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Electrical safety in the plant

1. Accidents in Power plant

1. Accident prone Areas in Power Plant

(a)Boiler House
• Boiler Explosion
• Clinker formation & removal during online operation
• Flue gas Duct Explosion
• Coal Mill fire
• Bunker fire
• Health hazards like dust, Heat, Noise
(b) Turbine -Generator House
• Main oil tank fire
• Bearing-oil fire
• Hydrogen fire
• Health hazards like Noise, Heat and Vibration
• On line cleaning of exciter
(c) Electrical switch gear Area (substation)
• 6.6 KV breaker explosion / fire
• 415 V module fire
• Fire in cable gallery
• Battery room
• Switch yard fire, snapping of conductor
• Transformer
(d) Coal handling plant
• Exposure with rotating machinery
• Coal conveying section
• Low illumination
• Health hazards like coal dust, smoke, noise
(e) Ash plant
• Ash hopper chock up- on line cleaning
• Dust pollution in surrounding plant
• Health hazards like ash dust, hot ash
(f) Chemical
• Chlorine
• Sulfuric Acid

2. Technology and Human Factor

2.1 As the industry is progressing, new materials and new technologies are
developed. Unit rating of power plants also have gone high. Ratings of each major
equipments- generators, transformers, transmission line - also have gone high,
which can be seen from following details of 700 MW unit.
(a) Generator-
• 703.8 MW at 0.85 pf
• Generation voltage 20 KV +/- 5% 50 Hz
(b) Generator transformers
• 169.8 /226.4/283 MVA – 3 nos. single phase
• 420KV/ Square Root 3 / 20 KV
• Cooling : ONAN/ ONAF/OFAF
(c) Station transformer
• 100 /50 /50 MVA (three windings)
• Cooling : ONAN/ ONAF/OFAF

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Electrical safety in the plant
(d) Other equipments
• ESP -5000 KW
• FD Fan – 1815 KW
• ID Fan - 4090 KW
• Bus duct – 25200 Amp (20 KV)
• Transmission lines -1200 KV
2.2 As the unit size increases, wherever possible, risk elimination is kept in mind.
Substitution of material by the better one, is also done. Third important factor is
better engineering.
However, in some areas like coal handling there are external factors which have
prominent affects on operation. The quality of coal becomes important factor for
maintenance, operation and byproduct (ash).
Apart from progress in technology, one very important factor which we must not
forget is HUMAN. Two main factors here are – training and PPEs. Human psychology
to adopt safety, to observe safety, to use PPEs wherever required, plays very
important role, which no management can neglect.

3.0 Coal Handling Area:

The coal handling plant of any thermal power station is one of the hazardous area
which poses both the following hazards.
(a) Fire Hazard in coal stacks
• In conveyor belts
• In crusher house
• Coal in bankers in dormant stage
• In coal feeders
• In coal mills
(b) Explosion Hazard: Coal dust explosion due to poor house keeping

3.1 Coal stocking area

(a) Fire Prevention
• Coal to be stacked up to limited height Regular spray off water over coal.
• Stacking to be done in trapezoidal stock pile.
• First rack in – first out procedure to be followed and recorded.
• Coal pile fires can be detected by manual inspections of the areas or by
temperature monitoring off the pile.
• Coal pile fires can be prevented by specific handling methods such as roll
packing or bulldozing off the pile following a recommended frequency for the
specific type of coal. Detected hot spots off 70°C should be excavated and
removed.
(b) Fire Protection of coal stacking area
• Provision off network off fire hydrants.
• Provision of long range monitors.
• Use off rain guns for the spray off water
3.2 Coal conveyer Belts: This is a potential fire spreading risk in CHP area.
• Jamming off belt.
• Electrostatic discharge.
• Fire in conveyors may endanger & lead to bunkers, boiler house, crushers &
transfer points.
• Ignition of coal dust.
• Failure off brakes, safety devices and due to overheating of the prime mover
motor.
• Lubricating oil & grease.

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Electrical safety in the plant
• Friction from jam idlers & rollers.

(a) Fire prevention:

• Proper illumination
• Plant surveillance
• Use of fire resistant belt
• Cleanliness & good housekeeping
• Maintenance
• Electrostatic charge earthing
• Hot job permit system
(b) Fire detection
• Judicious fire detection system
• Sprinkler glass bulbs
• Quick response type
• LHS cables
• IR detectors
• Smoke sensors
(c) Fire Protection:
• Medium velocity water spray system
• Wet risers mains & water pressure boosting
• Fixed fire barriers at bunker level
(d) Other Safety devices:
• Zero speed sensors
• Overloading protection
• Pull cord stop system
• Limit switches

3.3 Coal Bunkers: There is a tedious fire risk during fire fighting of coal bunkers.
(a) Potential Fire risks & hazards;
• Compacting of residual coal on bunker wall for prolonged time (coal in
dormant stage for more than 07 days).
• Formation of carbon- mono- oxide gar during bunker coal fires.
• Spared of fire through belt and due to chimney effect.
• Over heated metal body.
(b) Fire Prevention:
(c) Fire Detection system:
• Spontaneous ignition in coal silos or bunkers is more related to the design of
the equipment and the possibility of trapped coal in dead spots.
• Fires can be detected with heat sensors, methane and/or CO detection.

3.4 Coal Feeders: Raw coal feeders are used to feed bunker coal to ball mills. There
three types of coal feeders - Raw Coal Feeders, Apron feeders and Vibro feeders.

