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Nationwide Boiler news and events, industry updates, technical resources and more. You hear it first on The Nationwide Boiler Blog!

The burner is the key equipment component for combustion control systems, providing the heat required for a boiler to convert water into steam. Ideally, a burner should achieve the highest degree of combustion efficiency with the lowest possible excess air. In this month’s edition of Boiler Basics 101, we will discuss the importance of burners and how they fit into the overall picture within the boiler system.

An industrial burner provides a basic function with a simple concept: it mixes fuel and air together to create combustion. Burners can be fired on various types of fuel but the most common utilized are natural gas, oil, propane and coal. In recent years, facilities have moved away from the use of coal to a more efficient and cleaner fuel like natural gas.

Regardless of the type of fuel used, the burner must perform five functions:

  1. Deliver fuel to the combustion chamber
  2. Deliver air to the combustion chamber
  3. Mix the fuel and air
  4. Ignite and burn the mixture
  5. Remove the products of combustion

Complete combustion occurs when all combustible elements and compounds of the fuel are entirely oxidized. However, with complete combustion comes harmful byproducts of combustion, including NOx and CO.

The amount of NOx and CO generated depends greatly on the burner design as well as the fuel fired. Burners with uncontrolled NOx may produce 60 ppm or more. Low NOx burners are the current standard and typically produce NOx of 30 ppm. Ultra-low NOx designs have been developed but are limited to firing on natural gas or propane. These types of burners will reduce NOx emissions to as low as 5 ppm to meet strict environmental requirements that are now common in certain parts of the country. If further NOx reduction is required, Nationwide Boiler’s CataStak™ SCR system can be utilized in conjunction with a low NOx burner.

The right burner design, along with proper combustion controls, will maximize the efficiencies of your boiler system. And as a representative of Webster Combustion, Nationwide Boiler and Pacific Combustion Engineering can help in the proper selection of your new or retrofit burner.

Be sure to check out our next Boiler Basics 101 blog to continue learning about various boiler-related topics.

Nationwide Boiler’s 2020 trade show tour officially begins next week, and we will be exhibiting at four separate events in the first quarter of the year. We aim to attend multiple industry focused conferences and tradeshows to showcase the many products and services we have available to each industry, and these upcoming events are ones you won’t want to miss.

Our first show of the year is CampusEnergy 2020, taking place at the Sheraton Denver Downtown from February 10th - 14th.One of the main themes of this year’s event is the “Power to Change”. CampusEnergy is a great opportunity for IDEA members, CHP and microgrid industries to come together, share experiences and explore new solutions with each other. Inside Sales Engineer, Luke Honnen will be at the show with our local representative, Dick van der Helm, from Heat Transfer Specialists. Nationwide Boiler has been providing products and services to colleges, universities, and district heating plants for many years. We are happy to support and work together with college and university campuses around the globe to help renew, decarbonize, strengthen and bring the “Power to Change” to these important community assets. If you will be at the show, be sure to stop by the Nationwide booth #102!

That same week we will be exhibiting at the Food Processing Expo, conveniently being held right in our backyard. Typically, a Sacramento based show, the Food Processing Expo is scheduled for Feb 12th - 13th at the Santa Clara Convention Center this year only and will feature a dynamic and exciting array of speakers and workshops. Nationwide Boiler has been providing products and services to the food processing industry for over fifty years and CLFP provides a great opportunity to engage directly with the industry. Representatives from all three of our divisions will be in attendance and ready to discuss your next project - don’t forget to visit us at booth #2128!

Next in line we have Northwest Food & Beverage World, which will take place at the Convention Center in Spokane, WA from February 17-19. This year’s event will include more than 300 booths and over 30 different educational sessions filled with vendors and key speakers representing the food and beverage industry. The food processing industry relies heavily on companies like Nationwide Boiler to provide temporary steam for seasonal production, and we are always ready to support both planned and unplanned projects. We can also provide new and reconditioned boilers, BMS/CCS controls upgrades, and CataStak SCR systems for ultra-low NOx compliance. If you will be attending the show, stop by and check out our booth #1330 to visit and meet with Mike Dorthalina and Matt Pope of Pacific Combustion Engineering, a division of Nationwide Boiler Inc.

