Project Snapshot
Yeniköy is a 420 Megawatt MW coal-fired power station in need of a Linear Heat Detection Solution in Yeniköy, Muğla, Turkey and is owned by Limak- IC İçtaş. The site first became operational in 1986 with a current annual nominal production capacity of 2,730,000,000 KWh.
Yeniköy thermal plant and neighbouring Kemerköy power station are classified as critical power infrastructure. Both plants involve the transport and processing of a highly flammable product – domestic lignite. With more than 20km of belts to be monitored, advanced detection and visualisation were required to effectively protect the site. Every year, 10 million tonnes of coal are transported through the on-site conveyor belt system, making it a critical component in the operation of the power station.
The Challenge
The Yeniköy Kemerköy conveyor belt is a key part of the value chain to the client’s business. This plant must be able to operate over long periods of time with minimum disruption to production demands.
A Linear Heat Detection solution was required to ensure the effective management of temperature events within this critical area, for detecting local overheating of equipment and providing early fire detection capability, within the Muğla client’s allocated budget.
The solution had to be cost-effective in terms of cost of ownership, throughout the retrofit installation and including lifetime support costs.
The required solution needed to ensure that the client could possess and own the optimal solution in terms of reducing risk and minimising ongoing maintenance costs.
The Solution
The end user initially trialled thermal cameras on the site, however the performance was not satisfactory and did not adequately fulfil the requirements. BTS Yangın worked with the customer to design a fibre optic Linear Heat Detection (LHD) system based on Bandweaver’s FireLaser DTS system. After demonstrations from two fibre optic linear heat detection providers, the project was awarded to BTS Yangın in Turkey, utilising the Bandweaver FireLaser distributed temperature sensing solution.
A single 4-channel / 10km FireLaser unit was installed, offering the end user up to 40km of monitoring capability. For this particular application, 714 zones were configured, measuring 30m in length per zone over a total of 21.4km.
The FireLaser’s smart alarms were configured to detect maximum temperatures of 57-61.5°C, as well as a rate of rise of 5°-7°C. Using both variables, the system ensured that operators would be alerted should the system overheat in a range of conditions.
To provide a complete overview of the site’s operation, FireLaser was integrated with Panasonic CCTV via FireLaser’s built in relay outputs. Bandweaver’s MaxView software platform was also used for advanced visualisation of the site and the fibre optic sensing system.
Detection of Hot Roller
For conveyor belts, one of the key maintenance issues is the issue of roller failure and subsequent heating. When the bearing in a roller fails, typically resulting in high levels of friction which will cause the bearing to become very hot and lead to fires. As well as fire detection, the FireLaser linear heat detection system was also able to detect heating in rollers along the conveyor, prior to an ignition event.
In the event of an alarm, technical staff on site can be alerted by the operator in the control room to check the sensing cable with a thermal camera within the zone that is in a state of alarm. The heated cylinder can thus be detected within any 30-metre zone in a very short time. By using the professional thermal camera, the temperature can be understood almost precisely, and appropriate action can be taken.
Before the FireLaser DTS system was installed, there were even rollers that had become embers. However, with this early fire detection system, mechanical problems can be detected quickly after the early alarm detection, and heating effects minimised. Once the conveyor is stopped, the roller can be replaced and the conveyor normal operating mode in a short time.
About Bandweaver Technologies
With an installed base of over 60,000km and 8,000 systems installed worldwide, Bandweaver’s vision is to be the first choice for integrated distributed fibre optic sensing solutions across the globe. Since 2002, Bandweaver has been committed to delivering reliable, innovative, client-centric and value-added products and services, via a dedicated and talented team of people.
Bandweaver manufactures and distributes advanced fibre optic monitoring sensors and integrated technologies, enabling customers to monitor, secure and keep personnel and critical assets safe. Bandweaver provides solutions for Security, Fire, Power and Pipelines.
Need Linear Heat Detection in Muğla or Turkey?
If you’re in need of Linear Heat Detection for your Conveyor Belts in Muğla, Turkey, the UK, or anywhere else, please don’t hesitate to contact us for a free, no-obligation quotation or for more information.
Not only can we provide Linear Heat Detection Solutions for Conveyors, but we also serve a wide range of industries, including Tunnels, Warehouses, Solar Farms, Car Parks, Industrial & Commercial Facilities, and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). Additionally, we deliver comprehensive Fire Detection Solutions, including our Automatic Fire Suppression Systems, to give you peace of mind and protect your valuable assets.