Steam generators and steam boilers are both devices used to produce steam, but they differ significantly in several ways.
Equipment construction and design purpose: Steam generators are usually composed of heaters, evaporators, and steam outlets, etc., and are designed to produce dry, high-temperature steam for specific industrial or laboratory applications. A steam boiler, on the other hand, includes a furnace body, grate, flue, cooler, etc., which are mainly used to heat buildings or provide hot water**.
Working principle: The steam generator is based on the principle of liquid evaporation and endothermy, and the water is heated to a boiling state through the heater to produce steam. Steam boilers, on the other hand, use fuel for combustion to produce high-temperature flue gas to heat water to produce steam.
Vapor speed: The steam generator usually produces steam within 5 seconds after the equipment is running, and the whole process usually does not take more than 3 minutes. The steam output speed of the steam boiler is slow, and it generally takes half an hour after the equipment is run to produce steam.
Combustion Fuel and Energy Efficiency: Steam generators mainly use clean energy such as electricity or gas, and have high energy efficiency. Steam boilers, on the other hand, mainly use solid or liquid fuels, which are relatively inefficient and have high operating costs.
Steam production temperature and pressure: The steam temperature of the steam generator is usually below 190, and the pressure is generally about 1MPa. The steam temperature of the steam boiler can reach more than 200, and the pressure is generally more than 10MPa, or even 20MPa.
System configuration and safety: The steam generator adopts modular configuration, which can be flexibly adjusted according to needs, and the whole machine does not need complex installation when leaving the factory, which is convenient to use and has high safety. The system configuration of the steam boiler is relatively fixed, and due to the large water volume, there is a high risk, which requires the need to be equipped with professional stokers and the construction of the boiler room.
Use registration procedures and environmental protection: The water volume of the steam generator is less than 30 liters, which is not within the scope of supervision and inspection of the "Pot Regulations", and is a product exempted from inspection. The steam boiler needs to be inspected and the procedures are relatively cumbersome. In addition, steam generators usually use clean energy, which is environmentally friendly; Steam boilers, on the other hand, may have environmental pollution problems.
To sum up, there are obvious differences between steam generators and steam boilers in terms of equipment structure, working principle, steam output speed, combustion fuel and energy efficiency, steam production temperature and pressure, system configuration and safety, and use registration procedures and environmental protection. Therefore, when choosing which device to use, it is necessary to consider comprehensively according to the specific application scenarios and needs.