ABB flowmeters have enabled a top US university to cut steam losses in its generation plant and recover more than $1.25 million a year in lost revenues. The solution has also created a campus-wide awareness of the need for energy efficiency.
By
ABB Communications
The ABB flowmeters have reduced annual steam losses in the generation plant of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia, from 16 percent to 5 percent and enabled the plant to recover more than $1,275,000 a year in lost revenues.
Pat Dillon, part of the VCU's instrumentation and electrical services team, examining a new ABB swirl flowmeter installed in one of the campus buildings.The steam plant for the huge downtown campus generates steam for almost 60 buildings, including three hospitals, the governor’s mansion and a museum. Three identical boilers produce around 180,000 tons of steam a year.
During the 2006-07 fiscal season the plant generated almost 19,000 tons of steam but billed the various departments and building occupants for a little under 16,000 tons, a discrepancy of 16 percent.
Steam usage in each building was monitored by aging steam and condensate meters, which were no longer suitable for the task. After assessing the various alternative meters on the market, a leading flow control specialist recommended the installation of ABB’s new swirl flowmeters.
Most of the university buildings are old and lack the long steam runs required by many kinds of flowmeters. ABB swirl flowmeters, on the other hand, require uniquely short straight sections of pipe before and after the metering location.
VCU downtown campus buildings. Red and green marked buildings are the Medical College of Virginia. Steam plant buildings are in yellow.The swirl meters are part of ABB’s comprehensive range of flowmeters for liquids, gases and steam. They are highly accurate, have built-in temperature sensors, and automatically compute readings to indicate steam usage. These can either be taken manually or transmitted in real time to the site or building automation system.
To date about 40 of the campus buildings have been equipped with ABB swirl flowmeters. With around 20 or so buildings yet to be fitted, the steam plant is expected to earn well in excess of the $1.25 million in annual revenues recovered so far.
With university departments keen to minimize their utility costs and reduce their carbon footprint, being billed correctly has increased their awareness of the need for energy conservation.
ABB swirl flowmeters are highly accurate, are easy and inexpensive to install and are maintenance-free.