Working closely with the museum’s representatives, engineers custom-designed a horizontal gas flow that maintained performance while fitting within the tight spatial constraints. Accommodating equipment of this scale under such conditions required careful planning and coordination to ensure the boilers remained in continuous operation, a process described by installation teams as “like building a ship in a bottle.”
Designed for maximum heat recovery, the HeatSponge can be maintained directly by plant personnel without outside assistance. A project engineer remarked on the superior design of the economisers, noting that the tube elements can be individually removed and replaced without welding. Each tube connects through a simple compression fitting, making maintenance straightforward and efficient.
A representative of the museum’s professional association remarked,
…It is rare that a project meets so many important goals. We have reduced the amount of energy we need to consume in our operations, and at the same time generating significant cost savings. We have reduced our carbon footprint and have contributed to a greener [city]…
The rebate programme representative noted that the project was among the largest economiser installations supported through the initiative, highlighting its significance and potential to encourage broader adoption of waste heat recovery technology.
They added that the rebates enabled the art institution to secure immediate approval for project funding, since the proposal not only met but exceeded standard payback requirements, eliminating the need to move through the usual capital budget request process.
Having been in reliable service for more than a decade, the economisers have demonstrated long-term durability and consistent efficiency gains. They have reduced fuel use and proven the lasting value of a flexible, serviceable economiser design in a facility with highly constrained space and critical environmental requirements.
