Flowmeters recover lost revenues

Energy efficiency at US university

ABB flowmeters have enabled a US university to cut steam losses in its generation plant and recover more than $1.25 million a year in lost revenues. The solution has also created a campus-wide awareness of the need for energy efficiency.

The generation plant of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia, has reduced annual steam losses from 16 to 5%. The steam plant for the campus generates steam for almost 60 buildings, including three hospitals, the governor’s mansion and a museum. Three identical boilers produce around 180,000 tonnes of steam a year.

During the 2006-07 fiscal season the plant generated almost 19,000 tonnes of steam but billed the various departments and building occupants for a little under 16,000 tonnes, a discrepancy of 16%.

Steam usage in each building was monitored by ageing steam and condensate meters, which were no longer suitable for the task. After assessing the various alternative meters on the market, a flow control specialist recommended the installation of ABB’s swirl flowmeters.

Most of the university buildings are old and lack the long steam runs required by many kinds of flowmeters. ABB swirl flowmeters, on the other hand, require uniquely short straight sections of pipe before and after the metering location.

ABB Australia’s Measurement Products Manager Trevor Maddison said: “The swirl meters are part of ABB’s comprehensive range of flowmeters for liquids, gases and steam. They are highly accurate, have built-in temperature sensors and automatically compute readings to indicate steam usage. These can either be taken manually or transmitted in real time to the site or building automation system.”

To date about 40 of the campus buildings have been equipped with ABB swirl flowmeters. With around 20 or so buildings yet to be fitted, the steam plant is expected to earn well in excess of the $1.25 million in annual revenues recovered so far.

With university departments keen to minimise their utility costs and reduce their carbon footprint, being billed correctly has increased their awareness of the need for energy conservation.