Due to the need to increase steam capacity at its dairy processing facility, Devon-based cheese maker Quickes Traditional has decommissioned its existing boiler and installed a dual-fuel RBC steam boiler from Fulton Boiler Works.

The new boiler system, which complies with latest regulations governing the operation of continuous-running boilers, includes a down-rated RBC 750 with automatic main blowdown system, a BDV5 blowdown vessel with after cooler and high-integrity controls. It has also been fitted with a switch to reduce pressure in the boiler during periods of low usage. The new system was designed inBristolbyFulton’s own team of engineers and installed by Bridgwater-based VAS Engineering.

Manufactured as a horizontal extension to its vertical boilers,Fulton’s nine-model RBC range of wet back fire tube boilers has capacities from 957 to 4787 kg/h and boasts operating efficiencies in excess of 90% (nett C.V.). Developed in response to customer demand for higher capacities, the RBC range can be specified with matched multi-stage oil, modulating gas or dual-fuel burners as standard, with other burners available on request. They meet current and anticipated legislation and have been engineered to provide a substantial performance margin and are constructed to BS2790, 1992 Class 1 standard with a maximum working pressure of 10.34 bar.

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In this article, Fulton Limited’s sales and marketing manager Carl Knight looks at water treatment for steam raising plant and the benefits of an effective water treatment programme.

Plant engineers use water for heat transfer because it’s abundant, cheap, easily stored and transported, has a high specific heat capacity and high latent heat of evaporation. But before water can be used for process applications, it must be treated to help prevent scale formation and corrosion in the boiler and to control the content of dissolved solids.

The water delivered by your local water board is treated to ensure that it is potable and free from harmful substances including bacteria. It typically contains 0.05 to 0.5% dissolved solids and can therefore be classified as 99.5% pure, but no guarantees are made regarding its suitability for process purposes, including the raising of steam. Preventing scale formation and corrosion in the boiler and controlling dissolved solids is therefore a crucially important consideration in a correctly designed water treatment programme.

However there are still many cases where steam boilers are becoming less efficient or even failing due to a lack of, or poorly applied, water treatment programme. Typically, scaling and corrosion can result in the mechanical failure of the boiler itself whilst foaming can contaminate the steam raised and have further consequences in the steam pipework and equipment. All of these factors have a common and predictable economic consequence, i.e. operating costs are increased.

So what should an engineer look for in a correctly designed water treatment programme?

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Established in 1965 with plants at Syston and Gainsborough, Interfuse is a family-run business specialising in the manufacture of precast masonry blocks, which are distributed throughout the country through builders' merchants. The company’s plants, which are amongst the most advanced facilities of their kind in the UK, are capable of producing around 21 million dense and lightweight blocks per year in a range of sizes; with solid, cellular and hollow formats; and with standard and close textured finishes.

The manufacturing process for the concrete and lightweight building blocks uses a press to precast the products and a series of kilns to provide heat for rapid curing. At its Gainsborough site, Interfuse has recently installed a Fulton FT-C vertical coil thermal fluid heater to replace a live steam system that was proving too expensive to operate.

Fulton’s highly-efficient FT-C thermal fluid boiler offers a compact, fuel-fired, 4-pass heater design capable of operating at temperatures up to 345°C. The system is designed to provide high-fluid velocities and low-film temperatures for improved longevity. The system’s compact footprint also means it could be skid-mounted, accommodating ancillaries such as circulating pump, expansion tank and related pipework, to minimise the floor space required for installation.

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Fulton Launches New Highly-Efficent Hot Water Boiler.

Fulton Limited, a leading manufacturer of steam, hot water and thermal fluid boilers, is introducing a new, highly-efficient modular hot water boiler.

Commenting for Fulton, sales and marketing manager Carl Knight says: “The new FHE-250 will complement the company’s existing range of boilers and its introduction enables Fulton to fulfil the many requests it receives for a hot water solution.”

He goes on to say that, with steam and hot water being the key to many processes, the list of potential industrial, chemical, pharmaceutical, medical and food and beverage applications for a Fulton boiler is almost endless.

The new FHE-250 low-temperature hot water boiler will initially be available in a 250kW model and features a fully-condensing, stainless steel heat exchanger. A modular approach to its design also means that additional boilers can be combined to suit any application and hot water requirement. With the complexity of control being a criticism of many hot water boilers available on the market today, the new FHE uses a single control panel, which is capable of controlling a single unit or a modular installation.

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Fulton packaged and skid-mounted boiler systems save site work and provide 'instant' plant power.

Fulton has an enviable reputation for manufacturing fully-prefabricated plant rooms and skid-mounted systems offering high levels of efficiency and reliability. The company’s comprehensive service includes initial design, application advice and total after sales support.

Systems are built in Britain to BS2790 1992 Class 1 and are available for electric, gas, oil and dual-fuel firing, with steam duties from 14 kg/h to 4787 kg/h F&A 100ºC.

All systems are designed to be delivered to site and installed on a prepared concrete base and final installation is made easier by connecting to termination points, pre-installed by the customer, to ensure that the new boiler plant matches existing site services.

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Leading steam boiler manufacturer Fulton Limited has introduced two one-day training courses offering a mix of theoretical and practical operational assignments, that the company claims bridges the gap between the more expensive certified courses – those that can cost many thousands of pounds per employee – and straightforward ‘toolbox’ training.

Its Operator Routines & Maintenance course, which is designed for boiler operators, covers basic day-to-day operation and monitoring and provides employees with the knowledge required to monitor a boiler and ensure it is running efficiently and safely. It also includes training in operational procedures, daily blowdowns, and checking of water levels, alarms, etc. the course also examines the importance of correctly treated feedwater and what boiler inspectors will look for during routine insurance inspections.

The second course – Knowledge of Steam Systems – looks at both the boiler system in depth as well as auxiliary equipment including the steam and condensate loop. It is aimed at more experienced operators such as technicians and engineers.

Commenting for Fulton, customer services manager Jeff Byrne says: “We have always promoted the benefits of operator training to our customers and we enjoy seeing technicians and engineers grow in confidence as they improve their knowledge. Training also proves invaluable to employers, as operators handle more of their own maintenance and repair and avoid call-outs to ‘boiler breakdowns’ that require no more than the simple flick of a switch to resolve. Real examples like this prove that a Fulton one-day Operator Routines & Maintenance course could potentially save the cost of many expensive and unwanted engineers’ visits.”

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