Page 289 - Sustainable On-Site CHP Systems Design, Construction, and Operations

262 Op erations

will discuss the plant with the operator just completing the shift and ask any questions
when appropriate to help clarify the visual inspection made in the plant when he begins
his new shift. This will help ensure a good plant turnover.

Emissions Control
Environmental concerns have also grown in recent years since both district heating and
CHP plants are subject to more stringent regulations intended to reduce harmful emis-
sions from the plant into the atmosphere. As noted in Chap. 14, the operator must be
trained to recognize the limitations imposed on the plant, know how to recognize when
an emissions limit is about to be compromised, and know how best to respond in a
timely manner to prevent the excursion from taking place on his watch.
As discussed in previous chapters, the emissions from a CHP plant are strictly
regulated in many parts of the country and around the world. Operators must monitor
exhaust stack emissions and understand the mandated maximum allowable emission
rates. With natural gas–fired CTGs, carbon monoxide (CO) level should be low, indi-
cating complete combustion, along with nitrous oxides (NO ) which should be main-
x
tained as low as possible. If the CTG is fired on liquid fuel, usually diesel, then sulfur
dioxide (SO ) should also be monitored. There must also be concerns over particulate
2
matter (PM) emissions along with ammonia slip where selective catalytic reduction
(SCR) is employed to reduce NO levels discharged to the atmosphere.
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Health and Safety
A health and safety program is essential at all operating CHP plants. Each operator
must be encouraged to become serious about protecting his or her health as well as
those working around him by using the proper safety procedures, wearing the proper
clothing, and attending all required safety training sessions. A serious lost time injury
to an operator can have devastating consequences to that individual as well as affecting
the productivity of other plant personnel.
One of the most important aspects of safety in a CHP operation is lock-out-tag-out
(LOTO) procedures. A CHP operator must not have the opportunity to accidentally
start a piece of equipment when it is being worked on by others. Everyone working in
the plant (including contractors) must strictly follow the mandatory LOTO procedures
to help ensure that there is no chance that a circuit can be electrically energized, or a
steam or hot water valve accidentally opened or shut that could lead to injury and/or
death of his fellow workers.
There are numerous potentially harmful chemicals used in CHP plants to treat water
systems. Generally, these chemicals are employed for biological growth control and
corrosion inhibition. Each operator must be aware of what safety equipment to use
when handling any chemical spill and they must read and be familiar with the material
safety data sheet (MSDS) for each specific chemical, and must know what steps to take
if they accidentally released or are exposed to hazardous materials due to inadvertent
actions or failure to follow prescribed procedures by others.

Written Guidelines and Procedures
Most well-run CHP plant operators have received training or provided with written stan-
dards that they are trained to observe and required to follow in the event emergency plant
operating conditions occur without prior warning or notice. Since there is no way to