Steam: An ongoing demand

Although steam is heavily associated with the industrial revolution and the development of the steam engine, it is still an essential product for a number of complex modern technologies. The demand for steam is vast, spanning both private and public sectors, and is used in numerous industrial applications – from power stations through to food and drink manufacture. However, the requirements of steam within each of these applications can vary greatly.

A steam boiler consists of a pressure vessel with an integrated flame tube, reversing chambers and gas flues – all of which are surrounded by boiler water. The feed water is supplied through a water level controller which is fed by a duty/standby pump or external ring main system, independent of the heating. The steam escapes from the water level surface, through a crown valve, and is transported to its relevant application. 

Steam boilers come in a range of different sizes allowing different temperature and pressure requirements to be met – and this is a key consideration when it comes to fulfilling plant requirements.

The physical delivery of steam to its point of use can vary between each application. Using a steam boiler with three pass technology, it is possible to deliver saturated steam up to 235°C in temperature, at a pressure of up to 30 bar. This is ideal for applications that have medium to high output requirements such as hospitals, power stations and also process facilities that require a high transfer of heat.

"Flame and smoke tubes are now common place within the manufacture of steam boilers, allowing a greater recovery of heat contained in the flue gases. Combining this heat recovery availability with the latest burner technology not only helps to keep CO2 emissions to a minimum, but increases the energy efficiency of the boiler by up to 7% in dry running operation, and up to 15% in condensing operations.”

The heating provision on any industrial application should always be considered in its own right as requirements of the building, the application and the end-user will constantly vary from case to case.  

The requirements of the application will ultimately drive the design, and the fact that steam boilers are not procured in an ‘off the shelf’ manner is testament to the importance of bespoke system.

There will always be new product innovations within the heating industry which create new opportunities to maximise process heating efficiency. However, I believe the key to maximising this is to work with a multi-appliance manufacturer who can design a bespoke system to meet the needs of the end user, whilst ensuring compliance with legislation requirements.

When it comes to industrial process heating installations, it’s important to remember that there is no such thing as ‘one solution fits all’ philosophy”