Aberthaw Power Station in Wales is
saving £350,000 on oil costs
following the installation of ABB
variable speed drives (VSDs).

To light the coal-fired boilers, the
power station which is operated by
RWE npower, uses 36 oil-injecting
lances on each of its three boilers. Oil
from the lances is blown into the
boiler by fans at two rates: a high flow
rate to light the coal and a low flow
rate to sustain and support the burn.

Fans were driven by direct on-line
motors, but the power station found
it difficult to get the correct oil flow
rate, so Kevin Smyth, assistant
electrical engineer, investigated using
VSDs and found that the ABB drive
had the required robustness for the
challenging environment.

ABB Drives Alliance member,
APDS of Bristol, recommended
installation of ABB 7.5kW standard
drives. A total of 32 were installed on
oil injecting lances. The drives enable
the motors to run at either of two
speeds and have resulted in a saving
of £350,000 on oil costs.