In the boilerhouse there are 3 boilers, two of which are rated at 36,000 lbs./hr each. These boilers are 25 years old and have dual fuel capability. The third boiler was installed and commissioned in early 1999 and this natural gas fired boiler is rated at 60,000 lbs./hr. All of these boilers operate at 150 p.s.i.g. The new boiler which has PLC and Oxygen trim controls is used as the lead boiler and the smaller ones are used alternately as hot standby on reduced pressure.

A unique feature of this plant is that only the front section of each of the 3 boilers appears in the actual boilerhouse. Because the bulk of each boiler is exposed to the elements they are extremely well insulated and weatherproofed.

Particular attention is paid to water quality in this plant and only de-mineralised water is used in the boilers. Heat extracted from the condensate return is used to preheat boiler feedwater which is then de-aerated and passed through an economiser before being fed to the boilers at 145 ^oC.

This boilerhouse is manned 24 hours per day with 100% coverage. A full range of manuals and Standard Operating Procedures are kept in the boilerhouse for easy reference. The system is monitored by the utility department computer monitoring system and all data is logged and trended.

Combustion and water quality tests and a wide range of other operational and safety checks are carried out on a daily basis. Extensive logs are kept and good use is made of the data collected. The standard of house keeping in this plant is extremely good.

Bailie Foods is part of the Golden Vale Group of companies and in their boilerhouse they have 4 boilers - two of which are rated at 25,000 lbs/hr and two at 20,000 lbs/hr. These boilers have dual fuel capability, and use natural gas as their main fuel. The two larger boilers are each fitted with economisers, and these are used as the duty boilers.

Substantial savings are being made in this plant through the use of Variable Speed Drives (VSD’s) on the burner FD fans and also on the Feed Water Pumps. The boilerhouse is very well maintained, and all pipework and valves are insulated to a high standard. In the past year the stack for boilers no. 3 and 4 has had to be replaced, and the chemical dosing facilities have been upgraded

A comprehensive metering system is in place in the boilerhouse and extensive logs are kept the information from which is used to compile a detailed Boilerhouse Weekly Report.

This is an exceptional boilerhouse and is an excellent example of how a boilerhouse should be managed.

The Maydown Powerhouse provides utility services for a 500 acre site. The powerhouse has two coal fired boilers each rate at 50 tonnes per hour which produce steam at 90 Bar gauge at 500 ^oC. A third oil fired boiler rated at 40 tonnes per hour and produces steam at 28 bar gauge. Only low sulphur coal is used on site. The coal boilers carry the main load and the oil boiler is only used for 3 to 4 weeks per year.

High pressure steam is used to generate electricity for the site, and can at peak times provide up to 12 MW. Site policy is to generate electricity to match the steam load rather than dumping heat unnecessarily. Tight control on water quality is essential in this plant and a NALCO Trasar system is used.

This plant is operated and maintained to an extremely high standard, and is well equipped with metering and monitoring facilities all of which are used to great effect. The powerhouse is manned at all times by four to five operators one of which must have a core engineering skill. Strict operational, safety and housekeeping guidelines are in place and are adhered to rigorously. A review meeting is held each morning to discuss the deal with any issue that has arisen in the last 24 hours, and daily recorded audits covering safety and housekeeping are carried out by a manager accompanied by a members of the staff.

There is a high level of management commitment to doing things right in this plant which is reflected in the quality of all of the services and the levels of efficiency being achieved.

The boilerhouse in Warner Lambert has an installed capacity of 90,000 lbs./hr made up of 3 no. 30,000 lbs./hr shell boilers which have dual fuel firing capacity. This is a new state of the art boilerhouse which incorporates some new technology together with better use of existing technology to give a system that sets new efficiency and atmospheric emission expectations for boilerhouses. Some of the main features of this plant are as follows:

Nycomed has one 6 year old steam boiler rated at 4.3 tonnes per hour at 8 bar gauge which is fired on either Natural Gas with Gas Oil as a back up fuel. The burner is fitted with Alpha Link control and the site BEMS monitors the whole system. Metering is in place for Make-up water, Gas and Steam and these are automatically logged and trended.

