Meeting the Needs of Customers
One large plant costs less to build and can genreate electricity at lower cost than
several smaller ones. That's why four utility companies formed a partnership
to meet the growing needs of their customers and build the 400-megawatt (net)
Coyote Station. They chose the plant site south of Beulah, ND, because of its
proximity to coal and water, essential components of electricity generation.
Otter Tail Power Comapny, Fergus Falls, MN, with 35 percent ownership,
operates Coyote Station.
The other owners are:
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co.,
Bismark, ND - 25 percent
Northern Municipal Power Agency
Thief River Falls, MN - 30 percent
NorthWestern Energy,
Huron, SD - 10 percent
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Coyote Station, Beulah, ND |
In Theory, Making Electricty
is a Simple Process
Water is purified and preheated before going into the boiler. Once the water
reaches the boiler, it is circulated inside tubes and converted to steam. As the
steam is forced into the turbine it causes the rotor to turn. The rotor turns a
magnet near coils of wire in the generator to produce elctricity. |
Control Room
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Protecting the Environment
Coyote Station takes particular care in complying with state and federal
environmental standards. Its environmental control systems meet all federal
and state pollution-control requirements.
Among these systems are a dry scrubber to remove sulfer dioxide and a fabric
filter baghouse to remove particulate emissions.
Fly ash (a waste product of coal combustion) is recycled. Bottom ash is sold for
use as sandblasting grit, road de-icer, and soil stabalizer and is used in the
manufacture of roofing material. Any unused ash is hauled to a permanent disposal
site where it's buried in pits that are specially prepared to protect the environment.
The abundance of deer, pheasants, rabbits, grouse and other wildlife seen on and
around the plant site today testify to its harmony with its natural setting.
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Turbine |
Facts & Figures
Turbine:
414,588 kw
Generator:
500,000kva
Boiler:
3,250,000 pounds
of steam per hour
Transmission Outlet:
345,000 volts
Fuel:
North Dakota Ignite
6,900 Btu per pound
Lignite-handling system:
Conveys 550 tons per hour
Live Storage-24,000 tons
Dry scrubbing system:
Four 46 foot diameter vessels
Twelve atomizing wheels
300-hp driving motors
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Generator Maintenance |
