Are client-side steam energy-saving methods feasible? Need help?
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About 25 tons of steam are used per day, with a temperature of around 185°C and a pressure of around 570 kPa. The instantaneous gas consumption is 1–3 tons per hour; the equipment requires a pressure of 350 kPa, and when the instantaneous gas consumption is 3 tons per hour, the pressure remains around 350 kPa. It has been said online that reducing the pressure can help save steam. One idea is to install an automatic pressure-regulating valve at the front of the equipment, so that when the instantaneous gas consumption is 1 ton per hour, the valve maintains the pressure at 350 kPa, and it adjusts automatically when the gas consumption is higher. Additionally, under a pressure of 0.6 MPa, it takes 8 minutes to heat water from 106°C to 125°C at a pressure of 1.8 bar; how much longer will it take after the pressure is reduced? The second question is the reason why it was later felt that the above method didn’t work. The premise for reducing pressure and saving energy is the use of latent heat. But when I heat water from 106°C to 122°C, isn’t all heat being utilized? If all heat is used, wouldn’t reducing pressure still not lead to energy savings?
First question: Your idea is feasible; by reducing pressure, steam can be saved, which helps to lower energy consumption when the equipment’s demand for steam is low at certain moments. To realize this idea, you need to select an appropriate pressure relief valve, and attention must be paid to tuning and monitoring during installation to ensure the stability and safety of the system. Second question: Your understanding is correct. To heat water to 125°C, total heat is required, as the temperature of the water is already above its saturation temperature; at this point, total heat is needed to bring the water to the desired temperature. Therefore, reducing voltage in this case does not save energy. However, at other lower temperatures, if pressure reduction is used to control the steam pressure, energy can be saved by utilizing the latent heat. .