Boilers and the steam they produce are essential to our way of life, as they’re used in nearly every production industry. That’s especially true of water tube boilers as more and more companies are looking to make environmentally-sustainable switches to continue to meet strict emissions regulations.
Did you know that water tube boilers can use a variety of fuel sources without losing their ability to operate at extremely high pressures? A major perk as we move toward a modern world that will still require the use of power-generated facilities and plants.
If you’re in the market for a cost-effective, environmentally-conscious industrial boiler that can help you keep up with production demands, water tube boilers are a great place to begin your search. Here, we’ll cover everything you need to know about these types of boilers and how they work so that you can determine if this source of power generation is right for your business.
What is a water tube boiler?
A water tube boiler is an enclosed vessel in which an external source heats water to produce power-generating steam.
Thanks to the low volume of water they hold compared to other types of industrial boilers, they’re able to operate at very high pressures, making them practical and safe choices for large facilities, like hospitals and processing plants.
What are the main components?
Before you can understand exactly how a water tube boiler works, you must first have a grasp of its components.
A water tube boiler consists of four main parts; the tubes themselves, which are separated into riser tubes and downcomer tubes, a mud drum, a steam drum, and a furnace component.
The mud drum sits at the bottom, or lowest point, where the feedwater comes in, while the steam drum sits at the top. The two drums are connected by the tubes; riser tubes on one side and downcomer tubes on the other. The furnace section sits close to the mud drum so that it’s able to heat the feedwater efficiently.
How do industrial water tube boilers work?
Now that you’re familiar with the main components of industrial water tube boilers, we can delve into how they work to produce steam.
It all starts in the mud drum, where feedwater waits to be warmed up by the external heat source in the furnace. Water tube boilers can use biomass, coal, or even natural gas – the cleanest type of fossil fuel – to make them environmentally friendly and sustainable. Whatever the fuel source in the furnace may be, it effectively, and in the case of most water tube boilers, quickly heats the feedwater in the mud drum.
As that water heats, it moves into and through the riser tubes and into the steam drum where water and steam are separated. The steam is drawn off the top for power-generation use while any remaining water in the drum is sent back down to the mud drum through downcomer tubes. This is a continuous, repeating process.
Let’s sum up:
- Feedwater enters the mud drum
- The external heat source (furnace) warms up said mud drum water
- That heated water then moves up riser tubes
- And finally enters the steam drum Water and steam are separated; the steam is drawn off the top for power-generating use
- Any remaining water is sent back down to the mud drum through downcomer tubes
- Where this continuous process repeats itself
What are the advantages of water tube boilers?
Water tube boilers offer quite a few advantages over other boiler options, including being able to handle high pressures – up to 5,000 psi!
What tends to go along with high pressure? High heat. Water tube boilers are well-suited for high temperatures, which means they offer superior steam generation compared to other boiler types. Additionally, thanks to the lower volume of drum water they work with, they come with a low risk of catastrophic failure. In fact, with proper maintenance, a water tube boiler can last 15 years or more, making them a solid investment.
Explore your boiler options with help from industry experts
Let our industrial boiler company help you find the right steam-generation solution that best suits your process plant or facility needs, contact Industrial Boilers America today.
As a trusted steam-generation solution company in the biomass industry, we can help protect your quality standards, meet emission regulations, and reduce overall operating and capital costs, all in an environmentally-conscious way. We look forward to assisting with your water tube boiler needs soon!
