Steam Audit Services

Boiler House Efficiency Improvement :

• Establish the present steam generation from the boiler and the steam loading pattern of the plant i.e. peak, average and minimum loads based on the metering and system at plant
• Evaluate the efficacy of the present operating practices and recommend any changes to ensure optimum boiler efficiency.
• Study the present blow down philosophy and suggest methods to optimize blow down and heat recovery from blow down.
• Study the present feed water management philosophy and same will be evaluated to ensure optimum feed water temperature to the boiler.
• Evaluate use for LP flash steam in the plant or take it back to feed water tank of boiler 
• Evaluate the efficacy / feasibility of using heat from available waste heat streams in the process towards heating the feed water

Quantify the potential for steam reduction in the plant :

• Evaluate the steam distribution network in the plant: Line sizing and routing Distribution with respect to pressure drop if any Type, quality & health of insulation. Condensate removal from steam mains. Establish % distribution loss on account of leakages and radiation and suggest methods to reduce the same
• Evaluate the desired vs actual parameters for steam as required by the process equipment
• Evaluate the plant historic data and observe the current operations for anomalies such as batch time / throughput variations and evaluate the impact of the current steam and condensate network on such variations 
• Evaluate the current steam supply parameters vis-à-vis the process recipe requirements including gradients etc. and evaluate gaps within the same
• Evaluate the plant for any throughput bottlenecks due to the steam system
• Evaluation of hot water generation and utilization in the process.

Key Takeaway Points :

• Avoiding clinker formation inside the boiler
• Increase the inlet air temperature to increase boiler efficiency
• Avoid High Negative Draft in Solid Fuel Fired Boilers
• Generate Steam at Higher Pressure
• Dissolved oxygen should be removed from the feedwater tank
• Injection of flash steam and condensate into the feedwater tank should be via a deaerator head
• Air to fuel ratio should be monitored and controlled to minimize unburnts
• Efforts should be made to minimize addition of surface moisture content in fuel.
• To deliver the same amount of energy, the flowrate of hot water will have to be 45 times than that of steam.
• Monitor flue gas temperatures to control stack loss.
• Using steam instead of thermic fluids for indirect heating is more efficient.
• Monitoring flue gas temperature gives a good indication of the boiler operating conditions
• Operating boiler closer to full load improves efficiency
• Higher feedwater temperature increases the boiler output
• Use saturated steam for indirect heat transfer applications.
• Every 6 DEG. C rise in feedwater temperature reduces the fuel bill by 1%.