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    Steam Tip Sheet #16

    Uploaded by

    Muhammad Naeem
    The document discusses minimizing losses from boiler short cycling by avoiding oversizing boilers. It describes how short cycling decreases boiler efficiency due to increased losses at low loads. Strategies to improve efficiency include using multiple smaller boilers to follow load changes instead of short cycling large boilers, and controlling multiple boiler operations to use the most efficient boilers first.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Steam Tip Sheet #16

    Uploaded by

    Muhammad Naeem
    15 views2 pages
    The document discusses minimizing losses from boiler short cycling by avoiding oversizing boilers. It describes how short cycling decreases boiler efficiency due to increased losses at low loads. Strategies to improve efficiency include using multiple smaller boilers to follow load changes instead of short cycling large boilers, and controlling multiple boiler operations to use the most efficient boilers first.

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    The document discusses minimizing losses from boiler short cycling by avoiding oversizing boilers. It describes how short cycling decreases boiler efficiency due to increased losses at low loads. Strategies to improve efficiency include using multiple smaller boilers to follow load changes instead of short cycling large boilers, and controlling multiple boiler operations to use the most efficient boilers first.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    15 views2 pages

    Steam Tip Sheet #16

    Uploaded by

    Muhammad Naeem
    The document discusses minimizing losses from boiler short cycling by avoiding oversizing boilers. It describes how short cycling decreases boiler efficiency due to increased losses at low loads. Strategies to improve efficiency include using multiple smaller boilers to follow load changes instead of short cycling large boilers, and controlling multiple boiler operations to use the most efficient boilers first.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    Energy Tips – Steam

    Steam Tip Sheet #16 • January 2006 Industrial Technologies Program

    Suggested Actions Minimize Boiler Short Cycling Losses


    • Determine the efficiency and
    operating cost of each of your Boiler “short cycling” occurs when an oversized boiler quickly satisfies process or
    boilers and adopt a control space heating demands, and then shuts down until heat is again required. Process
    strategy for maximizing overall heating demands can change over time. Boilers may have been oversized for
    efficiency of multiple boiler additions or expansions that never occurred. Installing energy conservation or heat
    operations. (See page 2.) recovery measures may also reduce the heat demand. As a result, a facility may have
    • Avoid short cycling by multiple boilers, each rated at several times the maximum expected load.
    purchasing a burner with a high
    turndown ratio, or by adding a Boilers used for space heating loads are often oversized, with their capacity chosen
    small boiler to your boilerhouse to meet total building heat losses plus heating of ventilation and infiltration air under
    to provide better flexibility and extreme or design-basis temperature conditions. No credit is taken for thermal
    high efficiency at all loads. contributions from lights, equipment, or people. Excess capacity is also added to
    Refer to Steam Tip Sheet #24, bring a facility to required settings quickly after a night setback.
    Upgrade Boilers with Energy-
    Efficient Burners. (See also Cycling Losses
    page 2: Boiler Downsizing.) A boiler cycle consists of a firing interval, a post-purge, an idle period, a pre-purge,
    and a return to firing. Boiler efficiency is the useful heat provided by the boiler
    divided by the energy input (useful heat plus losses) over the cycle duration. This
    efficiency decreases when short cycling occurs or when multiple boilers are operated
    at low firing rates.

    This decrease in efficiency occurs, in part, because fixed losses are magnified under
    lightly loaded conditions. For example, if the radiation loss from the boiler enclosure
    is 1% of the total heat input at full-load, at half-load the losses increase to 2%, while
    at one-quarter load the loss is 4%. In addition to radiation losses, pre- and post-
    purge losses occur. In the pre-purge, the fan operates to force air through the boiler
    to flush out any combustible gas mixture that may have accumulated. The post-
    purge performs a similar function. During purging, heat is removed from the boiler
    Resources
    as the purged air is heated.
    U.S. Department of Energy—
    DOE’s software, the Steam
    System Assessment Tool and Example
    Steam System Scoping Tool, can A 1,500 horsepower (hp) (1 hp = 33,475 Btu/hr) boiler with a cycle efficiency of
    help you evaluate and identify 72.7% (E1) is replaced with a 600 hp boiler with a cycle efficiency of 78.8% (E2).
    steam system improvements. In Calculate the annual cost savings.
    addition, refer to Improving
    Steam System Performance: A Fractional Fuel Savings = (1 – E1/E2)
    Sourcebook for Industry for = (1 – 72.7/78.8) x 100
    more information on steam = 7.7%
    system efficiency opportunities.
    If the original boiler used 200,000 MMBtu of fuel annually, the savings from
    switching to the smaller boiler (given a fuel cost of $8.00/MMBtu) are:
    Visit the BestPractices Web site
    at www.eere.energy.gov/industry/ Annual Savings = 200,000 MMBtu x 0.077 x $8.00/MMBtu
    bestpractices to access these and = $123,200
    many other industrial efficiency
    resources and information on
    training.
    BestPractices is part of the Industrial
    Technologies Program Industries of the
    Multiple Boiler Operations Future strategy, which helps the country’s
    most energy-intensive industries improve
    The most efficient boilers should be brought on-line as loads increase, with less- their competitiveness. BestPractices brings
    efficient units taken off-line first as loads drop. Subject to emissions, operations, or together emerging technologies and best
    firing rate limits, shift loads from a boiler where steam production is expensive to energy-management practices to help
    companies begin improving energy efficiency,
    one where it is less expensive. environmental performance, and productivity
    right now.
    Use automatic controllers that determine the incremental costs (change in steam BestPractices emphasizes plant systems,
    cost/change in load) for each boiler in the facility, and then shift loads accordingly. where significant efficiency improvements
    This maximizes efficiency and reduces energy costs. If possible, schedule loads to and savings can be achieved. Industry gains
    easy access to near-term and long-term
    help optimize boiler system performance. Powerhouses containing multiple boilers solutions for improving the performance of
    that are simultaneously operated at low-fire conditions offer energy-saving motor, steam, compressed air, and process
    opportunities for using proper boiler allocation strategies. heating systems. In addition, the Industrial
    Assessment Centers provide comprehensive
    industrial energy evaluations to small- and
    Boiler Downsizing medium-size manufacturers.

    Fuel savings can be achieved by adding a smaller boiler sized to meet average
    loads at your facility, or by re-engineering the power plant to consist of multiple FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION,
    small boilers. Multiple small boilers offer reliability and flexibility to operators to PLEASE CONTACT:
    follow load swings without over-firing and short cycling. Facilities with large
    seasonal variations in steam use operate small boilers when demand drops rather EERE Information Center
    than operating their large boilers year-round. 1-877-EERE-INF
    (1-877-337-3463)
    www.eere.energy.gov

    Industrial Technologies Program


    Energy Efficiency
    and Renewable Energy
    U.S. Department of Energy
    Washington, DC 20585-0121
    www.eere.energy.gov/industry

    A S TRONG E NERGY P ORTFOLIO


    FOR A S TRONG A MERICA

    Energy efficiency and clean, renewable


    energy will mean a stronger economy, a
    cleaner environment, and greater energy
    independence for America. Working
    with a wide array of state, community,
    industry, and university partners, the U.S.
    Department of Energy’s Office of Energy
    Efficiency and Renewable Energy invests in
    a diverse portfolio of energy technologies.

    DOE/GO-102006-2261
    January 2006
    Steam Tip Sheet #16
    Revised from DOE/GO-102000-1116 • December 2000

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