The boiler is an important piece of machinery that is located in the ship’s engine room and demands proper attention. This is because it is machinery that supports multiple other machines and operations, which includes the main engine. So, it is important to maintain and improve the boiler’s efficiency. However, you need to know how to maintain and optimise the boiler’s efficiency. To help you, here are some points in the blog that would help you with the task. And, since you are planning to invest in a ROPAX vessel for sale soon, all this information would be of great help to you.
Top 6 Points to Consider for Boosting the Efficiency of Boilers
Here are some of the important tips that you can follow to improve the boiler’s efficiency. Take a look at it to know.
Feed Water Temperature
It is common knowledge that to improve the efficiency of a system, the standard inputs should be maintained properly. The feed water in the boiler system plays a very important role. This is because the temperature of the feed water should be maintained in the range of 80 to 85 degrees Celsius. This should be maintained as it helps operate the boiler at a higher efficiency. If in any way this temperature is reduced, the heating will naturally take more time to produce steam, increase fuel consumption, and have reduced efficiency.
You should also monitor the hot well’s temperature or level. Because if the level falls, it would mean that you have to increase the level of cold water to maintain the level and reduce the temperature of the feed water.
Structural Importance
The ship’s boiler is a high-pressure vessel that generates steam at a high temperature for multiple purposes. The outer structure, or shell, is a vital part that maintains the temperature of the flue glass to initiate better heat exchange and also contains pressure.
What to check?
- Check whether the boiler shell has developed leakage.
- The boiler insulation must be examined to see if it has undergone any leakage or damage.
- Check the refractory once a month to see if they are in good condition.
Air or Steam Supply to the Burner
Air or steam plays a vital role as it ensures that proper fire is generated inside the furnace with the help of good combustion. For proper combustion, it is vital for you to know the air/steam percentage. For a fuel oil-operated marine boiler that has a register burner, a percentage of 15–20 is required for good combustion. So, you need to ensure that the extra stream or air is reduced and also keep a check on the combustion gas content.
Boiler Loading
Ships that are equipped with more than one steam generator or boiler must make sure that the boiler’s load is neither higher nor lower. The best range for operating the boiler that is and achieving the best efficiency is 2/3rd of the full load of the boiler. Now, if the boiler is below 50% of the load, then more fuel is needed to burn the full load, which would cause a rise in the loss of heat. So, it is better to operate fewer boilers at a high load than more boilers at a lower load.
Planning to buy a ROPAX vessel for sale? Then, first make sure that you have an idea of what makes a ship the best among the lot. For useful suggestions, you can hire a shipbroker.
Blow Down Control
Generally, it has been observed that the operators don’t perform blowdowns of the boiler regularly. It is only done when the test results for the water are high in chloride or during the high conductivity alarm. This results in continuous uncontrolled blowdown, which actually causes boiler heat and efficiency waste. This decreases the amount of hot water that is inside the boiler and requires the transfer of the right temperature water from the hot well.
Deposits of Soot
It should be known to you that oil-fired boilers are prone to soot deposits in the tube, which reduce the rate of heat transfer. If you see that the tube stack has elevated, you know that it is a sign that the soot deposit has increased on the tube. And, thus, daily, the economizer tubes and the boilers must be cleaned.
Conclusion
So, these are some of the tips that would help increase the efficiency of the boiler. Following this point would help to keep the boiler of the ship in the best condition as well. So, if you are planning to own a ROPAX vessel for sale, these points would help to make a better decision for your vessel and keep it in the best condition for a long time.
