Steam Digest 2002 - CiteSeerX

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Steam Digest 2002 Insulation Improves Economic Returns in Manufacturing Christopher Russell, Alliance to Save Energy If purchased fuel is the “currency” of an industrial plant’s energy budget, then mechanical insulation is one of its “savings” components. Just as savings have a specific place in a financial plan for creating wealth, so does insulation play a role in optimizing a plant’s valuable energy resources. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s BestPractices Steam program, mechanical insulation should be used on any surface over 120°F. Boiler surfaces, distribution mains, condensate return pipes and vessels, and hardware fittings should all be properly insulated to conserve thermal resources. Two tip sheets, part of a series of BestPractices Steam tip sheets that currently numbers 19, discuss the benefits of mechanical insulation and demonstrate the calculation of energy savings that it provides (see sidebar). The value proposition is not the steam itself, but the heat that steam provides. Steam can efficiently and safely dispatch thermal resources from the boiler to multiple locations within a plant, usually to locations appreciably distant from the steam source. Plant managers depend on insulation not only to conserve thermal resources throughout a steam system, but to enhance process stability, ensure personnel safety and to attenuate noise. Two prime considerations are “whether the insulation is dry and snugly fitted, and whether there is enough of it,” suggests Don Wulfinghoff, author of the Energy Efficiency Manual. Moisture drastically reduces the heat retention capabilities of insulation. But if the insulation system (insulation and protective jacketing) is properly specified and installed for the steam application, moisture penetration will be reduced and the insulation system will remain effective indefinitely. The performance of the insulation system is maximized when the correct thickness is specified for the application. Energy savings justify insulation up to a certain thickness, beyond which any additional economic or energy savings may not be worth the cost. (See sidebar discussion.) Insulation Improves Economic Returns in Manufacturing Sidebar Sidebar Discussion Discussion BestPractices Steam, a U.S. DOE initiative, generates references, diagnostic software, case studies, and industry outreach events for the benefit of the industrial steam community. A series of 19 steam tip sheets is available. Each is one page, providing an overview of a steam improvement opportunity and an example for calculating its economic impact. Two steam tip sheets are devoted to insulation use: (1) Insulate Steam Distribution and Condensate Return Lines and (2) Install Removable Insulation on Uninsulated Valves and Fittings. Determining the appropriate thickness for a given mechanical component is addressed by 3E Plus®, a free software tool developed by the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association, and distributed by BestPractices Steam. An insulation energy appraisal performed by a certified insulation energy appraiser can provide an energy user with a comprehensive assessment of the piping and equipment in a facility and provide recommendations that will help save energy, and reduce fuel costs and greenhouse emissions. The DOE has embraced the insulation energy appraisal certification training program available from the National Insulation Association. See www.insulation.org. Readers are encouraged to visit the BestPractices website at www.oit.doe.gov/bestpractices. Steam tip sheets and most other resources are free of charge and may be downloaded from www.steamingahead.org/resources.htm or may be requested from the BestPractices Clearinghouse: (800) 862-2086 or clearinghouse@ee.doe.gov. 35
Insulation Improves Economic Returns in Manufacturing 36 Potential savings from insulation application and upgrades may reduce fuel consumption anywhere from 3 to 13 percent, according to the U.S. DOE’s Industrial Assessment Center program. Results are sometimes dramatic: a Georgia-Pacific plywood plant in Madison, Georgia upgraded the insulation on steam lines to its dryers. This allowed the plant to reduce its steam load by 6,000 pounds per hour and cut its fuel bill. The investment paid for itself in six months. A recent insulation energy appraisal was performed on a chemical plant in Kentucky. They had a nagging maintenance issue, and over the past five years had discussed and re-discussed the cost and value of fixing and upgrading the insulation on their distribution lines. A $300,000 investment in insulation upgrades yielded a $700,000 savings in fuel costs. Payback for the investment: three years. An added benefit was reduced emissions. (See sidebar discussion on previous page). By conserving thermal resources, insulation not only saves money but also improves plant productivity. In this sense, insulation makes money for the plant. In addition, the expense relief that it provides becomes a new source of cash that can be applied to other processes in the plant, or to marketing and administration. All of these benefits make insulation a priority for manufacturers in a competitive marketplace. Steam Digest 2002
Page 1 and 2: A compendium of articles on the tec
Page 4 and 5: TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Chri
Page 6: CLOSED-LOOP ENERGY MANAGEMENT CONTR
Page 10 and 11: Steam Digest 2002 Energy Efficiency
Page 12 and 13: Steam Digest 2002 Crude oil is refi
Page 14 and 15: Steam Digest 2002 to be newer and h
Page 16 and 17: Steam Digest 2002 Condensing steam
Page 18 and 19: Steam Digest 2002 this case, it is
Page 20 and 21: Steam Digest 2002 Appendix Appendix
Page 22 and 23: Steam Digest 2002 Decision Climate
Page 24 and 25: Steam Digest 2002 as summer approac
Page 26: Steam Digest 2002 late quick and ea
Page 29 and 30: An Analysis of Steam Process Heater
Page 31 and 32: An Analysis of Steam Process Heater
Page 34 and 35: Steam Digest 2002 Combustion Contro
Page 36 and 37: Steam Digest 2002 mal efficiency by
Page 38 and 39: Steam Digest 2002 Figure 5: Cross L
Page 42 and 43: Steam Digest 2002 Reduce Fuel Costs
Page 44 and 45: Steam Digest 2002 Safety Issues in
Page 46 and 47: Steam Digest 2002 Steam 1 Component
Page 48 and 49: Steam Digest 2002 The Human Side of
Page 50 and 51: Steam Digest 2002 Preliminary Resul
Page 52 and 53: Steam Digest 2002 Table 2: Estimate
Page 54 and 55: Steam Digest 2002 Table 5: Energy U
Page 56: Steam Digest 2002 Fuel savings, P
Page 59 and 60: Results from the Industrial Assessm
Page 61 and 62: Steam Digest 2002 Results from the
Page 64 and 65: Steam Digest 2002 ProSteam - A Stru
Page 66 and 67: Steam Digest 2002 Figure 1: Typical
Page 68 and 69: Steam Digest 2002 The value of the
Page 70 and 71: Steam Digest 2002 value shown in Fi
Page 72: Steam Digest 2002 Trbn_A3 Three-Sta
Page 75 and 76: Steam System Improvements at Dupont
Page 77 and 78: Steam System Improvements at Dupont
Page 80 and 81: Steam Digest 2002 Closed-Loop Energ
Page 82 and 83: Steam Digest 2002 Figure 3: Advice
Page 84 and 85: Steam Digest 2002 gions. Constraint
Page 86 and 87: Steam Digest 2002 4. Provide overri
Page 88: Steam Digest 2002 Operations can id
Page 91 and 92:
An Introduction to Steam Outsourcin
show all

Steam Digest 2002 - CiteSeerX

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?