Having introduced its City & Guilds accredited training courses four-and-a-half years ago, Fulton is delighted to announce that, following months of hard work and assessments, its Vertical Tubeless Boiler Operation & Maintenance training course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to the continuing professional development principles.
Commenting for Fulton, aftercare and business development manager Jeff Byrne says: "Fulton has always enjoyed promoting the benefits of operator training to its customers and this CPD Certification adds real value to our course offering.”
Having achieved CPD status for its Vertical Steam Boiler Operation & Maintenance course, Fulton is now working towards certification for its VSRT Boiler Operation & Maintenance course which, given the radical design of the boiler, focuses on the VSRT’s use of state-of-the-art controls and technology and looks in-depth at its patented spiral heat exchanger. This all-new boiler design has emerged from Fulton’s adoption and implementation of its Pure Technology approach, an initiative that resulted in a world-first design that is durable, long-lasting and boasts the highest efficiencies and ultra-low NOx emissions as standard.
The Vertical Steam Boiler Operation & Maintenance course is designed for boiler operators and covers basic day-to-day operation and monitoring of steam boilers. It provides employees with the knowledge required to monitor boilers and ensure they are running efficiently and safely. The course also includes training in operational procedures, daily blowdowns and the checking of water levels, alarms, etc; as well as examining the importance of correctly treated feedwater and what boiler inspectors will look for during routine insurance inspections.
Training is also proven as being invaluable to employers and gives operators the knowledge and ability to handle more of their own maintenance and repairs and avoid call-outs to ‘boiler breakdowns’ that require no more than the simple flick of a switch to resolve. Real examples like this prove that a Fulton one-day Operator Routines & Maintenance course could potentially save the cost of many expensive and unwanted engineers’ visits.
Further information on Fulton’s training courses can be found on their website, by calling +44 (0)117 972 3322 or emailing training@fulton.co.uk.
Fulton will be using Stand X291 at Foodex to showcase the VSRT, the company’s all-new range of gas-fired, vertical spiral-rib tubeless steam boilers.
The VSRT is the first range to emerge from the company’s new ‘PURE Technology’ approach, an initiative that has resulted in a world-first design that is durable, long-lasting and boasts the highest efficiencies and ultra-low NOx emissions as standard.
Commenting for Fulton, sales and marketing manager Leigh Bryan says: “Our products are already proving themselves in food processing applications in the UK and around the world; and we’re really looking forward to promoting the VSRT and its benefits to other companies at Foodex.”
He goes on to say that Fulton’s PURE Technology approach aims to enhance heat transfer, provide class-leading efficiencies, improve steam quality and reduce NOx emissions.
“Rather than further-improve products like our renowned J Series to achieve these goals, PURE Technology – the culmination of Fulton’s clean slate approach to design – challenges the industry status quo on conventional boiler design by engineering solutions that are fit-for-purpose and fully-optimised for all applications.” says Leigh.
With over 15 patents pending in three continents, the VSRT’s attains industry-leading heat transfer rates thanks to a unique spiral-rib heat exchanger, which achieves low stack temperatures by passing the flue gases through a spiral-wound heat exchanger that is fully immersed in water.
The VSRT’s combustion technology achieves ultra-low NOx emissions of <20ppm and features a fully-matched modulating burner and furnace that have been purposely-designed as a single component. This helps to achieve up to 10:1 turndown capabilities and industry-leading performance of up to 82.5% gross thermal efficiency with 99.75% steam quality. At launch, the VSRT is available with outputs from 160 to 960 kg/h and its pressure vessel and burner are backed by a five-year guarantee as standard.
For applications where contaminated air can reduce boiler uptime the VSRT’s cyclonic air filter effectively separates debris and damaging particles from the combustion air and, because it won’t clog over time, eliminates the need for replacement filters.
The all-new gas-fired, vertical spiral-rib tubeless steam boiler from Fulton, the VSRT, is the first range to emerge from the company’s new ‘PURE Technology’ approach, an initiative that has resulted in a world-first design that is durable, long-lasting and boasts the highest efficiencies and ultra-low NOx emissions as standard.
By adopting a systems-engineering approach to design and implementing PURE Technology – the result of a clean-slate design approach that combines new people with new skills bringing a new approach to the design and optimisation of heat transfer solutions – Fulton’s VSRT radically challenges the heat transfer and mechanical design principles of traditional steam boilers. It is also claimed by the company to be the most radical change to vertical steam boiler design since Fulton pioneered the vertical tubeless boiler in 1949 and, for the right application, a worthy successor to the company’s renowned J Series.
