Conference Agenda

Abstract Summary:

The purpose of this presentation is to share the issues, corrective actions, and lessons learned during the startup and commissioning of steam boilers that feed three thermal hydrolysis process (THP), designed to process 375,750 dry lbs/day.

Background:

The Achilles heel of the Thermal Hydrolysis Process (THP) system are the ancillary support systems (potable water, compressed air, steam etc.). The THP system cannot be tested, commissioned or started-up without steam. The boiler system and associated infrastructure is as crucial for facility operation and reliability as the THP system. Consequently, any delay in the testing can result in a day-for-day loss to the project schedule.

With an increase of THP systems across the country, the demand for industrial sized steam boilers at Wastewater Treatment facilities has also increased. The addition of large boilers can pose new and frustrating challenges that are unique to the boiler industry, and uncommonly encountered in municipal facilities. This presentation will delve into the challenges that arose during the commissioning and startup of three 16 million BTU Firetube steam boilers. Specifically, gas supply challenges, gas regulating valve placements, excess head loss and steam supply issues for injection into the Deaerator.

This boiler system case study consists of three boilers, a deaerator, three feed water pumps, a chemical dosing system, and a water softener system. Serving as the installing Contractor and the Commissioning Manager, MWH led the startup and testing of the boilers, troubleshooting and coordination between project stakeholders. Due to the criticality of boiler system reliable operation, MWH was responsible for collaborating with stakeholders to develop work arounds and final infrastructure corrections.

This presentation will outline the issues that arose, the troubleshooting steps taken to determine the route causes, steps used to ensure the boilers were ready to support the startup of the THP systems, and finally, review crucial lessons learned throughout the process.

Over the past 10 years I’ve had the unique opportunity to both write electrical and I&C testing specifications as a design engineer and execute those testing specifications in the field working as a C&SU manager on multiple water/wastewater projects.

It’s often we find the specifications to be lengthy and most owner’s and general contractors don’t understand the effort required to execute the testing in the specification, nor do they even know what the testing entails. Owner’s and general contractors become extremely reliant on their EI&C subcontractors to tell them when and how to execute the work. This typically isn’t a problem until the project team is up against the deadline to start-up the plant or the individual piece of equipment, and their subcontractor is holding them hostage. I often get asked, what testing really must be done to start a piece of equipment? How much time should be allocated in a schedule to account for this testing? How should all the testing predecessors be tracked allowing for a green light for the commissioning phase? In what order should the testing be conducted? All these questions have led me to spend the last several years of my career, looking at how to optimize this process and how best to communicate the requirements with owners and contractors who may not speak the EI&C language.

This presentation will cover testing requirements/types at a high level, then I’ll take a deeper dive into the order in which testing should be executed and where there might be opportunities to expedite testing in the schedule.