Social unrest in other parts of the world can lead directly to price volatility in hydrocarbon-based energy sources. With the manufacturing industry being a major consumer of much of those energy commodities, it’s only rational for the plant professional to contribute to plant profitability by taking every opportunity to reduce energy consumption, however incrementally.
In most cases, wasted energy is evidenced by thermal phenomena of some sort. A leaky building envelope or flash freezer might have frost around the door during winter. Perhaps inefficiency manifests itself as unnecessarily warm surfaces on equipment cabinets.
Thermal technologies for making the plant a bit greener abound. Almost every industrial maintenance department has in its toolkit some form of temperature measuring device. Perhaps it’s a thermocouple-based sensor, maybe a spot radiometer, most likely a thermographic imager. Other technologies help move wasted heat from its source to where it can do some practical good.
Often overlooked as a viable concept for industry is using a geothermal heat pump to tap into the relatively constant temperatures found deep under the frost line on land or the thermocline in bodies of water. You might consider investigating this idea using the resources from the Geothermal Exchange Organization, a not-forprofit trade group that promotes the technology.
If the snow on your roof melts, you’re wasting that energy being released to the environment. Not only that, but ice dams can form on the roof edges, potentially endangering people who find it necessary to be outside and close to the building.
You can get a good idea of the extraneous maintenance demands that ice dams impose on a building if you pay attention to the research coming out of University of Massachusetts Amherst. They’ve assembled an online resource titled “Preventing Ice Dams” that shows you the hidden damage that ice dams cause and provides advice on ways to prevent ice dams from forming in the first place.
There’s no doubt that energy prices will rise as the standard of living in the developing world rises. Make use of the following products to help insulate your plant from at least some of the random price shocks that are sure to appear on the economic horizon.
Enercon's mechanical steam trap assemblies include a permanent stainless steel condensate removal unit and Y-strainer
Enercon mechanical steam trap assemblies include a permanent stainless steel condensate removal unit and Y-strainer, and are available for low-, medium- and high-pressure steam systems (150 to 1500 psig) to fit ½-, ¾- and 1-inch piping. Depending on the steam pressure, assemblies include carbon steel ball valves, carbon steel gate valves or socket-welded Y-strainers.
Spirax Sarco's TD120M Thermo-dynamic Steam Trap is engineered for a pressure rating of up to 3,190 psig
Spirax Sarco's TD120M Thermo-dynamic Steam Trap is engineered for a pressure rating of up to 3,190 psig and is designed to drain saturated and superheated steam mains. With its maintainable disc and seat, the steam trap is designed to be serviced in-line. The TD120M offering includes an integral sintered stainless steel strainer, a replaceable hardened seat and disc, and the trap does not need a water seal to operate.
Big Ass Fans' Powerfoil X industrial fan utilizes an airfoil and winglet combination
Big Ass Fan's Powerfoil X industrial fan utilizes an airfoil and winglet combination, and is available in 8- to 24-foot diameters. The NitroSeal Drive, a custom-built gearbox, is filled with nitrogen and hermetically sealed. Precision gearing is engineered to provide low friction between gear teeth for reduced heat and nearly 50% less backlash.
Zoo Fans eliminate the temperature differential between floor and ceiling during any season
Engineered to quietly move air throughout a building, Zoo Fans are designed to bring the warm air down in cold weather and, if air conditioned, force the cold air to floor level in the warm months. By eliminating the temperature differential between floor and ceiling during any season, plant engineers, building owners and facility managers can reap the financial bonus of lowered energy costs while enhancing occupant comfort year round.
Williamson's Gold Series single-wavelength infrared temperature sensors measure a target's temperature without contact
Williamson’s Gold Series single-wavelength infrared temperature sensors are designed to provide up to ¼% of reading measurement accuracy for monitoring and controlling product quality and process productivity. The Gold Series infrared sensors measure a target’s temperature without contact.
Des-Case's FlowGuard Drum Filter Cart is a customizable filtration system built upon a powder-coated dolly
Des-Case' FlowGuard Drum Filter Cart is a customizable filtration system built upon a powder-coated dolly. The cart is engineered to filter and transfer oil from a drum that is secured to the cart with adjustable straps, while removable plastic drip pan prevents filter changes from contaminating the work area.
NEC Avio Infrared Technologies' InfReC R300 thermal imager records still visual and IR images, movies, panoramas and composites
NEC Avio Infrared Technologies' InfReC R300 thermal imager features thermal movie recording to SD card in radiometric format, thermal/visible integrated images in composite/split-screen display, panoramas, autofocus and 3.1 MP visible camera. With a resolution (NETD) of 0.05° C and an accuracy of ±1° C (1%), the R300 also offers InfReC Analyzer NS9500PRO PC software.
Meggitt's Endevco model 2271A extreme temperature piezoelectric accelerometers operate over a wide temperature range
Meggitt Sensing Systems has announced the debut of the Endevco model 2271A series, an accelerometer family designed for high-reliability vibration and acceleration measurements in cryogenic and other extreme environments.
Cannon Boiler Works' Ultramizer heat recovery system utilizes Transport Membrane Condenser technology
Cannon Boiler Works has expanded its waste heat recovery product line with a heat recovery system that utilizes Transport Membrane Condenser technology. The Ultramizer is designed to recover both sensible and latent heat, as well as water from the exhaust stream. The Ultramizer can be used on any clean fuel boiler, and allows the return of clean water to the system.
Omega Engineering's RDXL8 multi-input portable thermometer/data logger offers integrated recording, profiling and archiving functions
Omega’s line of thermometer/data loggers is designed for remote logging and for use as a mobile measuring device for the industrial environment. This product offers the ability to perform integrated recording, profiling and archiving functions. With its analog-to-digital converter, the RDXL8 is designed to meet the data logging requirements in most industrial application.