Steam Boiler Installation at 5000 Feet, No fuel, Limited space, Time deadlines

Abstract:

L&T faced a challenge at their site, located at 5000 feet elevation where conventional fuel was unavailable. We provided a unique solution by designing and installing electrical boilers due to the availability of free electricity. This case study details the challenges, solutions, and outcomes of implementing electrical boilers for steam generation at the Joshimath site in Uttarakhand, India.

Introduction:

Larsen & Toubro (L&T), a premier Indian company was in a joint venture with a foreign company, for a hydel power project for NTPC at Joshimath, Uttarakhand.
The project’s scope involved tunnel boring and concrete slab production, requiring steam for curing pre-cast concrete blocks.
The challenges were related to the remote, hilly terrain and the logistical issues with conventional fuel procurement & storage

Company Background:

L&T is a prominent engineering EPC company working across major infrastructure sectors including hydel power projects.
They take up turnkey projects and have an impeccable record of on-time completion. To match the delivery deadlines, they needed steam in the curing process of pre-cast concrete blocks to achieve the desired strength, at a fast pace to match their tunnel completion target.

Challenges Faced

The specific challenge faced due to the site’s location at 5000 feet elevation was the unavailability of conventional fuels such as diesel, gas, or solid fuels for the boiler.
This was due to the logistical difficulties in fuel storage, handling, and procurement on the tough hilly terrain.
Solid fuels like biomass or wood could not be considered due to the pollution impact on the environment.
The constraint defined was “fuel-free steam generation”.

Proposed Solution

Thermodyne proposed the solution of installing electrical boilers since L&T had the availability of free electricity provided by NTPC for site operations.
The steam requirement was 2000 Kg/hr for their casting yard. We provided 2 nos. electrical boilers (1200 Kg/hr each) with a total connected electrical load of 1500 KW.
Complete designing of the steam distribution to their process, including pipeline layouts & sizing, automation for temperature control and seamless operation was undertaken by Thermodyne.

Methods and Design

Research and development conducted at Thermodyne to design a special-grade electrode-type steam boiler suitable for the site.
The unique benefits offered to the client were:
- High thermal efficiency (98%)
- Zero emissions
- Compact size
- Low operational cost
- No fuel storage or handling
- End-to-end solution by providing the desired condition of steam at their usage point

Implementation Process

The design development by Thermodyne’s engineering team
Outlining the site requirements like infrastructure support from the client (transformers, cabling, etc.).
The development of bought-out components at our vendor’s end to suit the product design was another challenge, which our dedicated engineering procurement team overcame.
The complete process of design, engineering, manufacturing & installation was done in a record time of 4 months.
This included designing the steam distribution system of pipelines, valves, temperature control units, etc. throughout the 72 work-stations of concrete casting blocks

Performance and Results

After commissioning, L&T could use the steam to expedite the production of pre-cast concrete blocks as the process time for curing of the concrete could be reduced from 48 hours to less than 8 hours.

Impact and Benefits
Lessons Learned

The benefits achieved for the client were:
- Environment sustainability due to zero emissions – no products of combustion
- Instant start & stop due to quick response time
- Increased productivity for the client
Thermodyne extended the support of a complete solution by providing operation & maintenance contracts to the client for 24×7 trouble-free operation of the boilers. Our team of trained boiler operators ensured zero breakdowns, and compliance to the statutory regulations at the site.

Adapting innovative solutions to unique environmental and logistical challenges was at the forefront of the successful association.
Out-of-the-box thinking to overcome the challenge and Thermodyne’s customer-centric approach helped in building a unique installation.

Conclusion

Thermodyne is always ahead of the curve, thinking, innovating, and executing the plan as per the client’s requirements. For us, the Customer always comes first!!