CAREER EPISODE 01

TITLE: Planning, designing and development of Condense Recovery System and Blow
down vessel of boiler.

A. Introduction:
CE 1.1 I am going to explain my experience about some Planning, designing, and
implementation of important equipment’s to the plant for the development of the factories
operation process and maintenance by using my mechanical engineering knowledge and skills.
Duration : 7th March 2018 to 21st October 2018.
Location : Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Organization Name : Bangladesh Edible Oil Limited.
Title of position : Engineer-Mechanical Maintenance.

B. Background:
CE 1.2 Bangladesh Edible Oil Limited, is a renowned joint venture company between Wilmar
International Limited, Singapore and Adani Group, India. This company is one of world-
renowned agri-business company and one of the largest edible oil company in Bangladesh. The
objective of this career episode is to show my contributions in this company for the
improvements of the process & maintenance by planning, designing, and implementing some
mechanical equipment to the plant.
 To increase the process capability of the plants & equipment.
 To utilize the own resources for the internal development of the plant.

CE 1.3 The equipment and the systems which I developed in the plant are Condense Recovery
system and Blow Down vessel for 10-ton Cochran boiler. I designed and organized all these jobs
by involving my team. In the technical point of view, the condense recovery system could save
1% fuel by increasing 6 degree Celsius feed water temperature of the boiler which is energy
efficient. The blow down vessel of boiler could save the pollution of the environment and could
increase the blow down efficiency of the boiler where this vessel ensured the safely blow down
of the boiler.

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 CE 1.4 Organogram of my project -

(Country Manager)

(Head of operation)
`

(Manager- Manager- (Sr.Manager- (Sr. Manager- Supply

Production) Mechanical) Electrical) Chain & Distribution)

(Engineer-Mechanical
Maintenance) Myself

(Asst. Foreman-
(Foreman-Mechanical)
Mechanical)

(Shift Technician)
(Sr. Technician) (Sr. Welder) (Sr. Fitter) Shift Technician

(Technician) (Welder)
(Fitter) (Helper) (Helper)

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CE 1.5 My working areas in this design project were -
 To analyze and design the equipment needed for the project.
 To check the performance and efficiency of the mechanical machineries and
equipment.
 To estimate the power consumption for the system with utility consumption.
 To set up equipment and machines in the plant and to check the performance and
efficiency of those equipment
 To get approval from the higher management including material selection for
different purposes.
 To form technical team for operating different planning and designing tasks.
 To perform fabrication work and to maintain daily activity records.
.

C. Personal Engineering Activity:

CE 1.6 Now I am going to discuss about my academic knowledge which enriched me
theoretically and practically to install this project.
1. The Thermal Engineering (ME111) knowledge helped me to install PHE (plate heat
exchanger) in the mixer unit of this project.
2. Welding and Foundry (ME152) helped me to supervise the pipeline welding work,
3. Descriptive Geometry & Mechanical Drawing (ME) helped me to understand the layout,
P & ID diagram, and flow chart of the project.
4. Machine & Fitting shop (154) helped me to install & modify some parts of the machines
which I changed as per requirements.
5. Mechanical Drawing & Auto CAD (ME272) helped me to make the layout of the project.
6. Heat Transfer-I (ME311& ME312) & Heat Transfer-II (ME313 & Me 314) helped me to
install the chiller & cooling tower and connect it to the cooling circuit of the beverage
machines.
7. Machine design-I (ME333 & ME334) and Machine Design-II (ME431 &ME432) helped
me to design some machines such as automatic bottle transfer conveyor, preform transfer
conveyor.

