Design/Build Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) – National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Bethesda Campus Central Utility Plant (CUP) Boiler Plant is capable of generating 800,000 pounds per hour (lb/hr) of saturated steam at 165 pounds per square inch gauge (psig). The Boiler Plant consists of five (5) dual fired saturated steam boilers that combust primarily natural gas and No. 2 fuel oil as a back-up.
PKS was awarded a Task Order to Design and Build a CEMS for NIH CUP Boiler Nos. 1 through 5 that measures NOx and diluent O2 emissions and uses a proper data acquisition and handling system (DAHS); complies with all required Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) federal requirements for measurement and data reporting for 40 CFR Part 60 regulations CEMS systems.
PKS installed and commissioned the CEMS and conducted a successful CEMS Certification test that verified that the system met the requirements of 40CFR Part 60. In order to comply with NIH Bethesda Campus’ Title V Clean Air Act Permit requirements, NIH required installation of equipment to monitor and record Boiler flue emissions. Accordingly, sensors were added to the stacks and a pre-fabricated shelter placed on the roof to house the associated equipment. The shelter was required to support a pre-engineered unit measuring 10’x20’ on the roof of the existing building, basically a pre-assembled trailer. This project designed a CEMS shelter (penthouse) located on the roof of Building 11. The shelter provides a lighted, climate-controlled indoor workspace for protection and maintenance of the equipment that is large enough to allow for adequate egress and accessibility to maintain all instrumentation, analyzers, and equipment within the shelter.