Technology
Program to train boiler operators developed Nalco Chemical initiates course to boost efficiency of blue-collar workers using texts, audiovisual aids, and hands-on experience Process steam is the "blood" of many industrial operations, and the boiler is the "heart." Just like the human heart, the boiler is often taken for granted and ignored until it breaks down. Nalco Chemical, a major supplier of chemicals for boiler feedwater treatment, intends to correct this situation. Nalco notes that most industry executives realize that efficient boiler operation can save thousands of dollars a year in fuel costs. And they understand that boiler breakdowns can be extremely costly in terms of plant shutdowns as well as repairs. But until recently, little attention has been given to the person directly responsible for boiler system efficiency— the boiler operator. Now Nalco has developed a training program, said to be the first of its type, aimed squarely at that important bluecollar worker. At a recent press preview at the company's Oak Brook, 111., headquarters, Nalco executives explained the need for the new program and described their approach to designing it. Selling boiler treatment chemicals is a big part of Nalco's business. But, according to Roderick E. Eddy, vice president for marketing, chemicals alone won't ensure that a boiler feedwater system will operate properly. "We've taken a systems approach to boiler operation," he says, "and we've found, from our experience at thousands of plants all over the world, that an integral part of that system is the boiler operator himself." But there is a tendency for the boiler operator to become overdependent on the chemical company representative. "The representative comes in, analyzes the water, reviews operations, adjusts chemical feed levels, and leaves," Eddy says, "only to be called back two weeks later when the operator has allowed the chemical situation to get out of hand. In effect, the chemical company representative is making all the decisions for the boiler operator." That's a bad situation for plant management, Eddy says, and also for Nalco. For one thing, the boiler system is operating at less than maximum efficiency much of the time. And a sales rep who constantly is going from plant to 18
C&ENMay 15, 1978
Narrator Paul Menzel (\ef\), sports personality Alex Karras discuss water purity and how operator can protect boiler in audiovisual portion of Nalco program
plant to "put out fires" has that much less The government has addressed the time to sell chemicals. problem of boiler operator training, but "H" Clark, Nalco's general manager for only indirectly, according to Clark. Dewater treatment chemicals, agrees that partment of Energy-sponsored workshops in-plant steam production has been taken have focused on managers, executives, for granted for too long. Boiler efficiency and engineers. "The idea is that these often hasn't been high on the list of people go back to the plant and compriorities; the prevailing attitude has been municate the information to lower-eche"if it's working, leave it alone." That lon workers," Clark says. But, he adds, a policy is no longer tolerable, Clark says, lot is lost in translation. now that fuel conservation is top priority Who is this boiler operator, this "forwith everyone. He cites a Federal Energy gotten man" in the plant? According to Administration study estimating that Charles R. Hoefs, marketing manager for more than 15% of all energy consumed in power generation chemicals, it took Nalco the U.S. is used by industrial boilers to two years of extensive research to come up generate process steam. If boiler efficiency with the answer, a "boiler operator procould be improved only 4%, the U.S. could file." save the equivalent of 80 million bbl of oil The boiler operator can be anywhere per year, according to the FEA study. from 18 to 65, Hoefs says, but 40% of the Clark also notes that a trend toward operators in private industry are between higher boiler pressures has made the 18 and 26. "The day of the old-time boiler boiler operator's task more difficult. Al- operator—the guy who learned his trade though boilers operating at 150 to 600 psi in the Navy or Merchant Marine—has were the norm years ago, new boilers are passed. The new breed comes to the job generally rated at more than 900 psi. And with little, if any, hands-on boiler operaalthough pressures are getting higher, the tion training." boiler's physical dimensions are getting Boiler operators usually have high smaller. Heat transfer rates per square school educations. For many operators, foot of surface are significantly higher. working in the boiler room is their first There is less margin for error by opera- full-time job. For their efforts, they're tors. In the old days, Clark says, boiler paid from $12,000 to $18,000 a year. Half operators often could compensate for the operators want to use their boiler mistakes merely by adding more chemi- room experience to step into highercals. But in a higher-pressure boiler op- paying jobs. The ones who consider their eration, adding more chemicals actually , job a lifetime position are generally the may cause damage. "Unfortunately, boiler older workers who soon will leave the operators generally haven't kept up with labor market. the increasing complexities of their Nevertheless, the boiler operator is trade," Clark says. "They know little "much more than just a dial and gauge about water chemistry, and efforts to watcher," Hoefs says. He must do fairly teach them have fallen short of the sophisticated tests. He should be able to mark." evaluate test results and should know
electronics era; television is an important part of their lives. "Consequently," he says, "a combination of entertainment and education-is an excellent way to reach this audience." The audiovisual portion of the program features impressionist Frank Gorshin and sports personality Alex Karras. "We use many of the same visual techniques the networks do," Hoefs says. "Cuts, dissolves, animation, onthe-scene reports, and even commercials mix and blend into a fast-paced, information-packed program." Operators appreciate that approach, seeing it as a welcome relief from traditional "talking head" training programs. The course, which consists of 10 modules, can be tailored to a plant's individual situation. According to Nalco, most companies taking part in the program (which isn't free, by the way) use the introductory session, which covers the overall design and content of the program, the importance of the operator's job, and how it relates to the operation of the entire plant. Another section deals with maintenance and operation of the pretreatment system: lime-soda softening, filtration, zeolite softening, dealkalization, and demineralization. Others explain the feedwater system and the condensate system. Thefinalparts concentrate on the operation of the boiler itself. D