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CE 1.7 After got the design approval from the management, I started to plan to do those jobs. I
gave the instruction to my team about the procedure of the work and made a session to
understand the design of every job. I made a project workflow plan to complete the project.
Project workflow plan:

Analyze the job

Design the job

Approval from the

management

Material selection

Execute the job

Implement in the field

CE 1.8 Condense Recovery System (CRS):

After joining in Bangladesh Edible Oil, I had some responsibilities in the maintenance
department. One of those were to take care of the 10 Ton Cochran boiler. Then I saw that the
main consumer of the steam was the oil refinery plant. After using or heat exchange the steam in
the refinery plant became condense water where the condense water temperature was 50 to 60
deg. Celsius and this condense water was thrown to the drain. Then I proposed to the higher
management that, we need to save this valuable condense water. I got the permission from the
higher management that I needed to recovery this water which would save the water and the
energy. I started to work for the development of the system. At first, I started to work from the
design of this system which is called Condense Recovery System. After developing the design, I
arranged a presentation session to understand them about the system and the benefits. After that I
made an estimated for the materials and costing for the implementation of this system which
included the materials, manpower involvement etc. Then I made a list for the materials and
purchased the materials from the market. Then my team started to develop the CRS system with
my supervision. The whole CRS systems are below-

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 Oxygen & other
CONDENSE RECOVERY SYSTEM gases to vent

Make up water

Deaerator

Flash steam return

Condense Return

Feed water tank

Steam from refinery

plant Air supply
Flash vessel

Steam trap Pump exhaust

Return condenses
from plant

Reservoir

Inlet Valve

`
Strainer

Pressure power pump

unit (PPPU)

Non return valve Exhaust Valve

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CE 1.9 At first, I studied details about previously prepared design by my company for this type
of system. The condense water from the refinery plant came to the flash vessel through the steam
trap, where the steam trap helped for trapping the steam and release the condense water to the
system. Then the condense water went to the reservoir from the bottom part of the flash vessel
and the flash steam of the condense water from the top of the vessel went to the deaerator of the
feed tank. This flash steam entered to the feed tank which helped to hold the feed water
temperature. From the reservoir the condense water entered to the pressure power pump which
was fully automated positive displacement pump and this pump was operated by compressed air.
Inside the pump there was a float which helped to give the signal for discharging the condense
from the pump to the deaerator of the feed water tank. Compressed air supply was given in the
reservoir and pump.
CE 1.10 Materials selection for the whole system:
The below materials I used to fabricate the system-
1. Flash vessel.
2. Reservoir.
3. Pressure power pump.
4. Float mechanism.
5. Valves.
6. Strainer.
7. Non return valves.
8. Flanges.
9. Steam trap.
10. MS pipes etc.
I determined the below mentioned materials properties for design:

SI.NO. DESCRIPTION MATERIAL

1 Flash vessel. Cast Iron
2 Reservoir Cast Iron
3 Pressure power pump Carbon steel
4 Float mechanism Stainless steel SS304
5 Valves Stainless steel SS304
6 Flanges Stainless steel
7 Steam trap Mild steel
8 MS pipes MS 40 schedule (2 inch)
9 Flange gasket Synthetic fiber
10 Nut & bolt M-12 Cast steel

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CE 1.11 Then, I performed the Pump Discharge calculation:
The capacity of the discharge rate by the pump was calculated by the below formula:
B = HC X (0.1bar g) +FD bar g
Where,
B = Back pressure
HC = Height of condensate
FD = Frictional pressure drop.
I assumed, condense load = 1400 kg/hr.
Air pressure= 5 bar g
Height of condense= 8 meter.
Frictional pressure drop= 1.75 bar g
Pumps filling head = 1.1 meter

Then B=HC X 0.1+FD

B= 8 X 0.1+1.75
B= 2.55 bar g
For 5 bar g inlet pressure and within 3 bar g back pressure chosen a DN40 pump whose capacity
2290 kg/hr. So, for filling head 1.1 meter, the pump discharge was calculated as = 1.1 X 2290
= 2519 kg/hr.

CE 1.12 I made my seniors understood that the design of my condense recovery system would
have the following benefits:
1. Returned condense containing 20% energy of steam.
2. Returned condense increased the feed water temperature of the boiler, so the boiler fuel
consumption was less.
3. Decreased the feed water consumption.
4. As condense came from the steam, so this condense water was of no need to treatment for
reuse in boiler feed tank.

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 5. Total dissolved solid (TDS) was less in condense water, so it would be good for boiler
blow down system.
6. Flash steam temperature of condense saved the energy.

Condense return benefits by showing figure:

Reduced feed tanks

freshwater intake

Feed water temp.

