Steam Solutions Comparison

What is the difference between an industrial (pressure) boiler and a steam generator? Boilers create steam by boiling water in a pressure vessel by heating the water and creating molecules. As the water boils at its boiling point (the boiling temperature depends on the pressure generated) steam is obtained at the saturated pressure.  This type of steam making represents older steam technology (because Tsaturated and Psaturated are linked for such a method to produce steam at a temperature different than the atmospheric pressure).

Steam generators on the other hand are modern devices with instant on-off features, steam velocity control features, independent backpressure control, and significant high-temperature steam capability (without the need for pressure vessels or pressure unless required for the backpressure)

Traditional boilers yield saturated steam that can sometimes be mildly superheated.  Thus boiler steam may be wet and contain water droplets.  For example with a boiler, one needs a high 10 Bar and even then the saturation temperature is only 180°C  – even at 100 Bars, the saturation temperature is only 311°C. Steam generators do not have to operate at high pressure for the high temperature- typically thus offer high-temperature dry steam.

Steam Generators can operate at room pressure or at the backpressure required t0 be overcome.  Thus one can get high temperatures in the steam gas without the use of unwieldy pressures.   High temperatures even up to 1300°C are obtained.

Industrial boilers have worked well but they are 19th and 20th-century type technology machines with low efficiencies. They can reach 85% efficiency in many configurations (only at a steady state which often takes long for boilers), but they still have significant drawbacks in temperature capability.  For boilers, very often, as the pressure rating increases, the efficiency falls.  Steam generators, like the GHGA, MHGA, OAB, or HGA type routinely offer over 95% efficiency even to 1000°C and beyond  (a temperature unimaginable for boiler steam).

1. Temperature Limitations – Industrial boilers are temperature limited by pressure. To obtain higher temperatures, higher pressures are required. Not so for steam generators.
2.  To operate at lower temperatures than rated, boilers typically sacrifice efficiency or safety.  Not so for steam generators.  As the pressure rating of a boiler increases, quite often its efficiency falls.
3. Combustion Process – Nearly all large-scale industrial boilers utilize the combustion process. This leads to CO2 and NO_X production as well as fossil fuel consumption. Combustion processes typically result in low efficiencies and high energy losses.
4. Safety – Pressure vessels can fail and explode (although this is rare as many boilermakers follow the best practices). Low water levels can result in boiler overheating and potentially the explode. Gas leaks pose an inhalation danger as well as an explosion risk.
5. Certifications  – Any boiler or pressure vessels require certifications and inspections. Review the boiler regulations for your state.
6. Difficult to Use Boilers – Boiler operation is typically dependent on specific, trained individuals who are trained to read dials and follow numerous safety measures as per local code. Boilers are complicated.

Steam Generators use 21st-century technology. No combustion or pressure vessels. The GHGA, MHGA, OAB, and HGA patented technologies allow steam generators to operate with unparalleled efficiencies, saving you time, and money and improving your process.

Steam Without the Wait

MHI has pioneered new steam technology for high-quality steam.

BoilerFree^TM technology allows nearly instant steam production. Most MHI steam generators produce super-heated in under a minute from a cold start (it can take a boiler many hours or days).  With a variety of outputs and configurations available, MHI  has an energy-efficient high-productivity solution for your steam application.   Please contact MHI.

High-Temperature Steam for Pharma Use. GHGA.	OAB®	HGA-S-01
OAB®	HGA-M	SaniZap-600-4-240 SaniZap®-1

