Good
Thermodynamics Improve Sex!!!
Okay....picture this....
One day at work, your boss comes into your control room with a death grip on a copy of
last years budget costs. He is sweating profusely. His hands shake like a man in the
advanced stages of Alzheimer's , and his eyes keep blinking uncontrollably.
In a distrubingly calm and quiet voice, he asks you if you have seen last years fuel
costs. Before you can answer....he shows you.
As you look at the totals indicating the amount of money your plant used for fuel oil last
year, you are amazed at how many zero's there are. "What do they call a number that
big anyway ?" you wonder absentmindedly.
The report indicates that your little 100 hp boiler consumed more fuel last year than the
entire U.S. Navy Sixth Fleet on maneuvers.
"How can this be?" your boss asks. "What could be the problem?" he
continues. "You don't really like your job here do you?" he ends. You see your
Christmas bonus evaporating before your eyes and wonder if there is some demon, sitting on
your fuel tank with a straw on cold dark evenings, cackleing away like "Barney"
from the Simpsons after a few belts.
Professor Overdrive knows what this demon is called.....poor heat transfer.
Poor heat transfer can drastically affect your fuel costs. Many companies today base
annual bonuses and even raises on how well the company and its plants performed the
previous year (ie; how well controlled were your controllable costs?). The less
money spent on corrective maintenence, down time and fuel costs the more money
available for raises and bonuses.
How does this affect your sex life (after all....that was the title)? Well......no annual
bonus, no extra money for things like flowers, a night at the movies, an evening in the
city, etc., etc., etc. Nope....it'll be strictly mac 'n cheese and the VCR. I dunno about
you, but with Mrs Overdrive.....no Japanese Hibachi and expensive wine, no.....well....you
can fiqure that one out for yourself.
So! How do we guarantee you're not discussing your failed relationship on Geraldo next
year? Improve your heat transfer!
Poor heat transfer can be caused by any number of conditions, most of which can be
prevented easily with a little knowledge and vigilance on your part.
Poor heat transfer in a boiler occurs when the tubes (either fire or water) become
insulated from the thermal energy of the furnace fire. A good place to start improving the
situation is frequent soot blowing.
Soot can build up on boiler tubes. When this occurs, it acts like layers of fiberglass
insulating the hermal energy of the fire from the water. the only difference is no Pink
Panther....this one is black. So....soot is bad! You need to get rid of it before company
fuel costs drive your paycheck to the level of "Fry-Boy" at the local burger
joint.
Like the good angel from Animal House, Professor Overdrive sits on your shoulder and asks
you to go to your soot blower. "Sure" you say with a smile, all the time
thinking "We have a soot blower.....?"
After making a diligent search through your plant you find it, cleverly hidden behind the
"Snap-On" girl. You grab the procedure from under a thick layer of dust and
commence to blow soot, happy as a clam. You hear the comforting poof, poof of the
blower. All is right with the world.
Outside, the scene looks like something from "The Last Days of Pompeii"
as every car in sight is buried beneath a smooth layer of volcanic ash.
This task now completed, you smile and walk away to tell your boss all is well. But is it?
No - Soot blowing, although a fast and simple way to improve heat transfer, is only one of
the many weapons you can use against this fiscal enemy of your pay raise! A more long term
solution is too ensure fuel quality at the burner. This includes not only the purchase of
a high quality fuel oil from a reputable vendor, but also frequent replacement/cleaning of
burner tips, filters and strainers. The cleaner the fuel to the boiler gun, the less soot.
The less soot, the more heat transfer.
In addition to the above, heat transfer can be impeded from the inside by boiler scale.
Scale occurs in a boiler when water is not conditioned or "softened" properly.
Minerals like calcium, magnesium and silica will build up on boiler tubes and form a thick
insulating layer that will impede heat transfer, much like the layers of wax that build up
in your shift reliefs ears, preventing the proper transfer of sound....especially if you
are asking him if he can relieve you a little early tomorrow.
Fuel to air mixture is also critically importanat to efficient combustion of fuel, so
ensure that all dampers and forced/induced fans are operating properly.
Soot blowing, fuel system maintenance, proper combustion, and good water chemistry will
all add up to maximized heat transfer, and therefore lower fuel useage and costs. Keep
this in mind the next time you pass that "Snap-On" girl poster and begin to
wonder about your car payment. Just make sure your boss' car is in the lot the next time
"Pompeii" erupts.
