Philo Power Plant
CountryUnited States
LocationPhilo, Ohio
Coordinates39°51′52″N 81°54′15″W / 39.86444°N 81.90417°W / 39.86444; -81.90417
StatusDecommissioned
Commission dateUnit 1: 1924
Unit 2: 1925
Unit 3: 1929
Unit 4: 1941
Unit 5: 1942
Unit 6: 1957
Decommission dateUnit 1: 1957
Units 2–6: 1975
Owner(s)Ohio Power
Operator(s)Ohio Power
Thermal power station
Primary fuelCoal
Cooling sourceMuskingum River
Power generation
Nameplate capacity510 MW

Philo Power Plant was a 510 megawatt (MW), coal power plant located in Philo in Muskingum County, Ohio. It was the first power plant in the United States to apply steam reheat and supercritical steam generator technologies for its turbines. The plant had six units and its operations were handled by Ohio Power, a forerunner of American Electric Power (AEP). It operated from 1924 until ceasing in 1975.

History

Construction of the Philo Power Plant began in 1922 with the plant designed by Sargent & Lundy.[1][2] Philo began commercial generation with Unit 1 in 1924.[3] This unit initially had a nameplate capacity of 35 MW from General Electric's curtis turbine, but was raised to 40 MW after performing well on its test run.[2] The turbine had a maximum pressure of 600 psi (4,100 kPa) and temperature of about 725 °F (385 °C). It was the first unit in the country that utilized steam reheat.[3] Unit 1 was decommissioned and replaced by Unit 6 in 1957.[4] Unit 2 was completed in 1925 and also had a nameplate capacity of 40 MW.[2][5] The total cost of both units was $10 million.[6] Unit 3 was completed in 1929 with a nameplate capacity of 165 MW.[7][8] The total cost to construct Unit 3 was $17 million.[8] Units 4 and 5 were completed in 1941 and 1942 respectively and each had a nameplate capacity of 85 MW.[4]

Philo Unit 6

Philo Unit 6's turbine in the foreground at the AEP Building in Columbus, Ohio

Philo Unit 6 was the nation's first commercial supercritical steam generator. The unit began commercial generation in 1957 with nameplate capacity of 120 MW.[9] Its steam generator, designed and built by Babcock & Wilcox, had a maximum pressure of 4,500 psi (31,000 kPa) and an operating temperature of about 1,150 °F (621 °C).[9][10] Its steam turbine was designed and built by General Electric that made 3,600 rpm.[10] The unit was able to demonstrate operations at ultrasupercritical levels, but due to the lack of metals able to tolerate the extreme temperatures, the levels were unsustainable.[11] To support the new unit, a 183 ft (56 m) smokestack was erected.[9] The total cost to construct Philo Unit 6 was approximately $19.5 million.[12]

Operations

When Philo began operations, the plant maintained a thermal efficiency of 24% consuming 14,000 BTU. Coal used by the plant came by either rail or river barge.[2] Most of the coal burned at Philo was mined within the State of Ohio with some coal coming from West Virginia.[4] Water was sourced from the Muskingum River with its intake being above a dam and was discharged below the dam.[2] At the time of its deactivation, 203 employees worked at the plant.[3]

Closure and demolition

Philo was deactivated on May 31, 1975. The company cited declining electricity demand during the 1973–75 recession and the facility being surpassed by newer, more efficient power plants.[3] The plant went on standby following deactivation with a single unit used to regulate voltage. Ohio Power remained optimistic that Philo would be reactivated.[13] The plant was eventually demolished in 1983.[14] After the Philo Power Plant was demolished, the rotors from the turbine from Unit 6 were utilized in a sculpture created by George Greenamyer.[15] The sculpture was unveiled in October 1983 as a part of a landscape design project for the newly built AEP Building located in Columbus, Ohio.[15][16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "American Gas & Electric Co. To Erect Mamm'th Structure On 'The Island' At Philo Soon". The Times Recorder. August 14, 1922. p. 1. Retrieved December 27, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Byrne, John F. (May 1927). "The Philo Power Plant" (PDF). The Ohio State Engineer. 10 (4): 5, 26. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Philo Power Plant To Shut Down". The Times Recorder. May 6, 1975. p. 1-B. Retrieved December 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 3 Schneider, Norris F. (October 20, 1974). "Philo Plant Produced First Power 50 Years Ago". The Times Recorder. p. 1-D. Retrieved December 27, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Ohio Power Co. To Build Another Big Plant In This State". The Times Recorder. January 10, 1925. p. 1. Retrieved December 27, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Power Line Will Be Strung Thru S.E. Of County". Coshocton Tribune. October 11, 1922. pp. 1, 5. Retrieved December 27, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Giant Turbine Now In Operation A Great Progressive Development". Coshocton Tribune. August 4, 1929. p. 2. Retrieved December 27, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 "To Spend $17,000,000 At Philo". The Zanesville Signal. January 12, 1927. p. 1. Retrieved December 27, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 3 "New Philo Unit Step Forward In Electric Power Production". The Times Recorder. May 8, 1957. p. 8-A. Retrieved December 27, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 "Philo 6 Steam-Electric Generating Unit". ASME. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  11. ↑ Patel, Sonal (February 1, 2013). "First U.S. Ultrasupercritical Power Plant in Operation". POWER Magazine. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Ohio Power 1957 Planning Includes $29 Million Here". The Times Recorder. March 5, 1957. p. 7. Retrieved December 27, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Ohio Power Still Plans To Stress Coal". Coshocton Tribune. March 13, 1977. p. 13. Retrieved December 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Schneier, Norris F. (September 11, 1983). "Industrial Development Brought Philo Boom". The Times Recorder. p. 8-A. Retrieved December 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. 1 2 "Historic Philo Generating Unit 6 Becomes Part Of AEP Sculpture Display". The Times Recorder. October 9, 1983. p. 3-A. Retrieved December 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Turbines: Twin Branch Unit #4 & Philo Unit #6, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
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