Roller energy chain for stackers on 615m travel without failure for 10 years

• ​​​​​What was needed: Roller-e-chain® type 5050RHD, chainflex® motor/control and fibre optic cable, i.Sense Condition Monitoring System
• Requirements: long journey (615 m), continuous loads, extreme weather conditions (snow and ice)
• Industry: Power station, electricity industry
• Success for the customer: trouble-free operation for more than 10 years

At the lignite-fired power plant "Tušimice" in the Czech Republic, operated by the CEZ Group, coal is stored on a stockpile at the edge of the power plant site, which could theoretically be used to fire the power plant for an entire week. In order to automatically stack the coal on the stockpile, a "stacker" is required, which must be reliably supplied with energy, data and media. As the stacker is only used when regular coal production in the lignite-fired power plant is stopped, the energy supply system must also always work reliably, sometimes during 24/7 continuous operation and sometimes during a month of downtime. The extreme weather conditions in the cold Czech winter were also a particular challenge. The cables of the previously used cable drum froze repeatedly, which could result in repeated breakdowns and unplanned downtimes on the long journey when the system started up. The customer was therefore looking for an energy supply that was both resilient and fail-safe.

An energy chain of type 5050RHD has therefore ensured trouble-free operation at the lignite-fired power plant in Tušimice for more than 10 years. The "R" in the name stands for "rollers". This is because rollers in the chain links reduce the coefficient of friction enormously over long travel distances when the upper run of the chain rests on the lower run. This reduces the coefficient of friction and saves up to 57 per cent of the drive energy required to move the energy chain system.
In addition to the 615 metre long travel, two other systems are moved with our roller energy chains, the lengths of which are also not exactly short at 400 m and 150 m respectively. The systems supply the so-called "reclaimer", which ensures that the stockpiled coal is removed again and transported to the power plant on the conveyor belt.