Commenting for Fulton, sales and marketing manager Leigh Bryan says: “To meet ever-more stringent industry and environmental standards, our PURE Technology approach looks to enhance heat transfer, provide class-leading efficiencies, improve steam quality and reduce NOx emissions. So rather than improve existing products to achieve these goals, PURE Technology radically challenges conventional boiler design by engineering solutions that are fit-for-purpose and applications.”
With over 15 patents pending in three continents, the VSRT’s spiral-rib heat exchanger is a world first. It attains industry-leading heat transfer rates thanks to its unique spiral design, which achieves low stack temperatures by passing the flue gases through a spiral-wound heat exchanger that is fully immersed in water.
“This all-new spiral-rib design benefits from an extended heat transfer path and dual-direction heat flow, with the spiral annulus designed and optimised to create high heat transfer rates.” says Leigh. “This optimises heat transfer to create a longer-lasting boiler that we believe will beat the competition in every category of durability!”
The ground-breaking spiral rib heat exchanger design not only allows Fulton to improve boiler efficiency but, with virtually zero thermal stress, a thick walled construction and featuring vertical tubeless design architecture, the VSRT is one of the most durable steam boilers available.
It features a fully water-backed pressure vessel, which is wrapped in high-density insulation to achieve minimal thermal losses and low outer surface temperatures. The tubeless design has also enabled Fulton to create a compact boiler with minimal footprint. No refractory also means significantly lower weight (compared to traditional vertical steam boilers) for ease of installation.
Ultra-low NOx emissions of less than 20ppm are achieved thanks to the VSRT’s combustion technology, which features a modulating burner and furnace that have been purposely-designed as a single component and fully-matched with the VSRT in mind. This has helped Fulton to achieve up to 10:1 turndown capabilities and industry-leading performance of >82.5% gross thermal efficiency and 99.75% steam quality at 8 bar. When correctly sized for applications, the exceptionally high turndown will result in savings above and beyond those gained from the stated efficiencies.
With features including a tubeless design, no internal refractory and revolutionary cyclonic air filtration, the VSRT is extremely easy to maintain and operate. For applications where contaminated air can reduce boiler uptime – such as laundry and dry cleaning – the VSRT’s cyclonic air filter effectively separates debris and damaging particles from the combustion air and, because it won’t clog over time, eliminates the need for replacement filters. Maintenance is further improved compared to other vertical boilers thanks to the VSRT’s industrial control platform and easy access to the pressure vessel.
The VSRT is currently available with outputs from 160 to 960 kg/h, complies with the City of London Air Quality Strategy and anticipated MCPD regulations, is constructed to BS EN 12953 and CE marked to PED. Its pressure vessel and burner are backed by a five year guarantee as standard.
For further information on the VSRT Series, call Fulton on 0117 972 3322, email sales@fulton.co.uk or visit www.fulton.co.uk.
Fulton Limited, the leading heat transfer specialist, has appointed Leigh Bryan as sales and marketing manager.
Commenting on the appointment, managing director Carl Knight says: “Leigh’s appointment is a real benefit for the company and he joins Fulton with considerable knowledge of process steam, hot water and thermal fluid applications. His technical experience as a time-served combustion and steam boiler engineer has proved beneficial in his managerial and directorial roles in the industry, for companies including Watkins Hire, Robey-Wellman and Nu-Way.”
Leigh adds that he intends to continue placing great emphasis in providing sales and application advice to existing customers and a growing customer base in hospital and healthcare facilities, food and beverage processing, laundries and other applications.
“As identified by the recent launch of the ground-breaking VSRT steam boiler, our product range is evolving, making these exciting times for Fulton and a great time to join the company.” says Leigh.
For further information from Fulton, call +44 (0)117 972 3322, email sales@fulton.co.uk or visit www.fulton.co.uk.
Fulton Limited – the leading heat transfer specialist – has supplied an oil-fired, skid-mounted steam boiler system to Neal’s Yard Remedies, a UK-based manufacturer of natural, organic health and beauty products including essential oils, moisturisers, shower gels and soaps. The 60J oil-fired boiler was supplied with the necessary ancillary items including hot-well, water softening, chemical dosing and blowdown vessels.
Commenting for Neal’s Yard, a spokesperson says: “The Fulton boiler was suited to the processes demanded from Neal’s Yard Remedies and was of a style and type that was ideal for the location of the company’s new plant room, which is situated on a mezzanine floor.”