(a) Fire Risks:

• Due to hot burning coal passing through bunkers.
• Milling plant fire propagating into feeders.
• Friction due to mechanical failure of feeders.
• Gear oil fire.
• Entrapped coal in feeders.
• Coal dust explosion.
(b) Fire Prevention:
• Proper Cleaning.
• Bunker gates & milling dampers to operate properly.
• Hot job permit system.

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Electrical safety in the plant
(c) Fire Protection: Provision of fire hydrant system.

3.5 Coal Mills: Coal mills pulverize the crushed coal (size 25 mm) mm into a fine
powder before it is burnt into the boiler furnace. They are either ball or roller mills.
(a) Fire Risks & Hazards:
• Fire & explosion within mill and pipe work.
• Accumulation of coal dust on ducting pipe work, cable trays etc.
• Deposition of dust over insulation.
• Careless handling of mill rejects.
(b) Fire Prevention:
• Minimize leakage of dust.
• Regular inspection of joints.
• Avoid building of static charges.
(c) Fire Protection :
• Provision of fire hydrant system

4.0 Boiler House & connected area

What is boiler? It is a closed pressure vessel that heats water to become hot water or
Steam at required pressure and temperature.
Hazard in this area are
(a) Burn injury due to steam leak somewhere
(b) Explosion in furnace after shutdown, in case of gas fired boiler. This happens
possibly due to faulty (passing) inlet gas valve. Even if the valve is closed on
shutting down the boiler, when boiler furnace is under purging, fuel/air ration comes
in ignition zone. Temperature is already there in the furnace. This can lead to
furnace explosion. Such explosion causes even buckling of water wall.

5. Accidents in substation
In majority of the installations, OCBs and MOCBs are replaced by SF6 breakers or
Vacuum breakers. Accidents in the HT or LT switchgear are due to flowing reasons.
5.1 We can classify electrical accidents on HT & LT Switchgear into three main
groups:
Group-1
(a) Abuse of equipments- using the switchgear in the way for which is not
designed. For examples, many times there are accidents on the breakers
because when it is not getting switched on, some mechanism levers are
operated (by inserting screw drivers) or some limit switches are bypassed.
(b) Poor maintenance - For quite long time equipment is not even cleaned from
outside or inside. In case of switchgear, results are very tragic. In some cases
shutdowns are not given for long time, for bus chamber cleaning. Sometimes
panel door is not closed fully, after taking LOTO permit. Entry for rats, lizards
etc. lead to accident/ tripping.
(c) Failure to switch off the breaker in auto or manual mode: The ultimate root
cause is again poor maintenance in most of the cases. But engineers close the
chapter as, “breaker did not operate”. Until root cause is found out,
investigation must be carried out. Root cause may be one or more form
following:
• Weak trip coil due to aging
• Limit switch aux. contact in trip circuit did not operate
• Mechanism problem
• Bottle (SF6 or Vacuum) problem (in such case that phase will not get
opened)
• In manual mode, (when person is in hurry or nervous) if selector switch is
not placed in correct mode, the breaker does not isolate power.

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Electrical safety in the plant

Group-2
Reasons in this group are such that, user is not responsible for these, but
manufacturer is responsible. In many cases user may not know this. Problem comes
out only during abnormal conditions.
(a) Inadequacy in design and assembly: Different parts of a panel are
manufactured in various sections of the works. E.g. fabrication of main
structure, breaker trolley,/wiring, MCC modules etc. Assembly is done in
another section and afterwards wiring, relay mounting/wiring etc. are done.
Sometimes, minor flaws in fabrication or assembly are not noticed and
during normal working it does not cause any abnormal condition. When some
fault is there, the operation of breaker or some other part of the panel becomes
abnormal and results in accident.
(b) Less clearance of live parts from the body: Though minimum clearances are
mentioned in the standards, sometimes to adjust the MCC with available space,
some clearances are reduced. Depending upon environment in which panel is
working, performance of MCC becomes unreliable. Reasons are tracking due to
moisture, dirt, dust etc.
(c) Too much critical design – Factor of safety considered for components (like
contactors, fuses, wires, male/female contacts, bus bars, etc.) are not
adequate.
Group-3
These are mainly human (and psychological) reasons
(a) Improper / unsafe workplace: In many installations it is observed during
Electrical safety audits that the space around the panels is not as per CEA
Regulations. On the rear side, for openable panel, there should be clear space
of 750 mm (min.) between wall & panel. In front of the panel, there should be
minimum space of 1000 mm. Less space becomes unsafe workplace. Even wet
floor is unsafe workplace.
(b) Inadequate /confusing instructions: When communication is not clear, the
person working can make mistake. Sometimes information given is not
sufficient. Clear and adequate communication can enhance the safety. Toolbox
talk is a good system for safety.
(c) Lack of concentration / overconfidence: many times a person working is
physically present on the job, but mentally he is somewhere else. If person has
worked at the same place for very long period, overconfidence is generated in
him. This is very dangerous for safety.
(d) Not following safety procedure:

5.2 Accident prone areas/locations

(a) Cable gallery / Cable cellars

• Bursting /fire of cable joint,
• Overheating of cable (from minor damage)
• Fire due to storage of flammable materials/chemicals/transformer oil in the
cable cellars
(b) Battery Room: During boost charging of battery cells, Hydrogen is generated.
Cases of fire explosion have happened due to this.
(c) Switchyard:
• Overheating of clamps/jumpers, snapping of conductor
• Transformer fire due to internal fault, overheated oil etc.
(d) Operating floor of substation
• Poor quality of switchgear / panels
• Human error

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Electrical safety in the plant
• Bypassing safety devices without thinking consequences

Acknowledgement:
We thank Shri Vishnu B Mishra, Safety Officer, GSECL, WTPS for Section 3.0
(Hazards in coal Handling area) of this paper.

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