Care and maintenance of boilers in food processing plants

Abstract

A boiler is a pressure vessel that generates steam by heating water, using electricity or some other fuel. Efficient boiler operations involve correct operation and maintenance procedures that become even more important when large quantities of steam are generated and consumed. Food processing plants utilizing steam for can sterilization, retort cooking, pressurized cleaning, or other direct heating purposes, require a constant supply of live steam and thus a continuous supply of water to replenish water lost as steam. Improper water quality can tremendously reduce boiler efficiency because the impurities cause scale to be deposited on the heating surface; for example, a quarter-inch scale deposit increases fuel consumption by 25 percent (Fig. 1). Boiler efficiency is also reduced, and energy wasted, when fuel combustion is not adequately controlled.