Environmental Leader

The Quaker Oats Bridgeview Division food manufacturing plant has installed two Miura Boiler LX200 gas-fired steam boilers to reduce fuel and water consumption, increase energy efficiency, and cut emissions, as part of parent company PepsiCo’s corporate mandate on resource conservation. The new installation replaces two older fire-tube boilers.

The 400,000-sq.-ft. facility, located west of Chicago, is where Pasta Roni and Rice-a-Roni are made. Steam from the two Miura boilers is used for manufacturing and heating the plant during winter months.

As a result of the installation, the Quaker Oats facility has cut its fuel consumption by 20 percent, which amounts to a savings of approximately $80,000 annually, according to the facility engineer Terry Hronec.

Miura said its boilers produce steam in just five minutes (or less) due to their “once-through” design that provides fast response and high in-service operational efficiency. This Miura technology also produces BHP outputs comparable to much larger units, but with far less water consumption and a more compact footprint, which can reduce new construction costs and better utilize existing boiler-room space, said Miura.

In addition to their increased energy efficiency and smaller size, Miura boilers also reduce harmful emissions such as nitrous oxide (NOx). Muira’s gas-fired/low-NOx LX Series steam boilers are designed to eliminate 75 percent of the harmful emissions of standard gas-fired boilers, delivering a low-NOx rating of 20 ppm. Standard gas-fired boilers produce pollutants at a rate of 80 ppm, according to Miura.

System monitoring and diagnostics are also integral to Miura boilers. A front panel on Miura’s LX and EX boilers provides instant, easy-to-read status information about multiple monitoring points measured by the boilers’ built-in BL Mirco Controller Boiler Control System. Boiler operations can also be monitored via an online maintenance system.