Plant Services - December 2007 - (Page 25)

EFFICIENCY Steam Systems the boiler, where the whole process starts over again. This reuse can lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings, depending on the size of the boiler and its operating hours. Table 1: The high price of escape* Equivalent orifice diameter 1/16 in. 1/8 in. 1/4 in. 1/2 in. Steam loss (lbs/yr) 115,630 462,545 1,848,389 7,393,432 Steam cost per 1,000 lbs $5.00 $578 $2,313 $9,242 $36,967 $7.50 $867 $3,469 $13,863 $55,451 $10.00 $1,156 $4,625 $18,484 $73,934 Raise feedwater temperature Facilities also can reduce their energy bills by taking a look at how much they spend on heating feedwater (Figure 3). An auditor will probably suggest an economizer if your facility hasn’t already invested in one, because an economizer can reduce the steam boiler’s fuel requirements, frustrating the Steamer by transferring heat from the flue gas to incoming feedwater. By recovering waste heat, an economizer can often reduce fuel requirements by 5% to 10%, and if you’re looking at $1 million to $3 million in annual energy costs, this retrofit can save $50,000 to $300,000 a year. To determine if an economizer should be used, the auditor considers the boiler size (200 hp or larger is a likely candidate), the operating pressure of the boiler, the degree of burner modulation, and the feedwater temperature. A payback analysis can then be made based on the size, pressure, modulation and temperature conditions combined with hours of operation and fuel costs. * Dollars per year at 100 psig. Cost multipliers for other steam pressures: 16 psig: 0.26 200 psig: 1.87 50 psig: 0.56 300 psig: 2.74 150 psig: 1.43 600 psig: 5.35 process performance. Traps are normally checked using heat-sensitive or ultrasonic instrumentation. The other critical issue the auditor is looking for is evidence of the Steamer swinging his water hammer. In steam systems, water hammer most often occurs when some of the steam condenses into water in a horizontal section of the steam piping, usually caused by poor condensation drainage. Subsequently, steam picks up the water, forms a slug and hurls it at high velocity into a pipe elbow or other restrictive device, creating a loud hammering noise and greatly stressing the pipe. Imagine a filled 8-in. pipe, 8 in. long. It weighs about 15 pounds, or Alternative fuel? Fuel alternatives are assessed during an audit, as adding the capability to burn a second fuel may result in a lower primary fuel burning cost. For example, by retrofitting a boiler’s burner to handle No. 2 oil, facility management can then negotiate with the local gas utility for a better rate because it can burn oil during the times of the year when gas usage paks and proces are high. AMERICAN INGENUITY Beware the hammer Steam traps are typically part of a complete facility site audit. Auditors look for traps that pressurize the condensate line (“blowing through”), causing waterlogging and inefficient December 2007 DISCOVER W W W.DISCOVERCURTIS.COM ©2007 Curtis-Toledo, Inc. 17639_2 07 CTGNL GENRL American.indd www.PLANTSERVICES.com 1 25 9/19/07 7:53 http://www.discovercurtis.com http://www.discovercurtis.com http://www.PLANTSERVICES.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Plant Services - December 2007

Plant Services - December 2007 Contents From the Editor: Orange Alert The PS Files: Pressed into Innovation Up and Running What Works: Samuel Adams Facility Refreshed in Cincinnati Energy Expert: Energy's "Perfect Storm" Technology Toolbox: Know Your Position Cover Story: Get a Grip on the Steamer Piping: Outside Looking In Web Hunter: Potpourri X In the Trenches: Making a Big Stink Boiler Room: Getting Educated

Plant Services - December 2007

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