Fuel storage

Coal bunker in a power station

Hard coal and brown coal are the main energy carriers in coal-fired power plants. Delivered by ship or by train, the coal is unloaded into bunkers up to 30 m high. The coal is transported from these bunkers to the stockpiles of the power plant via overground or underground conveyor belt systems. Additional conveyor belts feed, often via intermediate bunkers, pulverizer mills where the coal is converted into a fine dust for subsequent combustion in the furnace. Reliable level measurement guarantees uninterrupted feeding of the furnaces and point level sensors prevent overfilling in the bunkers.

Level measurement in the coal bunker with VEGAPULS 68

The radar sensor VEGAPULS 68 is just the right thing for places where there’s a lot of dust and no contacting measuring technique holds up for any length of time. Developed especially for measuring bulk solids, it offers all the advantages of non-contact level measurement. VEGAPULS 68 measures the level reliably even under conditions of extreme dust generation. Several VEGAPULS 68 are implemented depending on the size and number of the loading points.

Overfill protection with VEGACAP 65

Ruggedness is extremely important in the coal bunker. That’s why capacitive measurement technology lends itself well here for overfill protection. VEGACAP 65 stands out due to its stable, hard-wearing mechanical construction and simple setup and commissioning. Neither condensate nor buildup can affect its reliability as an overfill protection device.