lowering steam pressure to increase production

[TheDruid]

Good day folks,

i have the following question:

nominal output 18 t/h @ 12 bar saturated steam
effective output 13 t/h @ 12 bar saturated steam (very old and bad maintained boiler)

Steam is reduced to 10 t/h 6 bar, 1 t/h 3 bar and 2 t/h 12 bar.

If i exchange the 12 bar steam with a thermooil unit, i may increase the production of 6 bar steam, is this correct ? I do not mean just the 2 t/h, but instead of pressureing up to 12 bar only to 6 bar, a higher yield should be makeable. Any guidelines on how to calculate this ?

thank you very much and best regards

Alex.

 

[danberry]

If the steam is used for heating, there is nothing to gain by producing at a lower pressure. Throttling steam is adiabatic; it does not change the heat content. You will not get more bang for your money this way. Also, your boiler is designed for 12 bars, not 6; The steam drum, nozzles, moisture separation and piping may not be adequate with the increased specific volume.

Using thermal fluid is a loaded proposition. The steam users must be examined for compatibility. Heat transfer is different with TF. TF is indicated when you need high temperatures and don't want to deal with the high pressure.

I am assuming you are using an oil fired boiler. If it is old, it is probably a conservative design and worth revamping. If it is badly maintained, chances are your new TF system will not be better cared for.

I hope this helps.

Providing more info on steam usage and existing equipment might be usefull