Feature	(OAB®) Steam or GHGA This table comparison is for general properties Steam Generator Models, Plasma Steam Models, and Steam Chambers	Water Tube Steam Boilers, Non-Electric	Electric High-Pressure Steam Boilers
Maximum Steam Temperature1 Always Clean Steam?	300-1300°C Standard. Choice of Models. Always high flow. No moisture. High performance. Yes	Sometimes up to 600°C with Economizer and Superheater.  Achieving a steady state takes a long time for boilers. No	134°C for 3 bar steam. No
Delivery to Initial Startup. How Versatile	Models are easily installed in a day and there is no anticipated wait for certifications to start. Independent temperature, flow, and pressure settings	Unknown Not at all versatile small small	Small units could be plug and play. Large units may require certification time. Generally not versatile.
Efficiency	>95%	<85-90% (at steady state much lower otherwise)	~85-95% (at steady state much lower otherwise)
Idle Energy Waste	Low (Choice of Continuous or On-off Steady-state steam)	High	Moderate
Non Steam Producing Energy Usage Time (Start-Up Time2)	Nearly Instant. Generally within a minute.	60+ Minutes. Becomes slower with higher pressures and volume requirements	~60 Minutes. Becomes slower with higher pressures and volumes. (Not including cool down and pressure release for autoclaves)
Suggested Inlet Temperature3	Tap	40-60°F	20-35°C
Capital Cost per Kg of Steam3	Low. Financing is available when qualified.	High	Moderate. Depends on the temperature/pressure required.
Operational Costs4	Low even up to 1300°C. Modern HMI and PLC controls	High	Low-Moderate
Unit Footprint	Starting at 1’x 1’x 1′. Small and remotely locatable power panels. Depends on the steam rate required.	Large	Depends on size and pressure requirements.
Plug & Play Operations	Yes	No	No
Requires Boiler Certifications5	Generally, No	Yes	Yes
Downtime6	Low (Unit can be used for continuous steady-state steam). On account of the low footprint and modular designs, the MHI-Never-Down Service™ is available for all steam units as applicable. Self Draining Self Flushing	Low-Moderate	Low
Utilizes Combustion Heat 7 (Requires Ventilation) Combustion creates CO2 and NOx	No	Yes	No
Energy Needed to produce 100 Kg/hr steam from cold start	~100 kWh @~350°C. Water at Room Temperature to Steam.	~150-200 kWh Equivalent (Including start-up time consumption). Not always reported from room temperature water.	~150kWh Equivalent (Including start-up time consumption). Not always reported from room temperature water.
Power Weight [Kg Equipment/(Kg/hr) of steam] for a 100kW Generator	~2 Kg per Kg/hr of steam.	~5 Kg/hr of steam (Weight increases with temperature/pressure)
Maximum Work Potential (Based on second law limitation) Base is 1 Bar 100C liquid water for all.	672 kJ/Kg for 500°C super-heated steam 1973 kJ/Kg for 1300°C superheated steam	755 kJ/Kg for 10 Bar saturated steam 1169 kJ/Kg at 100 Bar saturated steam.	Generally not used for creating work.
Enthalpy (heat) Content	3489 kJ/Kg for 500°C superheated steam at 1 Bar	2777 kJ/Kg for 10 Bar saturated steam Saturation steam temperature 180°C	2725 kJ/Kg for 3 Bar saturated steam Saturation steam temperature 134°C
Running at Partial Capacity	With MHI Electronic Controls, No loss of efficiency significantly significantly	Significantly lower efficiencies, even if the model is capable	Lower efficiencies
Air Contamination Effects	Extremely high operation temperatures diminish effects of air	Air contamination harms output	No air contamination is allowed (strict)
Piping Losses	Discrete, locatable units reduce necessary piping. The one-atmosphere pipe can be better insulated and lighter.	High pipeline pressure combined with long piping distances leads to heat loss and dangerous conditions in the event of pipe failure. Pipes can be heavy.	High pipeline pressure combined with long piping distances leads to heat loss and dangerous conditions in the event of pipe failure. Pipes can be heavy.
How far can I run my pipe? Info-graphic.
Typical Improved Efficiencies (Energy)	Application dependent – sometimes over 50% better improved
Improved Water Efficiency	Application dependent – sometimes over 50% better	–	–