Boiler Ratings Module 3.

Block 3 The Boiler House

Module 3.5
Boiler Ratings

The Steam and Condensate Loop

3.5.1

Boiler Ratings Module 3.5

Block 3 The Boiler House

Boiler Ratings
Three types of boiler ratings are commonly used:
o

From and at rating.

kW rating.

Boiler horsepower (BoHP).

From and at rating

The from and at rating is widely used as a datum by shell boiler manufacturers to give a boiler
a rating which shows the amount of steam in kg /h which the boiler can create from and at
100C, at atmospheric pressure. Each kilogram of steam would then have received 2 257 kJ of
heat from the boiler.
Shell boilers are often operated with feedwater temperatures lower than 100C. Consequently
the boiler is required to supply enthalpy to bring the water up to boiling point.
Most boilers operate at pressures higher than atmospheric, because steam at an elevated pressure
carries more heat energy than does steam at 100C. This calls for additional enthalpy of saturation
of water. As the boiler pressure rises, the saturation temperature is increased, needing even more
enthalpy before the feedwater is brought up to boiling temperature.
Both these effects reduce the actual steam output of the boiler, for the same consumption of
fuel. The graph in Figure 3.5.1 shows feedwater temperatures plotted against the percentage of
the from and at figure for operation at pressures of 0, 5, 10 and 15 bar g.
Output as a % of the from and at rating

105

0 bar
5 bar
10 bar
15 bar

100
95
90
85
80

40
60
80
Feedwater temperature (C)

20

100

120

Fig. 3.5.1 From and at graph

The application of the from and at rating graph (Figure 3.5.1) is shown in Example 3.5.1, as well
as a demonstration of how the values are determined.
Example 3.5.1
A boiler has a from and at rating of 2 000 kg /h and operates at 15 bar g. The feedwater
temperature is 68C.
Using the graph:
The percentage from and at rating 90%
Therefore actual output = 2 000 kg /h x 90%
Boiler evaporation rate = 1 800 kg /h

3.5.2

The Steam and Condensate Loop

Boiler Ratings Module 3.5

Block 3 The Boiler House

The use of Equation 3.5.1 will determine a factor to produce the same result:
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Equation 3.5.1

Where:
A = Specific enthalpy of evaporation at atmospheric pressure.
B = Specific enthalpy of steam at operating pressure.
C = Specific enthalpy of water at feedwater temperature.
Note: These values are all from steam tables.
Using the information from Example 3.5.1 and the Equation 3.5.1 the evaporation factor can be
calculated:
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(YDSRUDWLRQIDFWRU

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Therefore: boiler evaporation rate = 2 000 kg /h x 0.9

Boiler evaporation rate = 1 800 kg /h

kW rating
Some manufacturers will give a boiler rating in kW. This is not an evaporation rate, and is subject
to the same from and at factor.
To establish the actual evaporation by mass, it is first necessary to know the temperature of the
feedwater and the pressure of the steam produced, in order to establish how much energy is
added to each kg of water. Equation 3.5.2 can then be used to calculate the steam output:

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Equation 3.5.2
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Example 3.5.2
A boiler is rated at 3 000 kW rating and operates at 10 bar g with a feedwater temperature of
50C. How much steam can be generated ?
Where, using steam tables:
Feedwater hf = 4.19 kJ /kgC
Steam
hg = 2 782 kJ /kg

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N- NJ

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6WHDPRXWSXW

The Steam and Condensate Loop


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3.5.3

Boiler Ratings Module 3.5

Block 3 The Boiler House

Boiler horsepower (BoHP)

This unit tends to be used only in the USA, Australia, and New Zealand. A boiler horsepower
is not the commonly accepted 550 ft lbf /s and the generally accepted conversion factor of
746 Watts = 1 horsepower does not apply.
In New Zealand, boiler horsepower is a function of the heat transfer area in the boiler, and a
boiler horsepower relates to 17 ft of heating surface, as depicted in Equation 3.5.3:

+HDWWUDQVIHUDUHDIW  [




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Equation 3.5.3

New Zealand

Example 3.5.3
A boiler has a heat transfer area of 2 500 square feet, how many BoHP is this ?
IW  [

USA and Australia




%R+3

In the USA and Australia the readily accepted definition of a boiler horsepower is the amount of
energy required to evaporate 34.5 lb of water at 212F atmospheric conditions.
Example 3.5.4
A boiler is rated at 500 BoHP, what is its steam output ?

%R+3[ OE K

 OE K

Important: This is essentially the same as a from and at rating, so using feedwater at
lower temperatures and steam at higher pressures will reduce the amount of steam generated.
In practice: A BoHP figure of 28 to 30 lb / h would be a more realistic maximum continuous
rating, taking into account the steam pressure and average feedwater temperatures.
A more practical result would then be:

%R+3[

 OE K

Consequently: If 17 250 lb /h of steam is required, a 500 BoHP boiler would be too small, and
the user would need to specify a boiler with a rating of:
[

3.5.4




%R+3

The Steam and Condensate Loop

Boiler Ratings Module 3.5

Block 3 The Boiler House

Questions
1. A boiler with a from and at rating of 10 000 kg /h operates at 10 bar g and is supplied
with feedwater at 85C.
Which of the following will be the nearest to the actual evaporation rate of the boiler ?
a| 8 210 kg /h

b| 9 320 kg /h

c| 8 240 kg /h

d| 12 166 kg /h

2. A boiler has a from and at rating of 8 000 kg /h and operates at 7 bar g with a feedwater
temperature of 70C.
What is the effect on the actual output if the feedwater temperature is 85C ?
a| Output remains the same

b| Output reduces

c| Output increases and pressure increases

d| Output increases

3. Referring to Question 2, what change, if any, will there be in the overall energy required
to produce the steam ?
a| Overall energy required will remain the same

b| Energy required reduces

c| Energy required increases

4. A boiler is rated at 4 000 kW and operates at 7 bar g with a feedwater temperature

of 80C.
Which of the following will be its actual steam output ?
a| 5 916 kg /h

b| 6 824 kg /h

c| 3 726 kg /h

d| 4 310 kg /h

Answers

1: b, 2: d, 3: a, 4: a
The Steam and Condensate Loop

3.5.5

Block 3 The Boiler House

3.5.6

Boiler Ratings Module 3.5

The Steam and Condensate Loop