The final show of the quarter is the Western Regional Boiler Association (WRBA) Conference from March 31st - April 2nd at the Coeur 'd Alene Resort in Idaho. Another great platform for boiler owners and vendors to come together and discuss updates within the industry. The event will be jammed packed entertainment and education - with 15 different educational presentations that cover a wide range of topics, a casino night, and a dinner cruise on Lake Coeur 'd Alene. 

 

Stay tuned on our social pages for further announcements and photos from each event. We look forward to meeting you this year!

With air emission regulations constantly changing, Nationwide Boiler has had to adopt new ways to keep up with more stringent standards. For instance, in 1995, Nationwide became the first rental boiler company to convert their fleet of watertube boilers to low NOx levels of 30 ppm. The company’s method of choice to reduce NOx emissions further led to the creation of the CataStak™, which was developed in the late 90s and since then has proven to reduce NOx emissions by as much as 99%. In addition, it can be supplied for new equipment or as a retrofit on an existing system. What were the early days of the CataStak like? What steps did it take to get to where it is now? Let’s find out in this edition of Boiler Basics 101.

01 24It all began when Nationwide Boiler chose Selective Catalytic Reduction, or SCR technology, to be their solution to NOx compliance. They determined that SCR was the best alternative due to its reliability, ease of operation, high efficiency, and its ability to reduce emissions to single digit NOx levels. In 1999, Nationwide Boiler became the first rental boiler company to conduct an SCR field demonstration on a package watertube boiler and followed by utilizing the system heavily in their rental fleet. The enormous success of rental SCR systems suggested to company management that a market existed for a field-retrofit system for package boilers - later to be branded and trademarked in 2001 as the CataStak™ SCR System.

Fast forward to the year 2004, Nationwide began offering the CataStak for new and existing package watertube boilers to meet sub 9 ppm NOx levels. After witnessing its continual growth, Nationwide Boiler introduced a new business unit, Nationwide Environmental Solutions (NES). NES was formed with a focus on lowering overall industrial greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the operational efficiency of fired equipment. This allowed Nationwide to continually raise the bar in providing reliable solutions to meet market demand.

Nationwide later developed the urea-based CataStak as a solution for customers adverse to the stringent handling requirements of ammonia. The system utilizes common diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), a safe and readily available 32.5% liquid urea solution. It was first demonstrated on a package firetube boiler in 2011 and has since been expanded to be utilized on watertube boilers and other fired equipment. Initially, the system was offered only for permanent applications but in 2018, Nationwide became the first rental boiler supplier to provide urea-based SCR systems on a boiler rental project. The company now has a fleet of urea-based SCR systems to support the rental market.

The CataStak has come a long way and has now been installed in over 180 applications. These installations range from temporary to permanent package boilers, fired heaters, gas turbines, and heat recovery steam generators. With all of these accomplishments, the CataStak has become the standard for compliance assurance, reliability and product quality. CataStak SCR systems lead the industry with the best track record in terms of performance, and source test results often exceed current local, regional and national emissions requirements.

If you’re interested in learning more about the CataStak, our website has all the details you need to get started. And be sure to check out the previous and future Boiler Basics 101 blogs to continue learning about various boiler-related topics.

As we enter the heart of the winter season, it’s important to remember that cold weather conditions have the potential to cause freeze damage to any boiler installed outdoors. In particular, the protection of non-enclosed rental boilers and equipment installed outdoors is imperative to avoid damage. Rental boilers and equipment come in various designs and configurations, and each unique type will require different forms of freeze damage protection. Knowing the type of equipment will help determine the right steps on how to prevent damage.  

 Here are the most common types of rental boilers: 

  - Mobile Boiler Rooms
  - Mobile Steam Plants
  - Trailer-Mounted Boilers
  - Skid-Mounted Boilers
  - Mobile Feedwater Systems
  - Skid-Mounted Deaerators and Other Auxiliary Equipment

Just remember that any lines without a constant flow of water will freeze and must be properly protected from the cold. Always make sound engineering judgment calls to avoid the repercussions of freeze damage. If you have a temporary boiler and want to learn more about the proper ways to avoid freeze damage, read the recent issue of Process HeatingNationwide Boiler was featured and our Marketing Manager, Chelsey Ryker goes over the specifics of boiler protection for each model.