Smart Elbow® deflection elbow keeps power plant leak free

January 16, 2015 by Miaja Cornelius

In order to meet federal sulfur dioxide emissions standards, PECO Energy Company’s Eddystone plant employs a scrubbing process using magnesium oxide (MgO) pneumatically conveyed from storage silos to a mixer before being sprayed into the plant’s exhaust stacks. The MgO must be fully operational whenever the coal-fired plant is generating electricity to keep sulfur dioxide emissions below mandated levels. Elbow failure is not an option.

The standard 316L stainless pipe elbows that made up the pneumatic conveying system carrying the magnesium oxide powder were frequently wearing out at an average of every four to six months, causing spillages with potentially negative environmental and quality-of-life issues – both inside and outside the plant. Cleanup and repairs were expensive — nearly $4,000 in labor costs annually. Shutdowns of the MgO system threatened to push the plant out of EPA and OSHA compliance; plant engineers needed components that were able to withstand near-constant operation in the long term. You can read the full case study here.

Plant engineer Gavin Heckler and his team found the solution they needed: the Hammertek Smart Elbow deflection elbow. Six, 3-inch carbon steel elbows were installed to replace the existing stainless steel elbows so prone to failure. Even when operating at full capacity, 24 hours per day, the Smart Elbow models were still going strong a year and a half later, preventing releases and cleanup costs.

The longevity of the Smart Elbow product in high-wear and high-volume environments is due in no small part to its intelligent engineering. Conventional elbows rely on impact to change the direction of material passing through them, accelerating wear through friction. The Smart Elbow deflection elbow’s patented Vortex Chamber allows the formation of a slowly rotating ball of material to redirect without contacting the interior surface of the elbow walls, virtually eliminating wear.

Since its inception almost two decades ago, HammerTek Corporation has established a reputation as an innovative U.S. manufacturer of “problem-solving” conveying elbows. The Smart Elbow design is patented in the United States and 15 other countries. For more information, call us at 800-505-9665 or email us at elbows@hammertek.com.