Forced-Circulation Oil Sands Steam Generators Now Being Installed in Alberta’s Oil Sands

LINCOLN, Neb.:  June 12, 2012

Cleaver-Brooks, known for delivering integrated, custom boiler/burner/controls/stack exhaust systems to the industry, has shipped the final of five Forced-Circulation Oil Sands Steam Generators (FC-OSSG) to one of the largest petroleum companies in Canada. The petroleum company has an extensive presence in Alberta’s Oil Sands, the third-largest proven crude oil reserve in the world.  The five FC-OSSGs, which are being installed now, are scheduled for commissioning in spring 2013.

“When designing the FC-OSSG, our engineers set out to address the industry’s concerns relating to steam purity, internal cleaning and emissions while also meeting its desires for low blowdown, integrated burners and piggable circuits,” said Robert St-Denis, president of Engineered Boiler Systems for Cleaver-Brooks. “As a result, our FC-OSSG can tolerate expected water quality upsets, has mechanically cleanable circuits, and can meet ultra-low NOx requirements.  In short, our state-of-the-art product combines the benefits of a traditional D-type boiler, such as high steam purity and very low blowdown, with the ease of cleaning of Once Through Steam Generators.”

The Cleaver-Brooks FC-OSSG design includes an elevated steam drum with large water holding capacity that manages load swings and ensures high-steam quality (99.5%).  It features 100% water-cooled membrane furnace walls with minimal refractory. Engineers have designed the boiler with the correct water/steam circulation ratio to ensure a proper two-phase flow with all internal surfaces sufficiently water wetted. The product is scalable to 500,000 lb/hr and achieves a 10:1 turndown. 

The large-capacity steam generator is specifically designed with significant margins to operate in a robust bubbling regime to avoid metal temperature excursions.  A two-layer

defense is in place to address upsets in water quality using commercially available instrumentation, and the unit is designed to operate with 1 percent to 2 percent blowdown.

In addition, the FC-OSSG features an integrated boiler/burner/controls package with NATCOM ultra-low NOx burners.  The evaporator coils include extended-surface “finned” tubes to optimize heat transfer while minimizing footprint.  All furnace and evaporator tubes are suitable for internal cleaning by “pigging.” 

Cleaver-Brooks utilizes a modularized approach to maximize shop assembly and minimize field work.  The furnace and evaporator section are built as one module, hydro tested, shop-insulated and shipped as one piece. The steam drum is hydro tested, insulated, lagged and shipped separately. 

 

About Cleaver-Brooks

Cleaver-Brooks, a world-renowned provider of boiler room products and systems, is committed to providing efficient solutions that help its customers and the industry reduce energy usage, cost and environmental impact. As the pioneer of packaged firetube and watertube boilers, Cleaver-Brooks is the only manufacturer in the world to offer an entirely integrated boiler room solution for any size application. Its products are backed by a world-class representative network offering superior aftermarket service and solutions.

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Elizabeth Brown
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Email: media@cleaverbrooks.com