Combustion efficiency is an indication of the burner’s ability to burn fuel. The amount of unburned fuel and excess air in the exhaust are used to assess a burner’s combustion efficiency. Burners resulting in low levels of unburned fuel while operating at low excess air levels are considered efficient. Well designed conventional burners firing gaseous and liquid fuels operate at excess air levels of 15% and result in negligible unburned fuel. Well designed ultra low emissions burners operate at a higher excess air level of 25% in order to reduce emissions to very low levels. By operating at the minimum excess air requirement, less heat from the combustion process is being used to heat excess combustion air, which increases the energy available for the load. Combustion efficiency is not the same for all fuels and, generally, gaseous and liquid fuels burn more efficiently than solid fuels.
The number of passes that the flue gas travels before exiting the boiler has been a good criterion when comparing boilers. As the flue gas travels through the boiler it cools, and therefore changes volume. Multiple pass boilers increase efficiency because the passes are designed to maximize flue gas velocities as the flue gas cools. ZOZEN has developed new design technologies in our WNS series boilers allowing for comparable efficiencies in fewer passes, resulting in smaller boiler systems that will fit in tighter quarters.
Stack temperature is the temperature of the combustion gases (dry and water vapor) leaving the boiler. A well-designed boiler removes as much heat as possible from the combustion gases. Thus, lower stack temperature represents more effective heat transfer and lower heat loss up the stack. The stack temperature reflects the energy that did not transfer from the fuel to steam or hot water. Stack temperature is a visible indicator of boiler efficiency. Any time efficiency is guaranteed, predicted stack temperatures should be verified.
Stack loss is a measure of the amount of heat carried away by dry flue gases (unused heat) and the moisture loss (product of combustion), based on the fuel analysis of the specific fuel being used, moisture in the combustion air, etc.
This is because, under normal circumstances, the exhaust temperature of the boiler cannot completely condense the water in the flue gas, and the difference between the low calorific value and the high calorific value is mainly in the part of the latent heat of vaporization, so the low heat is used. The value is calculated to reflect the true efficiency of the boiler. However, there will be some special circumstances. For example, if the boiler is a condensing boiler, the calculation of the condensed water portion should be calculated using the high calorific value.
The combustion air preheater is definitely one of heat exchanger applications. Based on Figure 1 below, flue gas simply leaves steam boiler and passes via air preheater. The combustion air is passed through this equipment too to increase its temperature before being combined with boiler fuel.
Because the temperature of combustion air is lower than the temperature of flue gas, combustion air receive heat transfer from flue gas through combustion air preheater in the process of convection heat transfer. The heat transfer make temperature of flue gas lower and consequently minimizes its heat loss and also decreases the air temperature to stack.
Economizer is one of steam boiler’s equipment which is used to heat feedwater before it is supplied into steam drum. Economizer is the heat exchanger equipment to increase boiler efficiency by absorbing heat recovery of flue gases. The lower temperature of flue gas out from stack, the heat loss will be less and the fuel which is needed to convert water into steam will be also less in certain circumstances. So it can be said that economizer can save the fuel efficiently. Economizer will make temperature of feedwater higher, so steam boiler can produce steam easily.
Gas fired boiler is a boiler which uses gas as its fuel. Gas fired boiler consists of some important components such as flame ignition, gas metering system, air compressor, air piping, gas piping, burner nozzles, and the others. Combustion process of gas fired boiler should be maintained and operated properly to produce efficient combustion result.
There are so many options to weigh when looking for high efficiency boilers: hot water or steam, wetback or dryback, type of fuel, and more. However, there are a few key considerations to make when evaluating a new boiler for efficiency that will help you no matter what your other considerations may be. Look for a fan that can deliver a stable air supply, a burner and boiler unit that can produce low emissions, a design that maximizes flue gas velocity, smart pressure vessel design, and an efficient heating power to boiler surface ratio are just a few considerations to keep in mind. These simple but powerful design elements are hallmarks of solid construction and will add up to significant performance enhancements. Our team members are always available for consultation and can make specific recommendations when it comes to models once we know more about your needs.
