Flow Metering and Oxygen Trim Control Reduce Dairy Steam Plant Fuel Costs

Abstract

Milk processing in a dairy is a very energy intensive task requiring large amounts of energy to heat and cool the product. Since profit margins are small and energy costs represent such a large part of product cost it is essential that effective energy management procedures be implemented. This paper describes some of the steps taken at the Orrville Milk Division plant of Dairy Farm Products to significantly reduce the fuel requirements in the production of butter, powdered milk and condensed milk. Actual reductions in fuel costs of $1,000 to $1,500 per week were achieved by the addition of flue gas oxygen trim control and by altering the plant production schedule so that process steam demands were met by the largest boiler operating near peak efficiency. This point was determined by installing flow meters on the gas, feedwater and steam lines and calculating the pounds of steam produced per thousand cubic foot of gas burned for each boiler load.