Energy-efficient technologies were not a major consideration for plants built in the first half of the century. Today, managers of these older facilities face ongoing challenges in determining the best combination of methods for reducing energy costs. For Great Lakes Steel, a computerized insulation/energy analysis program helped provide answers and significant cost savings.

THE FACILITY
Located in Ecorse, Mich., Great Lakes Steel produces steel used primarily by the automobile industry. The company operates three boiler rooms from a single location; the two oldest were built in 1936 and 1951. These boilers supply high-pressure steam for the iron-making facility. Heat and energy were obviously being lost in many areas of the plants. This was especially true in the boiler rooms which suffered from a combination of high heat and moisture, older, inefficient machinery, and uninsulated or underinsulated pipes and equipment. Hot equipment surfaces presented additional concerns for worker safety.

THE OPPORTUNITY
Great Lakes management recognized the need for improvements and began considering the best ways to achieve its goals in productivity, process control, energy savings and safety. The company chose the boiler rooms in each of the older plants as priority areas. According to Great Lakes Process Maintenance Manager Tim Weinschenker, "We wanted to tune up the entire package."

Along with mechanical improvements to equipment, Weinschenker and his team considered the use of insulation. For definitive answers on their insulation needs, and potential cost and energy savings, they took advantage of an innovative energy/insulation analysis capability developed by the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) and offered by 3i Supply, a local supplier and fabricator of insulation products and services.

THE ANALYSIS
NAIMA's program, titled 3E Plus®, is a software system designed to help save dollars, Btus, and pounds of CO₂ emissions. The system calculates energy loss on uninsulated pipes, tanks and equipment, calculates the dollar value of that energy loss and then provides a detailed analysis of potential energy and dollar savings when those same areas are insulated.

3i Supply conducted the analysis for Great Lakes Steel, taking two weeks to gather the detailed information needed. Two boiler rooms, each housing five boilers, were included in the analysis. 3i Supply technicians surveyed pipes, valves, flanges, turbines, and removable surfaces. They physically inspected each area, measured the exact dimensions of pipe and flat surface areas, and recorded temperatures using a probe.

A broad range of other energy and financial data was also gathered. This information included the type of fuel currently used, annual operating hours of the equipment, current and anticipated fuel costs and tax rates, and other data critical to a sound, realistic analysis.

From the information provided, 3i Supply used the 3E Plus® program to produce a detailed analysis of where energy and dollars were being lost on each of the ten boilers. For each individual application, the program provided an analysis summary which included the following:

• The size of the item/equipment
• Btus lost per foot
• Total Btus lost per year
• Cost per Btu
• Total dollar loss per year

The report also provided a detailed listing and summary of savings in those same areas when the minimum thickness of insulation was installed. The report itemized savings in Btus and dollars, per item and annually.

On just one boiler, the analysis showed that the plant was losing a total of approximately 850,000 Btus hourly , at a cost of approximately $20,000 annually. By insulating that one boiler, the analysis showed that the plant could save 800,000 Btus hourly for a total annual cost savings of approximately $17,000.

With each boiler house incorporating five boilers, the potential savings were even more significant. For example, the 3i Supply analysis for all boilers in Boiler House No. 2 estimated total energy dollars lost at approximately $84,000. By insulating all items analyzed for Boiler House No. 2, the analysis showed potential annual saving of $74,000. Similar dollars lost/saved figures were estimated for Boiler House No. 1.

To realize the energy and cost savings suggested by the analysis, 3i Supply recommended a combination of removable insulation covers, fiber glass, foamglass and mineral wool insulations.

THE RESULTS
Great Lakes Steel has installed insulation in many of the areas highlighted in the energy/insulation analysis. Not all recommendations were acted upon, however, due to the need to apply dollars to other forms of energy upgrades. "We looked at insulation as part of our overall energy improvement plan," notes Tim Weinschenker. "We had to make decisions on where our dollars were best spent on mechanical improvements to equipment and where insulation provided the best answer. For example, it doesn't do any good to have a pipe insulated if you don't have steam going through it."

According to Weinschenker, priority was given to insulating areas that provided both cost and safety benefits, as well as to areas of significantly high energy loss. "We went ahead with any place where the use of removable insulation could be utilized, especially the handhold plates that provide access into the boiler tube. We insulated all five of the ID fan turbines. And we did a lot of insulating on the boilers and feed water pumps, as well as the hot pipes in the feed pump area."

COST SAVINGS
Great Lakes Steel estimates that the improvements made to date, including insulation and mechanical improvements, have resulted in annual energy cost savings of approximately $160,000. Over a 15-year period, the expected life of the insulation, savings are expected to total close to $2.4 million. As future enhancements are considered, the analysis provided through the 3E Plus® program will provide the company with a precise road map for capturing additional energy and dollar savings.

For additional information, contact Tim Weinschenker, Great Lakes Steel, Ecorse, Mich., at 313-297-3527 or (fax) 313-297-3498. Tim's been with Great Lakes Steel for 22 years holding various positions in utilities and energy management.