The Teaford Company was selected by Louisiana Pacific to supply the heat energy system for their Houlton, Maine OSL expansion project. 

The 225 MMBTU per hour Teaford energy system includes a 120 MMBTU per hour Teaford thermal oil heater and heat for the existing rotary dryers. 

Fuel is delivered to the energy system from a Teaford 20,000 cubic foot enclosed fuel bin with a hydraulic walking floor. To provide a consistent fuel mixture to the energy system, the fuel is metered out of the fuel bin, mixed with dry fuel and weighed with a weigh belt conveyor. A totally enclosed drag chain conveyor delivers the fuel to the metering bin above the ram feeders that feed the 225 mm BTU per hour reciprocating grate. 

The primary and secondary combustion chambers were designed to minimize emissions. The secondary combustion chambers are designed with Teaford’s exhaust gas recirculation system (EGR). This EGR is designed to use recycle flue gases from the dryer and thermal oil heater to reduce all emissions. 

The Teaford 120 MMBTU/hr thermal oil system is believed to be the largest single thermal oil heater built in the United States. The Teaford system consists of radiant helical coil heaters and convective heaters along with a multiple cyclone collector, combustion air heater, induced draft fan and a PPC dry electrostatic precipitator. Teaford also supplied the primary thermal oil pumping station consisting of primary pumps, piping and associated equipment necessary to complete the overall thermal oil package. 

A PLC based control system was designed and provided by Teaford including programming, HMI screen development and I/O and PLC cabinets. Teaford builds their electric panels in house and tests them prior to installing them in the field. This provides more control over the final end product.

Teaford Construction, LLC provided all of the mechanical installation of the system for Louisiana Pacific. The late hard winter at the beginning of the project and the early winter at the end of the project left only four (4) months when snow did not fall in Houlton, Maine during the 2007 year. Despite the shortened summer of 2007, the energy system was successfully brought on line in knee deep snow.