Bloomington, IN: Power Plant

(3D Satellite)

I have already researched Purdue's power plants, so it is only fair that I write about IU's power plant. Judging from the satellite image, this plant is a central heating system. It doesn't generate electricity.

Joan Hostetler Collection via DigitalLibrary

Don Wetmore posted seven photos with the comment: "Indiana University power plant in Bloomington, Indiana in 1978-80. Details in captions.   Photos by Don Wetmore"
Don Wetmore shared
Paul Lutz Great series of photos. Wondering if some southern Indiana coal was being burned or if it was coming from out of state? I see L&N and C&O hoppers. I just missed this part of the IU heating operation as I moved to B'ton in 86 and coal was being trucked in.
Don Wetmore Paul Lutz It was mostly trucked in back then as well. With the coal strike they bought some rail cars of coal that were cheap because it was frozen solid in the cars. At one point they had someone in the car with a jackhammer trying to get it out.
Gerald Davenport Paul Lutz if I recall, those C&O and other Family Lines loads came south from Indy. At least there was a southbound empty IPL train that derailed in the late 70s that had 4 or 5 loads near the end that one or two derailed. I can’t remember if I have any pictures or newspaper pictures showing that.
Don Wetmore Gerald Davenport I remember that derailment. Harmonic rock from all the low joints.
Dennis DeBruler It was converted to natural gas. But I was surprised that it still burns 5% with coal.
https://choosejan15.wordpress.com/.../iu-will-use-algae.../
https://www.google.com/.../@39.1719896,-86.../data=!3m1!1e3

1
Indiana University power plant in Bloomington, Indiana in January 1978. Note the full coal pile.
Photo by Don Wetmore
Tom Runyon Note the black smoke. It appears that they didn't have enough air for good combustion. Do you know if the plant draft was natural, forced or balanced?
Toby G Fidler That was before the parking garage was put in. I remember that when I first started working at IU. 1979

2
Indiana University power plant in Bloomington, Indiana in March 1978. Note the low coal pile due to a coal strike. Students got a 3 week spring break that year due to the strike.
Photo by Don Wetmore
Charles Coonrod I remember that we cut off half the lights in classrooms and hallways to save energy.
Lisa Hornibrook I remember that semester well!! First the blizzard then the 3 week spring break!!

3
Indiana University power plant in Bloomington, Indiana in January 25, 1980. Unloading track. Note the car heaters.
Photo by Don Wetmore

4
Indiana University power plant in Bloomington, Indiana in January 25, 1980. Unloading track detail.
Photo by Don Wetmore

5
Indiana University power plant in Bloomington, Indiana in January 1978. Car puller for the unloading track.
Photo by Don Wetmore

6
Indiana University power plant in Bloomington, Indiana in January 1978. Unloading coal. Note the car shaker hanging on the car.
Photo by Don Wetmore

7
Indiana University power plant in Bloomington, Indiana in January 1978. Unloading coal.
Photo by Don Wetmore

3D Satellite

Indiana Rail Road now operates the IC branch that served this plant. But it looks like the 5% coal they still burn is hauled in by truck and stored in that big silo.


It really bothers me that news releases don't include a date. This news release makes a big deal that they can't afford to convert to gas because it would cost three times as much as coal for the fuel. But then it says it used $34m to remove coal-fired boilers and to install a high-efficiency gas boiler. [IU] By 2017 they were burning 95% gas and 5% coal. [WordPress]

They are researching growing algae using the flue gases as the food and then using the algae to fertilize the flowers on campus: WordPress, IU and AlgaeWorld. They also generate some electricity from reducing the steam pressure at the boiler pressure of 150 psig to 40- to 54-psig using a turbine instead of valves. This saves the university between $120k and $130k per year in energy costs. [HVAC]