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.
Loads vary, and a power plant must be capable of handling the minimum load, the maximum load, and any load variations. Boiler selection is often dictated by the variation in load demand, rather than by the total quantity of steam or hot water required. There are three basic types of load variations: seasonal, daily, and instantaneous.
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.
Excess air provides safe operation above stoichiometric conditions. A burner is typically set up with 15% to 20% excess air in higher firing ranges. Higher excess air levels result in fuel being used to heat the air instead of transferring it to usable energy, increasing stack losses and significantly decreasing efficiency. Boilers with lower excess air throughout the operating range have higher efficiencies.
Emissions standards for boilers have become very stringent in many areas because of the new Clean Air regulations. The ability of the boiler to meet emissions regulations depends on the type of boiler and burner options. ZOZEN has options to meet 5ppm NOx regulations, as well as 1 ppm CO regulation at 30 ppm NOx out of the box. We can also custom-engineer Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) for more rigorous emissions controls.
Condensing boilers can achieve up to 98% thermal efficiency, compared to 70%-80% with conventional designs (based on the higher heating value of fuels). Typical models offer efficiencies over 90% when the return water temperature is at 110 ºF or less; the lower the return water temperature, the higher the efficiency gain.
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.
1. Your existing system is inefficient
Efficiency is key when it comes to plant heating. Utilizing efficient equipment can save your company a significant amount of money in the long run and it is better for the environment. If you know that your existing system is not as efficient as it could be and it is in need of repair, it may be worth looking into thermal oil system replacement.
2. Your existing system features helical coil technology
Helical coils are common in thermal oil heaters from most manufacturers. But there are many reasons why serpentine coils are the better way to go when it comes to thermal fluid heating. Repairs to helical coils can be so expensive and time consuming that in many cases you are better off investing in new equipment – and it is well worth it to consider a new thermal oil system that features serpentine coil technology instead.
