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Spirax Sarco’s newsletter
Revealed: How to
improve the ‘hidden fuel’
Issue 1 2014
spiraxsarco.com/uk
Page 4-5
Improve plant efficiency with heat transfer training
Page 2
Microturbines – convert steam energy into electrical savings
Protect your boiler with turbidity monitoring
Page 6
Innovative biomass project heats Scottish homes
E X P E R T I S E
S O L U T I O N S
S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y
Page 7
Page 3
IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT –
GET TRAINING
Whether there is a need for
energy to drive an industrial
process or to heat a hospital,
effective heat transfer
underpins the operations of
almost every organisation.
external steam specialists may seem like
the only option, but have you considered
developing your own skills?
It’s important to have an understanding
of heat transfer and steam system
operations in order to specify systems
correctly and prevent problems cropping
up later on. In the case of steam users, for
whom steam lies outside the scope of their
core activities, bringing in expertise from
The course offers an introduction to
heat transfer, providing delegates with
the knowledge to select the right heat
exchange technology and control system
for their own applications, in order to
improve overall energy efficiency, reduce
costs and improve plant performance.
A staple of Spirax Sarco’s training
schedule is its Heat Transfer Solutions
training course at the Cheltenham-based
UK Steam Technology Centre.
What can delegates expect to learn on
the course?
The most suitable heat
transfer technology
Find out the difference between the
various types of heat exchanger
technology, the advantages and
disadvantages of each, all backed up
with application examples. Discover how
to use the latest technology, such as
Heat Pipes, to recover even more energy
from industrial exhaust gases.
How to optimise plant
To optimise a system, you’ll need to
know how much energy an application
needs and whether this demand is stable
or fluctuating.
Control systems
Learn how to select the best control
system for your heat exchange process,
the pros and cons of condensate control
and types of condensate removal.
FIND OUT MORE
For more information on the
Heat Transfer Solutions course
or any other training, email
connexions@uk.spiraxsarco.com
or call 01242 535211.
Each course is taught by leading experts in steam technology
HEAT TRANSFER OPTIONS EXPLAINED IN WHITE PAPER
Steam is an efficient and flexible heat transfer medium and there is a range of heat exchanger technologies available that can
provide a reliable service across a wide variety of applications. What’s more, the exchangers at the heart of heat transfer systems
are increasingly supported by advanced control systems and other innovations, such as the pre-fabricated solutions approach that
make it far easier to optimise their performance.
All this information and more is contained within Spirax Sarco’s latest Heat Transfer White Paper. Learn how to crack the
principles of heat transfer theory, or which type of heat exchanger and controls are best suited for your application.
To download a copy of the Heat Transfer White Paper visit our White Paper library at:
www.spiraxsarco.com/uk/resources/White-Papers.asp.
2
Connexions 2014
MICROTURBINES SPIN UP ENERGY
SAVINGS WITH A DIFFERENCE
Microturbine technology promises a new way to undertake pressure reducing duties in
steam systems… and deliver substantial electrical energy savings.
Most steam systems raise high pressure steam in the boiler,
then reduce the pressure before the steam is actually used
in an application. Generating and distributing steam at higher
pressure offers two important advantages. Firstly, the thermal
storage capacity of the boiler is increased, helping it to cope
more efficiently with fluctuating loads, minimising the risks
of producing wet steam. Secondly, smaller bore steam pipes
can be used for distribution, resulting in lower capital cost for
materials such as the pipes themselves and their flanges,
supports, insulation and labour.
Having distributed the steam from the boiler at a high pressure,
it then needs to be reduced to correspond with the maximum
pressure required by the application. Conventionally, high
pressure steam from the boiler is lowered to a working pressure
by using a pressure reducing station comprising a valve and
associated controls and ancillaries. However, a new way to
reduce this pressure with today’s turbine technology, which is
becoming available to many steam-using organisations, not
just those in the power generation industry that use very high
pressure steam to drive large electricity-generating turbines.
Passing plant steam through a microturbine enables operators
to use the energy released by that pressure drop to supplement
their existing electricity supply. A steam microturbine producing
300 kW of electrical power can generate typical cost savings of
more than £150,000 per year.
How does it work?
Just like the big turbines in power stations, a microturbine
is coupled to a matching electrical generator that produces
electricity as steam turns the turbine blades. While some
turbines convert enough energy to condense the steam,
microturbines designed for use in steam systems only convert
enough energy to lower the pressure, so the steam emerging on
the other side can still be used by the process. This is known as
a back-pressure turbine.
Spirax Sarco’s range of turbines are suitable for retrofitting into
many steam systems
Save money
The energy produced by the microturbines reduces the need for
electricity from the grid, cutting electricity bills and overall carbon
emissions. Better still, the greater difference between the cost
of electricity and the cost of fuel used to generate steam, the
greater the savings. In the UK, for example, electricity from the
grid typically costs around 9p/kWh, compared with 3p/kWh for
natural gas.
