Improve Operating Costs through Heat Recovery Using Green Engineering
A large portion of every plant’s operating costs go toward paying for utilities and energy consumption. Recovering heat and turning it into energy for the plant can reduce those expenses. That’s where Placer Process Systems can help. We will review your current systems and determine where lost energy can be recaptured, thus saving you money.
The Problem: Boiler Pouring Money Down the Drain
A leading beverage manufacturer was wasting heat, energy and money. Their process allowed heat from a boiler stack to vent directly into the atmosphere and sent high-temperature condensate from their boiler directly down the drain.
The Solution: An Energy-Efficient Recovery System
The Placer Process team reviewed their process and equipment and came up with a solution to maximize the energy recovery from the boiler stack by implementing an age-old device called an “economizer.” First patented in 1816 by Robert Stirling as part of what is now called the “Stirling Engine,” this practical boiler device has been widely, but not universally, implemented in process systems for close to 200 years.
To assist our client in recovering heat from the boiler stack, Placer Process Systems engineers used an economizer to preheat water entering a nearby de-aerator. We designed and fabricated a custom frame and installed the economizer along with supporting pumps, piping, valves and temperature sensors.
The second part of the solution was to capture energy from the condensate by using a plate and frame heat exchanger and transferring it to a tempered water supply line for use elsewhere in the plant.
The Result: Saving Energy and Money
Placer Process Systems’ turnkey solution using the manufacturer’s existing boiler and a newly engineered heat recovery system saved otherwise lost energy from two sources, resulting in better energy efficiency, tighter environmental controls and cost savings. And, because our skid-mounted systems can be fabricated off-site, this was achieved with little impact to plant operations and personnel.
Features and Benefits
The features and benefits of the energy recovery skid and economizer implementation completed by Placer Process Systems include:
- A plate and frame heat exchanger offering maximum surface area for heat recovery while maintaining a competitive cost and a small footprint.
- An efficient counter-flow economizer that integrates smoothly with the existing boiler.
- Temperature sensing and automatic shutdown that handles system interruption.
- Maintains all key operating advantages of the existing boiler.
- Fabrication and installation that minimized disruption to the beverage plant operation.
- A turnkey solution that realizes energy savings while leaving plant personnel free to focus on plant operations.
- Insulation to protect personnel from burns.
Conclusion
Contact Placer Process Systems to see how we can add value to your equipment and processes.