Baviera Condensate Heat Recovery System

The production of steam, or the 'steam process' means that condensate at high temperature is returned to the boiler make-up tank and the greater part of the heat energy contained is simply wasted by being released into the atmosphere. This means that the energy taken to heat the water, together with the expensive chemical treatments and any additives applied to ensure the water is suitable for production purposes, is simply wasted.

The Baviera system is a pressurised condensate recovery system operating in closed circuit that feeds the boiler with condensates at very high temperature, thereby providing substantial savings in energy. Because the system is closed, it also removes steam losses into the atmosphere and so it also reduces water use and the use of any chemicals and additives. This is an important improvement over older atmospheric recovery systems.

The system works at high pressure and is located in the boiler room itself. It comprises a sealed and pressurised condensate recovery tank designed specifically for condensate recovery, a KSB pump and associated pipework.

The operational parameters of condensate recovery are set according to the process for which the steam is being used. For example, in the case of paper corrugation - a process that uses a great deal of steam - condensate from the corrugating line is recovered at 9 bar, or approximately 180ºC.

A specially designed KSB pump injects the condensates at 180ºC directly to boiler, thereby reducing the energy required to bring the water to temperature.

The KSB pump is a multi-impeller centrifugal pump that has a mechanical seal which is cooled both by passing water over it and with airflow from the pump motor. This means that the mechanical seal operates at between 60 & 70°C even though the pump is operating with water temperatures of 180°C. Despite the constant operation, this pump is extremely reliable and requires very low levels of maintenance or service.