Quad Cities Generating Station
Utilization of BlackStarTech Emergency Power Solutions
Serving communities in Iowa and Illinois, the Quad Cities Generating Station annually generates nearly 1,900 megawatts of carbon-free electricity for over one million homes. The site has two General Electric boiling water nuclear reactors which operate 24/7 apart from the time spent on periodic maintenance and refueling. Since Quad Cities Station is a part of a nationwide network of power-generating facilities owned and operated by Exelon, the site follows advanced protocols to keep their facility operating safely and efficiently.
A Proactive Company Culture
Exelon Corporation has a proactive company culture that permeates the various protocols in all aspects of their facilities, including the safety and security measures, and the emergency backup power supply methods.
Exelon has an innovative process in place should a facility-wide, grid-wide, or regional power outage occur. In such an event, Quad Cities Station has a comprehensive set of rapidly deployable portable backup power products and emergency lighting units from BlackStarTech standing by. These on-site assets can be deployed in less than 30 minutes for both emergency situations as well as for increasing efficiency of routine maintenance tasks to assure the safety of personnel and the efficiency of the facility and the surrounding community.
Emergency Preparedness and Risk Reduction
The Quad Cities Generating Station utilizes the BlackStarTech advanced line of Genesis Series backup power supply solutions for numerous operating scenarios. As a result of this implementation, Quad Cities has improved nuclear station safety, reduced risk profiles, and enhanced risk-informed applications.
Here are just a few examples of where Quad Cities implemented BlackStarTech:
- Genesis backup power systems are being utilized for tactical applications that could achieve external flooding and high wind event probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) levels to allow more operator event response flexibility and implementation of risk-informed completion times.
- Genesis Series backup power supplies are being used for a more reliable digital reactor level indication system that normally does not actively have power during reactor head disassembly in a planned outage.
- Genesis products are being used to provide temporary power to a containment sump during a planned bus outage in order to keep the sump operational so additional maintenance could be performed on other components.
- With the ability to deploy targeted power within 30 minutes, Quad Cities was able to make approximately a 15% reduction in Core Damage Frequency (CDF) and Large Early Release Frequency (LERF) for both Full Power Internal Events and Fire PRAs.
While Quad Cities is able to use BlackStarTech improve augment their FLEX strategy and improve their PRA by approximately 15%, the site has also used it for efficiency gains in non-emergency situations.
Not for Emergency Use Only: Streamlined Online and Planned Outage Work
The BlackStarTech products can also simplify work in non-emergency situations. For example, all nuclear stations have periodically scheduled outages that involve the shutdown of a generating unit for inspection, maintenance, or refueling. The Sentinel MOV Power Pack is a small 3-Phase power solution that can be easily deployed near Motor Operated Valves and other components to test or maintain availability during bus outages to improve station efficiency. Likewise, the Sentinel AOV Power Pack can be used to run Air Operated Valves during pre-arranged outages, in addition to emergency scenarios.
Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries: Better and Safer Than Your Average Battery
Unlike other vendor offerings that employ older, maintenance-intensive batteries and antiquated backup diesel generators, BlackStarTech utilizes state-of-the-art Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) Batteries and highly efficient integrated propane backup generators to provide power solutions that can typically be deployed in 30 minutes and run for 30 days.
The Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are 50% lighter and have significantly more energy density than Lead Acid batteries. These advanced batteries last at least 3times longer, are more environmentally friendly, and have 15-year expected battery lifespans. In addition, LiFePO4 batteries are inherently non-combustible and much more stable and don’t experience thermal runaway similar to Lithium-Ion batteries. Based on extensive testing, there are no combustibility or thermal runaway concerns with LiFePO4.
These advanced batteries are combined with inverters and rectifiers to give you the ability to deploy power on-site in 30 minutes or less. BlackStarTech supports a myriad of DC and AC supply power sources, including from 12 to 250 VDC to 3-phase 480 VAC. This battery-based backup is supplemented with an integrated long-term fuel option using propane generators to keep you up and running for 30 days or more in an extended emergency scenario.
LED Advanced Lighting Solutions for Nuclear Stations
BlackStarTech Lightworks family delivers an array of advanced LED portable lighting products that utilize the same advanced Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries as Genesis. This allows BlackStarTech to deliver longer illumination durations compared to your average lighting device. BlackStarTech Lightworks consists of two product lines, the iSentient Smart Emergency Lighting Series and the BrightSites Series.
The Lightworks iSentient Series Smart Emergency Lighting Series delivers essential emergency lighting devices that meet all emergency and regulatory facility lighting specifications, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Appendix R requirements. The Lightworks iSentient Series operates on an internal DC battery for approximately 24 hours in a two-headlamp configuration, about 3 times longer than typical competitors that employ older Lead Acid batteries. In addition to a longer illumination duration, Lightworks features self-diagnostic predictive software. The Lightworks iSentient Series offers remote monitoring of the health and life of the battery. The predictive software combined with the excellent battery life provides the ability to remotely manage and maintain your smart emergency lighting across your facility, minimizing maintenance, surveillance manpower, and lifecycle costs while improving reliability.
BlackStarTech Lightworks BrightSites Series provides rapidly deployable portable lightpacks and outage tower lighting for nuclear stations that is rugged, exceptionally reliable, and easy to use.
Learn More about How BlackStarTech Can Work for You
BlackStarTech mitigates nuclear power plant risk and cost. To learn more about how BlackStarTech Genesis Emergency Power Systems augment the FLEX approach in the nuclear industry by providing rapidly deployable portable backup power contact us. Or visit BlackStarTech at Booth #102 at the ANS Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo on August 8–11, 2021 in Marco Island, FL.
