cooling towers will ensure an efficient environmental performance.

Most of the Rotork actuators are being supplied for new low-nox burners and dampers that are being installed, together with refurbished boilers and new economiser elements, by ABB Combustion Services Ltd.

A total of 144 Rotork IQ, AQ and Q range actuators have been fitted and commissioned for multi-turn and quarter turn valve and damper operation.

Peter Woolley, ABB Combustion Services Ltd Project Manager for the Fifoots Project, explained; "The main reason for selecting Rotork to supply these actuators was their ability to meet the full range of applications from a single source, together with proven capabilities on other projects." All the Rotork actuators will be controlled by a new ABB Automation distributed control system (DCS) which will supervise the operation of the re-commissioned station.

The actuators are designed to provide a direct interface with the DCS and communicate vital valve real-time positional and status information to the station's three control rooms, confirming that the plant is operating efficiently.