Oxygen analyser helps keep boilers burning cleanly

Users of small industrial boilers need no longer be faced with the economic constraints of applying continuous online oxygen monitoring techniques for optimising energy efficiency.

Users of small industrial boilers need no longer be faced with the economic constraints of applying continuous online oxygen monitoring techniques for optimising energy efficiency, following the launch of ABB's AnalyzeIT AZ100 Zirconia oxygen analyser system.

Aimed primarily at the OEM market for boilers up to 5MW where oxygen monitoring is particularly price-critical, the new ABB analyser system provides an easy-to-use, highly cost-effective solution to maximum combustion efficiency and minimum oxygen flue emissions.

Previously, cost considerations have limited small boiler operators to using portable devices for oxygen checking on a regular basis.

Now, the price of the new ABB AZ100 system with its integral ABB 4600-based electronics platform brings economic viability to time-saving continuous online analysis.

The newly designed Zirconia oxygen probe is a key cost-saving feature.

Unlike ABB's high-end in-situ devices, it is a "limpet" type which sits on the outside of flue duct.

Flue gas samples are drawn up through a tube within the duct and directed to where the sensor is mounted.

A mains powered heater within the probe eliminates the need for expensive transformers and, since reference air is supplied by diffusion of ambient air, there is no need for the usual in-built air pumping facility.

The probe, available in length options of 200, 350, 500 and 650mm, operates in process temperatures from ambient to 600C and up to a maximum external duct wall temperature of 400C.

With a response speed of less than three seconds and a typical sensor life span of at least four to five years, the ABB AZ100 oxygen analyser brings to the small boiler market many of the benefits which have come to be internationally recognised with ABB high-end Zirconia ZFG/ZMT systems.

Protected to NEMA 4X/IP66 for reliable operation in demanding environments, the new AZ100 oxygen analyser employs a dedicated transmitter based on ABB's highly successful 4600 Series for interfacing the probe.

It is user-programmable and has a comprehensive diagnostics facility with in-built software.

High/low alarms and linear or logarithmic isolated retransmission are featured, together with displays which include percentage oxygen, cell temperature, cell millivolts, alarm set points, calibration sequence diagnostics and output settings.

Information displays can be programmed for English, French, German or Spanish languages.

The ABB AnalyzeIT AZ100 Zirconia oxygen analyser meets the requirement for the EN50081-1 general emission standard for residential, commercial and light industry, and the EN50082-2 generic immunity standard for industrial environments.

http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/apr/apr110.html

Consumers Upgrading Karn-Weadock Boilers

Consumers Energy is planning a multi-million-dollar upgrade to Bay County's Karn-Weadock power plant.The $4 million-plus project will replace burners on two boilers that were installed in the 1950s.Consumers said the new models will reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 10 percent.Those burners, however, will turn out more carbon monoxide.

But officials said carbon monoxide poses less of a health risk to the public.The Department of Environmental Quality is holding a question-and-answer session on the plan Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Hampton Township Hall, which will be followed by a public hearing.

http://www.wnem.com/news/20004457/detail.html

Manufacturer celebrates 60 years, introduces water heater, boiler

Since its establishment in 1949, Fulton has sold more than 100,000 boilers. Now it’s looking to add to those totals with the introduction of a direct-contact water heater and its first horizontal firetube boiler for the U.S. market at Clean ’09.

Bruce Beggs, Editor , American Laundry News Published 06/20/2009 - 12:44 p.m. CT

The water heater operates with more than 98% efficiency, Fulton says, providing customers with the most efficient method of generating hot water. The hot-water generators are offered in three sizes: 1 million Btu/hr, 2.5 million Btu/hr and 5 million Btu/hr.

Each heater is matched with a unique integral storage tank and hot-water transfer pump, fully piped and wired, making it a complete packaged unit.

The new heaters are designed for use in industrial laundries and other industries that require high volumes of hot water.
“Our new direct-contact water heater enables us to support the flexibility of our customers’
businesses,” says Carey Merritt, steam systems product manager. “The high-quality, reliable product features durable construction and efficient operation in a complete project line so that they will meet customer hot-water demands for years to come.”

Fulton has expanded distribution of its horizontal firetube steam and hot-water boilers up to 800 hp to include the United States. The New York company has manufactured the boilers for more than a decade in the global market.

Its horizontal firetube boilers feature a three-pass wet-back design, and are offered with an open protocol burner with a pressure rating of up to 300 psig MAWP. Additionally, Fulton has partnered with Riello Burners and Siemens to create a high-horsepower boiler that is also equipped with state-of-the-art controls.