The arrival of microturbines won’t mean the end of conventional
pressure reducing stations altogether, because the two
technologies are normally used in parallel. A microturbine will
often be sized for a base load (for example, in the summer), so
a pressure reducing station will still be needed to cope with peak
loads or increased seasonal demands.
SPIRAX SARCO ENERGY-SAVING PRESSURE REDUCING SYSTEMS
Spirax Sarco is introducing a range of microturbines suitable for saturated or superheated steam. The compact design
makes the turbines suitable for retrofitting into many existing steam systems and they’re supplied fully assembled and tested
to minimise on-site disruption.
FIND OUT MORE
To receive more information on Spirax Sarco’s range of microturbines, email connexions@uk.spiraxsarco.com.
Connexions 2014
3
ENERGY EFFICIENCY:
THE HIDDEN FUEL
With coal, petroleum, nuclear and
renewables classified as the main four fuels
– energy efficiency is often referred to as
‘the hidden fuel’. Connexions looks at how
Spirax Sarco is helping organisations to
optimise their energy use in six key areas.
Spirax Sarco delivers innovative steam and energy
solutions by:
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the potential
for energy savings in the world’s industrial sector is equivalent to
the annual electricity consumption of the United States and China
combined.* Estimates show that the energy needed to power
the world could be halved by 2035 if global efforts are made to
transform efficiency, while also saving businesses money and
easing the burden on the environment.
3. E
nergy Transfer: Precisely and effectively transferring heat
between fluids and process media
“There are always opportunities to improve energy efficiency.
Spirax Sarco applies its expertise and innovative technology
to bring substantial cost savings to energy-using organisations
across the UK and Ireland. We can help any organisation to make
use of the ‘hidden fuel’ to improve their bottom line. Just ask us,”
comments Mr. Sheldon Banks, Director UK & ROI Sales,
Spirax Sarco.
1.
Energy Measurement and Control: Accurately and
intelligently monitoring and controlling energy to optimise
plant performance
2. E
nergy Conservation: Conserving energy by optimising how
efficiently it is used
4. E
nergy Recovery: Re-utilising most or all of the waste
energy after a heat transfer process
5. E
nergy Storage: Efficiently storing the excess or recovered
energy from a process
6. E
nergy Services: Providing expertise, knowledge and
training to run steam and fluid systems at optimum efficiency
and to mitigate risk
These solutions cut the total cost of ownership of steam and fluid
systems by:
•
Reducing overall energy consumption
•
Improving the quality of products
* http://www.iea.org/topics/energyefficiency/industry/
•
Raising the productivity of processes
‘‘
•
Reducing risk and maintaining safe operations
•
Lowering the plant’s carbon footprint
If you look at energy
efficiency as a fuel, it’s one that
you only exploit in part, like
only exploiting a third of an oil
field. If I had a field manager
that recovered only a third of
the oil they should, I would fire
them. With energy efficiency,
however, there’s no one to fire.
It’s much more complicated
4
Connexions 2014
‘‘
Laura Cozzi, Principal Analyst, Deputy Head of the
Office of the Chief Economist at the IEA
A steam system audit can be used to benchmark an overall
system and can be tailored to a process/application and budget.
They can include the complete steam distribution system,
starting with the water treatment plant, right through to process
applications and condensate return.
The audit can be used to analyse the entire system and its
operation. It is designed to any requirement and can focus on
energy efficiency, Health & Safety or operational best practice.
Following the on-site work, a detailed and comprehensive report
is produced and presented back to you.
An audit in action
Dairy Crest reduced gas consumption at its Kirkby factory by
18%, thanks to a combination of energy saving measures,
including a range of steam system improvements recommended
by a steam system audit. Steam system optimisation played
a major role in achieving the overall savings, leading to an
extremely rapid payback.
One of the big improvements was raising the temperature in the
boiler feedtank, from around 80°C to 96°C. As a rule of thumb,
increasing the temperature of the feedwater to a boiler by 6°C
reduces the boiler’s energy consumption by 1%, so this alone will
have yielded savings of at least 2%.
Condensate recovery was another area that produced big results,
raising the proportion of hot, treated water recycled back to the
boiler from around 76% to 95%.
In addition, the steam system audit highlighted a variety of
other energy saving measures, such as repairing and installing
insulation, improving the blowdown control on the boiler and
repairing or replacing any malfunctioning steam traps. The
Spirax Sarco engineers compiled an asset list of all steam traps
around the site and Dairy Crest engaged Spirax Sarco to carry
out an annual inspection and service across the entire population.
