Commercial Boilers
Boilers A boiler is closed vessel that burns natural gas to convert water to steam. The steam that boilers produce can be used for central heating, water heating and manufacturing processes. As a result, boilers are used by a large number of commercial and industrial customers in the Atlanta Gas Light service area.
For information on installing a new natural gas boiler, or converting an oil or propane fired boiler to natural gas, email us at gasadvantage@aglresources.com.
Boilers for Central Heating When hot water or steam is used to distribute heat, a system of insulated pipes and heating elements is used. Most hot water heating systems have two pipes attached to the boiler, one for the hot water supply and the other for the cold-water return. Some hot water systems operate on gravity (the hot water rises as the cold water drops to the basement for reprocessing), while a pump operates others.
Steam systems typically have different piping arrangements, internal steam pressure, and operating temperatures than hot water systems. Because the properties of steam allow it to retain higher heat values longer, steam systems are often used to heat more than one building from a centralized area, thereby eliminating the need for furnaces or boilers in each building. Colleges, universities, and hospitals are examples of facilities that use steam systems. As with hot water systems, once the heat is given off, the condensed steam is returned to the boiler for reprocessing.
Boilers for Manufacturing Processes Because boilers can perform multiple functions, almost every type of industry to generate steam or hot water for process heating or drying uses them. For example, the textile industry uses a boiler to provide heat for the dyeing and drying of yard goods; the printing industry uses a boiler for processes such as drying, melting, and the processing of photochemicals. There are two types of high-pressure boilers in use today: fire tube boilers and water-tube boilers.
Fire Tube Boiler A fire tube boiler is a cylindrical tank that consists of a chamber with tubes that are immersed in water. Hot combustion gases flow inside the boiler tubes and the heat boils the water that surrounds the tubes. The resulting steam gathers in the space above the water.
Most of the early boilers, including those used to power steam locomotives were fire tube boilers. Most small industrial boilers in use today are fire tube boilers.
Water Tube Boiler In water tube boilers, water is heated in tubes that pass through a fire chamber. Heat from the hot combustion gas outside the tube transfer to the water inside the tube. In absorbing heat from the combustion gases, the water is converted into steam. Steam that is generated is carried to a steam drum.
The demand for greater steam pressure led to the development of the water-tube boiler. Most large industrial boilers (over 50 MMBtu/hour) are water tube boilers.
Hot Water Boiler Energy Savings
Savastat monitors the return water temperature and the rate of temperature change (at the boiler inlet point). Savastat works in real time to determine the load on the system. Over 20,000 units are installed and working in several countries with the following results:
- Reduced energy consumption by 15% or more.
- Reduced boiler maintenance by reducing short cycling of the boiler.
- Working successfully with the already existing boiler controls.
Case studies:
Buckingham Palace
National Westminister Bank