Resources Utah IOF Steam Resources Steam Steam Generation Steam Distribution Steam End-Use Steam Recovery Steam Associations Utah Links Steam Tip Sheets from OIT Clean Boiler Water-side Heat Transfer Surfaces (PDF 445 KB) Improve Your Boiler's Combustion Efficiency (PDF 88 KB) Minimize Boiler Blowdown (PDF 85 KB) Recover Heat from Boiler Blowdown (PDF 81 KB)

Best Practices - Steam Generation Selected Resources and Descriptions from the OIT Energy Efficiency Handbook (pdf) More . . . Boilers - Maximization of boiler efficiency regardless of the method of firing. Combustion - Paying attention to the entire combustion apparatus, problems common to all types of combustion systems, and specific system problems. Controls - Improving the efficiency and extending the life and reliability of older boilers by replacing the older pneumatic and analog electronic control systems with digital, computer-based distributed control systems (DCS). Excess Air Levels - Boilers usually operate at excess air levels. A general rule is that a 1% reduction in excess oxygen will reduce fuel usage by 1%. Solutions include linkage calibration, a working oxygen analyzer, and adjusting the boiler fuel/air ratio. Heat Recovery - Heat recovery equipment includes various types of heat exchangers located where they can absorb heat from the combustion gases. Water Treatment - Conditioning water properly insures safe and reliable operation and can increase the efficiency of the boiler as well as extend the boiler’s life. Auxiliary Equipment - Blowers, feed water pumps, fuel handling, etc. Flue Gas Treatment - Treating flue gas minimizes or eliminates both the environmentally unacceptable nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions as well as collecting unburned solid particles. EPA - Boiler Wise Rules More . . . Effective boiler load management techniques, such as operating on high fire settings or installing smaller boilers, can save over 7% of a typical facility's total energy use with an average simple payback of less than 2 years. Load management measures, including optimal matching of boiler size and boiler load, can save as much as 50% of a boiler's fuel use. An upgraded boiler maintenance program including optimizing air-to-fuel ratio, burner maintenance, and tube cleaning, can save about 2% of a facility's total energy use with an average simple payback of 5 months. A comprehensive tune-up with precision testing equipment to detect and correct excess air losses, smoking, unburned fuel losses, sooting, and high stack temperatures, can result in boiler fuel savings of 2% to 20%. A 3% decrease in flue gas O2 typically produces boiler fuel savings of 2%. Using over fire draft control systems to control excess air can save 2% to 10% of a boiler's fuel use with typical equipment costs of $1,500. Using a characterizable fuel valve to match the air/fuel ratios across the load range can save 2% to 12% of a boiler's fuel use at relatively low cost. Converting to air or steam atomizing burners from conventional burners can reduce boiler fuel use by 2% to 8%. Every 40°F reduction in net stack temperature (outlet temperature minus inlet combustion air temperature) is estimated to save 1% to 2% of a boiler's fuel use. Stack dampers prevent heat from being pulled up the stack and can save 5% to 20% of a boiler's fuel use. Direct contact condensation heat recovery can save 8% to 20% of a boiler's fuel use, but costs may be relatively high. Preheating combustion inlet air can save about 3% of a facility's total energy use with an average simple payback of 8 months. Minimizing energy loss from boiler blowdown can save about 2% of a facility's total energy use with an average simple payback of less than 1 year. Removing a 1/32 inch deposit on boiler heat transfer surfaces can decrease a boiler's fuel use by 2%; removal of a 1/8 inch deposit can decrease boiler fuel use by over 8%. Blowdown heat recovery is a proven technology that can reduce a boiler's fuel use by 2% to 5%. For every 11°F that the entering feedwater temperature is increased, the boiler's fuel use is reduced by 1%. Changing from manual blowdown control to automatic adjustment can reduce a boiler's energy use by 2% to 3% and reduce blowdown water losses by up to 20%.