Subject Code: FOOD315

Subject Name: Food Engineering-II

Module-III Boilers in Food Industry
 Boilers for food processing industry
• Steam boilers are needed in most food processing plants to provide process steam, used
mainly in various operations, such as heating of process vessels, evaporators and
dryers, sterilization, blanching, and peeling. A medium size food plant (80 tons / day
raw material) may require a boiler producing about 10 tons/h of steam at 18 bar
pressure.
• Two principal types of steam boilers are used in the food processing industry, i.e. the
fire-tube and the water-tube boilers. The fire tube boilers operate at relatively lower
pressure (1–24 bar) and produce cleaner steam. The water- tube units operate at higher
pressures (100–140 bar) and they are suited for co- generation, i.e. electrical power and
exhaust steam of lower pressure for process heating. Co-generation is economical in
large food plants, requiring large amounts of low-pressure steam, e.g., beet sugar
plants.
 A standby steam boiler of proper capacity may be necessary to provide process
steam during any boiler failure or breakdown.
 Steam boilers are rated in Btu/h, kW or boiler HP (1 Btu/h = 0.293 W, 1 boiler HP
= 9.8 kW). The heat flux in the boiler heating surface is about 0.75 kW/ m2. The
boiler efficiency is about 85% with most of the thermal losses in the dry gases
and the moisture. Steam generation is about 1.4 t/h per MW.
 In order to maintain the concentration of accumulated dissolved solids in steam
boilers below 3500 ppm, periodic discharge of hot water (blow down) is
practiced.
 Fuel is used in food plants mostly for generating process steam and process
drying. Natural gas and liquefied propane (LPG) are preferred fuels in food
processing, because their combustion gases are not objectionable in direct contact
with food products. Fuel oil and coal can be used for indirect heating, i.e. through
heat exchangers.
 Culinary steam of special quality is used when steam is injected in food products.
The steam must be free of objectionable chemicals used in boilers, which may be
carried into the food being heated. Culinary steam is usually produced from
potable water in a secondary system of a heat exchanger heated with high pressure
industrial steam.
 We use steam in food manufacturing because it is the most efficient method of heat
transfer.
 Partner this with its reliable, versatile and sterilizing qualities, it’s no wonder food
manufacturers across the globe use steam and its flexibility to cook their products
and clean equipment.
 Steam is the only heat transfer medium available for direct food contact.
 Steam offers precise temperature control through relatively simple, inexpensive
pressure control to deliver consistent heat across even the largest of vessels.
 Steam offers the precision to ensure that the food produced is of the highest quality
for the manufacturers’ end-user consumers.
Thank you!