SIPOS devices have proven successful in aiding cooling water top-up processes at Callide B Power Station located near Biloela, in Central Queensland, Australia. The project confirms SIPOS’ capabilities providing integrated actuation solutions to support power cooling applications.
The coal power scheme has eight steam turbines, with a combined generation capacity of 1,720 MW of electricity. Steam is condensed using conventional cooling towers fed from a cooling water pond. The pond water top-up system at Callide B comprises a level sensor and control valve operated by a SIPOS 5 PROFITRON actuator with integrated process controller. By providing intelligent actuators, external process control was not required thus simplifying the system and saving capital and installation costs.
Water from the pond at the bottom of the cooling tower is continually lost through evaporation. The water level therefore needs to be topped up from an external source, in this case from the Awoonga dam and Stag Creek pipeline. A simple control system was required to activate and modulate the top-up valve to control the pond water level. SIPOS’ actuation technology, featuring integrated process control functionality which accommodates a range of setpoint control possibilities, met the requirements of the scheme.
SIPOS Aktorik actuators were commissioned at the Callide B plant in 2002.
