Industrial and Commercial Hot Water System Design, Fabrication, Installation, and Support

Choosing the right company specializing in engineering and integration services to design and install industrial and commercial hot water systems can significantly value your organization. You can realize this value through several key aspects, including expertise, cost savings, efficiency, safety, and scalability.

1. Expertise: A specialized company has extensive knowledge in designing, installing, and maintaining large-scale hot water systems. Their engineers and technicians are highly skilled in selecting the right components, such as boilers, pumps, valves, and control instrumentation, ensuring a high-quality and reliable system that meets the specific requirements of your business.
2. Cost savings: By partnering with an experienced company, you can save costs in several ways. First, you avoid making expensive mistakes during the design and installation phases. Second, the company's knowledge of the latest technologies and best practices allows them to design energy-efficient systems, reducing operational costs. Third, they can also help you take advantage of available incentives and rebates from utility companies and government programs.
3. Efficiency: A well-designed hot water system ensures optimal performance and efficiency. By working with a specialized company, you benefit from their expertise in selecting and configuring the right components to achieve the highest possible efficiency, reducing energy consumption, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and minimizing your environmental impact.
4. Safety: Industrial and commercial hot water systems involve high pressures, temperatures, and potential hazards. By partnering with a company experienced in these systems, you ensure adherence to all safety protocols and regulations, which reduces the risk of accidents and liabilities.
5. Scalability: As your business grows, your hot water system may need to be expanded or upgraded. An experienced company can design your system with scalability in mind, making it easier and more cost-effective to add capacity or make modifications in the future.
6. Compliance: A specialized company knows the codes, standards, and regulations governing large industrial and commercial hot water systems, ensuring that your system is designed and installed in compliance with all applicable requirements, avoiding potential fines and penalties.
7. Support and maintenance: A reliable partner can provide ongoing support, including regular maintenance, troubleshooting, and repairs, ensuring your hot water system remains in optimal condition throughout its lifecycle, reduces downtime, and extends the life of your investment.

Mead O'Brien offers engineering and integration services for  industrial and commercial hot water systems providing expertise, cost savings, efficiency, safety, scalability, compliance, and ongoing support. Partnering with Mead O'Brien leads to a more reliable, efficient, and cost-effective hot water system for your organization, while minimizing risks and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.

For more information, contact Mead O'Brien. Call (800) 874-9655 or visit https://meadobrien.com.

Mead O'Brien Is Your Preferred Source for Institutional and Industrial Hot Water Systems and Equipment

Mead O'Brien will assist you with turnkey steam and hot water generating systems for efficiency, energy savings, and emissions reduction. 

With their manufacturer partners Armstrong International, Lattner Boiler Manufacturing, Shannon Global Energy Solutions, Clark Reliance, and Laars Heating Systems, Mead O'Brien supplies complete equipment packages - including pumps, storage tanks, piping, condensate & steam traps, valves, level instruments, computerized control systems, and high-efficiency insulation. Mead O'Brien's expertise covers heating systems of any capacity. 

Mead O'Brien will also assist you in analyzing, designing, and installing boiler efficiency solutions with various fuel options that will reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Mead O'Brien will professionally and expertly assist you with:

• Commercial projects where the mechanical design takes advantage of a boiler's high turndown and condensing design for optimum hot water efficiency.
• Commercial heating projects where hot water temperatures are to be above 160°F.
• Industrial process applications that require high-pressure hot water.
• Vertical Tubeless Boilers
• Horizontal Firetube Boilers
• Low-NOx Boilers
• Electric Boilers
• Steam Trap Surveys
• Thermal Assessments
• Hot Water System Surveys

Contact Mead O'Brien today to learn more. Call (800) 892-2769 or visit https://meadobrien.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mead O'Brien Expands its Armstrong International Territory into Western Missouri and Kansas

North Kansas City, MO
Release: October 26th, 2020

Mead O’Brien, Inc. has signed a representative agreement with Armstrong International, a global leader in industrial and institutional steam & water thermal utility systems, to expand into the Western Missouri and Kansas territory.

