Not every industry needs a load of steam. Why would you choose a 2-ton capacity boiler if your daily requirement is 200kg? By doing so, you’ll only be wasting fuel, time, and the production cost of your industry. Instead, won’t it be suitable if you can get just the amount you require within minimum time and fuel? Yes, there is a way! And that goes through a small steam boiler.
These boilers are essentially created for the ease of business owners like yourself. So, say farewell to those massive boilers now and see how these boilers can serve you in the best way.
In this article, you’ll get every possible small boiler variant that can be useful for you. Plus, this write-up can help you perceive possible usage aspects of these boilers. Without further ado, Let’s jump into it!
General Overview Of Industrial Small Steam Boiler
A small steam boiler is a network of vessels that helps generate steam. Its basic working principle involves the extraction of heat through appropriate fuel combustion. This heat then increases the water temperature through indirect contact and transforms it into steam. Some companies don’t need a lot of steam for the procedures. Therefore, using a giant steam generator would be a mere waste of money and time for them.
Considering that fact, boiler manufacturers came up with the idea of a small boiler for steam. Like most oversized steam boilers, it also has 3 separate working systems.
- Feedwater system
- Fuel System
- Steam system
Collectively, these provide a non-stop steam supply for industries.
Long story short, it gives you the same products as a regular steam boiler. However, the product capacity is reduced in a small steam boiler’s case. Also, it decreases the boiler’s size, production time, and running costs.
All the above traits tempt industry owners to choose the boiler for swift, efficient, and budget-friendly steam production. Remember that industrial steam boilers have a diverse market approach. That means it has several variants in the market. These boiler models vary in functioning, fuel, design, and technical details.
Let’s make the fuel affinity a base for the models and move down to discuss each of them in detail.
Small Electric Steam Boiler
It is the most common model of a small steam boiler, and all the credit goes to the boiler’s fuel choice and efficiency. Electricity is something that has reached every corner of the world. Plus, its transport doesn’t require as much effort as other matter fuels.
This extreme availability of electricity portrays it as a small universal boiler for steam, making it ideal for everyone. Besides that, its peak efficiency is also another plus point.
● Design
Typical mini steam boilers come in box-shaped containers. Same as that, an electric small boiler for steam is also a square-shaped product with strong integrity. The pressure count inside the boiler isn’t that massive. Still, it needs a compact structure for a safe procedure. Therefore, some firms create stainless steel steam boilers.
When talking about small steam boiler design, we don’t just mark the outer structure. Instead, it is a much broader term that affects working temperature, capacity, energy requirements, and pressure. The wall thickness of an electric steam boiler is 15mm to 20mm, which is the same as other small boilers. As electricity is the main fuel source, there is no need for an extra fuel combustion chamber.
When comparing small electric steam boilers with larger boilers, thin walls can disturb the owners. However, considering the pressure and temperature conditions, these walls are more than enough for safety. The production chamber’s total diameter is around 200mm to 400mm.
● Technical details
These small steam boilers differ greatly in terms of mechanical credentials. The steam capacity of this boiler is from 85kg to 100kg, depending on the efficiency and condition. Besides, the minimum working pressure of this boiler is 0.09Mpa.
These boilers also have thermal-hydraulic stimulation that helps in instant steam generation. In that case, the pressure exceeds the normal limit. Most hydraulic pressured boilers have 1.05 Mpa fluid pressure.
As for the working voltage, values change according to regions. The majority works on 220-volt electric current at 60Hz frequency. Boiler manufacturers mark it up to 95% to 98% efficient. Concerning its production rate, experts call it the most efficient boiler.
● Handling And Safety
In everyday usage, the small steam boiler appears to be extremely efficient and easy to use. It does not have a messy production unit. Moreover, it leaves no residue waste, all thanks to the electric fuel option. In addition, an electric boiler is the safest option if you do not want combustible fuel handling. On the contrary, electricity is easily available and low cost, making it cost-effective. There isn’t any harmful gas eruption from the procedure. That tempts experts to mark it as an eco-friendly product.
Small Wood Fired Steam Boiler
Nowadays, electricity is everywhere around the globe. However, in some developing countries, its exposure isn’t constant. To meet with needs of public electric use, the government stops the electric supply for a few hours. No electricity means no steam supply. Without steam, there will be no industrial goods production.
