From electricity generation to cement production, agriculture to automotive, the applications of Industrial steam boilers are infinite. Depending on their uses, shapes, and sizes, the industrial steam boiler cost varies. The question is, how do you find the one that best fits your business and yet, is affordable? Well, don’t worry; we’re here to help.
Stick to the article, and you’ll learn about the industrial steam boiler costs and the types available in the market. This article will also cover the feature you need to consider before buying any industrial steam boiler to ensure you get the perfect steam boiler for your industry.
Guide to Industrial Steam Boiler Cost
The cost of industrial steam boilers varies depending on the method of steam generation, combustion technology, and the heat source they use. These boilers come with steam boiler prices tag and offer different features. Let’s discuss them individually and find the one best suited to your requirements.
Industrial Steam Boiler Cost Based on the Method of the Steam Generation
There are two main types of boilers based on the method of steam generation. They are:
1. Fire Tube Boiler
Fire tube boilers are the most common types used in small and medium-sized industries, such as textiles, laundry, feed mills, etc. They usually come in packages with pumps and control systems and only require a fuel and water supply connection before operation. They have a cylinder-shaped shell with tubes going through it, and they heat the water to produce steam.
Additionally, fire tube boilers are effective steam generators for low to medium steam requirements, often less than 15 bar. In addition to being fuel-efficient and more straightforward to operate than water-tube boilers, they typically have cheaper startup costs due to their simple construction. However, working at higher pressure requires thicker plates and tube walls, which makes the design less cost-effective.
Considering the industrial steam boiler cost depends on their size, type, performance, and power requirements. Generally, firetube industrial boilers cost in the range of $40,000 – $80,000. If you’re looking for larger boilers, they can cost you around $1100 – $100,000 or above.
2. Water tube boiler
Water tube boilers are usually used in large manufacturing sites and electricity utilities, which require high capacities and steam pressure. Instead of fire-tube boilers, they have water inside the tubes heated by the fire on the outside. With this design, you can heat water more quickly and effectively, generating more steam.
Note that water tube boilers are the best choice when a facility requires a lot of steam, typically tens of thousands of pounds per steam per hour. In addition, they are an excellent option when your firm needs quick steam generation. As a result, it is an effective machinery for creating high steam on demand.
Coming to the water tube industrial steam boiler costs, you can get a low-pressure water tube boiler in the $20,000 – $50,000. However, high-end boilers can cost up to $100,000. Here, many factors determine the cost of these boilers. So, for the exact price, you’ll have to talk to customer support and tell them your requirements.
How To Know One Steam Boiler Replacement Cost?
A steam boiler replacement’s cost might vary depending on a number of factors. You should take into account the following:
Size of Boiler: Depending on the size of the boiler you require, you can alter the price of replacement. Boilers that are larger often cost more than those that are smaller.
The efficiency of the Boiler: The cost will also be impacted by the efficiency of the boiler you select. Boilers with higher energy efficiency are often more costly.
Installation Fees: The installation fee for a new steam boiler varies according to the installation’s complexity and the boiler’s location.
Expenses of Labor: The cost of labor will have an effect on the project’s overall cost. In general, experts with greater experience and competence will charge more for their services.
Cost of Materials: The cost of materials used during installation, such as insulation, pipe, and fittings, might also be a factor.
It’s recommended to seek quotations from a few reliable HVAC companies to estimate the cost of replacing a steam boiler. They can assess your unique requirements and provide you with a precise quotation based on the aforementioned considerations. To guarantee that the project is completed safely and effectively, it’s crucial to select a skilled contractor with experience in steam boiler installation.
Industrial Steam Boiler Cost based on Combustion Technology
You can find different boilers based on the combustion technology they use. A few of them are mentioned below.
1. Fluidized Bed Combustion
A fluidized combustion technology differs in the way that it burns solid fuel. Here, a pressurized liquid or gas is sent across the medium, which makes the solid particles behave like a fluid under specific circumstances.
The heat released during combustion heats the surrounding tubes, generating steam. The main advantage of this technology is its improved thermal efficiency and easy ash removal.
Regarding fluidized bed combustion industrial steam boiler cost, it varies from $20,000 to $500,000 for a steam pressure of 1.25 to 2.5 Mpa. However, for a pressure range of 1.25 to 5.3 Mpa, the boiler can cost you $100,000 to 1,600,000. You might get a good warranty and additional benefits if you purchase from a reliable seller.
