STEAM TIPS Steam15 - Benchmark

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING OFFICE
Energy Tips: STEAM Steam Tip Sheet #15
Benchmark the Fuel Cost of

Suggested Actions
Steam Generation ■■ Determine your annual fuel
Benchmarking the fuel cost of steam generation, in dollars per 1,000 pounds costs based on utility bills.
($/1,000 lb) of steam, is an effective way to assess the efficiency of your steam
system. This cost is dependent upon fuel type, unit fuel cost, boiler efficiency, ■■ Install a steam flowmeter in your
feedwater temperature, and steam pressure. This calculation provides a good first facility and calculate your steam
approximation for the cost of generating steam and serves as a tracking device to generation cost. Compare this
allow for boiler performance monitoring. Table 1 shows the heat input required to with the benchmark value.
produce 1 lb of saturated steam at different operating pressures and varying feed-
water temperatures. Table 2 lists the typical energy content and boiler combustion
■■ Using a systems approach, do a
efficiency for several common fuels. thermoeconomic analysis to
determine the effective cost of
Table 1. Energy Required to Produce One Pound of Saturated Steam, Btu* steam. (See page 2: Effective
Operating Feedwater Temperature, °F Cost of Steam.)
Pressure,
psig 50 100 150 200 250
150 1,178 1,128 1,078 1,028 977

450 1,187 1,137 1,087 1,037 986
600 1,184 1,134 1,084 1,034 984
* Calculated from steam tables based on the difference between the enthalpies
of saturated steam and feedwater.
Table 2. Energy Content and Combustion Efficiency of Fuels

Energy Content, Combustion
Fuel Type, sales unit
Btu/sales unit Efficiency, %
Natural Gas, MMBtu 1,000,000 85.7
Natural Gas, thousand cubic

1,030,000 85.7
feet
Distillate/No. 2 Oil, gallon 138,700 88.7
Residual/No. 6 Oil, gallon 149,700 89.6
Coal, ton 27,000,000 90.3
Note: Combustion efficiency is based on boilers equipped with feedwater economizers or air
preheaters and 3% oxygen in flue gas.
Data from the tables above can be used to determine the cost of usable heat from
a boiler or other combustion unit. The calculations can also include the operat-
ing costs of accessories such as feedwater pumps, fans, fuel heaters, steam for
fuel atomizers and soot blowing, treatment chemicals, and environmental and
maintenance costs.
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING OFFICE
Example
A boiler fired with natural gas costing $8.00/MMBtu produces 450-pounds-per- Resources
square-inch-gauge (psig) saturated steam and is supplied with 230°F feedwater. U.S. Department of Energy—
Using values from the tables, calculate the fuel cost of producing steam. DOE’s software, the Steam
System Assessment Tool and
Steam Cost = ($8.00/MMBtu/106 Btu/MMBtu) x 1,000 lb Steam System Scoping Tool, can
x 1,006 (Btu/lb)/0.857 help you evaluate and identify
= $9.39/1,000 lb steam system improvements. In
addition, refer to Improving
Effective Cost of Steam Steam System Performance: A
Sourcebook for Industry for more
The effective cost of steam depends on the path it follows from the boiler to
information on steam system
the point of use. Take a systems approach and consider the entire boiler island,
efficiency opportunities.
including effect of blowdown, parasitic steam consumption, and deaeration.
Further complications arise because of the effects of process steam loads at Visit the Advanced Manufacturing
different pressures, multiple boilers, and waste heat recovery systems. To Office website at manufacturing.
determine the effective cost of steam, use a combined heat and power simulation energy.gov to access these and
model that includes all the significant effects. many other industrial efficiency
resources and information on
Multi-Fuel Capability training.
For multi-fuel capability boilers, take advantage of the volatility in fuel prices
by periodically analyzing the steam generation cost, and use the fuel that
provides the lowest steam generation cost.
Higher Versus Lower Heating Values

Fuel is sold based on its gross or higher heating value (HHV). If, at the end of
the combustion process, water remains in the form of vapor, the HHV must be
reduced by the latent heat of vaporization of water. This reduced value is known
as the lower heating value (LHV).
Advanced Manufacturing Office

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585-0121
manufacturing.energy.gov
The Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) works with diverse partners to develop and deploy technologies and best practices that will help U.S.
manufacturers continually improve their energy performance and succeed in global markets. AMO’s Better Plants program works with U.S. corporations
through a CEO-endorsed pledge to improve energy efficiency. AMO’s tools, training, resources, and recognition programs can help build energy management
capacity within the industrial sector and supply chains. Use these resources to comply with requirements of the ISO 50001 standard and the Superior Energy
Performance program.
With our partners, AMO leverages additional federal, state, utility, and local resources to help manufacturers save energy, reduce climate and environmental
impacts, enhance workforce development, and improve national energy security and competitiveness throughout the supply chain.
DOE/GO-102012-3391 • January 2012
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ADVANCED MANUFACTURING OFFICE

Energy Tips: STEAM Steam Tip Sheet #15

Benchmark the Fuel Cost of

150 1,178 1,128 1,078 1,028 977

Table 2. Energy Content and Combustion Efficiency of Fuels

Natural Gas, thousand cubic

Distillate/No. 2 Oil, gallon 138,700 88.7

Residual/No. 6 Oil, gallon 149,700 89.6

Coal, ton 27,000,000 90.3

Higher Versus Lower Heating Values

Advanced Manufacturing Office

DOE/GO-102012-3391 • January 2012

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