In short, a steam boiler is a type of closed pressure vessel used to transfer energy from heat to liquid in order to produce steam.
How Does a Steam Boiler Work?
In steam boilers, liquid is pumped into the boiler. Fuel is burned in the combustion chamber, a closed section of the boiler. The hot gases produced by combustion circulate within the boiler and heat the liquid inside. Once a certain temperature is reached, the liquid boils and begins to evaporate, resulting in steam production. The generated steam is then transferred to facilities via specific installations. The exhaust gases created by combustion are purified from harmful chemicals and released into the atmosphere through a chimney.
What Is the Purpose of a Steam Boiler?
Steam boilers are an important alternative in cases where thermal energy is required. These boilers effectively transfer heat and are environmentally friendly. They minimize heat loss and thus provide highly efficient heating. Depending on the amount of steam required, steam boilers are manufactured in different sizes.
Where Are Steam Boilers Used?
Steam boilers, commonly used in apartment buildings, shopping malls, and large businesses, have various application areas. The most common uses include:
- Used in thermal power plants for electricity generation.
- Used in the food industry.
- Plays an important role in the construction materials industry.
- Frequently used in the paper and wood industries.
- Utilized in steam-based heating systems such as radiator installations.
What Are the Types of Steam Boilers?
Generally, steam boilers are categorized into two main groups:
- Fire Tube Boilers
- Water Tube Boilers
Fire Tube Boilers
Fire tube boilers are widely used around the world. They operate based on the process where hot combustion gases pass through tubes placed in the water chamber of the boiler, transferring heat to the water and thus producing steam.
Advantages of Fire Tube Boilers
- Simple construction.
- Low cost.
- Easy to manufacture and operate.
- High dryness level of produced steam.
Disadvantages of Fire Tube Boilers
- Due to the large body of the boiler, manufacturing for high pressures is difficult.
- Not suitable for high capacities.
Water Tube Boilers
These are systems that produce high-pressure steam by heating water flowing through tubes placed inside the boiler, using hot flue gases generated from fuel combustion.
Advantages of Water Tube Boilers
- In the event of a tube rupture, a portion of the boiler water quickly evaporates, thus posing less danger.
- Since the heating surface area is large and water volume is low, more steam is obtained per unit heating surface area.
- Can be manufactured for high pressure and high capacity.
Disadvantages of Water Tube Boilers
- High cost.
- Requires more careful operating conditions.
How Is Boiler Efficiency Measured?
Efficiency (%) = ( Heat transferred by the output steam / Heat provided by the fuel ) × 100
Factors Affecting Boiler Efficiency
- Flue gas temperature
- Type of fuel
- Incomplete combustion
- Burner quality
- Excess combustion
- Corrosion on heating surfaces
- Heat losses due to blowdown
- Feed water temperature
- Combustion air temperature
What to Consider When Choosing a Boiler?
- The most suitable area in the building must be determined for the boiler room, and it should be ensured that the selected steam boiler complies with regulations for use in that location.
- The required steam need of the building must be accurately calculated, and the boiler should be selected accordingly. Steam boilers exceeding the actual need cause additional costs and inefficient use of steam.
- If devices require low-pressure steam, delivering high-pressure steam and reducing it before reaching the device is the most efficient option.
- Using a steam boiler solely for heating leads to high costs. If the only purpose is heating, alternative systems should be considered. The main purpose of steam boilers is to ensure the efficient functioning of devices operating with steam energy.
You can get detailed information about steam boiler models from the related page. For more information about steam boilers produced by Hisarmak, feel free to contact us.
