Meat + Poultry - December 2005 - 57

Boilers

nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide for a
more environmentally friendly effect.
Making the switch
"We first learned about gas-fired

direct-contact water heater technology
back in 1985," says Wayne Farms' Culpepper. At that time, the concept was
not well understood and few engineers
had even heard of it.

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58

MEAT&POULTRY

December 2005

www.MEATPOULTRY.com

For more information, see Page 89

"When you're in the food business,
you don't want to make a change that
will alter the consistency of the end
product," he adds. Very few commercial units were available at the time, he
notes, and Wayne Farms was among
the first to try the technology. "The
early systems were more complex, and
you had to have a good technician to
install one," Culpepper says. "Today,
the systems are much simpler to install,
and there are fewer components."
Since installing its first gas-fired
direct-contact water heater in 1985,
Wayne Farms has added two more
units to the original, which is still in
operation. Deciding on Armstrong
equipment came down to comparing
efficiency, ease of installation and ease
of operation, says Culpepper.
Jay Baker, a product specialist for
Armstrong International says, "Directcontact water heaters do not require
a boiler license to operate or an annual inspection. They can also lower a
plant's insurance costs."
Culpepper says safety was also
a consideration in the plant's move
away from a steam boiler system.
"We had a steam boiler unit blow up
one time, and fortunately, we didn't
have anyone get seriously injured,"
he says. "But it can happen."
Because the Wayne Farms plant in
Laurel is one of the few processors in
the area that have adopted gas-fired
direct-contact water heater technology, Culpepper notes many other processors interested in the technology
visit the plant to view it. "It's had a
big impact on our bottom line," he
says. "And I think other folks are interested in what we're doing to save
money and improve the profitability
of our operation."
Gerard Miron represents Armstrong
International, a manufacturer of system
solutions for steam, air and hot water
utility applications.
We would like to hear from you- your comments
and questions about this article are welcome.
E-mail the author at: meat&poultry@sosland.com

http://www.syfanusa.com http://www.MEATPOULTRY.com

Meat + Poultry - December 2005

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