This article introduces the Bosch Steam boiler product range, which delivers highly efficient, reliable process heat while reducing production costs and emissions.
Click to download and read pdf
The Robert Bosch GmbH Research and Development (R&D) centre in Schwieberdingen, Germany, develops advanced energy solutions from traditional industrial boilers to future-proofed, decentralised systems.
Bosch Industrial Boilers is renowned worldwide as a specialist supplier of boiler systems in all sizes and output categories, having provided innovative OEM-built industrial boilers for over 150 years. Founded in 1865 as a small boiler maker under the Loos family name, the company has grown into a leading global systems supplier for industrial boilers, with more than 120 000 units installed in 140 countries, all manufactured at one of two facilities: Gunzenhausen, Germany, and Bischofshofen, Austria.
Key design and durability features
Thanks to an optimised water-to-steam ratio, Bosch boilers are optimised for rapid heating and high steam quality. An ideal temperature distribution and the release of vapour bubbles enable the boilers to operate very efficiently, even during dynamic load periods. Compared to other boiler designs, the Bosch design, with its high steam chamber, minimises high-water shutdowns and water entrainment.
An intelligent three-component control, combined with pilot signals from large consumers and less frequent pre-ventilation (burner starts), enables the boilers to respond quickly and reliably to load peaks.
In terms of durability, a boiler design traditionally used in old steam locomotives has been continuously evolved. With its fully inserted fire tube and without stud bolts, this offers the highest level of robustness and greater resistance to cold starts.
Manufacturing quality and monitoring
Because they are pressure vessels, all Bosch steam boilers are manufactured to comply with the latest applicable pressure equipment standards in over 140 countries. The quality management systems at the German and Austrian factories are certified to strict standards, and additional checks are conducted to meet specific client requirements.
Quality is a top priority. Plant inspectors certified by TÜV, and TÜV employees, monitor and document quality from manufacture through to acceptance. An in-house laboratory for welded seam inspections and material analysis provides maximum transparency. Up to 100% of the pressure vessels’ welding seams are X-ray inspected. In total, more than 25 000 X-ray images are analysed in the company’s three X-ray chambers every year.
Bosch electric steam boiler ELSB
The ELSB (Electric Steam Boiler) is a highly efficient, electrically heated steam generator for steam rates of 350 to 7 500 kg/h at up to 24 bar. When operated with green electricity, the boiler enables a CO2-neutral steam supply.
These boilers are individually configured, manufactured and equipped for specific applications. They include replacement components integrated into the heating assembly as standard to improve long-term availability, and Bosch ELSB systems can also be incorporated into existing boiler systems to meet multiple demands, such as space heating and domestic hot water.
The steam chamber on the ELSB produces high-quality steam with low residual moisture. Thanks to its variable output, the thyristor-based control circuit achieves high efficiency across the entire load range. Furthermore, the output can be automatically adjusted to the requirements or to available surpluses of self-generated electricity.
In addition, Bosch offers solutions for water treatment, condensate management, and energy savings through economiser technology, for example, enabling a complete system to meet onsite demands from a single OEM supplier.
Bosch’s industrial service also provides pre- and after-sales advice and maintenance for all ELSB systems.
The Bosch UNIVERSAL steam boiler range
Bosch UNIVERSAL CSB ultra-compact steam boilers are available with output ratings of 300 to 4 800 kg/h at between 0.5 and 1.0 bar (low pressure); or 300 to 23 600 kg/h at up to 16 bar (high pressure). These boilers are designed to deliver future-proof, low-emission performance for multi-fuel firing using oil, gas, biogas, bio-oil, 20% hydrogen and other special fuels. They offer high efficiency and are an ideal solution for the food and beverage, manufacturing, hospital, laundry and hotel industries.
The boiler components are configured to achieve low emissions, high steam quality, and optimal energy efficiency, supported by an integrated economiser and modular heat-recovery systems. User-friendly operation is achieved through: Individually configurable boiler control (BCO), Automatic start-up control SUC, ready to connect to automation systems, a digital efficiency assistant called MEC Optimize, and MEC Remote, a protected remote access solution.
This three-pass, shell-and-fire-tube steam boiler is suitable for a wide range of applications. It can be combined with all other available system components from Bosch Steam Boilers’ modular range, such as fuel and water supply, water disposal, water analysis, and heat recovery.
A three-pass technology, a compact footprint, and a modular design based on the systematic use of features and parts also used in other boiler types ensure a particularly attractive price-performance ratio. Reduced installation is required because the unit is supplied as a single unit, with the firing and economiser already factory-fitted, and plug-in connections to simplify wiring to the controller.
Bosch U-MB UNIVERSAL steam boilers consist of several modules designed to fulfil individual requirements. These are suited to applications in the food and beverage, laundry and cleaning industries.
The U-MB is a fire-tube boiler comprising several modules: a heat-generating section with a three-pass design, a steam chamber above the heat-generating section, and an integrated economiser. This overcomes the requirement for flow components in the fire tubes. Based on the well-proven UNIMAT boiler design, the U-MB offers a generously sized flame tube geometry that delivers efficient combustion.
The integrated economiser directly affects energy efficiency. The heat in the flue gases is used to preheat the boiler feedwater, thereby reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
The U-MB is offered as a complete, customised boiler system that includes the basic equipment: the boiler pressure vessel, control and safety components, burner unit, integrated economiser, pump module, terminal box and control cabinet; the intelligent boiler control BCO; along with sensors, actuators, and country-specific safety devices.
A range of compatible products is also available, including a flue-gas heat exchanger for condensing use, a feedwater cooling module, a condensate service module, a water service module, a water treatment module, and more. A combination of these can be added to the UNIVERSAL U-MB product to tailor a solution that best suits on-site needs.
The Bosch UL-S and UL-SX UNIVERSAL steam boilers are designed to produce saturated (UL-S) and superheated (UL-SX) steam, respectively. These highly efficient and reliable solutions for the food and beverage industries, manufacturing and municipal facilities set new standards in process heat supply.
The UL-S steam boiler is designed to meet requirements for capacities up to 28 000 kg/h, pressures up to 30 bar, and temperatures up to 230 °C, while the UL-SX can accommodate steam temperatures up to 300 °C.
The three-pass patent, dating back to 1952, underpins the ongoing success of this series. The lateral fire tube (1st pass) and the adjacent fire tube bundles (2nd and 3rd passes) are ideally integrated into the pressure vessel, together with the fully wetback reversing chamber. This design results in a large heating surface with the smallest possible overall dimensions.
The ZFR and ZFR-X UNIVERSAL steam boilers, with a double-fire-tube design, deliver high performance and a wide range of control. They are an ideal solution for energy providers, power plants, municipal facilities and manufacturing industries. Also available for producing saturated (ZFR) and superheated steam (ZFR-X), these systems can deliver up to 55 000 kg/h of steam.
The double fire-tube boiler, which has separate flue-gas paths, is also suitable for single-burner operation, enabling a significantly extended modulation range while maintaining the same high efficiency. The ZFR/ZFR-X range is manufactured on a project-specific basis, with multiple optional components, such as superheated steam generation, available to meet plant requirements.
Across its product range, Bosch Steam Boilers offers extensive service and support for steam boiler systems throughout their lifecycle, including 24/7 service availability and a network of technicians for quick response. Remote analysis capabilities via Bosch’s MEC Remote solution are also available for efficient troubleshooting, and reliable OEM spare parts are readily available to ensure high system availability.
www.bosch-industrial.com/africa
