Filtramag Has The Power

Eclipse Magnetics's Filtramag has been selected as the filtration system for an essential component of Britain's largest coal-fired power station.

The six turbo-generators of Drax Power Station, near Selby, North Yorkshire, currently supply around 7% of the UK's electricity needs. Each turbo-generator is supplied with super-heated steam from a dedicated boiler which burns pulverised fuel supplied by 10 pulverising mills.

After extensive trials, and in the face of stiff competition, the Filtramag has been selected as the filtration system for the lubrication oil of the heavy-duty gearboxes fitted to these mills.

Filtration considerably extends gearbox life

Andrew Wilkinson, the Drax Engineer who oversaw the installation, explained why Drax chose Filtramag:

"Efficient filtration has been proven to considerably extend the working life of each pulverising mill's heavy duty gearbox. Previous company trials of magnetic filtration systems, conducted in the 1980s, had proved to be inconclusive but the considerable progress made in the field by Eclipse Magnetics convinced us that Filtramag's outstanding filtration capability, maintenance friendly characteristics and short investment pay-back period exactly matched our needs."

To ensure that maintenance down time is minimised, an Eclipse Magnetics Filtramag filtration system is fitted along with a circulation pump, a motorised cooling fan and a thermostatic temperature control onto an interchangeable transportable platform containing quick-release couplings. When full the filtration element can easily be exchanged for a cleaned unit. Where maintenance is required, the platform can simply be uncoupled from any given pulverising mill and quickly exchanged with a replacement platform.

As part of a rolling programme, less efficient filters still used on many of the company's pulverising mills will be replaced by advanced Filtramag units as each mill undergoes major maintenance work.

In line with Drax's commitment to minimise environmental impact, the new Eclipse Magnetics units will help improve recovery of contaminated debris entrained in the lubrication system allowing better management of toxic waste.

More information about Filtramag. A fact sheet is available from our downloads section.