The pulp and paper mills rely on an extreme amount of energy for production.  Because of this, the mills are continuously looking for solutions to improve their energy consumption and be more sustainably aware. Let’s look at the direct injection steam heaters.

Energy Consumption In Pulp & Paper Mills

Energy efficiency is important in all businesses, however, within the industrial sector, there is a huge focus since they consume so much of it.  In fact, the pulp and paper mills use approximately 20% of all energy in manufacturing within the U.S.

What makes energy consumption so high is the steam generation within the production process.  The pulp & paper sector uses 43% of all steam generated nationwide.  The industry is looking to incorporate equipment that can successfully generate steam while being more energy-efficient.

Why Energy Efficiency is Important

Energy efficiency is important for a number of reasons in the business sector.  Companies can increase their profit margins by cutting their energy expenses.  These savings can safeguard their workforce and save jobs, which in current times is important.  Within the mills, it also improves the impact on the environment.

Direct Injection Steam Heaters Can Reduce Costs

Direct Steam Injection Heaters are the piece of equipment that can change the energy consumption within mills.

The direct injection steam heater is used to inject saturated steam and heat water-like products to a specific temperature.  The temperature is based on the process requirement.  The steam heater is designed to handle a wide scope of flow rates and deliver hot fluids at precise temperatures.  It can do this and still use 20 to 30% less energy than an indirect heat exchanger.

By using the inline direct injection steam heaters, the pulp and paper mills are seeing a 66% reduction in heating costs, while still maintaining production.

Benefits of Using a Direct Injection Steam Heater

A direct injection steam heater initiates a low-pressure drop in the existing flow.  This simple change produces lean manufacturing goals while energy consumption stays low.  The steam heaters are also compact, making it easy to incorporate into the production line.  The design helps the steam input retain momentum, and the conservation of energy passes into the product flow.

Komax Has the Technology to Impact Change

Komax saw the need to improve on the direct injection steam heater technology to ensure energy efficiency for the pulp and paper industry.  They developed and patented the Equalizer Mixing Module.  The module includes six parallel mixing chambers and a helical mixing element that allows for the contact of steam and product to be heated.  The elements divide and recombine the process flow to form multiple impingent blending zones that produce high turbulence and small steam bubbles.  For the pulp and paper process, this is where the pulp stock and steam contact and mix.

The technology performs without vibration and noise while still maintaining a high mixing proficiency.  The vibration-free feature not only makes for a quieter production line but it prolongs the life of the production line with less maintenance needed.

Komax is leading the industry in technological advancements for manufacturing plant applications and will continue to produce solutions in order to help aid the environment and plants worldwide.  If you are experiencing a problem that needs a solution, contact them today!