This is Neal’s Yard’s first steam boiler installation and it replaces an old electric element heating process, which used de-ionised water – an important ingredient in most products – introduced into small mixing vessels and heated using electric elements to produce a steam jacket. The new process line uses steam from the Fulton boiler to provide indirect heat – in excess of 90 degrees – to a heating pot containing products such as coconut oil. Two larger mixing vessels on the same line are also indirectly heated and contain only naturally-occurring products, blended to produce cosmetics including hand lotions, shampoos, face polishes, etc.
While the new process line features a much larger heating pot and mixing vessels, Fulton’s boiler system quickly raises steam and bring the vessels up to temperature, making it a very efficient way for the company to produce the indirect heat required for its processes.
The skid-mounted Fulton system has been designed to future-proof the Neal’s Yard operation and allow for the addition of a second boiler, which will be used during maintenance and shutdown periods and to cope with increased demands in throughput.
“The combination of larger vessels and a move to a steam-based process has enabled us to more than doubled the potential throughput of the new line.” says the Neal’s Yard spokesperson.
The Fulton name has been synonymous with steam since the company first introduced the vertical tubeless steam boiler in 1949 and Fulton was established in Bristol in 1966. Today, Fulton is still one of the world’s leading manufacturers, producing an unrivalled range of heat transfer solutions, including steam and thermal fluid systems, but increasingly these are ordered by customers as part of bespoke turnkey systems designed to meet exacting specifications.
Fulton’s renowned ‘J’ Series vertical gas- and oil-fired steam boilers includes eight models covering outputs from 96 to 960 kg/h. Its tubeless design, invented by Fulton, eliminates the coils and tubes traditionally used in steam raising plant and enables the Series ‘J’ to raise its full steam output in just 20 minutes. The simple design and robust construction from top quality materials make them ideal for arduous applications in a wide range of industries.
Fulton’s heat transfer solutions can be delivered as fully-prefabricated plant rooms or complete skid-mounted units, built to fit a prepared location and connect direct to pre-installed services. Using the latest CAD equipment, its design team can accommodate the most sophisticated engineering specifications in surprisingly compact spaces, locating components in the best possible position to suit the installation.
Further information on the products and services available from Fulton can be found at www.fulton.co.uk, by emailing sales@fulton.co.uk or by calling +44 (0)117 972 3322.
Just three-and-a-half-years after their introduction, Fulton Limited – the leading heat transfer specialist – is celebrating having welcomed its 1,000th trainee onto its City & Guilds Accredited training course.
The City & Guilds-certified, one-day training course was introduced by Fulton in 2013 and offers a mix of theoretical and practical operational assignments which, the company claims, bridges the gap between the more expensive courses (that can cost many thousands of pounds per employee), and cheaper, straightforward ‘toolbox’ training.
Commenting for Fulton, customer services manager Jeff Byrne says: "This is a real milestone for the company. We are delighted to have welcomed Muhammad Ateeb Farooq, our 1,000th trainee, who successfully completed the course and gained the City & Guilds certificate. We operate the courses throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland and at our Bristol-based manufacturing facility, which has a dedicated training room.”
He goes on to say that with no two boiler systems being the same, Fulton prefers to run its training courses at customers’ own facilities, so technicians and engineers learn on the equipment they will be monitoring day-to-day. However, Fulton’s in-house facility can accommodate training for its range of electric, gas, oil and dual-fuel-fired vertical and horizontal steam boiler systems.
City & Guilds certification adds value to the training courses and supports both the Safe Management of Industrial Steam and Hot water boilers Guidelines BG01 (SAFed) and INDG-436 (HSE) regarding operation and training.
The Fulton Operator Routines & Maintenance course is designed for boiler operators and covers basic day-to-day operation and monitoring; and provides employees with the knowledge required to monitor a boiler and ensure it is running efficiently and safely. It also includes training in operational procedures, daily blowdowns, and checking of water levels, alarms, etc. the course also examines the importance of correctly treated feedwater and what boiler inspectors will look for during routine insurance inspections.
“We have always promoted the benefits of operator training to our customers and enjoy seeing technicians and engineers grow in confidence as they improve their knowledge.” says Jeff.
Fulton’s training has proven to be invaluable to employers, with operators managing more of their own maintenance and repairs and avoiding costly call-outs that require no more than the simple flick of a switch to resolve.
“Real examples like this prove that a Fulton one-day Operator Routines & Maintenance course could potentially save the cost of many expensive and unwanted engineers’ visits.” says Jeff.
For further information on Fulton’s City & Guilds Accredited training programme, call 0117 972 3322, or email jeff.byrne@fulton.co.uk.
Fulton will be using its stand at ISH2017 to launch its SRT Series steam boiler onto the European market and promote the company as a Global provider of heat transfer solutions.
