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Results of the first field test of the new Super Boiler conducted in Birmingham, AL, U.S. indicate the new boiler technology could change the energy efficiency of industrial steam generation and lead to billions of dollars in energy savings for U.S. companies.
The Super Boiler is the culmination of more than seven years of research and development by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Gas Technology Institute (Des Plaines, IL, U.S.) and Cleaver-Brooks, Inc. (Milwaukee, WI, U.S.). Alagasco joined the partnership, bringing the test site to a location in the utility's service area. The first U.S. test site for the Super Boiler is Specification Rubber Products Inc. in Alabaster, AL, U.S. The plant, a subsidiary of American Cast Iron Pipe Company, manufactures parts for the water works industry.
In July 2006, the Gas Technology Institute and Cleaver-Brooks installed a 300 hp high-pressure steam Super Boiler which has been running 24 hours a day, five days a week. After more than 6000 hours of operation, fuel to steam efficiency has been consistently in the 93-94% range, and NOx levels have been less than 9 ppm. Annual gas savings have averaged nearly 13%. In Alabama alone, replacing 2000 boilers with this modernized equipment that is now available could save 7.2 Bcf of natural gas. Additional field tests are planned at Clement Pappas & Co. (Ontario, CA) and Third Dimension Inc. (West Jordan, UT, U.S.).
The DOE has estimated that, by 2020, the Super Boiler technology could save more than 185 trillion BTU of energy, equivalent to the natural gas consumed by more than 2 million households.
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