Mead O'Brien supports customers with application engineering and design consulting of our product portfolio, surveys & assessments, field service, in-house assembly & repair, and training. The extensive product and application knowledge possessed by our sales experts and inside sales product champions are projected into all of our product portfolio territories in the Midwest.  Existing Armstrong customers in Western Missouri and Kansas can expect excellent service and product support from our North Kansas City location.  

“Our company is excited about our expanded partnership with Armstrong and we are eager to build upon the success our partnership has created over many years in our St. Louis and Calvert City, KY locations.  Our vision for this territory expansion will be based upon our culture of dedication to customer, superior service, applied industry knowledge, and our focus on client education.  Our mission is to be the technical experts with proven products for our customers with the goal of earning the opportunity to be their trusted advisors”

Ron Morrison, President, Mead O’Brien

“To continue efforts to provide our customers exceptional service and an enjoyable experience, as of October 26, 2020 we have expanded the Mead O’Brien territory to include Western Missouri and the State of Kansas. Mead O’Brien has faithfully represented Armstrong products and customers in Eastern Missouri, Southern Illinois, and Western Kentucky for many years, and their knowledge of thermal utility solutions and services is unmatched. We are confident that their expertise and passion to assist with system solutions will be a true asset to all existing and new customers within this important Midwest region.”

Matt Bloss, Director of North America Sales and Marketing of Armstrong International

Mead O'Brien is a midwestern regional manufacturer's representative and distributor headquartered in North Kansas City, MO with branches, warehouses, and repair facilities in St. Louis, MO; Calvert City, KY; and Tulsa, OK. Sister companies include H*E Engineered Equipment Co., J&M Engineered Products Inc., and Pinnacle Controls LLC. We approach our customers in the process, power, pipeline, HVAC, and the critical infrastructure industries as application specialists in:

• Valves, valve automation and control
• Steam and hot water products and systems
• Instrumentation and controls

Mead O'Brien supports customers with application engineering and design consulting of our product portfolio, surveys & assessments, field service, in-house assembly & repair, and training utilizing our live steam lab. The extensive product and application knowledge possessed by our sales experts and inside product champions are projected into all or parts of ten states in the Midwest including Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Southern Illinois, Southwest Indiana, Western Kentucky, and the Texas Panhandle.

CONTACT INFO:

Name: Steve Huffman, Vice President, Marketing & Business Development

Organization: Mead O'Brien, Inc.

Address: 1429 Atlantic St. North Kansas City, MO 64116

Phone: +1 (800) 874-9655

Contact: SalesKC@MeadOBrien.com 

Armstrong International Expands Partnership with Mead O'Brien to Kansas and Western Missouri

For over 93 years, Mead O'Brien St. Louis has successfully represented Armstrong International in eastern Missouri, southern Illinois, and western Kentucky. Both companies enjoyed strong sales growth and cultivated deep customer loyalty during that time. In October 2020, Armstrong International rewarded Mead O'Brien's success by assigning them representation in western Missouri and Kansas. 

Founded in 1900, Armstrong International is a family-owned company headquartered in Three Rivers, Michigan. Armstrong International provides intelligent control systems for steam, air, and hot water utility applications that improve performance, lower energy consumption, and reduce environmental emissions. Broadly stated, Armstrong International offers steam trapping and steam tracing equipment, steam system testing and monitoring products, condensate recovery equipment, and industrial hot water systems.

Mead O'Brien provides local expertise in industrial steam systems, hot water systems, and process control loops in all or parts of ten Midwestern states, including Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Southern Illinois, Indiana, Western Kentucky, and the Texas Panhandle. Mead O'Brien Sales Engineers are experts at identifying and quantifying energy losses from steam pipes, industrial and commercial boilers, and hot water systems and have a reputation as solution providers for the most demanding applications.

