Energy-Efficient Steam Boiler Systems in the World

Air, water and steam are three media commonly used to distribute heat to process loads.
However, steam has several advantages compared to hot air and hot water. These advantages
include.

the heat carrying capacity of steam is much greater than air or water

steam provides its own locomotive force.

steam provides heat at a constant temperature

Principles of Energy-Efficient Steam Systems
Energy Balance Approach
The figure below shows the primary energy flows into and out of a steam system.

Basic steam system

Steam System Components

Boilers and Steam Generators
Steam boilers are broadly classified as fire-tube or water-tube boilers. In fire tube boilers,
the boiler shell contains the water/steam and hot combustion gasses pass through the tubes to heat
the water/steam.
In water-tube boilers, the water/steam passes through tubes and the hot
combustion gasses pass through shell of the boiler. The two types of boiler can be used in different
situations to meet the industry needs for a higher efficiency.
Fire-tube boilers are popular for smaller applications requiring saturated steam at less than 150
psig because of their low first cost and durability. The large volume of water/steam serves as
thermal mass which enhances steady operation. However, because the steam is generated on the
shell side, the shell itself is a pressure vessel, making it difficult to generate steam at high
pressures. In addition, the large surface area causes relatively large heat loss, which varies from
about 0.5% of input energy at full-fire to a much higher fraction at low loads.

Difference between fire tube and water tube boiler

Steam generators are like water-tube boilers, except that they are made from light- weight
materials. In many jurisdictions, the lack of a dedicated pressure vessel enables steam generators
to be used without a boiler operator. The light weight materials and absence of a large holding
tank allow steam generators to come up to pressure quickly in a manner of minutes. This enables
steam-generators to be turned on and off as needed, reducing standby losses. Installing the
water-tubes in a counter-flow configuration to the path of the combustion gasses increases thermal
efficiency.
Steam boiler can be used for power generation, textile industry, food processing, sterilization and
so on. ZG boiler has developed horizontal steam boiler use oil, gas, coal, biomass and waster heat
as energy to provide various steam for the world industry.