The original boiler plant at synthomer’s Stallingborough site consisted of 3 x 35000lbs/hour boilers, fired by a combination of 75% burner input, supplemented by 25% TEG (turbine emission gas). Due to the design of the waste heat combination, combustion was difficult to control which lead to low combustion efficiencies. In addition to this, regular maintenance to the plenum chambers and refractory guards within the furnace was increasingly expensive. Following the demise of the turbine, Synthomer were firing two boilers with burners only able to deliver 75% heat input.
JBC were asked to evaluate the situation. We advised that it would be possible to run on one boiler only with a burner delivery 100% input. A Dunphy burner was specified which was fitted with digital combustion controls and variable speed drive to the FD fan. This combination was able to manage the erratic steam load and the burner turn down ratio was increased to 9:1.
From commissioning, the Dunphy burner proved an immediate success and Synthomer advised that payback was ‘within 12 months’.
Synthomers Utilities Engineer said:
Fitting one burner allowed us to shut down two inefficient Hamworthy burners. This gave us a 20% reduction in gas usage.