Waco, Inc.

Scope Of Work

The University of Richmond’s power facility has 4 boilers, two of which were inactive at the time of this project. Due to increases in student population  greater requirements for steam  hot water, the University had to find ways to support the increased demand. The solution was to reactivate one of the previously coal fired boilers. The University is committed to using cleaner burning fuels and selected Waco to add a natural gas burner to the boiler.

Originally the power plant on campus had four stoker fired coal boilers collectively capable of producing 62,250 lbs. of steam per hour. Utilizing  technology in burner design, Waco installed a St. Johnson brand burner and was able to increase the capacity of a single boiler to 25,000 lbs of steam per hour – an increase of 60%. In addition to the improved efficiency, the  burner provides a dual fuel option which allows the University flexibility to choose between running off of bio-diesel or natural gas.

 

 

What IT TOOK TO ACHIEVE THIS PROJECT.

Unique Project Challenges

1.One of the biggest challenges of this project was working safely inside the boiler. This is defined as a confined space  requires additional safety precautions including air monitoring, proper air flow  trained personnel to meet OSHA requirements.

2.Transforming older equipment to a more modern system included upgrading the automated control systems in order to fully capitalize on energy efficiency. Waco’s personnel have extensive experience in transforming older systems to newer technology  were able to successfully manage this element in a cost effective manner.

3.The large burner element required building a temporary steel support for final burner installation. This was similar to building a custom scaffold, which required a high level of job-site ingenuity andcreativity in order to complete the project safely and on-time.

Jon Coon was the Project Manager. Only one change order was required, due to an unknown requirement of having to bring in a new power source from a different location on the project. Otherwise, the project was completed as per the original bid price. Even with all the challenging working conditions, the boiler was operational ahead of schedule with no workplace injuries.

In the end, the University was able to achieve a significant increase in steam production which produced the desired amount of heat and hot water capacity to support the growth the campus will need for future activities.