Buying Condensing Steam Boiler For Your Industry | Is It Worth It?
Did you know industrial boilers dissipate 17 to 30 percent of their heat through exhaust gases? That is a big sum if you consider the fact that every fraction of their vapor can help increase boiler performance. If a boiler can save even 20 percent of that, it would be well worth buying it. Condensing steam boiler is one of those boiler kinds.
For that reason, if you don’t want to waste 30% of your fuel heat, buying a condensing steam boiler as soon as possible would be better. The following article will tell you everything about condensing steam boiler that will surely help you buy an ideal product. Moreover, you’ll get a general review of their types to see which one suits your industry.
Condensing Steam Boiler And Its Types
A condensing boiler is a high efficiency steam boiler that can recover the heat from exhaust gases and convert it back into useful energy. It means this high-efficiency steam boiler will use less fuel overall and have better control over your energy costs.
A condensing steam boiler is more efficient than a non-condensing boiler. As the name suggests, it uses a condenser to cool the exhaust gas and re-condenses it into water. As a result, this process allows higher levels of energy output from your steam generator. That is the reason experts call it by the name of “waste heat recovery boiler.”
The general principle of the working is to condense water vapors back to their liquid state. It helps conserve the latent heat of vaporization, which increases efficiency by up to 15 to 20 percent.
Condensing steam boiler can cost significantly more than their non-condensing counterparts. The reason is their requirement for specialized equipment absent in cheaper models. Moreover, it needs complex plumbing systems for installation, which makes a difference in the cost.
Considering its industrial usage and market demand, this boiler comes in various shapes, sizes, and variants. Below you’ll find its primary types based on technical statistics and usage fields.
● Types Of Condensing Steam Boiler On A Technical Basis
Being a vastly manufactured industrial product, the boiler has different variants. Moreover, the types of condensers also vary across types. Study shows that carbon steel condenser is more efficient than stainless steel condenser. Besides that, each type has its own benefit. Let’s see how they can be your potential purchase choice.
1. Gas Fired
If you are looking for a low-cost option, a gas-fired condensing steam boiler is ideal for you. As it uses natural gas as a readily available and inexpensive fuel, many industries prefer it.
● Operation
Its mechanism isn’t much different from other reactive boilers. Most of these boilers have a stainless-steel condenser. Therefore, their efficiency isn’t as good as carbon steel condensers. Still, it is 10 to 12 percent more efficient than conventional gas-fired boilers.
Furthermore, it is ideal for industries that do not want to spend too much money on renewable energy sources. Plus, it extracts wasted heat from the exhaust gases, which decreases its carbon footprint and makes it eco-friendly. Operationally, these can also have certain variations with the tube immersions, such as water tube boilers.
It can be beneficial because it allows them to save money while still benefiting from clean energy sources. Gas-fired condensing steam boilers are also very easy to use and maintain. Their framework has various safety features, such as leakage protection control. These make them easy to handle in any environment.
For that reason, the boiler takes precautions all by itself in factories or warehouses where hazardous or flammable chemicals may approach the product.
● Design
In summary, the gas-fired condensing steam boiler has two parts. One is the water heating part that also generates steam. The other one is the heat-extracting part having a finned tube condenser. Moreover, it has a circulation pump in some of the boilers that help increase the flow speed of exhaust gases.
The water heating part mainly consists of the boiler shell, steam drum, flue pipe, and water softener. Besides that, condensing steam boilers also have a deaerator that eliminates mixed gases in feedwater from the supply.
Overall boiler design is made of stainless steel. It has several metal-coated layers and an extra aluminum silicate insulation in some variants that decreases heat loss. All and all, these factors make it compact and durable against high pressure and temperature.
● Technical specifications
A gas-fired condensing boiler’s steam capacity is normally between 1 to 20 tons/hour. As for the weight, it can vary according to customers’ choice. The ideal weight of a boiler is normally between 4800kg and 48600kg.
Talking about the dimensions, these vary across different service providers. The dimensions of most gas-fired condensing boilers are usually in the range of 3200 x 1800 x 2000 to 8050 x 3750 x 3960 LxWxH MM.
Gas-fired steam condensing steam boiler can work at 184°C to 225°C, depending on the type and model of boiler. However, the rated working pressure varies from 1.0 MPa to 2.5 MPa, depending on the type and model of the boiler.
Lastly, the efficiency of a gas-fired condensing boiler ranges from 90% to 95%.
