SigmaBlow 4.0™ the Newest Generation

With the invention of the SigmaCommissioning™ Program by BEST, our goal was to deploy our patented technology throughout the world to help EPC Customers, Owners, and OEM's realize the benefits and savings from a modernized pre-commissioning program. We have accomplished this in 28 countries on 5 continents with every type of plant design imaginable.

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Early generations of SigmaBlow technology, versions 1.0 and 2.0, despite the benefits, involved complex temporary piping and were difficult to operate. Our EPC customers incurred expenses to save time. We found that often the budgets and scope of the EPC had little room to expend resources to recover time.  

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For this reason, we invested two years into research and development to dramatically reduce the piping the EPC needed to install. We achieved this with the development of SigmaBlow 3.0™.

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​SigmaBlow 3.0™ technology dramatically reduced the piping to be installed by the EPC, utilizes less fuel, 1/10th the water of conventional steam blows, takes 7 days to complete, and commissions 90% of the plant at the same time to base-load, recovering 2-5 weeks of the projects schedule.

 

 

Challenged to Continue to Improve the EPC Experience, the BEST Team Didn't Stop There

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"Excellent Firms Don't Believe in Excellence — Only in 
Constant Improvement and Constant Change."

— Tom Peters
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The Next Generation of SigmaBlow 4.0 is Here! 

Utilizing the plant design, BES&T Engineers have reduced the piping to less than SigmaBlow 3.0 and less than a low-pressure steam blow to the atmosphere! Judah Hiat, P.E. came from the EPC construction world and worked continuously with his team of experts in piping modeling, stress analysis, and dynamic flow modeling to lower the usage cost to the EPC even more.

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New!  BEST SigmaBlow 4.0 technology reduces piping, uses less fuel and water while commissioning 90% of the plant simultaneously to base-load, recovering 2-5 weeks of schedule time.

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Other companies have tried a different approach to reduce temporary piping. By using acids to chemical-clean the HRSG, and flushing with high-velocity pre- and post- chemical cleaning, and then hydrolyzing the MS and HRH/CRH piping, they design larger bypass valves to allow for steam blowing without any piping. This is an innovative idea but one that does not generate the results expected.

 

Economics and Opportunity

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Because SigmaBlow 3.0 and 4.0 are so valuable for our clients' projects, we are able to offer the following:

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For projects with a multiple unit configuration that are planning to utilize a Low-Pressure Steamblow to Atmosphere (LPSBA) and have already awarded a subcontract for that work, BEST will offer a one-time project user license to the project and contractor.

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The existing design, temporary piping, and equipment for the LPSBA can be modified/repurposed to support the SigmaBlow 4.0 process. The existing subcontractor personnel can also be utilized to apply the process. In this case, the project can achieve a project savings of 5 to 20 times the cost of adding BEST SigmaBlow 4.0.

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• Very tight non-disclosure agreements must be signed off by all project stakeholders involved

• BEST will take the information provided to the contractor and will engineer SigmaBlow 4.0

• Small modifications to the piping will be designed

• Procedures are written

• Isolation equipment and Condenser safety equipment can be flown to the job site 

• If the contractor's target inserters are suitable for the use they will be incorporated

• BEST field services personnel will mobilize to the site to assist with the blows

BEST will amend any blow for a fixed price. Guaranteed!

 

Financing and Payment Opportunities

• BEST will accept a flat fee and accept a fixed daily fee for every day of schedule saved

• BEST will accept a savings fee of 30% of all gas and water costs saved

• BEST can finance SigmaCommissioning with mid-term financing for large projects over budget
   

Economic Value Model for Total SigmaCommissioning Program

• Elimination of high-velocity flush

• Elimination of chemical cleaning with acid to steam cycle*

• Elimination of frac tank rentals

• Elimination of hydrolyzing

• Demin Water reduction to 1-2 million gallons of total consumption (2x1)

• Completion of the SigmaBlow™ in <10days

• Commissioning of the HRSG and CTG's to baseload including green rotor runs

• Commissioning and cleaning of the entire water-steam cycle to action level 1 during SigmaBlows

• Temporary piping equal to an LPSBA or less

• Highest CFR's available and Highest Kinetic Energy for cleaning within OEM specifications

• Up to 2-5 weeks schedule reduction for commissioning

• Superior condenser protection

• Reduction in CTG trips

• SigmaBlow provides for clean Aluminum “Targets” at baseload, with all standard plant attemperation in use

• SigmaClean and SigmaBlow results in zero hazardous waste from the cleaning of HRSG's

• Duct burners commissioned at the same time

• Elimination of fuel gas-related trips

• Elimination of boiler feed pump-related trips

• ACC condenser vacuum assured pre-fire

• Lower labor costs

• Lower project day costs

• Reduced LD risk

• Schedule recovery 

• Revenue created from electrical generation at baseload to the grid

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BEST Certifies

Between fuel gas reductions, water cost reduction, labor reductions, secondary cleaning service reductions, schedule reductions to COD, LD reductions, TVM improvement, and long-term steam turbine security; every project will realize cost savings greater than the implementation costs from working with SigmaCommissioning™ and BEST.

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Any client that will share in the value savings derived from the project in writing and a performance bond will receive a flat fee price with no possibility of change orders even for delays caused by others. Commissioning delays will stop the clock on the  BEST value model and total value formulas applied for payment to BEST.

 

​​​​​* improperly stored, shipped, erected, or hydro tested HRSG's displaying excessive corrosion may be required to be acid cleaned
   to remove the corrosion pre-first fire.

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