“Fulton’s all-new SRT Series is the most radical change to vertical steam boiler design since the company pioneered the vertical tubeless boiler in 1949,” says Carl Knight, managing director of Fulton Ltd.
By adopting a system engineering approach to design, and using its own ‘PURE’ Technology, Fulton’s SRT Series challenges the traditional heat transfer and mechanical design principles of vertical steam boilers. The SRT boasts industry-leading performance with an 84.5% Gross (93.5% Net) thermal efficiency from a fully-water-backed design with no refractory.
“With 30+ worldwide patents pending, the boiler’s spiral-rib tubeless design is a world first and creates a compact boiler with the industry’s smallest footprint.” says Knight. “In fact, compared to Fulton’s equivalent 30hp models, the SRT is an impressive 40% smaller.”
Using in-house modelling with CFD and finite element analysis, the SRT’s ‘PURE Optimised’ architecture makes it durable and reliable, with up to 6:1 turndown through its fully-modulating burner.
The SRT is CE marked and complies with anticipated EU regulations, with its combustion technology being reconfigured and the mesh burner and furnace designed as a single component, resulting in NOx emissions of less than 40mg/kWh.
With manufacturing facilities in the United States, Great Britain and China, Fulton is a global manufacturer of steam, hydronic and thermal fluid heat transfer systems. Backed by over 60 years of research, innovation and experience, Fulton is building on a tradition of success and is focused on improving life through heat transfer solutions. The company also provides sales and application advice, with full commissioning and after sales service, to a growing customer base in numerous sectors including pharmaceutical, process, petrochemical, healthcare, food & beverage, processing, etc.
For further information on Fulton or its all-new SRT Series, call the European headquarters on +44 (0)117 972 3322, email sales@fulton.co.uk or visit www.fulton.co.uk.
Fulton Limited has celebrated 50 years of manufacturing heat transfer solutions in the UK by hosting a ceremony and party at the M-Shed in Bristol for distributors, dignitaries and employees past and present.
Established in Bristol in 1966 and initially manufacturing a range of vertical tubeless steam boilers primarily for the laundry and dry cleaning market, Fulton Limited is today an important manufacturing base in the corporation’s global network that also includes production facilities in the USA, Canada and China.
Ronald and Bramley Palm (the son and grandson of Lewis Palm, Fulton’s founder) from Fulton’s parent company in the USA flew in to attend the celebrations and, amongst others, were joined by former managing director and co-founder of Fulton Boiler Works, Ian Davidson, and former sales and marketing director Gordon Bareham, who were both asked to take to the floor and give speeches.
Congratulating employees past and present on their achievements over the past 50 years, Fulton Limited’s managing director Carl Knight says the company’s Bristol-based manufacturing and design facility makes it possible to design, engineer and manufacture products more efficiently and assemble completed units for whenever and wherever they are needed for domestic and export customers.
The achievements were echoed by Bramley Palm, CEO of the Fulton Group, who added that, with a pride in workmanship that is second-to-none, Fulton’s UK facility has been responsible for designing and manufacturing some of the corporation’s highest quality steam boilers and heat transfer systems. “The company has a solid reputation with great products and many more on the way,” says Bramley “and we’re looking forward to our future with the UK facility!”
During his speech on the day, former sales and marketing director Gordon Bareham says: “I joined Fulton in the early 1990s as the company was going through major changes in every department and further centralising its operations in Bristol. This meant building a new office block and investing in plant, machinery and an extensive mezzanine floor for storage and production offices at the former Broomhill Road facility. This was real proof of the owners’ commitment to the future of Fulton in the UK; and was quickly followed by the adoption of the ISO9001 Quality Assurance standard, with the British Standards Institute rating Fulton as an excellent example of a specialist manufacturer following and meeting the standard.
“However, perhaps the most progressive change for Fulton at that time – and a first for any UK-based steam boiler manufacturer – was the company’s move from simply manufacturing steam boilers, to designing and building skid-mounted and pre-fabricated packaged plant room heat transfer solutions, some of which didn’t even feature a Fulton boiler! While a steep learning curve for every department, Fulton succeeded and I’m proud to have played a part in what was a very important transition for the company.” says Gordon
For the company’s dignitaries, distributors and former employees, the celebrations started with a tour of the current Bristol manufacturing facility which, on the day, housed Fulton Limited’s largest ever plant room build featuring two of the company’s fuel-fired FB horizontal boilers.
Summarising, Gordon Bareham goes on to say that ten years ago, he organised the 40th Anniversary celebrations at the old facility in Broomhill Road and has fond memories of that day. “Today, when I see the magnificent new facility and the ‘monster’ plant room in build, together with the lavish celebrations, it is clear that Fulton has made great progress in the last ten years!”
