Nationwide Boiler was recently asked to take part in a survey-type article for the May issue of Power Engineering magazine. The focus was on the latest trends and best practices for burner and combustion system operation and maintenance. Below is our response and it includes where we think the industry is heading.
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Submitted by Larry Day, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Nationwide Boiler Inc.
As a user and a supplier of rental boilers, Nationwide Boiler Inc. has vast knowledge and experience with supplying and servicing equipment. When the company evaluates new equipment for our rental fleet or provides solutions for new boilers or boiler upgrades, we evaluate equipment that is easy to maintain, provides reliable performance for demanding applications, is the most energy efficient and is able to meet the strictest air emission requirements. We cannot risk onsite equipment failures, therefore we only evaluate quality products that provide immediate efficiency gains.
Energy efficiency is and has been a growing trend over the last five years. Best performance standards (BPS) exist today that we view as a basic requirement for any new boiler system. These standards utilize proven methods for achieving the highest thermal efficiency possible, all based on proven technology. One item boiler owners and operators should not overlook is the installation of VFD fan controls, offering instant energy savings when a unit is not operating at its peak capacity.
For proven burner performance, a minimal or no FGR low excess air burner with O2 trim should also be evaluated. This type of burner not only results in high turndown, but also offers better flame stability compared to ultra low NOx burners, utilizing high FGR or excess air, which are often times slow to respond to load swings and can rely on oversized FD fans that increase energy consumption.
For those operators who must comply with ultra low NOX emission standards, we view back-end technology as the most proven solution. Compared to burners, SCRs eliminate burner flame stability concerns, slow response time and high horsepower FD fans required by front-end technology. In most cases there is no need to increase fan sizes or change burner controls and a SCR is a long term compliance solution, able to reduce NOx up to 95% with emissions as low as 2.5 ppm.
In terms of controls, we are seeing more units equipped with fully metered PLC combustion control systems with innovative touch screen operator interface. This removes a lot of the guesswork out of the operation of the boiler and may save valuable field service time. Also, having the ability to monitor operations remotely and gather historical data and trends provide meaningful and valuable information.
Overall, the trend for energy efficiency is not going away. It is important for boiler owners and operators to take a BPS technology approach when faced with a new boiler purchase or boiler upgrade decision. Many plants that have implemented this approach have benefited and Nationwide Boiler predicts that more will follow.
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Unscheduled plant outages, no matter what the cause, result in increased costs and loss revenue. As plants continue to reduce personnel and maintenance budgets, the likeliness of an equipment failure is more and more common. Below are just a few guidelines for effectively managing your plant equipment, while utilizing limited resources:
Know your equipment's age.
Replacing or upgrading obsolete, aging or high maintenance equipment before it fails can prevent serious failures in the future. Obtain and file a record of all your major pieces of equipment. Note when the equipment was acquired, built and record any maintenance items performed. You may also want to take pictures of your equipment, including any serial numbers and nameplates. In addition, be on the lookout for new equipment models that have been re-designed with technological upgrades that may result in immediate cost savings (decreases in energy consumptions or increases in efficiencies). You may received an immediate cost savings or rebate.
Continually train your operators and plant personnel.
Human error is bound to happen, but these errors can be drastically reduced by continual training. Training comes in all forms and it does not necessarily have to be formal, classroom type lectures. Utilizing check-off lists for routine tasks is an easy and low cost method to ensure that all critical task are carried out, no matter how small. Also, promote common maintenance reminders through the use of signage.
Develop a schedule.
Scheduling major inspections and repairs at the same time helps to minimize unscheduled outages and makes the most of a schedule. Take advantage of that time to conduct anything else that needs repaired, inspected or replaced. Overall, having a plan in place makes it easy to be proactive in your planning and scheduling of people and resources.
Do you have additional guidelines you would like to share? Let us know.
Know your equipment's age.
Replacing or upgrading obsolete, aging or high maintenance equipment before it fails can prevent serious failures in the future. Obtain and file a record of all your major pieces of equipment. Note when the equipment was acquired, built and record any maintenance items performed. You may also want to take pictures of your equipment, including any serial numbers and nameplates. In addition, be on the lookout for new equipment models that have been re-designed with technological upgrades that may result in immediate cost savings (decreases in energy consumptions or increases in efficiencies). You may received an immediate cost savings or rebate.
Continually train your operators and plant personnel.
Human error is bound to happen, but these errors can be drastically reduced by continual training. Training comes in all forms and it does not necessarily have to be formal, classroom type lectures. Utilizing check-off lists for routine tasks is an easy and low cost method to ensure that all critical task are carried out, no matter how small. Also, promote common maintenance reminders through the use of signage.
Develop a schedule.
Scheduling major inspections and repairs at the same time helps to minimize unscheduled outages and makes the most of a schedule. Take advantage of that time to conduct anything else that needs repaired, inspected or replaced. Overall, having a plan in place makes it easy to be proactive in your planning and scheduling of people and resources.
Do you have additional guidelines you would like to share? Let us know.
The EPA will host a Web-based training session for those involved with reporting under the Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule. The next webinar is planned for Wednesday, February 24th, 1:00 - 3:00 pm EST. For additional details, go to: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/training.html.