The packaged boiler is so called because it comes as a complete package with burner, level controls, feedpump and all necessary boiler fittings and mountings. Once delivered to site it requires only the steam, water, and blowdown pipework, fuel supply and electrical connections to be made for it to become operational.
Industrial boilers are welded from sturdy steel plates that are engineered to withstand intense heat and pressure - as a result of this thick steel, boilers can sometimes weigh as much as 165 tons! The construction of hot water boilers and steam boilers is very similar. They both feature a cylinder tube, otherwise known as the pressure vessel. The pressure vessel contains something called a flame tube, which is fired through a burner and a reversing chamber that feeds flue gases back through a second smoke tube. These flue gases are reversed again via an external reversing chamber. This reversing chamber sends the flue gases to the end of the boiler, in the third smoke tube pass. A major difference between hot water industrial boilers and the steam versions? Hot water boilers, as their name implies, are usually completely filled with hot water during their operation, while steam boilers are filled with water only until the ¾ mark, with the top fourth of the boiler reserved for steam.
Water, which is the primary fluid inside the closed metal container of the industrial boiler, is heated to an atmospheric temperature and a pressure higher than the external one. Once the steam is generated, it advances through the pipes.
Steam boilers with a low NOx system are specially designed to minimize the environmental impact with the production of dry saturated steam. This type of boiler incorporates a stainless steel economizer with a cross flow integrated within the boiler and that, consequently, allows to reach maximum efficiency.In addition, it has a natural gas burner with low NOx emissions.
Steam carries about 540 Kcal/kg of useful energy whereas hot water and thermal fluid carry much less energy. Steam does not require a pump to transfer the energy. Generally, if the heating temperatures required are <100°C, then hot water can be used and if temperatures >180°C are needed then thermal fluid might be a better choice. For process temperatures between 100°C and 180°C steam is considered a viable option.