‘‘
In our busy manufacturing
environment, some of the
steam system jobs are pretty
low on our day-to-day priority
list so we decided to ask
Spirax Sarco to do a full audit.
In terms of payback we’re
talking months not years
‘‘
Find new ways to improve energy efficiency
Gordon Davies, Dairy Crest Engineering Manager
FIND OUT MORE
For more information on energy audits email
connexions@uk.spiraxsarco.com.
Connexions 2014
5
SEE THE LIGHT, SAVE ENERGY
AND PROTECT BOILERS WITH
TURBIDITY MONITORING
Turbidity monitoring checks for contamination in water supplies in real-time.
Returning as much condensate as possible to the boiler saves
energy, water and treatment chemicals. Even so, some steam
users remain cautious about recycling their condensate in case
the water has picked up contaminants such as grease, oils and
fats on its way around the steam distribution and condensate
return circuit. The Turbidity Monitoring System from Spirax
Sarco helps mitigate that risk by providing real-time monitoring,
so any contaminated water can be diverted to protect the boiler
plant.
The benefits of Spirax Sarco Turbidity Monitoring
The heart of the system is a turbidimeter that continuously
monitors for grease, oils and fats contamination in the returning
condensate. The same approach can also be used to monitor
the quality of other water supplies, such as mains raw water,
demineralised water and reverse osmosis water.
3
How does it work?
The turbidimeter uses light in the visible and near infrared
range to penetrate the water, where any particles – or blobs
of grease – cause the light to scatter. Four photodiodes detect
the scattered light, while any unscattered light is detected by a
reference photodiode.
As well as preventing malfunctions and process interruptions that
might otherwise arise from contamination, the Turbidity Monitoring
System also frees up valuable operator time because it helps
users meet national and international standards for unattended
boiler operation. For example, all shell boilers operated in the
European Community must comply with the harmonised standard
BS EN 12953, which specifies maximum contamination levels for
boilers operated unsupervised for periods of 24 to 72 hours.
3
3
Contamination detection limits can be tailored
to ensure precise protection
Real-time monitoring enables quick action to prevent
feedwater contamination
Accurate measurement of turbidity at low contamination
levels for reliable operation and less plant downtime
FIND OUT MORE
The Turbidity Monitoring System protects boilers from
contaminated condensate
6
Connexions 2014
To find out more about the Turbidity Monitoring System email
connexions@uk.spiraxsarco.com.
HEATING HOMES
WITH BIOMASS
Spirax Sarco and the team at Dallol Energy combined
to provide the boiler controls and steam system for an
innovative energy scheme at Ignis Wick. The project uses
a wet biomass boiler system to heat around 200 Scottish
homes via a district heating system and to deliver steam
to a neighbouring distillery.
Following a procurement process,
Ignis Wick took over the district
heating scheme in Wick, Caithness,
in 2012 from the Highland Council
after the project experienced a
variety of technical and commercial
problems. With most of the old
equipment stripped out of the
energy centre building, the company
engaged biomass steam specialist
Dallol Energy (formerly the team at
KIV UK) to deliver a 3.5 MW boiler
and plant steam distribution system
that would use locally sourced clean
woodchips as the fuel.
Spirax Sarco provided all the steam
distribution equipment, including the heat
exchanger skids and the boiler house
controls on the project, as well as the
boiler hot well and steam accumulator.
The boiler house is equipped with the
latest supervisory control and monitoring
system and level controls, as well as
automated heat recovery blowdown
systems to minimise energy losses.
The installation was commissioned and
project managed under the supervision
of Spirax Sarco and Dallol Energy, with
Quality Assurance provided as part of
the package.
The biomass boiler generates steam
at 20 barg. The plant steam system
reduces the pressure of the steam to
10 barg before sending some of it to
the neighbouring Pulteney Distillery,
whilst the rest is passed through
a steam to water heat exchanger
that generates hot water for district
heating. A steam accumulator vessel
acts as a buffer between the biomass
boiler and the rest of the steam
circuit, which makes it easier for the
system to cope with steam demand
variations and helps to maximise the
productivity of the system.
“This application can completely
change the way that wet biomass steam
systems are used in the future,” says
Victor Buchannan, Director at Dallol
Energy. “Any distillery, food factory or
commercial steam user that is run on
fossil fuel can benefit from a massive
reduction in energy costs, made even
more attractive by the government in the
shape of the Renewable Heat Incentive
(RHI). Supply chain sustainability is
also a big plus and there is certainly
a marketing advantage to run off local
forestry rather than gas or oil from
goodness knows where!”
NEW CONTROLS IMPROVE
EFFICIENCY AT PIRAMAL
Effective condensate removal has reduced
tablet drying times on steam-heated ovens
at Piramal Healthcare’s pharmaceutical
production site in Morpeth, Northumberland.
