Laramie River Station outage tackles big project

Things went quiet on Unit 2 at the Laramie River Station April 9 but only for a moment.

The unit came off line to begin its triennial outage. A number of major projects are being tackled in nearly every area of the unit, with the boiler getting the top-to-bottom treatment.

Crews are working around the clock to replace 66 super heater outlet panels and 33 super heater intermediate panels.

[Larry Collins] All of these two sections are going to be replaced every single one.

Replacing each 13,000 pound panel requires the use of a Lampson crane.

[Larry Collins] A crane was needed to bring the old panels out of the boiler and bring them to the ground and the new panels lifted up through the eighth floor to the boiler area cavity.

Lower in the boiler, crews are installing an over-fire air system.

[Myron Singleton] Now we are installing the boiler tubes that go in the wall. There are going to be 18 over-fire airports that are installed in the wall.

Unit 2 is getting the same over-fire air system that was installed on Unit 1 last year.

[Myron Singleton] When were done, we hope to reduce the NOx emissions by 30 percent.

Work is also being done in the back of the boiler. The air heater baskets are being replaced all one thousand seven hundred twenty eight of them.

The air heaters warm the ambient air to about 600 degrees and cool the exhaust down to about 250 degrees.

[Mark Walker] Then we can handle it in our scrubbers and our precepts. So, its more of an efficiency thing.

In addition to normal maintenance activities, the turbine is getting a steam path modification to allow more steam flow and the generator is getting a new control system.

[Myron Mattern] The new system is a digital control better response to system upsets.

The environmental controls equipment is getting a tune-up and crews are installing new electrical switchgear for tighter protection. There are a number of other projects taking place throughout the unit including vessel and valve inspections, general cleaning and instrument calibrations all vital to ensuring accurate and reliable equipment operations. Outage activities are expected to continue until the end of May.

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