Steam Tip Sheet #3
Steam Tip Sheet #3
Steam Tip Sheet #3
Example
An 80% efficient boiler generates 45,000 pounds per hour (lb/hr) of 150-pounds-per-
square-inch-gauge (psig) steam by burning natural gas. Condensate is returned to the
boiler and mixed with makeup water to yield 117°F feedwater. The stack temperature
is measured at 500°F. Determine the annual energy savings that will be achieved by
installing an economizer given 8,400 hours per year (hr/yr) of boiler operation at a
fuel cost of $8.00 per million Btu ($8.00/MMBtu).
From the steam tables, the following enthalpy values are available:
Resources
For 150-psig saturated steam: 1,195.5 Btu/lb
U.S. Department of Energy— For 117 °F feedwater: 84.97 Btu/lb
DOE’s software, the Steam
System Assessment Tool and Boiler heat output = 45,000 lb/hr x (1,195.5 – 84.97) Btu/lb
Steam System Scoping Tool, can = 50 million Btu/hr
help you evaluate and identify
steam system improvements. The recoverable heat corresponding to a stack temperature of 500°F and a natural gas-
In addition, refer to Improving fired boiler load of 50 MMBtu/hr is read from the table (above) as 4.6 MMBtu/hr.
Steam System Performance:
A Sourcebook for Industry for Annual Savings = (4.6 MMBtu/hr x $8.00/MMBtu x 8,400 hr/yr)/0.80
more information on steam = $386,400
system efficiency opportunities.
Exhaust Gas Temperature Limits
Visit the BestPractices Web site The lowest temperature to which flue gases can be cooled depends on the type of
at www.eere.energy.gov/industry/ fuel used: 250°F for natural gas, 300°F for coal and low sulphur content fuel oils,
bestpractices to access these and and 350°F for high sulphur fuel oils. These limits are set to prevent condensation and
many other industrial efficiency possible corrosion of the stack.
resources and information on
training.
BestPractices is part of the Industrial
Technologies Program Industries of the
Potential Economizer Applications Future strategy, which helps the country’s
most energy-intensive industries improve
A feedwater economizer is appropriate when insufficient heat transfer surface their competitiveness. BestPractices brings
exists within the boiler to remove combustion heat. Boilers that exceed 100 together emerging technologies and best
boiler horsepower, operating at pressures exceeding 75 psig or above, and that energy-management practices to help
companies begin improving energy efficiency,
are significantly loaded all year long are excellent candidates for an economizer environmental performance, and productivity
retrofit. right now.
DOE/GO-102006-2250
January 2006
Steam Tip Sheet #3
Revised from DOE/GO-102002-1505 • March 2002