Increasing Industrial Boiler Efficiency

The efficiency of an industrial boiler is an important aspect of the economical management of a plant. Industrial boilers that work well save your company money as well. There are multiple ways to increase your system’s efficiency that can be implemented easily. Most options don’t require site modification and several of the changes can be combined for added efficiency. Although there are many ways to increase your boiler’s efficiency, below are five simple parts that can make a big difference.

Air preheaters

Using air preheaters is a fast way to boost the efficiency of your industrial boiler. There are two main types of preheaters, known as regenerators and recuperators. These devices recover wasted heat from flue gas, then use the wasted heat to preheat combustion air. The recuperator system can be installed in a stack to transfer heat from outgoing gas to incoming air. A regenerator includes the heat storage sections transferring heat from the flue gas to combustion air.

Replacement burners

Industrial boiler burners begin to deteriorate over time, losing their efficiency. Eventually, you should replace or retrofit the burners. There are several options to consider when contemplating a burner replacement. If you cannot opt for new burners, retrofits can still provide a significant amount of savings at just a fraction of the cost.

Turbulators

If you are looking to maximize the efficiency of a firetube industrial boiler, you may want to consider turbulators. These devices are simply inserted into a firetube boiler to increase the turbulence of the gas inside the tubes. Installing turbulators promotes an efficient heat transfer by controlling a turbulent flow in the passes. Turbulators are typically placed in the last pass. These devices are an inexpensive upgrade for the efficiency of older firetube boilers.

Boiler economizers

Boiler economizers take wasted heat and transfer the heat to a system’s feed water, instead of combustion air. The preheated water is closer to the temperature needed to produce steam. This process means you will save energy, as the preheated water enters the steam drum. Economizers also reduce the possibility of thermal shock, as they minimize water temperature fluctuations.

Condensate return systems

Boiler condensation is basically hot water. This water is what you need to run your system. Recovering condensate can save you wasted energy and money. Installing a return condensate system will help to recover the condensate heat and water. The water has to be carefully matched with your industrial boiler system to guarantee quality. Often, modern boilers include return systems. If you have an older industrial boiler, you may want to consider installing a condensate return system.

To improve the efficiency of your industrial boiler, contact the professionals at Allen’s Tri-State Mechanical Inc. in Amarillo,Texas. We can help with all of your plumbing needs. You can reach us at (806) 376-8345 or Contact Us by email to learn more about our heavy industrial, residential, and commercial services. You can also stop by our office at 404 S. Hayden Street.