Effect of TQM on the Maintenance of Pulverizer and Raw Coal Feeder in a Coal Based Thermal Power Plant

Recognising quality to be a key focus for competitiveness, Total Quality Management (TQM) was established and used as a new philosophy for managing organisations. There is an increasing focus on quality throughout the world. Power Industry is the basic need for a sound economy. During past two decades large Thermal power Stations in different part of country have come up, to meet ever increasing demand of the electrical energy. India has fairly large low grade coal and it has been rightly accepted in principle that thermal generation should be so planned and designed to use this non-renewable resource properly. In pulverized fired furnaces, the finer the grind of the coal the greater will be the flame stability. Therefore working conditions of raw coal feeder and pulverizers should be maintained in perfect order. In achieving this purpose, maintenance department plays a crucial role. Regular maintenance is required to keep the RC Feeder and pulveriser working in order to reduce sudden breakdowns and outages and to reduce rejection rate of coal. In this paper a case study has been discussed carried out at a coal based thermal power plant focussing on the maintenance of the RC Feeder and pulveriser.