While performing an energy audit for a new client, I was reminded of an event that occurred almost 40 years ago. The story starts with my arrival at a facility late in the afternoon. I was taking a quick walk with the owner though the boiler room when I noticed a poorly insulated steam line that was running over to the wastewater heat exchanger. I didn’t think much of it at the time but made a mental note to investigate it during the audit; which was to start early the next morning. This client’s gas usage was very high for his type of work; 3,800 BTU’s per pound produced.
During the first day of the audit I was busy gathering data and reviewing utility bills and did not return to the boiler room. But that poorly insulated steam line was still in the back of my mind.
Remember the story of the old Greek dude running naked though the streets of Syracuse, yelling “Eureka, Eureka”?
That’s the way I felt the next day when I was able to return to that poorly insulated steam line.
This client was heating his water with direct steam injection at the wastewater heat exchanger!
This “concept” was promoted by one of our industry OEM’S many years ago but I had never seen it installed. This required a simple fix and the clients gas usage was reduced to 2,600 BTU’s per pound. Still high, additional corrective actions were implemented to reduce it further.
Now to get back to the event that occurred 40 years ago another “Eureka” moment.
Have you ever awoke and immediately knew that something was terribly wrong?
Like finding yourself in a child’s tree house with your dick tied into a knot? You immediately knew, just like the crop circles, that this must have been the work of extraterrestrials. But while climbing down the tree, the stench coming from your body starts to remind you that the previous night began at the frat house where everyone was consuming large volumes of liquor.
Before blaming the extraterrestrials, think of the poor personal decisions that you have made that might have aided the “aliens” to pick on you; and remember that Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Oil works well in helping to undo some knots.
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For any heat exchanger to approach 100% exchange efficiency it must be in a COUNTER-flow condition. The Maximum exchange efficiency while in a CO-flow state is 50%. Most shell & tube exchangers have a reversing valve. A correctly operating reversing valve takes the flow out of COUNTER-flow & places it into a CO-flow condition. The OEM’s … [Read More...]
Readers question: In a recent Hot Tip you were talking about boilers and you used the term BHP to describe the size of the boiler. Why use the “B” to describe Horsepower? There are several different measure of power where the term “horsepower” is commonly used. The following conversion chart should help. Horsepower conversions: In certain … [Read More...]
Readers question: “In a recent Hot Tip, it was recommended that all new washroom trenches be poured monolithically, was does that mean?” Monolithic means it is made from a single pour of concrete. Usually when the term monolithic is used, it is because the concrete footings and slab are poured at the same time. Sometimes footings are poured separately, … [Read More...]