Document g2KykD1nXo1YoBGK699qNz41a

R expansion program by FRANK M. CO L.DWELL, Manager of Mill Poicer HE Nekoosa-Edwards Paper TCompany has been manufactur ing paper for over 60 years. Its main offices are at Port Edwards, with mills at both Port Edwards and Nekoosa, Wisconsin. These mills are situated on the Wisconsin River, and in the early days power was developed at power sites at the mills and trans mitted to various pieces of equipment by shafting, belts, and pulleys. The only steam power used was from enginesdriving papermachines where the steam could be used for paper drying, and some steam engines for mechanical power where water power could not be transmitted. As time went on, the plants grew, Two Elliott single-value steam engines have been driving paper machines at NekoosaEdwardsfor many years. The engine at left has been driving the No. 5 paper machine since 1930. The Elliott steam engine at right drives the No. 1 paper machine. and electric power became common in the industry. About 1913, a power site on the Wisconsin River at Ccntralia was obtained where 2000 kw (later increased to 3600-kw capacity) of hydroelectric generation was in stalled, and a 1000-kw steam turbine was purchased for Port Edwards. The power sites on the Wisconsin River at Port Edwards and Nekoosa were still used primarily for mechanical power and for the production of ground turbine-generator was installed, ex hausting at 150-lb back pressure to obtain by-product power. As power demands grew, additional 475-lb boilers and a 3500-kw turbinegenerator were installed at the Nekoosa plant, with the turbine ex tracting steam at 150 lb and exhaust ing at 30-lb back pressure. This was the status of the property Basic Data The basic data indicated that the power expansion program should be sufficient to care for an increase in production from 156 tons to 200 tons of pulp per day and an increase from 140 tons to 253 tons of paper per day at the Nekoosa plant. No expansion of the Port Edwards mill was con templated and no increase in steam wood pulp used directly in the paper process. in 1950 when plans were made for a or electrical demand at that plant new paper machine and expansion of was assumed. The plan as set up, was Later, additional paper machines pulp-tnaking facilities at the Nekoosa designed to facilitate the installation were installed to bring the capacity mill, necessitating a large block of of future equipment. of each plant up to four paper ma new power. The paper industry uses large chines each. Changes in the paper At this time the average electrical amounts of steam in process require industry and the products of the load had reached 13,000 kw, made ments. Hence, by-product electrical company eliminated the use of me up largely of hydro and by-product power is possible, and the plant was chanical pulp made by grinding steam power, with some mechanical designed to produce the maximum wood with water wheels, this pulp water power still being used for the amount of this power. Since coal is being replaced by chemical pulps. driving of stock preparation equip relatively expensive in the plant area, As this trend progressed, the Port ment for the paper machines. it was decided to continue the use of Edw'ards and Nekoosa power sites on At that time the boiler house of the pulverized coal in order to utilize the the Wisconsin River were converted Nekoosa mill had one 450-lb pulver extremely small size coal available to the production of hydroelectric ized fuel boiler rated at 110,000 lb at lowest prices. Accordingly, refine power. Under this condition in the per hr, one chemical recovery boiler ments in methods of soot blowing, early 20's, two steam turbines were of the same design characteristics burner arrangement, ash- and coal installed to stabilize the power out which produced about 60,000 lb of handling were incorporated in the put of the hydro plants under vary steam per hour, and five low-pressure boiler design to facilitate the use of ing river conditions. In 1929, the first boilers acting as stand-by for the pul- this type of coal. 400-lb boilers were installed at the verized-fuel boiler and used mainly The steam necessary at the Nekoosa Port Edwards plant and a 400-lb for the disposal of waste wood. mill alone was studied but as the POWERFAX, SPRINC 1953 PAGE 2