The 150 hp steam model on display has already been sold to the Royal Sonesta here in the French Quarter.

“They knew we were bringing one to the show, and their old boiler was struggling,” Merritt says. “They came by, looked at it and said, “Ship it.’ It was the right size and the right time — it was kind of a destiny thing.”
http://www.americanlaundrynews.com/article.cfm?articleID=18123

Schuylkill seeks coal for new flex boilers

Schuylkill County officials are searching for coal to burn in new flex boilers at the courthouse and prison.

“We’re going to have new coal boilers ... they should be more effective,” Bill Liptok, director of public works, said.

The new boilers can burn gas or coal — a first in Schuylkill County.

“We’ve never had gas, so we don’t know how it will be in the winter,” Liptok said.

Liptok asked the county commissioners at their meeting Wednesday to allow him to advertise for coal bids. The commissioners will vote on it next week.

He acknowledged county officials have had a hard time finding coal vendors over the past several years.

Last year, Liptok said the county used 488 tons of coal in the courthouse and prison combined. He said the coal was provided by Frackville coal dealer Roy Manbeck at $145 per ton.

A contract, Liptok said, will allow county officials to buy “as little as we need, up to 1,000 tons.”

Fewer tons could be used this year thanks to the new boilers, a key part of the county’s $2.6 million energy deal with PPL, approved by the commissioners last September. A savings of about $1 million over 15 years is anticipated.

The idea, Liptok said, will be to use gas heat during mild months and coal heat during the frigid days of winter.

Boiler replacement work has begun, and Liptok said work on underground gas lines will be done over the summer.

“We want all of this in place for the upcoming heating season,” he said.

Liptok added that the county also will seek natural gas providers through the bidding process.

$3 million gain

After the meeting, commissioners Chairwoman Mantura M. Gallagher said the county retirement fund reached $76.6 million in May, its third consecutive month of increases.

The fund, which pays out to more than 400 retired county workers each month, had fallen to $67 million earlier this year due to the economic recession. It had seen highs of more than $90 million last year.

The fund gained just under $3 million in May, rising from $73.9 million at the end of April.
http://www.standardspeaker.com/articles/2009/06/05/news/hz_standspeak.20090605.a.pg8.hz04_prcommissioners_s1.2576212_loc.txt

Judge prohibits wood boiler in Henrietta Township dispute

A lengthy dispute between Henrietta Township neighbors was resolved this week, resulting in one family not being allowed to use an outdoor wood boiler.

Circuit Court Judge Chad Schmucker ruled that Richard and Julia Cady cannot use the wood boiler, which he believes was a nuisance and health hazard to neighbors.

The Cadys represented themselves in the civil trial in which they were sued by the Jackson County Health Department.

Wood boilers, increasingly popular in rural areas as energy costs rise, transfer heat through water lines from an outside structure to a home for both space and water heating.

The judge also prohibited Cady from incinerating trash, debris and other materials in backyard burn barrels.

Schmucker said the Cadys did not break any laws and that the boiler was properly installed but produces smoke, which can be a nuisance to neighbors.

Richard Soldano, 53, testified he started having headaches in 2003, before Cady built his home, because Cady frequently burned garbage in barrels on his property.

Since then, he's had chest pain and trouble breathing after being outside when the wood boiler is operating.

Soldano's wife has had a chronic cough, and Soldano said he has asthma and a chronic lung condition. Doctors have attributed the conditions to smoke inhalation and warned against the dangers of breathing smoke.

``We are very pleased. It is what we asked the court to do,'' said Bob Grover, the lawyer for the health department. ``I hope it finally resolves problems between neighbors that have been going on for five to six years. I am not optimistic, but hopeful.''

-- Reporter Danielle Quisenberry contributed to this report.

http://www.mlive.com/news/citpat/index.ssf?/base/news-28/1243073104278630.xml&coll=3

Busy Weekend on the Diamonds for Boilers

Purdue's baseball and softball teams face a busy weekend on the diamonds this weekend as the baseball team plays for its Big Ten Conference fate and the softball teams takes part in the NCAA regional down in Louisville

The baseball team has already gotten a head start, as the final weekend series of the regular season before conference tournaments move back a day to a Thursday-Friday-Saturday format. Purdue needs two wins, two Michigan losses against Northwestern, or one win and one Michigan loss to advance to the Big Ten Tournament next week in Columbus. The Boilers took the first step yesterday with a convincing 12-5 win in the series opener against Illinois.

