If you operate a boiler plant, you should be aware of three rules that will regulate facilities considered potential sources of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). On March 21, 2011, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) published the rules, collectively known as the Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology or “Boiler MACT” rules. For many boiler operators the rules will require a one-time assessment, boiler tune-ups every two years, and records and reports in various combinations depending on several factors, including whether you are an “area source” (small source <10 MM Btu/hr) or a “major source” (large source <10 MM Btu/hr).

Boiler assessments and tune-ups from Swagelok

Good news: After learning about Boiler MACT Rules, things get much easier. Just have Swagelok Energy Advisors schedule and complete your one-time boiler assessment, boiler tune-ups, and/or both. In fact, Swagelok Energy Advisors is one of the few resources that can have both completed for you. One source you know and trust.

SEA will conduct a Steam System Level I training class in Sacramento, CA, USA on September 13, 14 and 15.

The steam system training will cover all parts of a steam system.

More information:  www.swagelokenergy.com

Over 45% of all the fuel burned by U.S. manufacturers is consumed to raise steam. Steam is used to heat raw materials and treat semi-finished products. It is also a power source for equipment, as well as for building heat and electricity generation. Many manufacturing facilities can recapture energy through the installation of more efficient steam equipment and processes. The whole system must be considered to optimize energy and cost savings.

Read more:

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/steam.html

Knowing the correct cost of steam is very important for many reasons, and all of them have to do with improving the company’s bottom line:

1. To properly evaluate the economics of proposed steam system efficiency improvement projects: if the calculated steam cost is not accurate, many feasible energy projects may be missed or rejected, while unfeasible projects may be approved for implementation
2. To serve as a basis for optimizing the steam generation system and minimizing costs
3. To provide a true cost for the production areas for accountability in energy consumption

Steam cost is the first benchmark of any steam system management program. Unfortunately, a high percentage of industrial plants do not have steam cost benchmarked. A loaded steam cost is the most important steam cost for any steam system management program.

http://www.swagelokenergy.com/download/Best%20Practices_No.31R.pdf

The Manufacturing Energy and Carbon Footprints provide a mapping of energy use and carbon emissions from energy supply to end use. The latest footprints are an enhancement from the previous version of Manufacturing Energy Footprints published by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Technologies Program (ITP).1Analysts and decision-makers utilize the manufacturing energy footprints to better understand the distribution of energy use in energy-intensive industries and the accompanying energy losses.  The footprints provide a benchmark from which to calculate the benefits of improving energy efficiency and for prioritizing opportunity analysis.  Greenhouse gas emissions have been added to the footprints in response to increased interest in the topic and recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations requiring reporting of emissions by many manufacturing facilities.  Improvements include the addition of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fuel consumption, an energy use breakdown by energy type, and an analytical model that allows for customized footprints by manufacturing sector or subsector.

Read the full report:

subsector.http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/pdfs/understanding_energy_footprints.pdf

Great article in Chemical Engineering Process on steam system efficiency.

http://chemeng-processing.blogspot.com/2009/04/energy-efficiency-in-steam-systems.html

Chevron’s Statements on Energy Efficiency

With the demand for energy increasing around the world, we recognize the need to use energy efficiently across our entire company. Since 1992, we’ve increased the energy efficiency of our global operations by 33 percent.

http://www.chevron.com/globalissues/energyefficiencyconservation/

With today’s energy costs and demand for production reliability, it is extremely important to have a proactive steam trap station management program included with the overall steam system management program. A steam trap station failure rate must be below 3% annually. To achieve a reliable steam trap station system, root cause analysis has to be part of the program. We can no longer accept failures of more than 3% with steam trap station components. Today, plant operation mandates a steam trap station to be reliable for at least 6 years or longer.

Download the full Steam Best Practice……

http://www.swagelokenergy.com/download/Best%20Practices_NEW%20FORMATNo.9.pdf

We would like to hear from our readers their experiences or knowledge of using the “Drain Orifice Device” instead of a steam trap.

Kelly Paffel

Industrial plants require a method to keep the process fluids flowing during operation and to prevent critical components from freezing in low ambient temperature climates.  In the early 1900 ’ s, the refining industry began using steam tracing systems to satisfy this need.  At that time, efficiency and energy cost were not the major factors they are today, and earlier steam tracing methods were not very efficient.  The standards for insulation, installation designs, materials, and maintenance were not economical and provided less than desirable results for the process conditions.  Steam tracing systems perform two very important functions in an industrial plant:

 1. They replace heat loss from the process fluids in the system due to poor insulation or other components, thus keeping the process fluids flowing.

 2. They prevent any system from freezing in low ambient temperature climates.

http://www.swagelokenergy.com/download/LatestBestPractice.pdf