Improve Coal-Fired Power Plant Operations with GPM Industrial Sump Pump Systems

For well over 100 years, the United States has generated power using coal. Although our country’s energy mix is more diverse today than it was back in the late 1800s, coal-fired power plants still provide over 23% of the energy produced in the United States – many regions depend on coal power as it is reliable and available 24/7.

GPM is proud to support the power generation industry with heavy-duty industrial pumps that keep critical applications operating as designed. For decades, GPM has provided high-quality pumps and services for coal plant operations throughout North America, doing our part to keep plants running at optimal capacity.

COAL CAR DUMPER BUILDING
When coal arrives at a plant via train, individual cars are emptied into the dumper building, where the coal falls into the basement and begins its journey through the plant. Deep within the plant, there is always a sump that collects water, ice or snow deposited with the coal, washdown water and water ingress from the earth. Many operations opt for a GPM-Eliminator extended shaft pump with a motor that meets Class 2, Group F ratings to tackle a mix of liquid, coal dust, coal chunks and inevitable debris from floor wash. This slurry is often pumped directly upwards over 80 feet to the surface – and GPM-Eliminator pumps are a proven solution in this application.

GPM-Eliminator extended shaft or submersible slurry pumps are also used in other coal handling applications, including coal pile runoff, coal crushing or coal galley washdown sumps.

RIVER WATER INTAKE AND DREDGING
Most power stations draw water from a nearby river or lake and require several pumping systems to ensure the water can be used efficiently throughout the site. During the initial water intake, sump pump systems remove debris from the water before it enters the plant through the screen house. These sumps remove sand, silt and other debris before the water continues on into the plant. GPM-Eliminator sumps handle this work with ease and are also used in dredging systems to remove natural sediment from the mouth of the intake structure.

GPM-Eliminator submersible pumps are often used in plant drains and main collection sumps to address washdown, spilled process water, floor drains and any other dirty water handling applications.

WATER TREATMENT
Coal power plants must treat and prepare water for all the various systems incorporated throughout the plant and are required to meet federal and state regulations for any water discharged from the site back into the environment. These complex water treatment systems generally involve chemical treatments and a series of heavy-duty sump pumps that bring the water to different areas of the site, like the water treatment ponds or site retention ponds. GPM-Eliminator sumps can be custom-built with specialized materials and configurations that allow the pumps to withstand chemical water treatments without sacrificing performance.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
Environmental control is a crucial component of any power plant and requires specialized systems. The flue gas desulfurization process leverages limestone for use in the spray dry absorber vessel. The buildings used to prepare the limestone include sumps that must handle limestone, rock, sand, floor wash, scrubber sludge and spent lime slurry – the perfect job for a GPM-Eliminator.

GPM-Eliminators are also suitable for many ash handling applications, like bottom ash and fly ash. Bottom ash falls out of the furnace into a large pit that uses an industrial slurry pump to move the ash to other locations. Fly ash is removed from flue gas and is typically transported by an air vacuum system, but sump pumps are used in these areas as well.

MORE POWER GENERATION APPLICATIONS FOR GPM PUMPS
The application examples listed above barely scratch the surface of GPM’s experience and expertise in solving complex pump challenges for the power generation industry. We’ve worked with operations around the world, helping with everything from condensate blowdown, cooling tower overflow to coal galley washdown sump systems and complex water treatment systems.

GPM maintains a simple but effective philosophy. We provide our customers with high-value reliable products, services and industrial pumping solutions. Whether we’re creating a custom pumping solution for an individual application, making an in-person service call or providing solutions via the world-class manufacturers we represent, our team is driven to get the job done right and to our customers’ expected standards.We act as an extension of your team to provide pump-specific knowledge. Our team will help specify the right pump for your application, and we’ll be there from initial setup and testing to operations and ongoing maintenance - ensuring our products perform to OEM specifications and your operation is successful.

SELECTING THE RIGHT SLURRY PUMP FOR THE JOB
At GPM, we believe it is our job to make your job easier. We don’t want you to spend valuable time agonizing over which slurry pump is right for your coal plant operation. We designed our Power Generation Slurry Pump Matrix to help you pinpoint the right pump for the job fast so you can make the right decision for your operation. Check it out to determine which GPM-Eliminator models will be the best fit for your plant. GPM also serves a wide range of industries and applications. If you’re looking for a solution outside of power generation, please contact our team with any questions or learn more on our website.