2. Spreader Stoker
Stoker-fired boilers are widely employed in applications with high thermal capacity, typically under 50 MW. These boilers are known for combining grate burning with suspension burning. Throughout the process, coal is continually fed into the furnace. The larger pieces fall to the grate, burning quickly in a thin coal bed. The fast burning of coal makes this method ideal for meeting load fluctuations. This explains why many industries prefer stoker boilers over others.
Before purchasing a spreader stoker steam boiler, type, size and dimension, pricing, after-sale assistance, and efficiency are factors you must consider. These boilers’ cost starts from $14,000 and can range up to $50,000 depending on your desired specifications.
3. Traveling-grate or chain-grate
This method feeds coal at one end of a boiler with a traveling steel chain grate. The coal burns as the grate roll down the length of the boiler furnace before dropping out as ash at the end. Significant expertise is required to ensure clean combustion and the least amount of unburned carbon in the ash, especially when setting up the grate, air dampers, and baffles.
The traveling grate discharges ash frequently during its operation. It is used by processing plants that run a lot because it is perfect for granulated fuels with a high ash content and a moderate size. It enables highly automated fuel loading and cleaning, reduced emissions, and improved boiler performance.
You can get a high and low-pressure chain grate boiler with steam production of 1-100 t/h in the range of $4000-$54000. However, other high-end industrial steam boiler cost up to $100,000.
Industrial Steam Boiler Cost Based On The Heat Source
Below is a list of some well-known commercial steam boilers: biomass-fired, gas, and oil-fired, along with their costs.
1. Gas Fired Boilers
As their name implies, gas-fired boilers use gas as their primary fuel. Here, the gas can be natural gas or propane. A temperature gauge regulates the gas in these boilers, and a thermoelectric device decreases fuel wastage. The gas lights the pilot, which heats the coil for steam generation.
The gas boilers have higher efficiency as the furnace temperature is around 1200 to 1300 ºC. The higher the furnace temperature, the higher the radiation rate to the surrounding water. In addition, the high combustion volume combined with ample water and steam holding capacity allows the superior operation of these boilers.
Now, coming to the gas fired industrial steam boiler cost, they can cost you around $20,000 with a working pressure of 10 Bar. However, the gas steam boiler prices can range from $10,000 to $150,000 with an operating pressure of up to 38.2 bar.
2. Biomass Boilers and industrial electric steam boiler
Biomass boilers use biomass as their fuel. Since biomass can be produced and degraded easily and doesn’t produce pollution, it offers a great alternative to other fuels such as coal and oil. In these boilers, rotary or drum feeders feed wood pallets or chips into the furnace. These rotary feeders ensure the fuel is evenly spread across the grate for effective biomass burning.
These furnaces are surrounded by water tubes, which absorb the radiation from this combustion. Flue gases enter the tubes from the furnace, flowing rapidly and using convective heat transfer to heat the water. Although these boilers require more space, they are comparatively cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
Regarding the biomass industrial steam boiler costs, they can come to around $8,000 for small capacities. However, you can expect the range to be around $90,000 for larger capacities.
Accessories for Industrial Steam Boilers and their Purpose
Before purchasing industrial boilers, consider the following 4 features and accessories:
1. Safety Valves
These valves are used for safety and open automatically when a certain pressure reaches. This prevents high pressure from building up in a boiler.
2. Deaerators
In deaerators, feedwater is heated at reduced pressure to remove dissolved air. It has a positive impact on efficiency.
3. Superheaters
Banks of tubes called superheaters are located in the exhaust gas duct following the boiler. These additional machine pieces serve the purpose of heating the steam above its saturation temperature.
4. Packaged Boilers
As their name suggests, these boilers are pre-assembled and need to be supplied with steam, fuel, pipes, and electrical connections. They are perfect because they have excellent thermal efficiency, compact design, and high heat release rates.
Conclusion
As mentioned earlier, industrial steam boiler cost depends on many factors, mainly their type, size, and power requirements. There are various industrial boiler types available. However, you can always choose depending on the method of steam generation, combustion technology, or heat source they use.
Once you know the type of boiler your industry requires, you can familiarize yourself with industrial boiler prices. For the exact price, you can always contact customer support at reliable markets and tell them your specifications. Yongxing, a famous industrial steam boiler corporation in China, our team will get back with the exact price as per your requirement. Also, we provide free installation service as an after-sales service.
Industrial boilers, when purchased correctly, have the potential to take your business to new heights! So get your perfect steam boiler and enjoy the perks it offers.