Heat Recovery Systems

Industrial Steam Heat Recovery Systems

VIRA Heat Recovery Systems help industrial steam plants recover useful energy that would otherwise be lost through atmospheric venting, hot condensate discharge or boiler blowdown. Recovered heat can be transferred to boiler feedwater, make-up water or process-water circuits, reducing the fuel required to generate steam and improving the overall efficiency of the boiler house.

Atmospheric Heat Recovery Systems

Atmospheric Heat Recovery Systems are designed for applications where low-pressure flash steam or waste steam cannot be reused directly in the steam distribution system and would normally be vented to atmosphere. An atmospheric indirect heat exchanger transfers this energy to a clean water circuit without mixing the two fluids. The heated water can then be used for preheating, cleaning, domestic hot-water duties or suitable process applications.

This solution is particularly valuable for condensate tanks, process vessels, sterilizers, steamers and similar applications where flash steam creates visible vapour plumes around the plant. By condensing the waste steam and transferring its heat to water, the system helps reduce steam loss, improve the working environment and recover energy with minimal additional backpressure on steam-using equipment.

Flash Steam Heat Recovery Systems

Flash Steam Heat Recovery Systems are designed for pressurised condensate and boiler blowdown applications. When hot condensate passes from a higher pressure to a lower pressure, a portion of it flashes into steam. VIRA systems use a flash vessel to separate flash steam from the remaining condensate, allowing the energy in both streams to be recovered in a controlled manner.

Depending on the application, flash steam and hot condensate can pass through dedicated heat exchangers to preheat boiler feedwater or another suitable water circuit. Where project conditions allow, the recovery system may be installed downstream of the boiler feed pump, enabling the feedwater temperature to be increased above atmospheric boiling temperature without creating cavitation risk at the pump suction side.

Engineered for the Available Energy and Heat Demand

Every heat recovery application should be assessed according to steam pressure, condensate or blowdown flow rate, flash steam quantity, available cooling-water flow, required outlet temperature and operating profile. VIRA can supply compact packaged systems or project-specific solutions incorporating atmospheric heat exchangers, flash vessels, plate or shell-and-tube heat exchangers, pumps, valves, instrumentation, controls and piping assemblies.

Typical Applications

Typical applications include condensate tank vent recovery, flash steam recovery from process condensate, boiler blowdown heat recovery, boiler feedwater preheating, make-up-water heating, process-water heating and the reduction of visible steam plumes in industrial facilities.