Approximately 95% of the conditioned square footage on campus is heated and cooled using the Central Utilities Plant. The central plant is equipped with two package water tube boilers with a total capacity of 100 Mlb per hour of steam. They are fueled by interruptible natural gas and/or No. 2 fuel oil. A Third boiler is a Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG), which is part of the cogeneration plant. The HRSG capacity is 25,000 Mlb per hour unfired, and 45,000 Mlb per hour fired via a duct burner. Total steam plant capacity, including the HRSG, is 140 Mlb per hour. Steam is distributed to the campus through two underground distribution piping mains.
Buildings not connected to the central plant are primarily smaller facilities where the cost of connection is not economical. Typically, they are heated by individual package boilers powered by natural gas or use of geothermal heat pumps. One exception to this is the 100% electrically heated and cooled Athletic Recreation Center, which was built in 1976, when electric energy was economical.
Central Utilities Plant Components
- One 5.2 MW Solar Turbine dual fuel natural gas and #2 oil, and Ideal electricity generator, and turbine inlet cooling
- One ERI heat recovery steam generator HRSG, 28,000 PPH unfired, 42,000 PPH fired
- Two Gardner Denver natural gas reciprocating compressors with lead/lag controls
- One Cleaver Brooks high pressure steam boiler, dual fuel natural gas and #2 oil, 40,000 PPH
- One Superior high pressure steam boiler, dual fuel natural gas and #2 oil, 40,000 PPH
- Two York steam turbine centrifugal chillers, 2,000 tons each
- One Trane electric centrifugal chiller, 1,500 tons
- One Trane single stage absorption chiller, 1,000 tons built 1999
- Two Baltimore Air Coil cooling towers, 2,000 ton nominal capacity each, built 1992