There is a steam generator to suit basically every need on the market today. In this article, we will seek to highlight some of the different types of boilers available on the market and the distinctions between them. Six of these boilers will be discussed below.
The first type of boiler we will look at is the fire tube boiler. This is one of the first types of boiler systems. They were characterized by the use of a firebox for fuel. Initially they burned wood for fuel but would later turn to the use of coal. This kind of boiler was first used by the engines found in boats and railroad trains.
The advent of the water tube boiler was due largely to the desire to achieve steam being generated at higher pressures than was done before. This innovation resulted in less heat being needed to generate power to spin a turbine or push a piston since the higher pressure generated significantly greater force.
The combustion heat generator utilizes a heat exchange system similar that of the tube boilers. The combustion heat generators however are capable of producing greater levels of pressure to be used as power. Under these highly pressurized conditions the temperature of the steam produced can reach up to five hundred degrees Celsius. You can usually find this type of generator in electrical power plants.
The heat recovery generator is a device that captures highly pressurized hot gas steam and uses it after it has been run through a series of heat exchanges, to operate machines that require lower power. The steam recovered can also be used to provide heat for industrial buildings and homes.
Another type of boiler system is the nuclear steam generator. There are actually two kinds of nuclear steam generators. One is the Boiling Water Reactor, the other is the Pressurized Water Reactor. With the boiling water reactor, cooled water is transformed to steam within the nuclear reactor then transported to the turbine, which is located outside of the containment area. In the pressurized water reactor on the other hand, cooled water is pressurized inside the reactor without boiling taking place. It then goes to the turbine and undergoes a cooling process before it is re-circulated.
Finally, there is the solar power generator which represents the cleanest source of steam powered energy from boiling water. The water is transported through tubes located inside a solar panel. Electricity is then created when the sun heats the water and it is run through a steam turbine.