Insulation of the boiler, the condensate tank, the associated pipework, header, valves and flanges is all done to a very high standard. The chemicals handling area is well bunded and auto dosing facilities are in place. Regular boilerhouse maintenance is carried out as part of the overall preventative maintenance scheme and actions have been taken to improve control in the area of the steam system and blowdown for TDS. There is a good standard of housekeeping and record keeping in this boilerhouse.

Sports Socks Ltd was established in 1990 and is a state of the art textiles company which employs 295 people in Caherciveen Co. Kerry.

The installed capacity in the Boiler House is 2 x 4,000 lbs/hr steam boilers which operate at 8 bar and are fired on gas oil.

This boiler house is operated and monitored to a very high standard. Regular in-house combustion efficiency tests are carried out on these boilers and all maintenance and tuning of the boilers and burners is done in-house by Eugene O’Neill and Michael Griffin both of whom have been trained by the burner manufacturer.

Since last year make up water and boiler feed water meters have been installed and information from these combined with the data from the oil meters is being used to track the performance of the boilers and to generate energy indices for the plant. Excellent boilerhouse logs are kept and meticulously attention is paid to maintenance and housekeeping. Given the scale of this boilerhouse and the limited resources in terms of technology and controls that are justifiable, it is a model worth emulating for any Small Industrial Boilerhouse.

Rye Valley Foods is a modern food processing factory on the outskirts of Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan which is currently undergoing a major expansion. The company was founded in 1988.

The installed capacity in this boilerhouse consists of one 1,800 kg/hr and one 6,300kg steam boilers which operate at 7.5 bar gauge. Both boilers are fired on gas oil.

In the last year the large boiler has been fitted with Direct Digital Combustion Control, Variable Speed Drive on the FD fan and Oxygen Trim. Data from the oil water and steam meters is collected automatically, stored, trended, and used to track the efficiency of the plant. In addition to the investment in improved technology a lot of effort has been put into upgrading the overall fabric of the boilerhouse with the installation of a new floor and the replacement of floor duct plates.

The boilers are well maintained and serviced and regular in-house checks are made on boiler combustion efficiency. Meticulous attention is paid to water treatment and because water hardness is a problem in this area a new hardness meter has been installed. The larger of the two boilers is fitted with automatic blowdown for TDS and both boilers are fitted with timed blowdown for sludge removal. All of the pipework, valves, flanges and vessels are insulated to a high standard.

A feasibility study has been carried out on the installation of a second large boiler with state of the art burner technology.

This is indeed and excellent example of a small industrial boiler plant and it is a credit to the team that manage and operate it with such enthusiasm. It is indeed worthy to be the "Small Industrial Boilerhouse of the Year" for the second year in succession.

The IBM SSD boilerhouse is fitted with 2 no. 1,500 kW hot water boilers that can be fired on either Natural Gas or Gas Oil. The site BEMS controls the operation of these boilers and they operate on a week on/week off, lead lag basis. The system is fitted with compensator control to take account of variations in outside ambient temperature. The main circulation pumps are fitted with variable speed drives.

The overall system is installed to a high standard with good levels of insulation, good regimes for control and safety. The system performance is monitored constantly by the BEMS and regular manual cross checks are carried out to verify the accuracy of the information being logged by the BEMS.

Service personnel check this boilerhouse twice daily and the standard of housekeeping is good. Overall it is a good example of a well installed and well run commercial boilerhouse.

The boilerhouse in Wheatfield Prison is located underground in the basement area and is a large spacious area that contains for steam boilers. Three of these boilers are rated at 2,360 kW and the fourth boiler is rated at 1,480 kW. This boilerhouse was originally designed for solid fuel boilers. In the recent past two of the boilers were fitted with new dual fuel i.e. Natural Gas and Oil, and one boiler was converted from solid fuel to fire oil. The remaining boiler is fired on Natural Gas only.

