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Reducing Steam Costs in the Dairy Plant

Department of Agricultural Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing

ABSTRACT

The possibility of increasing efficiency, decreasing the steam requirements, decreasing the unit costs, and thereby the total cost of steam operations for your plant is in your hands. Start at the boiler. Analyze your needs with respect to pressure, and possibly eliminate high-pressure steam systems. With low pressure, the cost of steam can be reduced one-half for plants processing less than 80,000 lb. per day. For instance, a 40,000 lb.-per-day plant spends approximately $24 per day for high-pressure steam, but by using low-pressure steam, the daily cost of operation can be reduced to $12 or less per day. Then, analyze the efficiency of the boiler and its distribution system, including valves, connections, insulation, etc. Trace the steam to the equipment in which it is used. Check the operation of equipment, to make sure that every pound of steam which enters the equipment does useful work. By using better methods each plant could on the average reduce its steam requirements by five pounds for each 100 lb. of milk processed. This would amount to a daily savings of approximately $6 per day for a plant handling 40,000 lb. per day.