Overview
Wolf Creek Background 
The Wolf Creek Generating Station, located in
Burlington, Kan., is the only nuclear power plant
in the state of Kansas. The plant is owned and
operated by the Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating
Corporation, a subsidiary of three owners —
Kansas City Power & Light, Kansas Gas and
Electric, and Kansas Electric Power.
The plant was designed in 1976 and began
commercial operations in 1985. It generates 1,200
megawatts, enough power to provide energy to
nearly 800,000 households.
Because of this extreme importance and need for reliability, Wolf Creek counts on two Fairbanks Morse Colt-Pielstick PC2.5 engines to supply its emergency backup power."The engines were chosen in 1976, when the plant was designed," says Weeks. "They were installed around 1979 as the plant was built and they've been providing standby power since the plant started commercial operations in 1985." Reliability: Ready When Required
Fairbanks Morse Engine is based in Beloit, Wis., and has provided engines and engine technology to the locomotive, marine and nuclear industries since its inception in 1885.
A leader in innovation, Fairbanks Morse was the first company to successfully market a gasoline engine in the United States in 1893. Its Opposed Piston technology was developed in the mid-1930s, and continues to provide reliable power and service to U.S. Navy ships and power plants.
This heritage, combined with the company's reliability and attention to service, is appreciated by Weeks.
"The engines were here before I was, but if I had to choose, I'd still choose these," Weeks says. "They definitely meet my expectations."
Weeks also appreciates the continued improvements that Fairbanks Morse makes to its service offerings.
"I'll be honest, I used to feel like their tech support was slow," Weeks admits. "But they listened, formed a new tech group with a new approach to service, and it's been good since then."
"Plus, going direct to the factory gives us a better response for questions and support," he adds. "Everything is much more timely."
With an operation the size of Wolf Creek, timeliness carries heightened importance, as does reliable service. But, even with 30-year-old engines and the testing requirements placed on them, no significant failures have occurred — a testament to the sound engineering that goes into Fairbanks Morse engines. Weeks only needs OEM parts and service support occasionally, but quick response is critical.
"We've never had any major troubles," Weeks says. "We count on these engines and they work when they're called upon, which is obviously the most important part." |
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Safety: Second to None
Jim Weeks is the system engineer for Wolf Creek, a position he has held for close to 10 years. Weeks has more than 30 years of service at Wolf Creek, and prior to his civilian nuclear experience was a nuclear machinist's mate in the Navy, serving on a nuclear submarine that used a Fairbanks Morse opposed-piston engine to supply backup electrical power. Weeks doesn't underestimate the importance of safety, especially in the case of emergency backup power.
"Standby power engines are the second-most important pieces of equipment in the plant, after the Terry turbines," Weeks says. "Emergency backup power engines are required to energize the bus in less than 12 seconds in the event of a power failure," continues Weeks. "Our Fairbanks engines start in around eight to nine seconds. They're very reliable — they have to be." 
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