At its Coal Creek Station facility, Great River Energy was having issues with the chutes and transfer points in its materials-handling system freezing up during the winter months. Additionally, the location of these chutes was prone to frequent wind, and employees did not have local access to proper tools to clean out the frozen chutes. To increase the reliability of its coal-dryer load-out equipment, Barr was contracted to design an enclosure for the transfer points and design electric heating and lighting for this new area. As part of the design, we also designed convenience 120V and 480V power receptacles throughout the project area.
The new enclosure was designed to tie into existing structure and stair tower framing. The tie-in locations were not lined up and connections were specially designed for this install. Existing floors were used to shelter the new space, and the contractor fit specially designed seals around equipment openings to keep the winter weather out. The project was designed to be installed in phases so they owner could use its own personnel and spread budget over multiple maintenance periods.