One thing all business owners using heating or energy equipment understand is the value of saving money by saving energy. Facility managers “…often install devices called heat exchangers to salvage as much heat as possible from waste gases.” Engineered Energy Equipment recommends using a boiler economizer.
What is a Boiler Economizer?
A common way to save precious energy and money is by using a Boiler Economizer. According to a blog post on Rasmech.com, “A boiler economizer or flue gas heat recovery unit is a heat exchanger that is installed on the stack of a boiler… designed to recover heat that would otherwise be wasted.”
How Do Boiler Economizers Work?
First, a boiler stack is the component of a boiler that emits the hot gaseous byproducts of combustion safely out of the system. Economizers save the thermal energy lost in the boiler stack exhaust and use fluid, normally boiler feedwater, to absorb the heat.
“Remember, we need a fluid that can use the heat AND is at a lower temperature than the flue gas.” Two types of boiler economizers work differently. Before feedwater goes through a boiler system, it passes through a deaerator that removes the oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Feedwater leaving the Deaerator is typically colder than the boiler’s temperature, and hot flue gas efficiently heats it. The blog from Rasmech.com states, “This application is sometimes referred to as a dry economizer because the products of combustion are not condensed.”
Some feedwater is colder in temperature and requires heat to use the excess thermal energy even after using a dry economizer. Rasmech.com informs readers that “Flue gas from a natural gas boiler running with 15% excess air (typical) will start to condense moisture…” So, similar to a cold beverage accumulating condensation on its surface during a hot day, adding hot flue gas to cold feedwater will cause the economizer to “sweat.” Since the flue gas contains CO2, the “sweat” turns into acid, which destroys carbon steel. To fix this issue, manufacturers make Condensing Economizers out of stainless steel. This type of boiler economizer recovers a lot more energy than Dry Economizers.
Reliable Advice
For a professional opinion you can trust, we suggest reading one of our other blog posts entitled Create An Efficient Boiler Room: How to Reduce Costs. The Boilerman of EEE Kevin Warren recommends Boilerroom Equipment, Inc (BEI), a division of Thermal Energy International, an ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) pressure vessel manufacturer that caters to many different industries. BEI is known for being the innovator behind the HeatSponge brand of boiler economizers. Visit the EEE YouTube Page to watch a short video introducing the HeatSponge. While there, please subscribe to stay current on the reliable, efficient, and cost-effective boiler, burner, control, and boiler room auxiliary support equipment we offer!
Prevent dollars from going out the window with wasted energy using a Boiler Economizer. Do not hesitate to call an energy specialist at EEE for advice regarding which type of economizer will work best for you and your situation. Go to our Contact Page to request more information or ask The Boilerman any questions.
References
- https://www.explainthatstuff.com/
- https://www.explainthatstuff.com/how-heat-exchangers-work.html
- https://www.rasmech.com/
- https://www.rasmech.com/blog/boiler-economizer/
- https://eeeinc.net/blog/
- https://eeeinc.net/2020/07/efficiency/
- https://eeeinc.net/
- http://www.boilerroom-equipment.com/contactus.html
- https://www.thermalenergy.com/
- https://www.asme.org/
- https://www.heatsponge.com/
- https://eeeinc.net/bei/
- https://www.youtube.com/@engineeredenergyequipmentinc.
- https://youtu.be/ZmTCBqKEBPI