This was a very impressive win for the Boilers. Phil Haig is the ace of the Illinois staff and Purdue tagged him for 6 runs and 11 hits in five innings of work. Illinois is in the running for an at-large NCAA Tournament berth because of Haig and what he has done on the season. Haig gave up 1 run over seven innings of work earlier this season at #1 LSU as the Illini took two of three from the Tigers when they were the top ranked team in the country. LSU is one of the best home team in collegiate baseball, so a Big Ten team taking two of three from them is virtually unheard of. Dan Black hit his 14^th home run of the season for Purdue yesterday and drove in five runs on three hits. Drew Madia also added an eighth inning grand slam to put things away.

Michigan did not cooperate on its end, beating Northwestern 16-6 to stay alive for another day. Purdue had a chance to clinch this afternoon with a 1pm first pitch against the Illini, but Dan Black struck out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to seal a 6-3 loss. Purdue left the bases loaded in each of the last two innings, so they had plenty of chances to make some noise. They now get one more chance to control their fate tomorrow afternoon with a 1pm first pitch at Lambert Field. Michigan and Northwestern just got underway with game two of their series tonight. Rain could play havoc with both game threes tomorrow. If neither game gets played tomorrow, Purdue would still go to the Big Ten Tournament by a half game. So here is what Purdue needs now:

• A win over Illinois tomorrow OR
• A loss by Michigan to Northwestern tonight or tomorrow OR
• Rainouts of both games tomorrow.

UPDATE: Michigan and Northwestern's Friday night game has been rained out and moved to Saturday.

Softball faces Louisville in NCAA Tournament

The women's softball team makes it second NCAA Tournament appearance tonight at Louisville, facing off against the host Cardinals. Purdue gathered some postseason honors along the way this week. Third baseman Liane Horiuchi, and freshman utility player Molly Garst were named second team all-Big Ten while catcher Jenna Alexander and pitcher Suzie Rzegocki were named to the third all-Big Ten team.

Louisville (47-8) finished ranked 19^th in the final poll of the season and very nearly was a national seed. They will be the #2 seed in this four team regional, but will host because of geographic balance in the region. They have already set a record for most wins in a season and will be hosting a regional for the first time. It is the second straight year Purdue is the #3 seed in their regional.

Louisville hits the ball very well. Eight players are batting better than .300 on the season and catcher Melissa Roth is batting .437 with 16 home runs and 51 RBI. Third baseman Chelsea Bemis (.389, 8HR, 43 RBI) and outfielder Kristi Cunningham (.307, 12 HR) also pack quite an offensive punch. Purdue will likely be facing Kristen Wadwell in the pitching circle. Wadwell is an ironhorse with a 40-7 record for the Cardinals. She has 237 strikeouts and a 1.37 ERA for the season. Her 40 wins is the best in the country.

http://www.hammerandrails.com/2009/5/15/876716/busy-weekend-on-the-diamonds-for

Boilers split with Illini

For two hours Wednesday, Purdue's softball team was happily in the top half of the Big Ten Conference standings.

But with one dreadful inning,

After Suzie Rzegocki held an Illinois team with 34 home runs to just a double and a single in a 4-1 victory, the Illini were propelled by a six-run third inning to capture the nightcap 10-6 and leap back ahead of the Boilermakers into fifth place.

"We really needed to sweep this team," said freshman Molly Garst, who was 3-for-7 with three RBIs and three stolen bases in the doubleheader. "We didn't capitalize at the plate, and we really needed the win (in the second game)."

Jenna Alexander drove in two runs, and Garst drove in another during the Boilermakers' Game 1 victory, but the offense was nonexistent in the second contest until it was too late.

Purdue fell behind 6-0 and trailed 10-3 before scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh on a pair of home runs.

Rzegocki, who started both games, didn't allow an earned run in 92/3 of work Wednesday, but earned a victory and a defeat after surrendering four unearned runs in the six-run third.

Dana Alcocer relieved Rzegocki in the third inning and gave up consecutive RBI doubles. Alcocer allowed nine hits and four earned runs in 22/3 innings before Ashley DiDomenico entered in the sixth.

Alcocer hit two batters with the bases loaded.

"We could not shut them down in the circle, we got behind batters, we hit batters, we allowed back-to-back doubles, it just wasn't good in the circle for us," Purdue coach Kim Maher said.

Katie Mitchell finally put Purdue on the board, hitting a solo homer over the right field fence to make the score 6-1.

Garst's two-RBI single in the fifth made 7-3, but the Illini countered with three runs in the top of the sixth.

Purdue got a two-run homer from Liane Horiuchi in the bottom of the seventh for the game's final runs.

Maher said that most of the runs came with the pressure off after the Boilermakers gave up a large lead.
http://www.jconline.com/article/20090430/SPORTS0201/904300325