Posted by Tony Conner on October 09, 2001 at 05:30:48:
In Reply to: Quantity of condesate return posted by Ed on October 08, 2001 at 14:59:33:
The amount of condensate returned won't depend on the boiler, but on what happens at the point of use. If you have uses like humidifiers, or direct contact heaters, the steam is directly mixed with the process fluid, and is gone. There's no way it can be returned. Sometimes there's a very small steam use a long ways away, and you just can't economically justify the pump and piping to return the condensate, so it get's sewered.
Every plant is different. Look at the points of use for the steam, keep on top of steam & condensate leaks, and maintain your condensate pumps. Get all the condensate back that you reasonably can. The hot water saves fuel, and the less make-up water you need, the simpler the water treatment gets. You also save on continuous blow down with reduced make-up. (A lot of people don't realize just how much money that alone costs.)