2. Oil Fired
As the name indicates, this boiler can only run with a single fuel option: oil. Moreover, the categories can change. Most condensing oil fired boilers are compatible with the following oil options.
- Liquid gasoline
- Kerosene Oil
- Heavy Oil
Besides that, some high efficiency steam boiler can also run on diesel, but that is an exception. These products were an excellent choice up until the 2020s. Due to the recent inflation, oil prices are on a hike, increasing their production cost vastly.
● Operation
The operating procedure of these boilers is similar to other types of condensing steam boilers. However, the fuel supply system may or may not change. Moreover, the burner is another thing that keeps varying. as oil is highly combustible, so most storage containers are separate. Furthermore, some advanced products can work with a direct supply of oil.
However, the flow of fuel can impact the combustion process. So, instead of leaving the flow unattended, these boilers use special equipment that blocks extra power and gives access to the appropriate amount at a specific time.
The boiler has valves and vessels immersed in water which is why some people refer to it as an immersion fire tube or smoke tube boiler with high boiler capacity. Moreover, some have LCDs to monitor operation status.
Design
These condensing steam boiler have a full wet back structure with a horizontal orientation. That is why it takes minimum space. Moreover, some oil fired condensing boilers have threaded pipe and bending exhaust valves designed for increased heat absorption.
The total structure is stainless steel to prevent corrosion and metal spoilage. As for the door, it has a combination of thick metal sheets that makes it explosion-proof.
Technical Specifications
As this condensing steam boiler has oil as a primary fuel choice, its production cost is also more. To counter that, some manufacturers use carbon steel condensers. For that reason, its efficiency reaches a level of 90 to 93 percent.
Considering the fact that its boiler shell has no separate container for fuel, its rated steam capacity is also a bit greater than others. It starts from 1 and goes all the way up to 20t/h. Rated working pressure and temperature ranges are 0.7Mpa to 2.5Mpa and 171 ℃ to 225 ℃, respectively.
3. Biomass Condensing Steam Boiler
A biomass-condensing steam boiler is a type that uses wood, wood pellets, or other organic material to generate steam. This technology has been in the market for decades. In addition, it continues to grow in popularity due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Biomass-condensing steam boiler are often considered an alternative to traditional fossil fuel-powered boilers. The reason is that they use exhaust heat from natural combustion processes. It helps them to heat fresh water instead of using fossil fuels directly for heat extraction.
The exhaust gases from these processes are then used as part of the process for heating your water supply.
Design
The design of biomass condensing boilers is a very important aspect of the product. Companies pay great attention to it to withstand high pressures, temperatures, and steam flow rates.
Like any other boiler, the outer structure is the same. Stainless steel ensures the durability and integrity of the boiler shell. However, there can be an extra container for the residue of fuel waste. This boiler leaves solid waste residue behind that must be dealt with swiftly.
The condensing steam boiler can either have a simple pressure vessel design or a high-end pressure vessel heat transfer rate framework. Both of these require special operational guidelines.
Operation
The overall procedural operation is the same. However, the fuel transportation method is different. Some firms use a stoker burner that makes it easy to transport solid fuel using a fluidized motion.
Moreover, the water temperature behind the shell must be kept below 95°F (35°C) for effective heat exchange with steam. It can reach as high as 200°F (93°C) during summer. So, air conditioning is turned on to cool buildings down because of lower outdoor temperatures. At the same time, it will reduce overall efficiencies by about 5% per degree C.
Technical Specifications
The flue gas pipe diameter can range from 250mm to 350mm. Therefore, heat absorption is greater. That is the reason why its efficiency lies between 93 to 95 percent. Its maximum operating pressure is 3 to 5 bar. In comparison, the water temperature range is 27 to 80 C.
● Types Of Condensing Steam Boiler On The Usage Basis
There isn’t much explanation in this category. Previously discussed boilers come under these two levels. People either use it in homes for heating water or generating steam, or industries use it for steam production. In both cases, condensing boilers perform exceptionally well, all thanks to their condenser.
- Residential Condensing Hydronic Boiler
- Condensing Steam Boiler Industrial
How Does Condensing Steam Boiler Act As A Waste Heat Recovery Boiler?
No one likes when the product starts dissipating precious energy. Condensing boiler isn’t on the list of those products. Instead, a condensing boiler is a heat recovery boiler. The waste heat boiler working principle involves an air-cooled component built in that condenses steam from the boiler. Next, it returns the liquid for reheating. That is why most people refer to it as a waste heat recovery boiler.
