Is it cheaper to operate 1 large gas boiler, or is it cheaper to operate 2 smaller boilers?
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I work for a chemical manufacturing company; under full production, the steam demand is 20 T. In case of reduced production, the capacity might need to be cut by 50%, resulting in a steam demand of 10 T. Should I choose one 20 T boiler or two 10 T boilers? Please ask an expert for some advice!
1. For operations that require continuous or long-term operation, it is recommended to install a backup boiler； 2. A single boiler should be avoided from operating at low loads for extended periods, as this not only fails to save energy but can also cause damage to the boiler (or create safety hazards) ； 3. It is generally not recommended to operate the boiler at a load lower than 80%; it should not go below 70%, and even lower than that it should be around 60%. If it goes any lower, it’s better to shut down the boiler.
Since it is a chemical plant that operates 24 hours a day, you should consider having one boiler in operation and another as a backup, so that one boiler can ensure continuous production even during maintenance or shutdown periods. A rational economic arrangement would be 2 units of 20-ton boilers. Production restriction is not a normal operating condition.
We use heat transfer oil boilers, with one in operation and one as a backup (one with a capacity of 12 million and the other at 8 million). The boiler with a capacity of 8 million has now been replaced by a gas boiler with a capacity of 12 million.
We use heat transfer oil boilers, with one in operation and one as a backup (one with a capacity of 12 million and the other at 8 million). The boiler with a capacity of 8 million has now been replaced by a gas boiler with a capacity of 12 million.
Generally, one furnace is kept in reserve while the other is in use. When production is low, using a 20T furnace results in high energy consumption. However, if production increases in the future, a 10T furnace will no longer be sufficient. In the current situation, building two furnaces, one of 10T and one of 20T, raises cost concerns. Our factory has faced this issue before, but we still decided not to install the 10T furnace – the daily energy consumption is certainly high, and even at minimum load levels, the steam produced isn’t enough, forcing the boiler to discharge excess steam, which is quite wasteful. I’ve persisted for over half a year; now that the output has increased, things are getting better