For that reason, those company owners tend to go for boilers compatible with fuels other than electricity. Wood fired small steam boiler is one of those choices. It uses wood to convert water to steam.
● Design
As wood is the main fuel source, a combustion chamber becomes vital in its design. There will be a disorderly temperature range in it. Therefore, its wall thickness is a bit more to keep things under control. Also, it has a vertical water membrane wall that increases heat absorption and decreases production time.
Its procedure is quite complex compared to the electric steam boiler. Considering the fact that its production strategy varies, the boiler’s design also changes. Normally, these come in two different procedural designs.
Fire Tube Boilers
These small steam boilers have vessels in which hot gases from fuel combustion flow. These tubes are immersed in water. Therefore, upon indirect contact with heat, steam production starts. Furthermore, these boilers have a varying number of tubes in the boiler. These tubes determine the boiler’s procedural pass. Some boilers have a 3-pass system; others have a 2-pass design. The only boiler with a single-pass procedural design is the “Immersed fire tube boiler” with narrow fire vessels.
Water Tube Boilers
These boilers are utterly opposite to fire tube systems. Instead of combustion gases, its vessels have water within. The tubes are completely under exposure to heat-producing gases from fuel combustion present in the remaining boiler shell. Remember that the tubes are completely sealed and pressure resistant. Therefore, upon steam production from heat contact, they do not affect neighboring vessels.
Technical details
The wood fired steam boiler has steam capacity varying with the companies. Some provide 150kg to 200kg, while some have options from 100kg to 400kg. Same as that, pressure also varies in the variants. The average range starts from 0.4Mpa and ends at 0.7Mpa.
These boilers aren’t as efficient as electric boilers. Their efficiency can vary from 87% to 93% with boiler design. As for the steam temperature, the range stays the same in all variants, from 110 ℃ to 170 ℃.
Handling And Safety
Dealing with a wood fired small steam boiler isn’t that difficult. However, things can get messier than electric boilers. That is because burning wood leaves ash and waste products to deal with. Plus, it has more significant risks as wood fire isn’t controllable in case of any mishap. Cutting wood and its exhaustion of harmful gases makes it extremely harmful to the environment.
Small Steam Coal Boiler
A small steam coal boiler uses coal as a fuel for heating water and producing steam. Coal is another solid fuel that is effective in heat production. It can be a better option for regions where wood isn’t a viable option.
● Design
Like wood fired boilers, these also have two different design sub-variants.
● Chain Grate Boilers
These boilers have a special type of stoker that helps to keep the fuel burning. This mechanical stoker is effective only for solid fuels. It helps the boiler to draw solid fuel inside the furnace, keeping the steam production process constant.
● Fluidized Bed Boilers
This procedural combustion induces fluidity in solid fuels. The main purpose of this boiler is to enhance solid fuel flow and make its transport to the furnace easy. Its mechanism involves passing pressurized fuel from the coal that forces it to behave like a fluid.
● Technical details
Its efficiency is lower than normal small steam boilers. It ranges from 80% to 89%, which is enough for industrial goods production. As for the capacity, it can be anywhere between 100kg to 150kg. However, some mini boilers have a maximum steam capacity of under 90kg.
Coal is solid fuel, and its continuous combustion requires high pressure. For that reason, most coal boilers have 1 to 1.3 MPa.
● Handling And Safety
Using a coal fired steam boiler isn’t that difficult. However, its handling will get your hands dirty and the environment polluted. Due to messy fuel behavior and extreme pollutant gases, it is not as eco-friendly as other systems. Besides that, its increased pressure requires more precautions and precise usage.
Small Diesel Steam Boiler
A small diesel steam boiler is the ideal choice if any of the fuels mentioned above aren’t a viable option for you. Keep in mind that diesel is highly combustible and risky to use. Therefore, this boiler also becomes a risk if you don’t know how to use it properly.
Being an oil fired boiler and a specific diesel oriented system, the product has specific changes that are absent in others. We’ll take a look at all of them through design, details, and product use.
● Design
Unlike practical fuel transportation, a diesel boiler has a separate fuel container. Furthermore, some boilers have an additional fuel supply tube directly attached to the combustion chamber. Due to supply, the owner can rest assured that the provision of fuel for combustion won’t stop.