Services offered by Mead O'Brien and Armstrong:

Utilities System Audits:

• Steam Distribution
• Process Heat Transfer and Control
• Condensate Return
• Heat Recovery Opportunities
• Process, Ambient & Combustion Air
• Steam Trap Surveys & Database Creation
• Humidification Assessment
• Application issues; coil freezing issues, poor heat transfer & steam control, water hammer issues, high back-pressure

Steam, Condensate, & Hot Water Measurements, Control & Monitoring

Learning Systems:

• Armstrong University - Over 130 web-based courses
• Mead O'Brien Live Steam Lab

For more information, contact Mead O'Brien by calling (800) 892-2769 or visit their website at https://meadobrien.com.

Mead O'Brien: Problem Solver, Innovator, and Best Total Cost Provider

Mead O’Brien specializes in valves & valve automation, steam & hot water products and systems, instrumentation products, skid designs, field services, surveys, assessments, and consulting. The extensive product and application knowledge possessed by the Mead O'Brien sales force projects to all or part of ten states in the Midwest which includes Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas Panhandle, Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, and Southwest Indiana.

Steam Trapping and Steam Tracing Equipment

Inverted Bucket Steam Trap
(Armstrong)

An efficient steam trap wastes less energy, which means you burn less fuel and reduce emissions. The results are energy savings and a cleaner, healthier environment. By helping companies manage energy, Armstrong steam traps are also helping protect the world we all share.

As a steam trap wears, it loses efficiency and begins to waste energy. But Armstrong inverted bucket traps last years longer than other traps. They operate more efficiently longer because the inverted bucket is the most reliable steam trap operating principle known.

Clearly, the longer an efficient trap lasts, the more it reduces energy wasted, fuel burned and pollutants released into the air. It’s an all-around positive situation that lets the environment win, too. Bringing energy down to earth in your facility could begin with a renewed focus on your steam system, especially your steam traps. Said another way: Zeroing in your steam traps is an easy way to pay less money for energy—and more attention to the environment.

Companies around the world are beginning to realize that rather than being separate challenges, energy and the environment are and have always been a single mission. And that quality management in one area will surely impact the other.

The catalog below should be utilized as a guide for the installation and operation of steam trapping equipment. Selection or installation should always be accompanied by competent technical assistance or advice. Armstrong and its local representatives are available for consultation and technical assistance. We encourage you to contact your Armstrong Representative for complete details.

Steam Trapping and Steam Tracing Equipment from Mead O'Brien, Inc.

Mead O'Brien: Experts in Valves, Valve Automation, Steam & Hot Water Systems, Process Instruments

Mead O’Brien specializes in valves & valve automation, steam & hot water products and systems, instrumentation products, skid designs, field services, surveys, assessments, and consulting.

Product Focus:

• Valves, valve automation and control
• Steam and hot water products and systems
• Instrumentation and controls

For more information, visit http://www.meadobrien.com or call  (800) 892-2769.

Please pardon our little shameless self-promotion. Thanks for watching this short video highlighting Mead O'Brien products.

Steam Conservation Guidelines for Condensate Drainage

Any company that is energy conscious is also environmentally conscious. Less energy consumed means less waste, fewer emissions and a healthier environment.

In short, bringing energy and environment together lowers the cost industry must pay for both. By helping companies manage energy, Armstrong and Mead O'Brien products and services are also help protect the environment.

Steam is an invisible gas generated by adding heat energy to water in a boiler. Enough energy must be added to raise the temperature of the water to the boiling point. Then additional energy—without any further increase in temperature—changes the water to steam.

Steam is a very efficient and easily controlled heat transfer medium. It is most often used for transporting energy from a central location (the boiler) to any number of locations in the plant where it is used to heat air, water or process applications.

As noted, additional Btu are required to make boiling water change to steam. These Btu are not lost but stored in the steam ready to be released to heat air, cook tomatoes, press pants or dry a roll of paper.

The heat required to change boiling water into steam is called the heat of vaporization or latent heat. The quantity is different for every pressure/temperature combination, as shown in the steam tables.

Heat flows from a higher temperature level to a lower temperature level in a process known as heat transfer. Starting in the combustion chamber of the boiler, heat flows through the boiler tubes to the water. When the higher pressure in the boiler pushes steam out, it heats the pipes of the distribution system. Heat flows from the steam through the walls of the pipes into the cooler surrounding air. This heat transfer changes some of the steam back into water. That’s why distribution lines are usually insulated to minimize this wasteful and undesirable heat transfer.