The condenser absorbs waste heat from the exhaust stream. It can directly heat water or discharge it through another component, such as a cooling tower or radiator. Furthermore, some stainless steel condensers may also absorb some of the pressure from the exhaust stream. It happens before steam enters the cooling tower, which reduces the pressure required to drive fluid flow through it.
Besides that, some of its types use waste fuel like street waste, wood scrubs, and other raw materials to extract heat from it. For instance, a biomass condensing boiler works with the same kind of technology as any other type of boiler. It has a standard fuel-fired furnace, except its only fuel choice is wood, coal, waste materials, and sometimes refined street disposal.
It means that it saves money on fuel costs at a time when energy prices are high and retains its title of the waste heat recovery boiler.
● Waste Heat Boiler Function
Waste heat recovery boilers are extensively used for space heating, process heating, and industrial and marine applications. Moreover, they are an active part of the auxiliary heat source for wood stoves or furnaces.
Moreover, the boiler capacity to use dirty old fuels such as coal without having to clean them first is a lifesaver for massive industrial plants. It makes it easier for them to use large amounts of waste heat that might remain unutilized otherwise.
Every condensing boiler has advanced waste heat recovery technologies. Therefore, they have a high thermal efficiency (up to 90%) and low emissions (less than 0.5 g/kWh). Typically they have stainless steel structures, but some have copper alloy with good corrosion resistance. Their ductile design properties allow them to withstand high pressures without rupturing. Therefore, high-rated working pressure industries can also consider its purchase.
Waste Heat Recovery And TLV | How Do They Increase Boiler Efficiency?
The Waste Heat Recovery and Thermostat Load Valve both make the boiler efficient using the same principle. Thermostat load valves and waste heat recovery boiler do it by increasing their ability to conserve waste heat in flue gases.
A waste heat recovery boiler does that with the help of a condenser. It increases the latent heat of vaporization by converting the gases into a liquid state. At the same time, TLV minimizes heat dissipation by restricting heat loss in flue gases.
To do so, TLV keeps the water body shell temperature above 140 C at all times. Moreover, it has a similar function to a condenser called a steam trap.
Steam Trap
A steam trap is the referral term for condensing heated flue gases in a thermostat load valve. The valve does so by filtering out the air using complex combustion air percentage. It keeps the level at a certain level and condenses any air that passes through the filter. The condensed air then becomes a resulting factor in elevating efficiency and saving collective energy.
Condensing Vs. Non-Condensing Steam Boiler | Which Is The Best?
Both condensing and non-condensing boilers have their own pros and cons. However, some industry owners prefer condensing boilers because of their higher efficiency and energy-saving attributes.
Non-condensing steam boiler don’t function like condensing models. They require more maintenance because they are outdated and don’t produce much steam in the first place. Moreover, They lack a condenser which is the primary difference between them.
Furthermore, you’ll need to add insulation around non-condensing ones so as not to lose heat through drafts or leaks. However, most condensing boilers come with leakage detection automation systems.
By far, condensing steam boiler are the preferable choice, according to facts. Remember, these things will come with a price. Condensing boilers aren’t as inexpensive as non-condensing boilers. Both have a noticeable difference in their price ranges. In conclusion, condensing boilers would be the best option if you are willing to pay a hefty cash amount to save energy and fuel.
As a matter of fact, recent studies show that carbon steel condenser boilers can help you get your cashback in 2 years. In contrast, a stainless steel condenser can take 5 to 7 years. Long story short, consider it a short-time investment as you’ll be getting far more value from it in practice.
Optimum Condensing Steam Boiler Cost For A Buyer
Condensing steam boiler prices change with their design, condenser types, size, capacity, and fuel requirements. An ideal condensing boiler ranges from $2000 to $7000. However, some boilers exceeding standard steam-rated capacity can exceed this average range.
If it is your first time, you may want to consider buying an inexpensive model first with minimum capacity and size. It will help you judge the product before moving on to something bigger.
If you still don’t know what kinds of features would work best for your industry or facility needs, just call us, and we’ll assist you with the query.
Conclusion
With the above facts in place, there is no doubt that condensing steam boiler are the best choice for every industry that needs steam. The boilers serve the purpose well and give you a lot extra. For instance, these products help you save money and increase your industry’s annual revenue through fuel efficiency.
Now that you know condensing boiler is the best choice for industry owners like yourself, you may ask where to buy it from. Well, this industry has a lot of saturation. You’ll find diverse options but try to go for the one that uses rigorous testing procedures to make its products safe and error-free. That is how it will ensure your firm’s success and your employees’ safety.