Like wood fired boilers, these also have fire tube and water tube systems. As for the boiler’s structure, small steam boiler manufacturers try to create a product that has the least assembling parts. That is how they ensure that in case of prolonged use, no part results in fuel or flue gas leakage.
● Technical details
Depending on the consumer’s choice, these boilers range from 150kg to 800kg. The working pressure isn’t much different from a simple small steam boiler. The majority keep the rated working pressure between 0.7MPa to 0.9MPa. The boiler’s efficiency is 88% to 92% which is ideal for industrial use.
● Handling And Safety
The diesel fired boiler has oil running in the supply vessels. Plus, the flow of oil is the factor that controls combustion extent. Diesel isn’t as viscous as other fuels. That is why it flows fluently and prevents furnace clogging. Besides, it has the highest thermal conductivity, which helps in combustion and impact.
How Do You Build A Small Steam Boiler?
An ideal boiler firm uses a sequenced strategy to create the product. It is vital that while building a small steam boiler main focus is on quality and customer safety. Therefore, during its production, the vendor must track every process with precision. Production starts from the design process.
Before designing a steam boiler, it is essential to know the appropriate requirements of the boiler structure. According to Indonesian Standards, any boiler with 400mm inner diameter and 5ft^2 gross volume. Besides that, an additional requirement of the heating surface is also present with a minimum value of 20ft^2. However, electric boilers are an exception.
Companies use a design that facilitates performance, utility, and fuel efficiency to create a perfect product. The following three steps will uncover the mystery of how to make a small steam boiler for you.
● Preliminary Design
This aspect focuses on individual steam parameter requirements. Everything from energy evaluation to pressure precision comes under this stage.
● Detailed Proposal Design
This stage focuses on designing the small steam boiler according to technical details. It involves a design review with respect to the environment, steam, and fuel. Besides that, this stage has 4 separate sub-levels. Each controls the boiler’s thermal efficiency, fluid flow, equipment selection, and mechanical structure.
- Thermal Design; determining size and heat transfer surfaces of the boiler.
- Fluid Mechanical Design; selection of blowers and fans
- Equipment Selection; choosing compatible goods for the boiler
- Mechanical Design; steel structure and furnace enclosure design
● Final Design
As for the final structure, manufacturers use drawing tools for design progress. It is a sample design structure that owners test under different fuel and raw material loads. So, we can say it is the last testing stage for production that aids in performance judgment.
Where Can I Use The Boiler?
Since companies learned their benefits, commercial steam boilers have always been in high demand. Furthermore, you would never choose the large capacity product if you can get the same benefits from a 60% smaller product that saves 60% fuel cost. That is why small steam boilers are in high demand nowadays.
Start-up industries use these boilers because they need instant and minimum steam supply. Likewise, it is ideal for any lower scaled industry with a lower steam requirement. Let’s see how owners of industries can use the small boiler effectively.
- Steam is an active reagent in drying clothes. Therefore, you can use it in the dry cleaning and laundry industries. Besides that, it is essential to dewater any component through heat. So, the cement industry also becomes its applicational market.
- The steam of a small boiler has a higher temperature that can act as a regulator. For that reason, electroplating surface treatment industries use it to keep electrode bath pool temperature constant.
- A small steam boiler is an active application for sterilization. Steam produced from the boiler has the potency to kill any unseen microorganisms and disinfect surfaces. Therefore, if you are an owner of food, packaging, and hospital disinfection systems, this boiler is an ideal choice for you.
- Small boilers are also effective in biochemical industries. It is the best supporting equipment for fermenters.
- Besides that, some additional industries like automobile, steam cleaning, and carpeting firms also use it. It is an active part of the hotel to regulate temperature through steam.
Key Takeaways
All the above statements point out that small steam boilers are one of the primary constituents of industries. Due to their smaller size and higher efficiency, these boilers have made their own place in the market. Similarly, their eco-friendly production methods have indirectly prioritized them. The lower fuel cost and accessible handling are other plus points for them.
The good thing is all those facts never made it specific. Rather, they help it to gain a universal approach in the crowd of contenders. That is why experts suggest, it is a perfect choice for 90% of service industries. Being a firm owner, these boilers can help fly your business to everlasting success through cost reduction and quality control enhancement.