Does an increase in the superheat of the superheated steam used in production increase steam consumption?
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In recent production, it has been observed that as the steam superheat increases, the valve positions of the steam condensate valves used in each distillation tower increase. If these valves are not opened promptly, the liquid level at the bottom of the tower rises rapidly. The high-quality steam string and the low-quality steam control valve are located within the plant area, while the steam temperature and pressure gauges are situated in the boundary area; therefore, it is not possible to monitor changes in steam pressure and temperature within the plant in a timely manner
During stable production, the liquid level in the distillation tower must be maintained, and the heat required at this time is constant； Moreover, the heat required is transferred by steam; steam with a higher superheat should carry less heat than steam with a lower superheat. Therefore, when effective heat exchange is possible, an increase in superheat should lead to a reduction in the amount of steam used.
In fact, when using steam to heat the bottom reboiler, it is primarily the latent heat generated by the phase change of steam that is utilized. If the superheat of the steam is high, it may leave the reboiler without undergoing any phase change; in such cases, the heat contained in the steam is not effectively utilized. You can use the valve at the outlet of the reboiler to control the flow rate of steam, thereby allowing it to condense and release heat inside the reboiler. Additionally, a water spray desuperheater can be installed after the high-pressure steam in the steam train and the low-pressure steam control valve.