When a beverage factory selects an appropriate steam boiler, it needs to make a comprehensive judgment based on four core dimensions: production capacity demand, process characteristics, safety compliance, and cost control, in combination with its own production scale and product types (such as fruit juice, dairy products, carbonated beverages, etc.). The specific steps and key points are as follows:
1. Clarify core demands: Match production capacity with process parameters
Calculate the steam demand (in tonnage)
This is the primary basis for selection. It is necessary to calculate the steam consumption of all steam-using links, including sterilization, extraction, concentration, packaging and drying, etc.
For small and medium-sized juice factories with an average daily steam consumption of approximately 1 to 5 tons, boilers with a rated evaporation capacity of 5 tons per hour can be selected. Large-scale dairy factories need to select large-capacity boilers with a capacity of 5 to 10 tons per hour based on requirements such as sterilization and insulation of fermentation tanks.
Determine the steam quality (pressure, temperature)
The processes in beverage factories mostly require saturated steam, with pressures typically ranging from 0.7 to 1.6MPa (corresponding to temperatures of 170 to 204℃).
Pasteurization and raw material extraction: 0.7 to 1.0MPa is sufficient to meet the requirements.
Ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization (UHT) and vacuum concentration: High-pressure steam at 1.2 to 1.6MPa is required to ensure rapid heating and efficient dehydration.
CIP cleaning: The steam pressure must match the design parameters of the cleaning system to prevent excessive pressure from damaging the pipelines.
2.Select the type of boiler fuel: Balance cost and environmental protection
The type of fuel directly affects operating costs and the difficulty of meeting environmental protection standards. It is necessary to comprehensively select suitable fuels (such as biomass, natural gas, diesel, electricity, etc.) in combination with local energy policies and fuel prices.
3. Consider safety and compliance: Meet the requirements for food production
Safety performance priority
Choose products from regular manufacturers with a national special equipment manufacturing license. Boilers should be equipped with safety valves, pressure gauges, water level gauges, and overpressure/low water protection devices to prevent safety accidents such as explosions and dry burning.
Beverage factories are classified as food production sites. The sealing performance and leak-proof design of boilers must meet standards to prevent impurities carried by steam from contaminating the workshop environment.
Choose boilers that meet national environmental protection emission standards.
Steam pipes that come into indirect contact with food raw materials should be made of food-grade stainless steel to prevent the release of heavy metals.
4. Optimize operating costs: Focus on thermal efficiency and the level of automation
Boilers with fully automatic control systems can achieve automatic water supply, automatic ignition, automatic pressure regulation, and automatic fault alarm, reducing manual operation steps and lowering operation and maintenance costs.
Supporting waste heat recovery system: Utilizing the waste heat from the boiler flue gas to preheat the feed water and heat the workshop for heating, further reducing energy consumption and enhancing the thermal efficiency of the boiler.
5. Other key considerations
Installation and floor space
Small and medium-sized beverage factories can choose horizontal quick-assembly boilers, which have a compact structure and a short installation period (1 to 2 months). Large boilers need to plan the layout of the factory building in advance, reserving space for fuel storage, ventilation and sewage discharge.
After-sales service
Choose a manufacturer that offers good after-sales service and timely communication.
The core logic for beverage factories to select steam boilers is: “process matching + optimal cost + safety and compliance”. Small and medium-sized factories should give priority to steam generators or steam boilers with a capacity of 5 tons or less. Large factories can adopt a parallel connection of multiple boilers to balance stability and flexibility, or choose large steam boilers (over 5 tons). At the same time, it is essential to attach great importance to the quality of steam and environmental protection requirements to avoid affecting product quality and production compliance due to improper equipment selection.