New plus retrofit power project in Missouri

In a recently awarded contract, Emerson is to digitally automate a new power generation unit, and upgrade controls for an existing unit at the City Utilities Southwest Power Station

The project demonstrates value of the Emerson comprehensive automation and control solutions for new construction as well as retrofits to existing power generation facilities.

The contract is to install Emerson PlantWeb digital architecture with the Ovation expert control system at Southwest Power Station Unit 2, a new 300-MW, coal fired unit being built by Springfield, Missouri-based City Utilities.

At Southwest Unit 2, the Emerson Ovation system will monitor and control a Foster Wheeler boiler, as well as the burner management system, cooling tower, air quality control system and balance of plant processes.

The new plant will make extensive use of digital bus-based technologies, with the Emerson Ovation system incorporating 57 Foundation fieldbus segments (representing 1,368 I/O) and 31 Profibus-DP segments (representing 1,890 I/O) to network intelligent field instrumentation.

In total, the Ovation system will manage nearly 4,200 I/O points.

As part of the contract, Emerson will also install its AMS Suite: Intelligent Device Manager, which streamlines device configuration and commissioning for more efficient plant startup.

On an on-going basis, AMS Device Manager also provides online access to instrument and valve process data and predictive diagnostic information.

This capability arms power generators with valuable information that can be used to optimize plant operations and maintenance activities, as well as avoid costly unplanned outages.

Equipment delivery is slated for fall 2009.

The unit will be commissioned in fall 2010 and is expected to be fully operational in January 2011.

The contract also calls for Emerson to replace existing ABB controls at Southwest Power Station Unit 1, an existing 200MW, coal-fired plant, with its Ovation expert control system.

The Ovation system will monitor and control the boiler, as well as the burner management system and balance of plant processes.

Emerson will also replace the ABB controls on the Westinghouse turbine with the Ovation system.

Doing so will enable Southwest Unit 1 to experience the benefits of fully coordinated boiler/turbine control including unit-wide compatibility; improved unit stability, responsiveness and thermal efficiencies; tighter overall control of plant operations; and a concise view of key plant and turbine parameters.

Southwest Unit 1 will also include a new selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system equipped with a state-of-the-art digital automation architecture featuring the Ovation control system and Foundation fieldbus technology.

Equipment installation for Unit 1 is slated for fall 2008.

"These projects exemplify our ongoing efforts to bring clean, reliable and low-cost energy to our customers," said Jay Lohrbach, Southwest 2 project team I+C lead, City Utilities.

"Emerson automation and control technologies will play a vital role in helping us achieve these important objectives".

"We are pleased to have been selected for projects that are so important to meeting the electricity needs of this region," said Bob Yeager, president of the Power and Water Solutions division of Emerson.

"The Emerson ability to provide an automation solution customised to best meet the requirements of both the new construction and retrofit projects speaks to our extensive capabilities, as well as our industry-leading automation and control technologies".

Back to top