Dharmsinh Desai University, DDIT, Nadiad

(Faculty of Technology)

Industrial Visit to Wanakbori (TPP) & Kadana(HPP)

Date:- 11/09/17

This is regarding to the field trip organized by faculty of Mech. Engg.,

DDIT, Nadiad to the Wanakbori, Thermal Power Station and to the
Kadana, Hydro Power Station both of which is operated by GSECL.
Almost 60 students along with 3 faculty members accompanied the visit.
The trip was aimed to unearth the answer to the curious and practical
question raised by students and in no doubt the goal was achieved
successfully despite some of the undesired problems faced by the event
management team.
The first visit was to the Kadana Plant. After a bit of paperwork , the
caravan finally entered the gate. Talking about safety first, students were
provided with Helmets. We, then entered the intermediate structure (the
area spanning from ground level to top of generator floor ) of the Plant
area where we were instructed about the safety precaution and it was
clear from the no. of safety hoardings hanged over there.
Talking about the technical details, the plant consists of a total 4 units
each of 60 MW capacity , 2 of which are BHEL made and were installed
in the year 1990 and the other 2 which are SKODA made, installed in
the year 1998. The hydraulic head is of 45-50 m. Each unit consists of a
reversible Kaplan turbine and a generator coupled to it.
There are 3 structures of a HPP, the first being substructure which
ranges from top of Draft tube to the top of soil which is generally not
visible and is beneath the ground. The draft tube was elbow in shape.
The second is intermediate structure which ranges from ground level to
the base of generator. It consists of turbine . We visited the turbine
room, where they saw the spiral casing that houses the guide and runner
blades. We were actually standing on the casing area. The room was too
noisy, obviously the turbine was operating and it felt really breathtaking
but exciting at the same time.
The turbine was then discharging 5100 Cusec(1 cusec = 1.699 m3 per
min.). And it was running at 142 rpm. The unit was operating at its full
load capacity of 60MW.
There was a working area outside the turbine room, where the workers
took the readings of the operating temperatures and pressures. The
environment there really was too warm to work for. And the noise
could cause damage to the ears with the prolonged working. This is
where the company fails i.e to provide proper and enough safety
instruments.

Then, we saw the generator in the Generator room, now thats the part of
third structure called the Super structure. But we could just see the
outside casing with the fins. Then after, the caravan headed towards the
Control room where we saw some persons keeping an eye on the whole
plants with whatever the data they got from the machines lined over
there. A kind fellow acknowledged the students about the whole plant
with the help of a still model place over there. They exchanged some
question - answers and the conversation was kind of satisfying.
Then the caravan headed towards the beautiful site of the plant i.e
towards the top of the Dam at a height of 60m. Dam was equipped with
a control room and some crane like machine to operate the gates and
keep an eye on the water level in reservoir. The penstock was too
visible from there and its internal dia. is 6m. The whole plant was visible
from there.

There, we end their visit to the HPP. And the bus directly headed
towards the Wanakbori plant.
*****************************
After gathering at the gate of thermal station and wearing safety helmets
the students were directly taken to the Training Center. we were
entertained by a Presentation on the TPP, by a Senior member of center.
He Acknowledged the students about the Installed Capacity of the Plant
i.e 1400 MW, 7 units of 200 MW capacity each. The students there saw
the models of the auxiliaries used in power station. And gained practical
data about the working temperature and pressure and the quantity of coal
used, like the plant uses 125 tons of coal per hour to generate electricity.
The coal is brought in from states like Maharashtra and Madhya
Pradesh.

The infrastructure and the greenery maintained in the plant was a point
of attraction. The students first saw the Metallurgical Dept. and the
Water Dept. which were responsible for all the material and water
quality related task respectively. Then in the Turbine and Generator
floor they saw 7 units lined up in a straight manner. HP, IP and LP
section of the turbine was clearly visible, which was coupled to a
Generator. That whole section consisted of numerous machine and some
strange and some familiar devices. They also saw a non-operating
multistage turbine back in on the Ground floor. The blades were clearly
visible.
Then we headed to the control which was a complete mess of machines
and computer screens. At first look we were confused but then we were
fed with the details of those machine by a member working there. All
the units can be controlled from there itself and details of temperature
and pressure in various section of the boiler was available at their
hands.

Then after, we saw the boiler section from the ground level. Where we
saw a leaked Deaerator at the top, Boiler housing (it was a mess of tubes
and pipings and a lot of metal structures.), ESP( steel housing),
Chimney,etc. The coal conveyer was located at the top and the ground
just below it was full of coal particles. We also saw a room from where all
the pneumatic devices were supplied with compressed air.
Then we headed towards the Cooling tower, in the midway we saw the
Transformer units lined up just outside the turbine and generator section,
for each of the unit. At the Cooling tower arena we saw a huge tower of
Hyperbolic profile that was a Natural draft type , Counter flow cooling
tower. Height of the cooling tower is 21m. With the base dia. 98m and the
top dia. 52m. Just below the tower was the cooling water basin where the
cooled water fall from the tower. The hot water from condenser is pumped
to the top of the tower and is cooled and it falls into the basin below.
Due to the lack of time we could not see the Ash Dumping Pond and
The Wagon Tripler Mechanism. But to say it was a total mechanizing
trip and a great salute to all those Engineers who have worked hard to
construct such a Humongous Plant.