Benchmarking Steam System Performance

For an existing steam system, if the best performance of energy efficiency can be predetermined, this could set a benchmarking basis for the purpose of monitoring and comparison. The performance gap can be readily identified by applying the methods presented in this chapter. 

Energy and Process Optimization for the Process Industries, First Edition. Frank (Xin X.) Zhu. 

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Benchmarking the fuel cost for steam generation is an important step in managing the steam system. For a given amount of steam production, the total fuel cost depends on boiler efficiency, steam pressure, fuel type and cost, and feedwater temperature. The benchmark can serve as a tracking tool for monitoring the boiler performance. The benchmark calculations are provided (DOE, 2012), which are briefly illustrated next. 

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