Optimising boiler yields :  the Institut des Ressources Industrielles in Lyon confirms test results of around 10% savings

ARIONIC’s combustion optimising solutions have been used for many years and proven by strict metrological protocols.  This pre-treatment process prepares the gas molecules for the combustion reaction, to produce an increased energy output of around 10%.  In the independent educational establishment of the Institut des Ressources Industrielles (Industrial Resources Institute) in Lyon (AFPI Rhodanienne and CFAI of the AFPM), ARIONIC carried out a comparative study and analysis in the course of last winter.  With a series of representative, two-day trials, positive results quickly became clear.

A 232 kW boiler at the educational establishment of the Institut des Ressources Industrielles, fitted with a NEW IONIC economiser

The educational boiler house at the site contains several boilers. To facilitate energy measurement, trials were performed on one of them, a WEISHAUPT φ400 of 232 kW capacity.  During the trials, the other boilers were isolated.  The energy saving trials were carried out on to test the pre-treatment system of a NEW IONIC Gas Catalyser G300,  with a maximum output of 300kW.  The device was installed on the gas line, as close as possible to the burners.

Verifying the energy increase was carried out by measuring the energy input (gas) and the energy output (hot water, exhaust, smoke).  By comparing two identical periods, with the burner set at high or low level, the increased yield was an average of 12%, which corresponds to the theoretical maximum.  If we consider that the conditions for this academic boiler at the Institut des Ressources Industrielles were almost ideal, ARIONICS nevertheless gives a commitment to a 7% improvement on each client’s case file, after a preliminary study and verifying the configuration

Continuous de-sludging of the heating circuits : the guarantee of consistent long-term performance.

Because of limescale and sludge, the yield from hot water networks often diminishes over time, sometimes leading to overconsumptions of energy by some 10%. Installations are subject to long-term risks of malfunctioning (irregular distribution of calories), or even breakdowns in extreme cases.

ARIONIC offers its solution, NEW IONIC Water, for preventative and curative treatment of your networks without chemical products.  In re-establishing an optimal hydraulicity, and in protecting the pipes from corrosion, we guarantee you optimal long-term efficiency.

The topping up of the heating or cooling networks is with either untreated town water (potentially leaving limescale) or with softened water (potentially corrosive).  During refilling or regular topping up, the oxygen present in the make-up water becomes free at a certain temperature, and leads to the oxydising of the metallic particles in the network.  This oxygenation will generate metallic sediment, called ‘non-heavy’, principally comprising iron oxides.  Being seldom renewed, the water also becomes a place encouraging the development of sulphate-reducing bacteria in the low temperature networks, known to accelerate corrosive activity.

To avoid this risk, the use of a corrosion inhibitor is necessary, even obligatory for the purposes of a contractual guarantee from boiler-makers, often complemented with a magnetic retention sludge remover.  But the use of chemical products does not guarantee sustained efficiency for a network in constant operation.

ARIONIC proposes the use of a water treatment using magnetic polarisation to protect the network from limescale, corrosion, sludge and bacterial development.  In this way, chemical products are no longer necessary.

For new networks, the treatment offered by ARIONIC gives optimal efficiency for heat exchangers, and protects the entire system over the long term.  With old networks, optimal operation is obtained through curative de-scaling, stops sludge deposits, and finally offers protection from corrosion.

A 7.5m3/h installation on an industrial process network

SAEME (Société Anonyme des Eaux Minérales d’Evian) confirms the optimisation of the yield from its boilers.

For many years, SAEME, part of the DANONE group, has been involved in a global drive to reduce energy consumption, especially fossil fuels.

A pilot study was carried out on the boiler room known as  ‘Verre’, from which hot water is used, amongst other things, to clean bottles and the water supply network.  Once the technical and commercial feasibility was agreed, SAEME equipped two of the three boilers in the boiler room, naturally those with the heaviest loads.  A first analysis, on receipt of the equipment, revealed a saving of around 10% on the nominal consumption of the boilers.  A running estimate over longer periods shows an average improvement of around 7%, because of varying production requirements.

“Installing Arionic’s  solution of gas economisers is very easy: you only have to prepare the gas line to receive the pre-treatment devices”, explains Fabrice Ajello, maintenance manager.  “Once installed, these systems require no maintenance, and we monitor our production rations closely, looking for any variations.  The bottom line is, apart from the reduction in greenhouse gases, the operation is very profitable, as with a saving of around 350 MWh per year, the investment was paid back in around a year.’’

Other projects involving equipment for steam production are currently being validated.

A 1,800 kW industrial boiler fitted with a NEW IONIC economiser