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Quantifiable evidence that the boiler is
running in accordance with environmental limits set by the UK
Environment Agency |
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Energy from waste fuel qualified from flue
gas emission analysis |
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Utilities /
Cogeneration Optimization |
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Steam leakage in superheater reduced by 50%
saving $70,000 |
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Flue gas path analysis minimizes structural
repair costs saving $370,000 |
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Challenge
The UK Environment Agency uses European Union directives that
regulate requirements for power production facilities that use
household waste as their fuel. Each regulation has to be met in
order for a permit to be granted to run such a plant. The SITA UK
facility in Billingham has to follow these governing rules.SITA
UK required a solution that would allow personnel to analyze
performance indicators of critical equipment to gauge whether they
are within environmental limits to attain a permit to run the plant.
In addition, SITA UK required a system that would allow them to
evaluate future maintenance requirements, especially on the boiler.
This included troubleshooting any degradation in the quantity of
steam supply delivered to the power generating steam turbine.
Included within the regulations is the need to meet 'residence
time'. This is the amount of time that the boiler flue gas spends
above 850°C. SITA UK is required to meet the compliance time as well
as monitor the flue gas emissions to satisfy the governing body.
A challenge to monitoring the SITA UK process is the
thermodynamics surrounding the characterization of fuel feeding the
boilers. The feed stock is made up entirely of household waste and
can vary greatly in composition each day and through seasonal
change.
Solution
Engineers at the SITA UK Billingham site are using
AMS Performance
Monitor to analyze the operating efficiency of the boiler and steam
turbine. AMS Performance Monitor is providing information to meet
the environmental criteria for a permit to operate and meet their
maintenance management requirements.Using AMS Performance
Monitor, engineers from Emerson are working closely with SITA UK to
develop a fuel energy estimation technique using air flow rate and
stack gas emissions for carbon and hydrogen content. Close matching
of resulting predicted and actual values throughout the boiler give
a high level of engineering confidence to the fuel estimation
technique and thermodynamics around the boiler.
Residence time charts within AMS Performance Monitor confirmed
that the boiler flue temperature was running above 850°C for notably
longer than the 2 seconds environmental limit. These performance
indicators are used as quantifiable evidence to support the UK
Environment Agency permit, sustaining the SITA UK facility
operation.
AMS Performance Monitor showed an increase in steam leakage
losses after a scheduled offline period. Coupled with an increase in
H2O emissions, evidence helped verify the losses for the maintenance
and reliability teams who reacted with remedial work, reducing the
losses by 50%, preventing approximately $70,000* in lost steam and
power generating opportunities.
As a consequence of the environmental monitoring it was possible for
flue gas path analysis to be used by SITA UK to optimize where
supplementary welding was required within the boiler. This essential
maintenance was required on the internal walls of the boiler that
reach temperatures above 750°C as they are subject to a high level
of corrosion. As expensive specialist materials and labor were
required to complete the welding maintenance program, AMS
Performance Monitor was used by SITA UK to assess the welding
requirements, saving $370,000* of work scheduled but confirmed to be
unnecessary.
* All fiscal values have been converted from GBP.
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