SUPERHEATERS

A superheater is a device that is used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into dry steam or superheated steam. Steam turbines utilize superheated steam for electricity generation, steam engines, and processes like steam reforming. In other words, the superheater is a coil-type heat exchanger that is used to produce superheated steam or create dry steam by converting wet steam that is generated by a boiler.

Even though most boilers produce steam to be used at saturation temperature, Industrial Boilers America provides Superheated steam boilers that vaporize the water and then further heat the steam in a superheater. This provides steam at a much higher temperature but can decrease the overall thermal efficiency of the steam generating plant because the higher steam temperature requires a higher flue gas exhaust temperature. Our team thrives in engineering solutions for this, typically by providing an economizer that heats the feed water, a combustion air heater in the hot flue gas exhaust path, or both.

There are advantages to superheated steam that may, and often will increase the overall efficiency of both steam generation and its utilization: gains in input temperature to a turbine should outweigh any cost in additional boiler complication and expense. There may also be practical limitations in using wet steam, as entrained condensation droplets will damage turbine blades.