All of the lagging in the boilerhouse has been upgraded and all pipework, valves and flanges are insulated to a high standard. The boilerhouse is well equipped with metering and monitoring equipment and good logs are maintained. Good use is being made of the information gathered to ensure that satisfactory efficiency levels are being maintained. Regular combustion tests are carried out on the boilers by the trades’ staff.

A lot of pride and effort has been put into this boilerhouse to make it a model of good practice and a clean and pleasant environment to work in. It is indeed a credit to the trades’ staff in the prison, and is worthy of recognition in the Boiler Awards.

The boilerhouse in this hospital was originally designed for turf fired boilers. Conversion to oil & LPG took place seven years ago. The installed capacity is

The larger boiler is fired on gas oil and the smaller unit is fired on LPG. The oil boiler is used as the duty boiler.

All pipework and vessels in the boilerhouse are well insulated, and plans are in place for replacing the hot water calorifiers in the coming year.

Time switches and a weather compensator controls, control the heating system.

Combustion efficiency tests are carried out weekly and all meters are read and the date logged. This data is forwarded to Enterprise Ireland in Sligo on a monthly basis as part of the monitoring scheme for the EU Thermie support programme.

The boilerhouse is maintained with pride by the staff and is an excellent example of how a small commercial boilerhouse should be run.

Nalco Chemical Company was established in 1920 and is one of the largest producers of speciality chemicals and services for water and industrial process treatment in the world. Nalco operate in over 120 countries world wide and employs more than 7,000 people. In November 1999 Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux will merge Calgon, Aquazur and Nalco to create a world-wide leader in water treatment services and process chemicals.

In Ireland Nalco have a General Manager and 6 Account Managers who cover 32 counties offering their customers a highly professional service based on their Six Service Standards Programme i.e. Listening; Discovering; Planning; Documenting; Training and Results. Some of the services offered by this company include:

Field staff in this company are backed up by and have ready access to a wide range of technical expertise and analytical facilities from their global network..

This company have operated an ISO 9002 Quality system which covers all aspects of their business for the last 8 years, and is committed to providing the best possible service for its customers. This company has a strong policy of keeping their own staff up to date with the latest scientific developments, and they also offer their customers a comprehensive range of training programmes.

Businessman Carl Saacke formed Saacke in Berlin in 1931. Saacke was integrated into H. Saacke KG was established in Bremen in 1951. The British Company was formed in 1960 to meet increased demand for combustion equipment in the UK, Ireland and associated countries. Saacke have a world wide network of offices and are truly an international supplier of top quality combustion technology.

Saacke Ireland have 3 specialist engineers in Ireland who cover 26 counties. Their clientele are amongst the largest fuel users in the country. Amongst the services Saacke provide in Ireland are:

All Saacke Engineers receive intensive training when they join the company, and on-going training throughout their careers. The company has an impressive internal communications mechanism, which ensures that information on problem solving is shared with all their engineers.

Saacke were accredited for ISO 9001 BS 5750 in 1989 and have very strict and well documented procedures. Saacke engineers are well equipped when going on site not only with the right tools for the job, but also with all the back up information to be able to overcome any problems. Saacke records are extensive and very well kept. Any modifications made to their equipment on site is registered against the serial number of the piece of equipment in head office. This ensures that the correct spare parts (not generic parts) will be delivered when requested. All Saacke engineers are audited regularly as part of the quality system.

Saacke are very conscious of health and safety issues and put a large emphasis on Customer Service.

BetzDearborn was formed with the joining of the Betz Laboratories Inc. and Grace Dearborn Ltd to create a global leader in the water and process treatment industry with sales world wide of over $1.2 billion. This Company was taken over by Hercules in the United States and is one of the top Water Treatment companies in the world..

In Ireland the company has a field staff of 10 who work in pairs and cover all 32 counties offering their customers continuous coverage and a highly professional service. Some of the services offered by this company include:

A team of Technology Managers who are specialists in areas such as Boilers, Cooling Towers and Waste Water Management, can be called on for help when needed to back up Field staff in this company.

