Strongwell was approached by American Electric Power (AEP) of Columbus, Ohio in September 1993 for an optional conveyor drip pan. Fabricated drip pans were used for replacing 1,700 lineal feet of existing pans with standard FRP components. The coal boilers that provide steam to the facility were fed by the main coal conveyor at the Mountaineer Plant in West Virginia. Drip pans are used to collect coal dust or fines and small coal particles that fall off the conveyor and prevent them from falling on the ground. The pans are washed down several times each week to prevent coal dust accumulation more than 1/2" deep, which could lead to the possibility of structural fatigue or spontaneous combustion.
.jpg)
The design criteria for this application included abrasion, structural and chemical resistant specifications. The drip pans had to have sufficient strength to support a man on a free span of 30-1/4" with a maximum of 1/4" deflection over the span. The material needed to be resistant to the acid conditions produced by coal and also the abrasion of frequent shoveling and high pressure wash down. Furthermore, they had to be constructed with watertight connections.
Solution Proposed by Strongwell
After the comparison of FRP to 3/16" thick 304 stainless steel and coated carbon steel, the project was awarded to Strongwell. They determined FRP to be the superior material for this application for its ease of handling, corrosion resistance, weight savings when compared to other materials and competitive pricing.
The three-sided U-shaped drip pans were fabricated in sections 20' long and shipped directly to the Mountaineer Plant where they were set into place and connected with a neoprene gasketing material.
.jpg)
Technical Data
| Product: |
Coal Conveyor Drip Pans |
| Process: |
Pultrusion |
| Materials: |
EXTREN® Series 525 fiberglass reinforced polyester, fire retardant |
| Sizes: |
1/4" and 3/8" Plate 3" x 3" x 3/8" Angle |
| For: |
American Electric Power |
About Strongwell Corporation
Strongwell Corporation is the world’s largest pultruder of fiber reinforced polymer composites. Strongwell’s FRP products were chosen as solutions in many different markets. For the mining industry, the company offers operating platforms, conveyor drip pans and platforms & walkways.
Strongwell Corporation design, manufacture, fabrication and testing of molded or pultruded fiber reinforced polymer composite products for construction, commercial and industrial applications.
Strongwell has been pultruding fiber reinforced polymer composite structural products since 1956. Today, with more than 65 pultrusion machines and 647,000 square feet of manufacturing space in three plant locations, Strongwell has unequaled capacity, versatility and flexibility to meet the needs of its customers and allied partners. All Strongwell pultruded products are made in the USA. Click here to learn how Strongwell’s pultruded products out perform traditional materials.
The company is financially strong, quality oriented, technically advanced, and customer focused. Strongwell's customers include Fortune 500 industrial and commercial firms, major architectural and engineering firms, leading contractors and distributors, and many other companies - both large and small - in a variety of markets.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Strongwell Corporation.
For more information on this source, please visit Strongwell Corporation.