Energy efficiency is becoming increasingly a competitive issue – especially for energy-intensive businesses such as textile services. One way to reduce energy losses and the associated costs is an optimized steam supply.
Our head of the JUMAG Academy, Urs Hüchting, offers seven tips on how to make your company’s steam supply more energy-efficient.
- Reduce flue gas losses: Flue gas heat exchangers can help reduce flue gas temperatures by 100 degrees Celsius while preheating soft water for more efficient steam generation. This saves approximately 4% in energy.
- Reduce surface losses: Insulate all hot surfaces of vessels, components, and pipes to avoid unnecessary costs. Potential savings: 1%.
Decentralized steam generation: If possible, install smaller, compact steam systems where steam is needed, thus minimizing the complexity of the piping system. - Demand-based operating pressures: Use time programming to define predefined pressure bands during specific time windows. This ensures that only the required energy is available.
- Optimize water treatment: If the feedwater, boiler water, and condensate are regularly sampled and treated as needed, 10% of energy losses can be avoided. Even a 0.5 mm thick layer of calcium carbonate causes an energy loss of 7.5% of energy costs.
- Blowdown: The more salts, silicates, or dirt particles the boiler water contains, the more frequently it needs to be blown down. And every time fresh water needs to be heated for steam production, energy losses occur. Invest in water treatment equipment to treat high-quality water, such as low-salt osmosis water or demineralized water, and stretch the blowdown intervals. This results in immense energy savings!
- Avoid steam vapors: Steam vapors are usually caused by the excess energy of the centrally collected condensate. Efficient condensate recirculation and utilization through heat exchangers can help prevent energy losses of up to 4%, depending on the condensate return flow.