This company in all its guises has operated an ISO 9001 Quality system since 1978 which covers all aspects of their business, and is committed to providing the best possible service for its customers. There is a philosophy within in the company of giving their customers the best Return on Investment and Environment. Excellence in these areas is encouraged and rewarded through an internal competition for The Chairman’s Award and the Return on Environment Partnership Award.

This company has a strong policy of keeping their own staff up to date with the latest scientific developments, and they also offer their customers a comprehensive range of training programmes.

We value high performance, hard work, honesty and teamwork. We will hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of ethics, trust and quality. We will respect and always strive to do what is right for our customers, employees, suppliers and the community.

These values and the "Proof not Promises" motto are recognised by their customers who without exception have recommended this company as a worthy candidate to be named "Service Company of the Year for 1999"

The Irish Life Centre, located just north of the River Liffey in Dublin, opened in 1978. The complex, which is operated by Irish Estates (Management) Ltd includes, offices, a public car park, pub, shopping mall, and a recreation centre with a swimming pool. Certain services including central heating and electricity are provided to some of the tenants.

The CHP plant was built and is owned and operated by Conservation Engineering Ltd., a subsidiary of Bord Gais and is installed in an underground car park at the complex. Irish Estates (Management) Ltd. benefit from this arrangement by reducing their energy costs without having to make any capital investment. In addition, the technical risks associated with the plant are borne by Conservation Engineering Ltd.

The cogeneration system is a Jenbacher unit supplied by Edina Power Plant Ltd., who provide full maintenance on the CHP engine. The plant consists of a 1006 kW_e spark-ignition gas engine generator, fitted with heat exchangers to recover heat from the exhaust, the engine jacket cooling water, the lubricating oil and the intercooler. It is connected in series with existing boilers on the hot water return, prior to the boilerhouse thus ensuring that the thermal base load is taken up by the CHP module.

The total useful energy conversion efficiency of 88% in normal operation compares favourably with efficiencies of approximately 35% at large power stations. The plant runs for 24 hours a day on weekdays and 15 hours a day at weekends throughout the year.

For the site as a whole, annual energy expenditure was in excess of IR£500,000 prior to the installation of the CHP plant. It is expected that overall, annual energy costs will be reduced by 17 %, yielding a simple payback of 4.5 years on the initial investment. As well as the economic advantages to the owner and the tenants of the Irish Life Centre, the CHP plant has important environmental benefits, as every 1MW of CHP installed reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 1,250 tonnes per annum.

The Rochestown park Hotel is Corks premier hotel which is set in 7 acres of woodland and gardens. It has 115 bedrooms and extensive Banqueting and Leisure facilities including Gym, Saunas, Steamrooms etc.

This hotel has gone through many stages of development which resulted in a variety or boilers being installed which were operated as independent systems with little or no interconnection between the systems. During the last phase of redevelopment when 52 bedrooms and 8 town houses as well as the conferencing and banqueting facilities were being added it was decided to take an overall look at using energy efficient technologies. This was done in conjunction with the ESB and an Energy/Maintenance Manager was employed to oversee the installation of a CHP System.

The CHP system selected was supplied by Temp Technology and is rated at 206 kWe and 324 kWt. The system is fired on Natural gas and operates at 415 volts. The system was commissioned in June 1998 and is in service 114 hours per week. When the CHP system was being installed modification were made to the heating and domestic hot water systems and in the kitchen to maximise the thermal draw on the system. The hotel now has over 5,000 litres storage for Domestic Hot Water which can regenerate itself from ambient temperature in 23 minutes. The LPHW space heating boilers are seldom called in to service.

The system is well metered and is monitored by the site BEMS and is operating with an overall efficiency of 78% and an availability of 99%. Insulation levels in the boilerhouse have been increased to maximise efficiency, and a project is currently in progress which will use the waste heat from cooling the engine in tumble dryers in the laundry.

