The Boiler MACT Rule & Assistance Program
The big buzz in the industry lately has been all about the Boiler MACT Rule. The Boiler MACT Rule was introduced by the EPA in March 2011, requiring emissions control technologies to be implemented for all industrial and commercial boilers by March 2014. The rule was created to ensure compliance with the EPA’s strict air requirements, aimed at reducing emissions of hazardous air pollutants (including PM, Hg, HCI, and CO) from boilers and process heaters. This new requirement affects industries of all kinds, specifically companies who are labeled as major sources of emissions by the EPA. (Major sources are facilities that emit 10 tons per year or more of any single air toxin or 25 tons per year or more of any combination of air toxins).
The Department of Energy’s Clean Energy Application Center’s have devised a plan, the Boiler MACT Assistance Program, to help the more than 650 facilities affected by the Boiler MACT Rule. The program has been created to provide technical assistance to these facilities by promoting cleaner, more efficient boilers and presenting cost-effective clean-energy strategies for compliance. To learn more about the Boiler MACT Assistance Program, click here.
The Boiler MACT Rule has not only been a hot topic in industry, but also in Washington. Some in Congress claim the rule as a “job killer” and debate that there are insufficient domestic manufacturing resources to comply within the time frames set by the EPA. The American Boiler Manufacturer’s Association (ABMA) has diligently worked to educate politicians and the public on the truth about the Boiler MACT and a new website, www.boilermactfacts.com, has been developed to list the associations stand on the rule.
Despite claims, the Boiler MACT can be achieved with existing, affordable, state-of-the-art, technologically-advanced and fuel-flexible products, along with innovatively-designed-and-engineered application solutions, provided by members of the ABMA to meet boiler facilities that will be impacted. As stated online, “Implementation may not be cheap or easy, but it's entirely doable – and critically important for long-term public health, environmental quality and business stability.” ABMA members have the combined experience in meeting tough air-quality regulations with real-world solutions and are ready to help those affected by these rules to comply with them in a timely and affordable manner. While doing so, jobs will be generated not only for the boiler and pollution control technology industry, but also for small businesses that install, repair and tune-up boilers and boiler systems.
Resources are available to assure compliance with the boiler MACT rule in an affordable and timely manner, and the members of the ABMA, including Nationwide Boiler, are here to help.
Boiler Blog | Nationwide Boiler Inc.
Nationwide Boiler's newest innovative product - the DataStak Emissions and Efficiency Monitoring System - was highlighted in the latest issue of Today's Boiler Magazine. See the article here: goo.gl/3n2W4v
The DataStak provides boiler operators with information related to the emissions output and efficiency of their boiler systems. In today's marketplace, this data is not just something that most energy and facility engineers want to know, but many need to know this information for reporting purposes.
We designed the DataStak system to provide real-time, unified data at your fingertips, from one convenient, on-site source. It is more than just a combustion or NOx analyzer. The DataStak is a cost effective, packaged emissions and efficiency monitoring system with O2, NOx, CO, and CO2 measurements, in addition to real time boiler efficiency, fuel usage and carbon footprint calculations.
Representatives from Natiownide Boiler are in Las Vegas, NV this week for Power-Gen, the largest power generation event of the year. Experience the power of the DataStak, live and in-person at the show! Visit us at booth #6019 to learn how the DataStak can help you stay informed on how your boiler is performing.
Nationwide Boiler's Director of Environmental Solutions, Sean McMenamin, provided content for this month's issue of Process Heating Magazine. The topic of discussion this time around is reducing NOx emissions and improving overall boiler efficiency.
Sean has provided six tips to ensure the highest possible thermal efficiency, and lowest possible NOx output. This includes:
1. Reducing Stack Gas Temperature to Increase Efficiency
2. Managing Excess Air Levels for Optimum Performance
3. Utilizing Flue Gas Recirculation (FGR) to Reduce NOx Emissions
4. Selective Catalytic Reduction for Ultra-Low NOx Performance
5. Combining Economizers & SCR Systems for Emissions & Efficiency Gains
6. Monitoring Emissions & Efficiency Performance
For additional details related to these tips and tricks for reducing NOx and increasing efficiency, check out the full article in Process Heating's September 2018 issue!
The price of fuel is constantly fluctuating and with it comes creative ways to be more economical. Finding methods to be more energy efficient is never a waste of time. In the boiler room, efficiency improvements can be found by many sources, however, a common option for energy savings includes the use of an economizer. What is an economizer? The economizer is a fabricated assembly of finned tubing that captures waste heat extracted from the boiler’s stack flue gases; the exhaust that leaves the boiler stack (or “flue”).
It’s all about the principle of Heat Transfer. While low temperature water, or feedwater, enters a boiler system, high temperature flue gas exits. An economizer captures heat from the flue gas that would typically go to waste, and utilizes it to preheat the feedwater. By doing this, an economizer is able to increase thermal efficiency by decreasing the energy required to heat the water to steam. This will typically result in a reduction of 1% in fuel cost per 10 degree rise in feedwater temperature. Overall, an economizer can be a major cost savings for boiler owners and will easily provide a quick return on investment.
The economizers’ simple technology and static parts provide longevity and low maintenance, and they are available in multiple designs and configurations. Conventional economizers are cylindrical or rectangular and come in a range of sizes for both firetube and watertube boilers. Rectangular designs are more commonly used for larger industrial watertube boilers, and can be configured for vertical or horizontal gas flows, finned or bare tube design, and other additional options if needed. A condensing economizer can improve waste heat recovery even further by cooling the flue gas below its dew point, reclaiming both sensible heat from the flue gas and latent heat by condensing the flue gas water vapor.
| BOILER EFFICIENCY COMPARISON | ||
| Combustion Efficiency at 4% Excess Oxygen |
Stack Gas Temperature |
|
| Boiler | 78% to 83% | 350F to 355F |
| Boiler with Standard Economizer | 84% to 86% | 250F to 300F |
| Boiler with Condensing Economizer | 92% to 95% | 80F to 150F |
When determining whether an economizer is ideal for your boiler equipment, the location of the economizer into stack is important. To ensure the most thermal recovery during the process, you need to make sure the economizer is installed as close to the furnace breach as possible. This will help avoid thermal loss and cooling.
At Nationwide Boiler, we offer our EconoStak economizer as an optional addition (or a standard addition in some cases) on our fleet of watertube rental boilers. The EconoStak consists of the economizer as well as all of the associated piping and structural supports required for very efficient and safe operation. In addition, we are a West Coast representative for E-Tech Heat Recovery Systems, a leading provider of economizers for new, replacement, and retrofit applications.
Contact Nationwide Boiler today to see if an economizer is the right option for you, and be sure to check out our previous Boiler Basics 101 blogs. We review various topics each month, so stay tuned for the next edition!