Congratulations to all participants submitting papers for issue # EE 05. We have received 41 contributions of which 2 were very good, 15 good, 8 average and rest were below average.

"Issue # EE 05
Monitoring and controlling the stack gas temperature of a combustion process as well as oxygen (O₂) in the stack gas are the minimum requirement to check on unnecessary fuel consumption. Rules of thumb are that reduction of 20^oC of stack gas temperature will reduce fuel consumption by 1%. Reduction of 1% of O₂ in the stack gas will reduce fuel consumption by between 0.5% and 1% depending of the fuel fired."

Questions are:
a. Where would you measure the stack gas temperature and why do you recommend this location, in the system.
b. Which is the best solution to measure either O₂ or CO₂ in the stack gas and why is it the best solution.
c. Where would you place the O₂ sensor and why do you select this location.

Most contributors in more or less lengthy and exhaustive papers with lots of additional information came to the following right conclusions.

1) Measure the stack gas temperature at a point behind the last heat exchanger of a boiler.
2) It is best to measure %O₂ in the stack gas, because one can easily see error in calculating the excess air
    without knowing the fuel composition.
3) The oxygen sensor should be if possible placed at a point of positive pressure in the ducting system to
     avoid picking up O₂ from air infiltration.
4) None of the papers correctly addressed the issue of measuring acceptable % O₂ in the wet gas, or % O₂
    in the dry gas, which may give vastly different results in case of fuels that are moist and / or have a high 
    Hydrogen content.
5)There was also no good reference to the issue of measuring acceptable % O₂ at the sensor point while at
    the same time there may be already a dangerously low % O₂ level close to the water wall, resulting in     increased repair and maintenance costs.


We award two first prizes of Rs. 5,000 each to:
1. Mr. K. Gunasekar (Nirma Limited Baroda), and
2. Mr. B. N. Singh (BSES Limited, Dahanu Thermal Power Station)

There are two other good papers submitted, worth mentioning, though no prize is given to them.
1. Mr. Rajkumar Nagarajan (Central Power Research Institute, Trivandram)
2. Mr. Rashid Shaikh

Congratulations to winners! , Keep up the good work

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