Case Study

Steam Trap and Pipe Insulation Upgrades Save an Illinois VA Hospital $100k in The First Year

SMI Impact

593 steam trap upgrades and 7,661 linear feet of pipe insulation installed

Natural Gas MCF saved 1st year: 14,249.99

$82,850 Annual Cash Flow

1,874,470 lbs of
coal burned saved

First year savings = $101,746

10 year savings = $1,166,410

Customer

Edward J. Hines VA Hospital, A 147-acre hospital campus in Illinois that houses more than 450 beds. Due to the age of the facility and infrastructure, the steam condensate-return equipment needed service, repair, and replacement.  The VA engaged with a premier ESCO to design and implement a comprehensive ESPC project.  The ESCO engaged Steam Management to design and install the steam trap replacement scope as an ECM for its overall ESPC project.

Conditions

The hospital facilities date back to the early to mid-1900s. The campus has a comprehensive steam distribution system that provides heat, domestic water heating, sterilization, and humification to many buildings. The steam is produced at 125 psi and distributed throughout campus underground with access points in manholes and steam vaults. Steam pressure is reduced to medium and low pressure through PRVs inside of each campus building for space heating, sterilization, domestic hot water generation, kitchen, and process equipment.

Due to the age of the facility, infrastructure and equipment needed service, repair, and replacement. The piping and system equipment were degraded resulting in unsafe conditions, excessive thermal energy loss, and increasing costs.

Problems

The site required upgrades and retrofits on multiple areas of infrastructure. The contracting ESCO in charge of the overall project had to develop, bid out, and secure competent and proven subcontractors to complete each stage and component of the project.

Some of the piping and equipment were inadequately insulated, missing insulation, or had insulation that was deteriorating, which resulted in exposed piping and equipment in excess of 180 degrees Fahrenheit and ever-increasing operation and energy costs.

The facilities have expansive steam distribution systems that had approximately 600 failed and or leaking steam traps representing over 30% of the entire steam trap population. The malfunctioning steam traps decrease the overall efficiency of the steam heating system boiler efficiency. The system was operating at close to 50% condensate return. This condition can reduce the heating capacity of the steam, cause corrosion inside the distribution piping, and lead to water hammer. In addition, leaking steam traps waste energy and increase operating costs.

Solution

SMI bid on the project and was awarded ECM 7, which included Steam and Hot Water Piping Insulation and also Steam Trap Improvements. Our ability to offer turnkey services for the entire ECM provided our customer a single point of contact and competitive pricing.

The award included re-surveying the entire steam and hot water distribution system to finalize the scope of work and energy loss calculations. To maintain the efficiency of the steam system SMI, in partnership with our vendors, measured, designed, and installed fiberglass pipe insulation and removable insulation covers (RICs) in several buildings and tunnels on the campus. The solutions prevent heat loss and save energy throughout the facility.

Steam Management performed a survey of each steam trap and completed the IGA survey of the facility to develop a final Scope of Work. The steam trap survey included testing, tagging and cataloging each steam trap. During the audit, each steam trap was reviewed for its sizing for handling condensate loads, its piping configuration and the selection of steam trap type and functionality for its application.

The final design scope included recommendations to both upgrade traps for intended use, best equipment recommendations and, re-piping for optimal condensate return. The final line by line application schedule detailed each steam trap by location, elevation, make & model, pressure rating, load requirements, piping characteristics, piping deficiencies, missing or mis-applied equipment such as strainers with blow-down valves, isolation valves, unions and test tees. Each line item included orifice size and run hours with recommended replacements, calculated steam losses and potential savings in Mlbs and dollars.

Key Actions

  • Survey and Test entire population of steam traps

  • Identify, measure and design uninsulated piping opportunities

  • Prepare final application schedule and as built for project approval

  • Develop recommended replacement schedule based on final testing results

  • Develop material submittals to meet all VA specifications

  • Develop work plan in accordance with VA and ESCO master schedule

  • Develop AHA and safety plan in accordance with OSHA and VA requirements

  • Manage purchasing and labor for turnkey installation

  • Work with facility managers for site access and utility shutdowns

  • Complete project commissioning, punch list and sign-off walk throughs

  • Conduct training on product and maintenance with facilities management personnel and the VAMC pipe shop

  • Provide full material and workmanship warranty

Ongoing Support

In support of the ESCO's annual Operations and Maintenance requirements with VISN 12, Steam management, inc. (SMI) performs annual test and repair services of the steam traps installed across five (5) hospitals. The test & repair service started in 2020, the first year of the performance period, and is repeated each year.  

Under this program, during each new heating season, SMI tests a minimum of 33% (2,250) traps out of the total 6,850 traps in service. By the third year of testing, 2023 each steam trap had been tested at least once within a 3-year timeframe.  

All testing is performed with ultrasound equipment manufactured by UE Systems with supporting thermal imaging of failed equipment. Testing results are tabulated in the ESCO's documentation with each failed trap specified and priced for repair by SMI.  

Steam traps that do not meet the VA steam trap steel body directive are replaced with appropriate steam traps and valve train. 

SMI performs all steam traps repairs and replacements in accordance with VA specifications. 

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