Economizers

Colin French CEng, FlnstE, FBIMgt, in Plant Engineer's Reference Book (Second Edition), 2002
31.1 Introduction
Economizers for boilers have been available for nearly 150 years, almost as long as boilers
themselves. For modern shell boilers, high efficiencies have made it increasingly difficult to
justify the use of an economizer, the final decision being based in terms of payback period,
which is also heavily dependent on fuel prices. Watertube boilers, on the other hand, need an
economizer section in the gas passes in order to obtain satisfactory efficiency. For this reason,
the economizer is integrated into the overall design, normally between the convective super-
heater and the air heater if fitted.
In shell boilers with a working pressure of between 7 and 17 bar the temperature of the mass of
water in the boiler is typically in the range of 170–210°C. Allowing for, say a temperature
difference of 30–50°C between the exhaust gases and the water temperature, the boiler exit gas
temperature cannot be economically reduced beneath about 200–260°C, dependent on the
operating pressure. It becomes necessary, therefore, to modify the process principles to achieve
further heat utilization and recovery. By using an economizer this is done by conducting
the feedwater supply to the economizer wherein the exhaust gas passes over tubes carrying the
feedwater. The feedwater, normally at temperatures between 30° and 100° C, represents a further
cooling medium for the exhaust gases and provides the potential for the extra heat utilization.
This is shown in Figure 31.1.

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Figure 31.1.  Temperatures in three-pass boilers and economizers the bulk gas temperature may be

satisfactory, in practice, the surfaces close to the tube wall will be nearly at water temperature due to the high

conductivity of the metal tube. This limits the minimum practical gas exit temperature from the economizer to, say,

170–180°C, remembering, of course, that at low fire this will have fallen closer still to the acid dewpoint (which is
 typically in the range of 125–140° C, dependent on the excess air and fuel sulphur content). The cold temperature of

the heat transfer surface gives rise to heavy corrosion which would reach a peak at about 95°C.

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