Miura boilers deliver “green” steam for manufacturer

RFI Ingredients, a leader in custom extracts and nutritional supplements, touts the slogan “From field to formula.” The company’s commitment to its slogan is seen in its sourcing of raw materials from its own sustainable farms and a global network of growers and other providers. Precision is essential for RFI’s processing of these ingredients, which is why the company has three LX-150 gas-fired boilers made by Miura, a leader in ultra-low NOx modular on-demand steam solutions. One Miura LX-150 is installed at RFI’s Loveland, Colo., facility. Two more are installed in the company’s Broomfield, Colo., plant.

“When we originally researched boilers, we knew we needed one that could maintain a level, consistent steam pressure during normal operation, as well as from a cold start,” explains Ryan Ricketson, RFI plant manager. “We use steam to heat our dual-drum dryers, in which we dry cereal grasses such as wheat, barley, oat and alfalfa. Steam is also used for the heat exchangers in the heating loops used for making liquid extracts, and for the fully jacketed tanks used for fermentation, batch pasteurization and/or liquid blending. As a result, the pressure of that steam versus its temperature must be very precise for what we do.”

Miura boilers are microprocessor-controlled for precision operation, and employ a unique “once-through” fin-tube design that heats a smaller volume of water more efficiently than other boilers. This design enables the boilers to generate full steam from a cold start in five minutes or less, on demand. The combination of microprocessor-control technology and on-demand steam also conserves fuel, saving an average of 20 per cent annually on energy costs over other boiler designs for typical installations.

“You can shut the Miura boiler down at the end of the day, turn it on the first thing next morning, have a quick recovery time and be up to full steam, and it will run all day,” Ricketson adds. “That said, lately we’re so busy that we are running two full shifts Monday through Friday in Loveland, and our Miura boiler there stays on seven days a week.”

In addition to the on-demand steam and energy-conservation benefits, Miura boilers also output reduced levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) compared to conventional boilers. Miura boilers achieve low-NOx performance by reducing the temperature of the boiler’s flame, which in turn reduces the amount of excited nitrogen atoms available to bond with oxygen to form nitrogen oxides. As a result of this, NOx emissions are reduced to around one-quarter of what traditional fire-tube boilers emit. This enables Miura boilers to comply with even the most stringent air-quality regulations. 

Further contributing to its green, energy-saving performance is Miura’s innovative BL Micro Controller Boiler Control System. This built-in precision computer technology constantly measures multiple individual monitoring points and provides operational status on pressure, temperature and other factors on an easy-to-read, built-in control panel. It identifies any problems that might arise and suggests solutions displayed as plain, descriptive English. The control panel also includes a green/yellow/red light display for immediate, at-a-glance status updates seen easily from a distance.

“Overall I’ve been very happy and pleased with Miura boilers,” Ricketson adds. “I’m in the business of nutritional supplements and natural extracts, not the business of making steam. With Miura, we can leave that to the boilers, and they do that very well.”

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