Soil reinforcement and ground stabilisation specialist Tensar Manufacturing is reaping the rewards of a Maxsys magnetic fuel treatment system to one of its gas-fired, steam raising boilers. Gas consumption is down, while boiler efficiency has increased
Blackburn-based Tensar International's Thomas Cochran steam raising boiler is rated at 3000kg/hr and operates at 6.5 barg, with natural gas processed as the primary fuel source by a 2836kW Dunphy burner. Running 24/7, the system is backed-up by a Wee Chieftain 3750kg/hr rated boiler that is kept on hot standby.
Beginning in late 2007, Tensar staff recorded a 30-week set of pre-installation data that included boiler house gas consumption, boiler house steam generation and individual boiler feed water. The same parameters were then re-measured for a six week period following installation in June 2008 of a Maxsys Fuel System to the Dunphy burner.
“Using the CUSUM data analysis technique we recorded an overall reduction in gas usage of 5.78 per cent,” says Tensar’s Chief Engineer Joe Crane. “What’s more, this saving appeared immediately after fitting: bedding-in time was minimal and the figures look to be improving as time goes on.”
Financial saving
While this offers Tensar a considerable financial saving in an era of record high gas prices, boiler efficiency (steam-gas ratio) has also been seen to improve. The average ratio recorded in the pre-installation data set was 2.718 lb of steam generated per kWh of gas consumed. Post installation, this figure had increased to 2.867 lb/kWh, representing 5.46 per cent more steam generated for the same amount of gas consumed (or less gas consumed for the same amount of steam produced).
“As an ISO 14001 certified company and a long-standing member of the LancsBEA Resource Efficiency Club, we are continually looking for ways to improve efficiency within our production process,” says Crane.
Indeed, Tensar’s own products and solutions are based on an ethos of minimal waste. The production process for geo-grid and geo-textile technology is extremely efficient with almost all waste material reincorporated into the production process. The company’s products are used within construction projects, for example, providing solutions to grade changes requiring retaining walls or slopes, and for improving soil conditions.
Reducing aggregate use
Tensar’s technology helps civil engineering projects to be more cost-effective and resource efficient as it reduces the amount of aggregate required.
“Maxsys fuel technology has been instrumental in driving down our gas consumption, increasing boiler efficiency and cutting our carbon emissions,” says Crane. “We predict to save £10,000 per annum on fuel, which will ensure a speedy return on investment. We have also managed to eliminate 109 tonnes of carbon emissions from our overall carbon footprint.”
Introduction of the fuel system is part of a wider company initiative that has seen all Tensar staff at the Blackburn facility given full energy awareness training in order to ensure the environmental impact of the company is kept to an absolute minimum.