The CHP system as yielded saving of £92,000 in a calendar year and will pay for itself in less than two years. The effort that has been put into improving the overall energy efficiency in the hotel was recognised in the ETA Awards with their win in the regional category for the Small Company Award.

What has been done in this hotel is a very good object lesson in what can be achieved at reasonable cost with a very acceptable payback, and we congratulate them on their initiative and success.

Aughinish Alumina is a Bauxite processing plant situated at Aughinish Island in Co. Limerick. This plant has 3 no. 220 tonne per hour steam boilers which operate at 50 Bar and are fired on heavy fuel oil which they buy on the open market and import themselves. The annual fuel bill for this plant is in excess of $20,000,000 and is set to rise dramatically in line with oil price increases on the spot market.

Steam is used directly in the production process in this plant, and because of operational problems condensate cannot be returned to the boilers. Heat is however extracted and used to preheat de-mineralised water which is used to feed the boilers. Plans are in place to install technology which allow condensate to be returned next year.

In the recent past this plant has invested over £5 million in upgrading and refurbishing work that has yielded savings in excess of £1.1 million per year.

The project undertaken include:

This company has done tremendous work in upgrading their boilerhouse and associated ancillary plant and it is fitting that their effort should be recognised with this years Achievement Award.

Martin has worked in St. James’s Hospital for the past 18 years the last 13 of which have been in the position of Boilerman. Martin has a wide range of duties and responsibilities which include supervision of the Boilerhouse, the Water Treatment Plant and the Combined Heat and Power Plant.

Martin has received formal training in the areas of Water Treatment and Good Boilerhouse Management. He carries out a very wide range of tests and checks on a daily basis and has a very good understanding and knowledge of the tasks he has to perform.

Robert Smyth is a time served fitter who has been a boilerman with Golden Vale Bailie Foods for the last 18 years. Robert also has responsibility for other main utilities and services.

In recent years Robert has undergone further training in the areas of Boilerhouse Management and Water Treatment Systems, and last year Roberts efforts were recognised when he won this competition. Robert has continued to grow in his role and is doing a superb job of running and reporting on the performance of the boilerhouse in Bailie Foods. In the last year this site was been registered for ISO 14000 and as part of the compliance criteria Robert has produced an operators manual for the boilerhouse.

Roberts expertise and dedication to his trade are evident in the quality of the boilerhouse under his control, which ranks in the top 3 in the country.

David Cleere served his time as a boiler operator with the ESB in their Great Island Power Station in Co. Wexford, and has spent the last 14 years of his 27 year career working as a boilerman in the Nutricia plant in Wexford. David has received extensive training in his chosen career and has City & Guilds of London Certificates for Boiler Operators, Turbine Operators and Power Plant - Parts 1 & 2.

David is responsible for the operation, management and maintenance of 3 no. 30,000 lbs/hr steam boilers which operate at 250 p.s.i.g., two of which are kept on line simultaneously. The boilers are fired on heavy fuel oil. In the last year major refurbishment has been taking place in his boilerhouse entailing the replacement of one of the boilers with a state of the art unit. Major work has also been done on upgrading the burner control systems on the other two boilers. A new de-aeration system is scheduled to be installed in the very near future. Overall this boilerhouse is getting a complete face lift which should make it look as well as it performs.

Amongst his duties David carries out weekly combustion tests on the boilers, and uses his skills keeps the burners tuned to give maximum combustion efficiency. A very comprehensive metering and monitoring scheme is in place in this boilerhouse and all the logs are computerised. Information from the logs is analysed and trended and is used to give very tight overall control in the boilerhouse.

David is a versatile, knowledgeable and conscientious boilerman who runs a very tight and efficient boilerhouse, and he is worthy of the title "Boilerperson of the Year" for 1999.

Contact-:
Virgil Bolger
Irish Energy Centre
Telephone-:    +353 (0)1 808 2083
Fax-:                 +353 (0)1 808 2244
Email-:             bolgerv@irish-energy.ie
WWW-:            http://www.irish-energy.ie