Opened in September 2015, the £81m Diamond building is the University of Sheffield’s largest ever investment in learning and teaching. It is home to students from its Faculty of Engineering and over its six floors, provides teaching facilities, library and IT services and state-of-the-art specialist engineering laboratories, including a clean room, a virtual reality suite and a project workshop.
The Diamond is a multi-disciplinary engineering teaching space, utilised by all seven departments and three interdisciplinary programme areas. Of the many disciplines taught at The Diamond – from materials science and aerospace to traditional mechanical engineering – the University’s bio-engineering degree is an innovative and technology-driven subject that uses engineering techniques to analyse and solve some of the most important questions in biology and medicine today.
For this undertaking, the bio-engineering department required a source of low- and high-pressure steam and, having looked at numerous solutions and manufacturers from the UK and Europe, approached Fulton for advice and a solution.
Low and high pressure steam is used by the department for process control in the laboratory-scale Solaris bio fermenters. These are used to produce a variety of single-cell organisms that are used to break down cells, extract DNA and look at protein extraction and expression. High pressure steam is used for vessel sterilisation to ensure that both the vessels are bacteria-free and ready for the next broth batch.
Commenting for the University of Sheffield, The Diamond’s technical operations manager, Dr Stephen Mason says: “A method of raising steam wasn’t considered as part of the building’s original specification so we started looking at laboratory steam generators, but couldn’t find a solution to provide the mass flow rate required for the faculty. It therefore became obvious that we needed some fairly serious steam-raising equipment and started looking at alternative boiler systems.”
Having dismissed steam generators, Stephen and his team looked at fuel-fired steam boilers but, with their requirement for ancillary equipment, these ‘traditional’ systems would have taken up too much of the laboratory’s valuable space and also weren’t deemed compatible with the building’s existing infrastructure. Additionally, with steam load only being required during teaching sessions, it was essential that a system could be powered-up and operational with 30 minutes and shut down again within just a few hours.
So, the University’s operations team started looking at numerous alternatives from manufacturers in the UK and Europe and eventually opted for a bespoke, skid-mounted EFS electric steam boiler system from Bristol-based Fulton Limited.
“With the search for a suitable source of steam for the bio-engineering laboratory having taken longer than we had hoped, our principal performance requirement had moved from output and size, to lead time.” says Stephen. “And having opened discussions with manufacturers in early December, Fulton was the only supplier able to survey, design, deliver and install a bespoke system within the three-month timescale required of the University.”
To make The Diamond an integral part of the city centre and allow visitors to watch students studying, a large proportion of the building façade is glass and the plant room (pilot plant) within it also surrounded by a glass partition. Because the Fulton EFS electric flash steam boiler was placed within the laboratory and therefore on display to students and visitors alike, the system was skid-mounted with a blowdown vessel that was housed in an identical cabinet to the boiler. The system was then delivered to site and installed within the self-contained, glass-fronted pilot plant, which also housed the Solaris fermenter.
With the boiler system installed on the ground floor and located almost at the point-of-use for the laboratory, all safety and planning aspects were discussed with, and solved by Fulton, with excess steam from the system being vented to roof-level via convoluted risers.
Having successfully resolved the planning and health and safety aspects of the installation, Fulton was also tasked with discussing the fermenter’s requirements for process steam with Solaris, the Italian manufacturer.
“Having no first-hand knowledge of fermenters or steam raising equipment, the University was delighted when Fulton took the lead on discussing its conceptual and detailed designs with Solaris, as the two companies were able to ensure that its systems worked seamlessly together.” says Stephen.
Fulton’s four-model EFS range has been designed specifically to deliver the short period/high demand steam loads that are typical of laboratory applications. The fully-automatic and self-contained steam boiler range incorporates an integrated feed water tank and feed water pump and provides short duration steam pulses at steady pressures. The EFS is able to meet fluctuations in steam loads and meets short-term peak flow rates of a typical steriliser cycle.
EFS boilers are designed to reduce entrainment of water droplets to a minimum and, as a result, produce high quality, contaminant-free steam. They are also quiet, clean and efficient and are protected with a fail-safe control system to ensure trouble-free operation in medical environments.
Working from a 400V 3ph 50Hz electrical supply, the University of Sheffield’s boiler system was designed by Fulton to BS1894 Class 2 and PED EC/97/23/EC and included an EFS54 automatic carbon steel electric flash steam boiler, rated at 86kg/h (F&A 100°C). This was skid-mounted with a Fulton model BDV2 blowdown vessel was constructed and certified to BS5500 Cat. 3.
