I often experience this in industrial practice, that boiler systems are pushed to their limits, to achieve production goals. But one high steam production is rarely a question of boiler size, but of intelligent operational management.
Whoever eliminates the hidden energy losses in the system, basically receives “free” Additional steam. Here are the 5 most effective adjustment screws from practice - explained clearly and without complex theory.
Optimization potential for efficient and high steam production
1. The combustion: Find the right size
Think of the burner like a carburetor: The ratio of air to fuel must be exactly right.
- Too little air: The fuel does not burn completely. Soot is created, which is deposited on the pipes and massively blocks heat transfer.
- Too much air: This is the more common mistake. The excess air is unnecessarily heated in the boiler and blows valuable energy out the chimney.
The solution: Install an automatic one O2 control. This “breathes” with the boiler and always keeps the excess air at an optimal level, minimal area. This ensures a hotter flame and more steam output per cubic meter of gas.
2. Use exhaust heat (Economiser)
In many older systems, the exhaust gas escapes into the atmosphere at over 200°C or 250°C. This is a complete waste of energy.
A Economiser is a heat exchanger, which sits in the exhaust gas stream. He uses these “waste heat”, to preheat the cold feed water, before it flows into the boiler.
The rule of thumb for practitioners: If you change the feed water temperature by exhaust heat 6Increase °C, save 1% fuel. Or the other way around: They produce with the same fuel 1% more steam.
3. Fight the Kettlestone (Water treatment)
Water quality is the most critical factor for stable steam production. Hard water leads to scale deposits (Scale) in the heating surfaces.
Scale acts as a strong insulating layer. The heat from the burner no longer reaches the water efficiently. The consequences are fatal:
- Steam production drops noticeably.
- Fuel consumption increases dramatically.
- The material of the flame tubes can overheat and crack.
A modern monitoring system for water hardness and automated desalination often pays off after just a few months.
4. Hot condensate is better than cold fresh water
Every liter of condensate, that comes back from production, is “Worth its weight in gold”. Why? Because this water is already hot and chemically pure.
If you have cold fresh water (z.B. 10°C) to use, the boiler has to use enormous energy, just to bring it to boiling temperature. Condensate often comes back at 80°C or 90°C. This energy difference is immediately available to you additional evaporation performance available.
Praxis-Check: Check your condensate lines. Condensate is often simply led into the duct, because return pumps are defective or lines are missing.
5. Stop steam losses (Steam trap)
Steam trap (Steam Traps) should let water through, but retain steam. If they are defective (“blow through”), the freshly produced steam escapes unused into the condensate system.
In a facility with 100 Steam traps are statistically common 10 bis 15 defect. That's the equivalent of a giant hole in your steam line. Through regular maintenance (z.B. with ultrasound devices) close these holes and instantly increase the available steam pressure for your machines.
More steam through less waste
You often don't need to buy a new boiler, to get more steam. The optimization of combustion, Heat recovery and condensate management are often used 10% bis 20% more power free.
Would you like to check the potential of your system?? We support you in taking stock and uncovering sources of loss.
