Summary for sulfuric acid heating system Discussion
Sulfuric acid heating system options for a galvanizing line were discussed after David Jaye asked for alternatives to boilers to hold sulfuric acid tanks at about 140 °F. In response, Jack Ames disagreed with the premise that boilers are troublesome or inefficient, saying low-pressure steam and hot-water boilers are usually very reliable and operate at nearly 100% efficiency. He noted that some small hot-water boilers can even measure slightly over 100% because of how efficiency is calculated. Ames also cautioned that electric heating is often much more expensive than gas or oil, sometimes by nearly a factor of ten due to transmission losses. The thread does not present a newer heating technology, but instead argues that conventional boiler systems remain a practical and economical choice for this application.
Q. I am exploring ways to heat sulfuric acid tanks in the galvanizing operation. The temp. needs to be about 140 °F. I am looking for alternatives to boilers, which are troublesome and not very efficient. What’s new out there?
David Jaye
Hot Dip Galvanizing – Houston, Texas
2004
A. I guess my problem is that I can’t really agree with you that boilers are troublesome and inefficient. Both low pressure steam and hot water boilers are usually very reliable, and the efficiency is close to a hundred percent. In fact, some small hot water boilers are a smidgen over 100 percent efficient (I know that sounds impossible, but it’s explained by an anomaly in the ways such things are measured, and I mention it to emphasize that ‘close to’ means very very close to).
Because of huge transmission losses, in most areas electric power costs almost 10 times what gas or oil cost.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
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A. I agree with Ted. It is dramatically less expensive to heat processes with steam or hot water generated by boilers burning gas or oil. Steam is great but it must be piped properly. Very often when I find persons who are negative on using steam, their problems are invariably piping related. When steam is piped properly, the results are fantastic.
Jack Ames
– Baltimore, Maryland
July 7, 2012
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