When steam reaches the heat exchangers in the system, the story is different. Here the transfer of heat from the steam is desirable. Heat flows to the air in an air heater, to the water in a water heater or to food in a cooking kettle. Nothing should interfere with this heat transfer.

Condensate Drainage - Why It’s Necessary

Condensate is the by-product of heat transfer in a steam system. It forms in the distribution system due to unavoidable radiation. It also forms in heating and process equipment as a result of desirable heat transfer from the steam to the substance heated. Once the steam has condensed and given up its valuable latent heat, the hot condensate must be removed immediately. Although the available heat in a pound of condensate is negligible as compared to a pound of steam, condensate is still valuable hot water and should be returned to the boiler.

The document below provides and excellent reference for understanding the properties of steam and the importance of condensate drainage for an efficient system. You may also download your own copy of the Steam Conservation Guidelines for Condensate Drainage here.

Steam Conservation Guidelines for Condensate Drainage from Mead O'Brien, Inc.

Train Your People for Better Plant Steam and Hot Water Systems

Do the people who maintain your plant’s steam system really understand how to save you money?

It's probably a good idea to have them attend a professional steam and hot water training seminar. These programs provide a window into elements of the plant steam cycle as they observe live steam and condensate behavior in glass piping and glass-bodied steam traps under differing conditions. They gain very useful knowledge regarding:

• Steam generation 
• Distribution 
• Control & Heat transfer 
• Heat Recovery opportunities 
• Condensate removal & return

Mead O'Brien, a company with decades of experience in industrial and commercial steam and hot water systems provides such training. See their video below:

The Application of Heat in Industrial Applications

Heat exchanger (courtesy of Armstrong)

The measurement and control of heat related to fluid processing is a vital industrial function, and relies on regulating the heat content of a fluid to achieve a desired temperature and outcome.

The manipulation of a substance's heat content is based on the central principle of specific heat, which is a measure of heat energy content per unit of mass. Heat is a quantified expression of a systems internal energy. Though heat is not considered a fluid, it behaves, and can be manipulated, in some similar respects. Heat flows from points of higher temperature to those of lower temperature, just as a fluid will flow from a point of higher pressure to one of lower pressure. 

A heat exchanger provides an example of how the temperature of two fluids can be manipulated to regulate the flow or transfer of heat. Despite the design differences in heat exchanger types, the basic rules and objectives are the same. Heat energy from one fluid is passed to another across a barrier that prevents contact and mixing of the two fluids. By regulating temperature and flow of one stream, an operator can exert control over the heat content, or temperature, of another. These flows can either be gases or liquids. Heat exchangers raise or lower the temperature of these streams by transferring heat between them. 

Recognizing the heat content of a fluid as a representation of energy helps with understanding how the moderation of energy content can be vital to process control. Controlling temperature in a process can also provide control of reactions among process components, or physical properties of fluids that can lead to desired or improved outcomes.

 

Heat can be added to a system in a number of familiar ways. Heat exchangers enable the use of steam, gas, hot water, oil, and other fluids to deliver heat energy. Other methods may employ direct contact between a heated object (such as an electric heating element) or medium and the process fluid. While these means sound different, they all achieve heat transfer by applying at least one of three core transfer mechanisms: conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction involves the transfer of heat energy through physical contact among materials. Shell and tube heat exchangers rely on the conduction of heat by the tube walls to transfer energy between the fluid inside the tube and the fluid contained within the shell. Convection relates to heat transfer due to the movement of fluids, the mixing of fluids with differing temperature. Radiant heat transfer relies on electromagnetic waves and does not require a transfer medium, such as air or liquid. These central explanations are the foundation for the various processes used to regulate systems in industrial control environments.

The manner in which heat is to be applied or removed is an important consideration in the design of a process system. The ability to control temperature and rate at which heat is transferred in a process depends in large part on the methods, materials, and media used to accomplish the task.