method provides an oxygen supply of more than 200 tons daily, and that the degree of biodégradation well exceeds 95%. Two radial-flow compressors with a power input of 4000 kw generate up to 4.2 million cu ft per hour of air at a pressure of about 1 atm. They are equipped with silencers and housed in a concrete building to reduce noise to a minimum. The operation is essentially free of odors, in the past a public nuisance that frequently accompanies the biological treatment of wastewater. Surface aerators in conventional systems agitate the upper level of the liquid, resulting in foulsmelling sludge aerosols being formed and carried some distance by wind from the plants. The subsurface aeration system in the new Hoechst unit circumvents this problem and also prevents accumulation of slime and sludge at the floors of the basins. Following biodégradation, the effluent passes to settling ponds where calcium hydrate and ferrous sulfate are added to promote sludge separation. Dewatering of the sludge is accomplished by forcing it through filter presses having an overall filtration area of 32,400 sq ft. The resulting claylike filter cake is used as landfill. Hoechst's latest water-treatment facility took two years to design and an additional two and a half years to construct. Uhde, the company's engineering subHoechst wastewater treatment unit saves space sidiary, collaborated in the project. Total Biological treatment plants for purifying Dr. Karlheinz Trobisch, who heads the cost amounted to nearly $30 million. The wastewater from chemical operations are pollution control department at Hoechst's fivefilterpresses and ancillary equipment in the dewatering unit alone cost almost not particularly new. Nevertheless, the Frankfurt operations. The new unit consists of five concrete $5 million. Hoechst management hopes latest unit that West Germany's Hoechst unveiled recently at its major chemical basins, each measuring 33 feet deep, 33 that some of the development costs complex outside Frankfurt has a number feet wide, and 264 feet long, and having a eventually might be recovered through of unusual features. And the company is combined capacity exceeding 1 million cu licensing of the system and through enspending considerable sums to further ft. A high-pressure air stream passes gineering contracts. This latest addition raises to 30 the adapt its bioengineering expertise to new, through a series of 1-foot-diameter pipes set about 5 feet from the floors of the ba- number of wastewater treatment facilities space-saving water treatment methods. Critical space limitations at Hoechst's sins. The pipes arefittedwith 240 aerators that Hoechst has installed. Of these, 16 100-year-old plant site, as well as the through which the compressed air passes are located in West Germany, and of the desire to cut down noise and odor, were into the surrounding liquid. The aerator others, three are in the U.S. In the whole key considerations in the design of the nozzles have spiral-shaped adapters that area of environmental protection, new effluent treatment unit. "We have, result in the airflow'screating consider- Hoechst A.G., the parent company, last for the first time, abandoned the cus- able turbulence in the surrounding liquid, year spent more than $43 million, 15% of tomary shallow basins, which usually are thereby promoting oxygenation. Hoechst its total capital outlay, according to Dr. equipped with surface aerators," observes engineers calculate that aeration by this Jurgen Schaafhausen, who is responsible for the firm's air and water quality activities worldwide. Globally, Hoechst invested $100 million last year on environmental control facilities. I Operating costs, too, are high, running at an annual rate of $100 million in West Germany, an increase of almost 250% from the 1970 level, and $133 million throughout the world. Capital expenditure and operating and research costs taken together amounted to about $214 million last year in West Germany and about $310 million if plants elsewhere are included. "This means that every day our company spends almost $1 million on environmental protection," Schaafhausen points out. Hoechst and Uhde engineers now are working on a novel bioreactor for wastewater purification, drawing on their expertise in fermentation technology. The New unit has basins 33 feet deep rather than the usual shallow basins what to do about those results. "And he should be motivated enough to actually perform the proper response, even if it's on the weekend, right before coffee break,' or at the end of his shift." But by and large, Hoefs continues, the boiler operator doesn't realize how important his job is. He doesn't see the connection between his work and the plant's overall success. "He's primarily concerned with a paycheck, with some hope of getting out of the boiler room, and with coping with day-to-day chores." Naturally, Hoefs adds, there are exceptions. But most operators are apathetic about any kind of training, seeing little value in it for themselves or their companies. On the basis of that profile, Nalco developed its program, stressing motivation—"this will make your job easier"—as well as training. The course is normally presented on-site by Nalco field representatives. Each lesson is divided into three sections. The first uses textbook material. The second consists of a videotape or film presentation, followed by discussion of the lesson. Finally, operators are given a "hands-on" explanation of how the lesson applies to their particular boiler system. Hoefs observes that many of today's boiler operators have grown up in the
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