Always high
Reduced feed water
treatment cost

Higher boiler
efficiency

Less blow down

System
Condense water return to the feed tank

CE 1.13 Blow down vessel of 10-ton Cochran Boiler:

At the beginning, the blow down of boiler was done by normal process, where the blow down
water with high pressure steam drained to the atmosphere. Then huge amount of steam spread

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out to the atmosphere with high sound. Every person in factory and outside people felt nervous
during the blow down time for its huge steam and sound. Then I proposed to the management
about the blow down vessel and its advantages. After got permission, I started my work to design
and fabricate the blow down vessel. I designed the new blow down system. At first, I connected
the blow down line from the boiler to the blow down vessel. The blow down vessel fabricated
with one inlet line and another one outlet line. The blow down water from the boiler would enter
to the inlet line of the vessel and this water with steam would enter to the down part of the
vessel’s normal water. After that, I prepared a plan so that the mixed water-steam would
discharge from the outlet of the vessel with very low sound. In my design, the flash steam
drained from the vent system, where only some litter amount of steam discharge to the
atmosphere. There was a makeup water line in the vessel to fill water before blow down.
CE 1.14 I used the following materials for the fabrication of the vessel:
1. Vent head.
2. Pressure gauge.
3. Flanges.
4. Drain Valve.
5. Makeup water valve.
6. Pipes.
7. Disk check valve.
8. MS plate etc.
Moreover, I selected the following materials properties -

SI.NO. DESCRIPTION MATERIAL

1 Vent head Stainless steel
2 Pressure gauge. SS304
3 Flanges Mild steel 150NB
4 Drain Valve 50NB Stainless steel
5 Makeup water valve 25NB Stainless steel
6 Pipes MS 40 schedule 50NB
7 Disk check valve Stainless steel
8 MS plate Mild steel

With the help of AutoCAD Map 3D (WIN), I design the new Blow Down Vessel -

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 Vent head

Condense out

Makeup water
line
Name plate
Blow down IN
Point for Pressure
from boiler
gauge

Outlet
______________________
______________________
______ _________________
____________________
____ ______________
____ ______________
____ ______________
____ ______________ Flange
____ ______ _______
____ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Drain

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 Figure: Blow down vessel

CE 1.15 Although, I also determined the below limitations for Blow down vessel:
SI. NO. DESCRIPTION LIMITATIONS
1 Maximum allowable temperature 150 deg. Celsius.
2 Minimum allowable temperature -10 deg. Celsius
3 Maximum operating temperature 110 deg. Celsius
4 Minimum operating temperature 0 deg. Celsius.
5 Operating pressure 0.50 kg/cm2

But the benefits of my design were more considering the safety of the plant which were –

1. Low blow down discharge sound which reduce the sound pollution.
2. Low steam discharge in the atmosphere which reduce the pollution.
3. Good for boiler efficiency.
4. Represent a standard blow down system.
5. Operator friendly operation.

CE 1.16 The problem I faced during and after setup the equipment:
A. After running the condense recovery system, I saw that the amount of condense was very less
in the flash vessel of the system and more steam was coming to the system. But the system
should be provided more condense water and very less steam. Then I checked the whole system
with my team and tried to find out the problem. Then I found that, the steam is not trapping the
steam, that’s why the steam is coming more. So, I along with my team opened all the steam trap
from the system and checked those from the outside and found damaged. Then we replaced of
those steam trap and ran the system. Then we got the good performance from the system.
B. After running the blow down vessel, I saw that there was a vibration coming from the blow
down vessel which was transferring to the boiler through the piping system between the boiler
and the blow down vessel and created vibration to the boiler. I found that the flash steam from
the vessel could not come out properly through the vent head. Then I instructed my technicians
to open the vent head of the vessel and changed the hole diameter of the vent head from 2 mm to
4 mm and fixed it again to the system. After that the vibration was removed and the system ran
smoothly.

D. Summary:
CE 1.17 I completed those work successfully and implemented them in the plant. I got better
result from them. After running these systems, I found some breakdown from the system. Then I
stopped and done some maintenance to run smoothly. After successfully completion those

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systems, I have appreciated from the higher management which makes me more confident to do
these types of work in the future.

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