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Taking the heat, and putting it to good use
Spectrolab project honored at EPA's ENERGY STAR conference
Oct. 29, 2019 12:31 pm CT
Conserving natural resources and reducing emissions and operation costs created a triple win for Boeing's Spectrolab team in Sylmar, California. It showed what teamwork and innovation can accomplish by reusing waste heat.
The Spectrolab team now captures waste heat from an emissions control unit - a Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer or RTO - to heat parts of their facility. By using modern controls, an innovative heat exchanger design and good old-fashioned plumbing, waste exhaust heat returns into the plant for re-use.
“Spectrolab is focused on reducing our environmental foot print," said Mark Kanipe, director of Spectrolab Facilities Operations, Security and Fire Protection. "We’ve done a great job in achieving our environmental targets and we take a lot of pride in that."
The project was honored last month with a certificate of appreciation at the ENERGY STAR 2019 Industrial Meeting in Washington, D.C., by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Earlier this year it was recognized with a Boeing Environmental Leadership Award.
Gary Londo, senior manager of Enterprise Utility Management, a part of Facilities & Asset Management, presented the RTO project at the ENERGY STAR conference.
“RTOs are very expensive pieces of equipment,” Londo said. “If you get it wrong, you can cause damage and a lot of companies don’t want to take that risk. The feedback we received at the conference was that other ENERGY STAR partners were glad Boeing was able to accomplish this, and get it right. Many told me they will use this example as leverage to try it at their own companies, reducing emissions across the U.S.”
Spectrolab produces solar cells used in space-based applications. The manufacturing process produces emissions, which may have organic compounds, gas compounds and fumes. The emissions are heated up to 1650 degrees Farenheit (899 degrees Celsius) through a filter system, breaking down the harmful material to prevent its release into the air.
Much of the heat was wasted in the process. Kanipe and his team researched the possibility of using the exhaust on the RTO to heat the central plant hot water loop.
“We started doing the math and worked on the engineering,” Kanipe said. “We found we could do it safely and relatively inexpensively. We came up with the design criteria, fabricated it and installed it ourselves. I’ve had a couple of Boeing sites reach out to me and have others that may be interested in doing the same thing.”
Fabricated coils now capture the heated exhaust, creating heated water in lieu of using a boiler or heater from May to October when the hot water loop temperature can be reduced from 180 degrees Farenheit (82 degrees Celsius) to 120 degrees Farenheit (49 degrees Celsius). The hot water loop heat is used in the air conditioning, dehumidification and humidification systems in Spectrolab’s clean rooms.
The site has seen a cost savings too – approximately $43,000 this year.
“This is an example of how innovation, team work and flawless execution will help Boeing achieve its 2025 conservation targets and goal of becoming an enduring global industrial champion,” Londo said.
By Mick Boroughs
Facilities technician Tom Bailey inspects the temperature at the hot water loop. (Spectrolab photo)
The Spectrolab Thermal Oxidizer Team, from left, Spectrolab President Tony Mueller; Director of Spectrolab Facilities Operations, Security and Fire Protection Mark Kanipe; Director of EHS/Quality Holly Baez; and Facilities technicians Rick Belanger, Tom Bailey, and Kenny Williams. (Spectrolab photo)