Automatic Pump Traps (APTs) from
Spirax Sarco have proved so effective at
improving temperature control and solving
maintenance problems on three of the
company’s ovens that Piramal plans to install
them on the site’s two remaining units.
“The temperature control on the ovens was
previously ±5oC, but now it’s accurate to
±0.5oC,” says Mechanical Engineer Paul
Lunn. “We don’t know exactly how much we’re
saving, but we know that the improved control
must be saving energy because it’s reducing
the drying time.”
The build-up of condensate was also causing
corrosion and erosion in the heating coils.
Piramal typically had to replace each coil once
or twice a year, putting an oven out of action
for three days every time. As well as the cost
of the repairs and downtime, any product in
the oven when a coil sprang a leak had to
be scrapped. “We haven’t had any problems
with the coils since the Spirax Sarco pump
traps were installed. I’d say the reduction in
maintenance has been the biggest benefit for
me,” says Mr Lunn.
All the problems were caused by a build-up
of liquid condensate in the steam coils. Back
pressure made the liquid difficult to clear
using conventional steam traps, but APTs from
Spirax Sarco can always clear condensate
effectively, even under vacuum.
The APTs act like steam traps to drain the
condensate as long as there is positive
pressure in the steam coils. But if the pressure
in the system drops below the condensate
back pressure, the steam-driven APTs actively
pump the condensate away.
“We’ve worked well with Spirax Sarco before
and this time the local engineer worked with us
to design a solution and apply it successfully,”
says Mr Lunn. “Now we’ve seen how well
the APTs are working on the first three ovens
we’re planning to fit them on the other two.”
Piramal Healthcare is a leading contract
pharmaceutical manufacturer. The company
took over the Morpeth site in 2006, where it
continues to make a range of hormone-based
products, including oral contraceptives.
The new boiler house at Ignis Wick uses biomass to heat around 200 homes
Connexions 2014
7
NEWS UPDATE...
TRAINING FOR 2014
Our training brochure for 2014 gives plant operators and
managers more ways to save energy, increase productivity,
improve product quality and reduce risk.
We offer a wide range of courses covering the latest legislation
and aspects of the design, operation and maintenance of
steam systems. Each course is taught by leading experts in
steam technology and is approved by professional bodies such
as Pearson BTEC; City & Guilds; CEA; and CIBSE.
For more information visit www.spiraxsarco.com/uk/training,
or speak to the UK Steam Technology Centre on
01242 535211 or email connexions@uk.spiraxsarco.com.
WHITE PAPER UNDERLINES
BENEFITS OF CLEAN STEAM
There is an increasing need for clean steam in industrial
applications to meet regulatory and guidance, customer
safety and product quality requirements.
This White Paper considers the potential advantages of
switching to clean steam, including reduced costs from
product wastage and the ability to demonstrate the use
of best practice to demanding customers and ultimately
consumers.
Download your copy from our White Paper library at
www.spiraxsarco.com/uk/resources/White-Papers.asp.
CONNEXIONS SURVEY WINNER
TOUR OUR STEAM TECHNOLOGY
CENTRE – FROM YOUR DESK
Take a virtual tour of our UK Steam Technology Centre and see
how you can benefit from world-class training at our modern
facilities.
Browse the UK’s most advanced live steam demonstration
area, which includes a fully working boiler, water treatment
plant and an operational steam rig. The centre’s practical
resources are ideal for customer demonstrations and give
training delegates the opportunity to work on live systems and
develop their skills.
In the last issue we asked you to complete a survey
about Connexions magazine to be in with a chance of
winning an iPad Air. We received a great response, so
thank you to everybody that took part. The winner was
Andrew Walters (right), Engineering Manager from
Mars Pension Trustees, pictured here with our very own
Area Sales Engineer Colin Atkinson.
Take the tour by visiting www.spiraxsarco.com/uk/training.
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Spirax Sarco, Charlton House,
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL53 8ER
Tel: 01242 521361 Fax: 01242 573342
Email: connexions@uk.spiraxsarco.com
Web: www.spiraxsarco.com/uk
E X P E R T I S E
E X P E R T I S E
S O L U T I O N S
S O L U T I O N S
S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y
S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y
The pulp used in the paper process has not been bleached with chlorine gas therefore all the papers are ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free). The finished paper is 100% recyclable.
All pulp purchased and produced is sourced from managed sustainable forests. The content of this publication is for promotional and illustrative purposes only. It is not designed or
intended to give any guidance on safe working practices or other health and safety matters. The responsible person should always ensure compliance with health and safety requirements.
© Copyright 2014 Spirax Sarco is a registered trademark of Spirax-Sarco Limited