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Hot water is an indespensable
medium in industrial processes.
Washing, heating, sterilising
and rinsing are possible
applications, and the list can
be extended at will.
There are various ways of
producing hot water.
The condensation of steam is
probably the most commonly used
method of producing hot water.
Water and steam are the most
widely used materials for
- Cooling (water)
- Heating to medium
temperatures (condensing
steam in water)
- Heating at high
temperatures (pure steam)
Mixing water with steam makes
this process extremely flexible;
depending upon the mixing ratio
the temperature of the water can
be selected within a wide range.
Although water and steam
represent the same chemical
substance in different states of
aggregation, their uncontrolled
confrontation tends to be rather
hostile. Condensation knocking,
vibrations, noise and material
destruction are known
consequences of uncontrolled
condensation.
In order to ameliorate or even
avoid such phenomena, a variety
of devices has been developed.
Correct choice of suitable
equipment depends, on the one
hand, upon the process for which
it is to be used, and on the
other hand upon the specific
operating conditions.
Two main groups of heaters are
distinguished:
Self-priming heaters
Heaters with water supply
Accordingly, the difference
between these two kinds of
heaters is to be found not in
the actual heaters themselves
but above in the mode of
integration in the overall
system. Whereas the heaters of
the first group draw in the
water to be heated themselves
according to the princip of the
jet pump, the device belonging
to the second group require a
supply unit for the water, such
as a centrifugal pump or gravity
feed. |