As reported last week in The Rotunda, officials at the Longwood University Heating Plant are looking into problems causing heavier than usual smoke coming from the plant in recent weeks.
Facilities Operations Manager Ben Myers explained that currently, the staff at the heating plant is working through every piece of equipment to see what could be the problem. He said the staff would probably not be able to pinpoint one specific issue, but in fact attribute the smoke problem to a number of smaller issues.
The boilers at the plant will be tested and evaluated this week. As consultants test the system, Myers said there could be a few bursts of smoke coming from the stacks due to stress on the system. The tests will occur today and Thursday. Myers said AFS, the boiler system manufacturer arrived Tuesday. Martin Controls; Ross Infrastructure LLC., a mechanical and electrical consulting engineering firm; and Affiliated Engineers, Inc., all are scheduled to arrive today.
The process of heating the campus, as Myers explained during a tour of the plant, is a very intricate one that few realize. "A lot goes into this," said Myers. The process begins behind the plant where a truck brings loads of sawdust and places it into a concrete holder. Myers said the delivery time depends on the demand. "Sometimes it's five to six loads a day." He said each haul consists of about 20 to 24 tons of material from local sawmills.
The sawdust is brought into the plant through a magnetic chute that removes any foreign material from the sawdust such as washers, nails, screws and other metal objects. If foreign material makes it into the system, it might cause damage as well as clogs in the distribution system. Once through the chute, the sawdust goes into the silos through a bucket elevator from the outside of the building to the top of the plant. Myers said safety is a top concern in the plant. "We have sensors everywhere. They measure the amount of [carbon dioxide] gas." The plant doors remain open with box fans lining the doorways to ensure proper air circulation. Myers said one of the problems they already noticed and seemed to have fixed involved particles moving through the fuel pipes.
If the particles are too heavy, they are unable to make it past the elbow turn in the pipe and become clogged at the bottom. It's very similar to hair or dirt clogging up in a drain pipe. He said workers cut a piece out of the bottom of the pipe and constructed a glass box around the bottom to collect any of the heavier particles. Myers said they call the contraption an "ant farm" because it resembles an ant box and when the particles blow through, it looks like ants moving around.
Myers said the challenge with burning is creating the right amount of airflow. He said it's very similar to a home wood fire. Without the proper amount of draft, a good fuel and a clean stack, the fire will not properly burn.
The state-of-the-art plant prides itself on promoting a green initiative. Aside from supporting the local Southern Virginia economy through the procurement of local sawdust, the plant also has a very tiny environmental impact when compared to oil burning. Myers said the sulfur dioxide emissions that cause many types of respiratory problems are reduced through the emission process.
Particles, called fly ash, are also collected before they enter the atmosphere in a container behind the plant. The fly ash is reused on campus as fertilizer. Myers said that the plant is also able to obtain nearly 80 percent of the steam back that is produced. He said they hope to increase that amount.
"We're looking at everything. When I mean everything, I mean everything." He said workers are cleaning any buildup from the silos to ensure they can start from a completely new product once each silo is back online. "We are trying to eliminate any possibility," said Myers.
He added that aside from the "ant farm" solution, some of the only problems the workers have found so far include a few grates that have been clogged. He said the system rests on being able to "breathe" properly. Without that, excess smoke can occur. Clyde Miller, new supervisor of the heating plant, added that contacting the Virginia Department of Quality was simply out of courtesy. "They're not hounding us because we have taken the initiative to find a solution," said Miller.
During the Board of Visitors Meeting on Friday, Vice President of Facilities Management and Real Property Dick Bratcher assured the board that a top-to-bottom system and control check would be conducted from the furnace box to the fuel feed system. Additionally, a plant design and construction review will be conducted to ensure any improvements that are needed can be made. "You have to remember, this is a very new facility," Bratcher said of the plant that opened last September.
He said the staff was "very confident" that the boilers are ready to be re-fired and tested. There, Bratcher also added some heavier than usual smoke might be seen as the boilers are tested.
Bratcher said there were two specific issues. One involved the emissions control on the newer of the two boilers. "We don't understand why that clogged up so fast." He said the clogs occurred far before the boiler manufacture said it would occur. Bratcher also said there is nothing different about the characteristics of the smoke, in that it is not toxic to the public. He said the material burnt is strictly green sawdust with no additives.
Bratcher also cited weather as a possible culprit. With a low barometric pressure and a south and southwest wind on the morning of the heaviest smoke, the smoke is driven down to eye level instead of going up in the air.
Finally, he told the board that the financial burden is largely dependent on the findings after everything is tested and looked at completely. He said if there are design flaws or emission problems, the companies would be liable. He said the only cost right now would be the differentiation between the sawdust and emergency oil boiler.
This is a look inside the operations room at the heating plant, where the logistics of each working part is controlled.
Pictured here, Silo 2 holds sawdust to heat the campus.
