What is the Benefit of a “Once-Through” Boiler Design?

The design of so-called “once-through” boilers are distinct from the traditional fire tube boilers of yesteryear. Modular, on-demand boilers manufactured by companies like Miura that have a “once-through” vertical tube for producing steam are finally starting to catch on, and with good reason. The “once-through” system offers a number of benefits for facilities that need to produce large amounts of steam on a regular basis. But at the top of the list of benefits is how quickly they get started.

The smaller size of modular boilers combined with the presence of vertical tubes inside the boiler allows them to get started much faster than conventional boilers. From a cold startup, Miura’s boilers can begin producing steam and meet full production levels in less than five minutes. They are akin to hot-water heaters in their ability to respond almost right away when called upon. On the contrary, it takes most traditional fire tube boilers at least an hour to start producing steam, and even longer to reach full capacity.

The ability to quickly get a boiler started from the off position can be invaluable when there are sudden fluctuations in need. With a traditional boiler, you would either need to wait an hour for the boiler to get up to speed and meet the demand or keep it running idle all the time, which wastes energy and money. However, a “once-through” modular boiler can be turned on as soon there’s a spike in need. More importantly, it will help your system meet the demand within minutes.

It’s also important to keep in mind that since smaller “once-through” boilers don’t need to be turned on when they’re not needed, they are far more fuel efficient than conventional boilers. Over the long haul, “once-through” boilers will help save a significant amount of money in fuel costs while also helping to meet sudden changes in speed demand.

To find out more about our boilers, please contact your local Miura representative.