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Nationwide Boiler news and events, industry updates, technical resources and more. You hear it first on The Nationwide Boiler Blog!

Touch Screen CataStak Ammonia Flow Control Skid Supplied to Major Northwest Hospital

Nationwide Boiler recently supplied a single ammonia flow control system, designed to supply three boilers as part of a low NOx CataStak SCR system.  It features a Honeywell touch screen operator interface with a 10” VGA LCD color display and is constructed in accordance with NEMA 4X.  A bottle rack, complete with digital scales, was also supplied and handles three standard 150# ammonia bottles.

The system is currently being installed and another successful start-up for Nationwide Boiler is predicted.

CataStak SCR Ammonia Flow Control Unit
 

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Customer in CA Takes Delivery of 75,000 lb/hr BPS Boiler

California, if considered a country, is among the top 20 emitters of CO2 worldwide. Current legislation addressing GHG include California Assembly Bill 32 (AB32), aimed at reducing existing GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and the California Environmental Quality Act’s (CEQA) Climate Change Action Plan that incorporates Best Performance Standards (BPS) measures into the review process to assist new boiler permit applicants (natural gas-fired units).  The policy relies on the use of BPS to assess GHG emissions on global climate change and standards are incorporated in the overall design and operation of the equipment, providing the most efficient performance measures with major reductions in GHG emissions.

Current BPS examples that provide maximum efficiency benefits include:

    • ? 20ºF Approach Temperature on the Economizer

 

    • ? 15% Excess Air with O2 Trim

 

    • ? 10% FGR

 

    • VFD on Fan

 

    • Heat Recovery on Blowdown if over 8%



Nationwide Boiler recently provided a BPS boiler solution to a CA pulp and paper customer governed by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SVAPCD).  BPS equipment included a 75,000 pph boiler, CataStak™ SCR system, EconoStak economizer and auxiliary equipment. The system incorporates the latest boiler upgrades and once in operation, will perform well below current NOX standards.

This system is one of many BPS solutions supplied by Nationwide Boiler, and BPS boilers in operation include several prominent food processors located throughout CA.  Each company is committed to operate their boiler systems with the most technologically advanced equipment in the industry, doing their part in helping the environment and lowering overall GHG emissions, while running operations as efficiently as possible.

Nationwide Boiler BPS Boiler System Delivered
Nationwide Boiler BPS Boiler System




For additional information regarding BPS requirements, specific to the San Joaquin Valley, visit: http://www.valleyair.org/Programs/CCAP/bps/BPS_idx.htm#Boilers

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The latest trend... Here it is!

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.

Let us know your thoughts. Join our new group on LinkedIn and be part of our network to share industry insights, news and information.

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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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AB 32 Compliance Strategy

We recently came across the following column written by Allan Bedwell, URS Corporation’s California Practice Leader for Climate Change & Renewable Energy Services.  His article prepares food processors for the final implementation of AB 32, The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, aimed at reducing greenhouse gases.

AB 32 will certainly affect producers and processors, and, perhaps most importantly, will cause increases in the costs of energy inputs.  As a result, costs relating to electricity, steam, fuel and water will be affected.

Don’t wait until it’s too late! Start preparing for AB 32 now and establish an AB 32 strategy.  If you don’t know where to start, here’s where you can start:

This summer the California Air Resources Board (CARB) makes a series of AB 32 compliance and carbon allowance allocation decisions for food processors that will lock in facility carbon emission reduction targets for the next eight years. Before CARB locks in your facility carbon allowance allocations and launches carbon auctions, food processors should evaluate your options and chart a course forward to minimize your cost of compliance.

If you are wondering if you should buy carbon allowances during CARB’s upcoming auctions, the short answer is: Look before you leap. Before your company decides to buy or sell carbon allowances or offsets, determine what your facility compliance obligations will be during the next eight years and establish an AB 32 compliance strategy to guide your actions.

There are some key actions that food processors should do now to determine your compliance obligations and establish an AB 32 strategy. Actions to take now include:

  • Strategically evaluate the baseline emissions data you are supposed to supply CARB by July 1. The agency will consider baseline years prior than 2008 to 2010.

  • Estimate your carbon allowance allocations to determine if you are above or below CARB’s expected 90 percent allowance allocation.

  • Develop cost curves for AB 32 compliance. Cost curves identify least cost options for achieving compliance and will serve as a compass to guide your company’s decisions about the relative value of reducing emissions on site, purchasing carbon allowances or offsets, banking emissions, or taking a hybrid approach.

  • Calculate the net life cycle costs under different regulatory, allowance and offset cost scenarios. Net life cycle costs will guide your company’s effective comparison of emission management options.

  • Actively evaluate CARB’s "benchmarking" methodology for carbon allowance allocations to determine if it’s accurate for your operations and processes. Each percentage point of lost efficiency can cost some facilities millions of dollars over the next eight years. Now is the time to negotiate with CARB before your emissions baseline, benchmarks and allocations are locked in.

  • Before a product benchmark is established for food processors, determine its potential financial impacts to your facilities compared to the current allocation method.

  • Approach the full costs of cap-and-trade strategically. Your electricity, steam, fuel and water suppliers will be affected by AB 32, and your facility will likely see significant utility cost increases as a result. Price your suppliers' carbon liability and incorporate the "pass-through" costs into a net life cycle analysis of your options. It may have a significant bearing on the actions you take under different regulatory and carbon market scenarios.


Carefully evaluate the full range of life cycle costs and the relative values of on-site reduction compared to buying or selling allowances and offsets. A large part of your AB 32 cost will come from increased energy costs. Not only can process improvements reduce your emission costs, but they can also reduce your electricity and gas bills.
A successful AB 32 compliance strategy has the flexibility to manage changing regulatory, legal and market conditions. Evaluate all your options and timing before you buy or sell carbon allowances or offsets. Most importantly, use net life cycle costs to chart your strategy to maximize the effectiveness of your actions to save costs under AB 32.
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