High Pressure Steam Boiler Replacement

Project Description

M/E Engineering provided engineering services for the high pressure steam boiler replacement at the Buffalo General Medical Campus for Kaleida Health. The Boiler Plant provides heating and process steam for Buffalo General Hospital, Oishei Children's Hospital, Gates Vascular Institute, and the University of Buffalo. The new boiler approximately doubled the capacity of the existing boiler within a similar footprint, while improving efficiency, redundancy, reliability, and emissions. 

Design of new water-tube steam boiler to replace aging boiler infrastructure. The new "O" style boiler is designed to provide 60,000 lb/hr of high pressure steam to the Buffalo General Medical Center Campus. The new steam boiler replaces a boiler sized for 35,000 lb/hr resulting in 70% more capacity in a similar footprint. The project included the design of the boiler, feedwater, stack economizer, operating controls, test muffler, exhaust stack, upgraded gas service to the building, and blowdown heat recovery.

Energy Conservation rebate incentives from the gas utility company National Fuel and the electric utility company National Grid were provided to Kaleida Health. The design includes a boiler stack economizer to transfer energy from the flue gas and blowdown heat recovery to preheat boiler feed-water. By preheating the feedwater the boiler uses less fuel and therefore reduces energy costs overall emissions. 

M/E Engineering was the Prime Consultant managing the work of structural, architectural, and civil engineering subconsultants for boiler platforms, boiler foundations, roof loading and support, wall framing, and installation of garage door for access. An alternate for a building addition was included as well. The design team worked closely with the hospital's contractors through the design and construction process to provide a successful project for Kaleida Health.

M/E Engineering worked with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and updated the facility's air permit. The new dual fuel burner utilizes natural gas as the primary fuel with No. 2 fuel oil as a backup which replaces No. 6 oil previously utilized.