IMI CCI HAS THE POWER IN CHILE

Two major projects undertaken by IMI Critical Engineering are helping to optimise performance and output at one of South America’s largest power plants. The Mejillones facility, located on the Chilean coast in the country’s Antofagasta region, has produced power from a combination of coal, diesel oil and natural gas since its establishment in 1995, with an annual output of around 3 million megawatts. One of its key roles is in the provision of power to many of the mining facilities in the region, making unscheduled interruptions highly undesirable.

However, some of the original competitor valves in the design were suffering as a result of erosion, cavitation, flashing, and unanticipated shutdowns. This was particularly the case with critical valves, in particular six minimum flow recirculation valves, two start-up feedwater control valves and two main feedwater control valves. The role of each of the valves is key in controlling flow around the system and protecting pumps and drums.

A particular problem was the level of leakage from the minimum flow recirculation valves, with the effect that the customer was having to make the pump work a higher rate to maintain the level in the drum. The result of this was an undesirable increase in current and an unacceptably high number of unexpected shutdowns. A similar issue existed with feedwater control level valves, resulting in inconsistent control which impacted on both the drum and overall plant performance.

The facility owner E-CL, a major player in the Chilean energy sector, approached IMI Critical Engineering’s IMI CCI business for a solution. Having assessed the application requirements, IMI CCI recommended complete replacement of the valve, rather than just the body as had previously been considered.

The solution recommended was IMI CCI’s patented DRAG^® technology which is proven in effectively controlling the velocity of fluids, avoiding leakage, cavitation and flashing, improving drum level control, protecting the pump and optimising plant efficiency. The customer adopted this solution based on these advantages and the fact that IMI CCI already had a significant installed base of valves at Mejillones whose performance was proven.

Since installation, unanticipated shutdowns resulting from valves have been zero, while the level of control during start-up has exceeded customer expectations.
Juan Pablo Villamil of IMI CCI commented: “This is a major facility where the valves in key applications were suffering the effects of age and poor operating conditions, resulting in high levels of downtime, meaning a new approach was needed. The incorporation of control and recirculation valves featuring patented DRAG^® technology was the obvious solution and has proven highly effective in countering these issues and ensuring uninterrupted processing.”

A spokesman for E-CL added: “Our drive is to optimise operational performance and that means having the best possible solution for controlling flow within process systems. The IMI CCI valves are delivering precise control during both start-up and normal processing, drastically reducing the likelihood of stoppages and minimising the possibility of damage to pumps, drums and other systems components.”

For further information visit www.imi-critical.com

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