Flow Measurement & Control


How wet steam undermines boiler efficiency

September 2023 Flow Measurement & Control

The Endress+Hauser team understands the daily challenges and demands placed upon energy and utility managers across the spectrum of steam generation, distribution and consumption activities. Its global team is committed to working with its partners to overcome these complexities and particularly those that challenge a safe, economic and sustainable source of steam energy production and delivery. In meeting these challenges, the core of its business is designed to give customers access to Endress+Hauser’s global competence with superior expertise in steam system solutions.

Endress+Hauser recognises the intrinsic value of steam and the growing interest in it as a sustainable, efficient and ecological utility across many industries. Steam is one of the most important cost drivers in industry. The actual cost of steam is dependent on the path it follows from the boiler to the point of consumption. Optimised steam production is of utmost importance due to changing process and consumption needs.

Taking a systems approach to steam management typically begins with assessing the entire boiler unit, including factors such as the impact of blowdown, parasitic steam consumption and deaeration. By investing in accurate and reliable measurement and monitoring equipment, valuable data can be obtained that has the potential to lead to cost savings throughout the steam process, resulting in lower capital and operating expenses.

Endress+Hauser offers a comprehensive range of products and services for metering, monitoring and steam management. Its expertise enables it to optimise steam applications and provide integrated solutions for efficient boiler management.

Several factors contribute to the efficient operation of a plant. Among these is the availability of an adequate supply of steam at the appropriate temperature. Inefficient steam supply can lead to increased costs, leading to a poor competitive position. Moreover, failure to ensure safe steam production can pose a risk to the health and safety of individuals, the operational processes and the entire facility. If national and international regulations are not adhered to, there is a risk of authorities shutting down the boiler house, ultimately causing a disruption in production and resulting in losses.

In order to ensure a continuous and uninterrupted supply of steam, it is necessary to have appropriate boiler controls in place. Time and time again, insufficient insulation, defective condensate drains, and pressure and temperature fluctuations lead to condensation of steam and a subsequent formation of dangerous wet steam. In addition, disruptions in boiler control can cause water to overflow and enter the steam line. The consequences are often severe:

• Low efficiency in energy transfer because wet steam contains less energy than saturated steam.

• Formation of dangerous, undesired water hammer.

• Severe corrosion due to entrained boiler water and the dissolved salts it contains.

Due to their exceptional robustness and reliability, Vortex flow meters have emerged as the preferred choice for steam measurement. As mentioned above, wet steam is not only a safety issue, but also decreases the efficiency of your system dramatically. If steam has a dryness fraction of 90%, the energy available is reduced to 90%, which has an impact on profitability. Despite the importance of measuring the dryness fraction, it is often neglected and not commonly measured.

Endress+Hauser’s new Prowirl F200 is able to generate an alarm when dryness fraction falls below 80%. Additionally, it is now also possible to record the impact of the dryness fraction continuously, specifically the formation of condensate, on the signal behaviours of the Prowirl F200. This feature allows for the determination of steam quality, which can be presented as a measured variable. Consequently, adjustments to the mass and energy of steam can be made whenever necessary, ensuring precise measurement.

The company has developed the world’s first vortex meter with integrated wet steam alarming functionality. By adding a qualitative parameter to a quantitated measurement, the Prowirl F200 is the revolution in Vortex technology.

As a multivariable vortex meter, Proline Prowirl F200 offers everything you need in a single product: simultaneous measurement of mass flow, corrected volume flow, energy flow, temperature, and integrated process pressure. No matter how yous process variables fluctuate, Prowirl enables highly accurate measurements and comprehensive energy management.

For more information contact Endress+Hauser South Africa, +27 11 262 8000, [email protected], www.endress.com/water-wastewater


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