Economiser in Thermal Power Plant
The Medium/Low-Temperature Economiser deployed in thermal power plants is a waste heat recovery system installed in the boiler’s tail flue. As one of the critical ‘four major tube heating surfaces’ (boiler tubes) of the utility boiler, its primary function is to utilize the residual heat of flue gas to preheat the boiler feedwater, thereby achieving significant energy savings and boosting overall plant efficiency.
- 5%–15% Efficiency Boost: Cools exhaust gas from 250–400°C to below 150°C. Every 6°C increase in water temperature saves 1% fuel.
- Extended Equipment Lifespan: Elevates feedwater temperature to minimize thermal stress on the steam drum wall and prevent cracking.
- Lower Capital & Fuel Costs: Partially replaces costly evaporative surfaces, reducing total boiler metal consumption and lowering coal usage per kWh.
Datang – A Professional Manufacturer of Economizers for Thermal Power Plants
An economiser is a critical heat-exchange system in thermal power plants designed to maximize overall boiler efficiency. By capturing waste heat from high-temperature exhaust flue gases, this device preheats incoming cold boiler feedwater. Elevating the water temperature close to its boiling point before it enters the steam drum drastically reduces the fuel required to convert water into steam. As a leading global manufacturer, Datang specializes in engineering high-performance extended surface tubing and finned tubes that drive these high-efficiency energy-saving systems.
Whether you are replacing an existing economiser bundle during a facility retrofit or engineering a brand-new Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) project, Datang Finned Tube delivers custom-tailored, pressure-tested finned tube solutions engineered to meet your stringent thermal and mechanical specifications.
Economiser in Thermal Power Plant Material & Heating
Mainstream energy-saving equipment for the industry, suitable for medium- and high-pressure utility boilers.
Due to material limitations, cast-iron economizers are used only for low-pressure operating conditions.
This type of economizer can increase steam output by 10%–20% and is typically used in medium-pressure boiler systems.
Mainstream industrial boiler products; waste heat recovery equipment commonly used in high-parameter boiler systems.
Economiser in Thermal Power Plant Structural
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Bare Tube (Plain Tube) Boiler Economiser in Thermal Power PlantStandard smooth (Bare) tubes without extended surfaces
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Spiral Finned Tube (Helical Finned Tube) EconomiserSpiral fins are attached to the exterior of the steel tube to achieve efficient heat recovery.
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H-Finned Tube (Square/Rectangular Fins) EconomiserSquare or rectangular fins are installed on the exterior of the steel tubes to prevent wear and reduce ash accumulation.
Rigorous Hydrostatic Testing
100% Leak-Free Assurance: Every economiser bundle undergoes hydrostatic testing at 1.25x to 1.5x the design pressure, eliminating any potential welding or material defects prior to shipment.
Zero-Downtime Protection: By preventing early-stage tube bursts, we shield power plant operators from catastrophic un-planned outages and costly field maintenance.
Hassle-Free Compliance: Complete with certified Hydro-Test Reports, our components easily clear global regulatory standards (ASME / EN) and third-party inspections (SGS/TÜV), securing smooth on-site installation and insurance approvals.
100% Custom-Engineered Economiser Solutions by Datang
At Datang Finned Tube, we understand that every thermal power plant operates under unique thermal dynamics, space constraints, and fuel characteristics. Standard off-the-shelf solutions rarely deliver optimal ROI. That is why we offer comprehensive, end-to-end customization for utility boiler economisers.
Export-Standard Steel-Frame Wooden
1.Zero-Damage Delivery (100% Fin Protection)
2.Streamlined Job-Site Handling & Lower Labor Costs
3.Elimination of Marine Rust & Corrosion Risks
4.Hassle-Free Customs Clearance (No Project Delays)
Economizer Quality Checks
Each of our economizer fin tube is subjected to stringent quality checks.Inspection and Tests Performed:
1.Chemical Composition inspection。
2.Mechanical Properties Test(Tensile Strength, Yield Strength, Elongation, Flaring, Flattening, Hardness, Impact Test).
3.Surface and Dimension Test.
4.No-destructive Test.
5.Hydrostatic Test.
Economizer Fin Tube Application
This is the primary application where finned tubes are installed in the convection section of the boiler.
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Feedwater Preheating: Captures heat from exhaust gases to raise the temperature of the water entering the steam drum.
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Fuel Savings: Reducing the stack temperature by 10°C–15°C can increase overall boiler efficiency by approximately 1%, leading to massive long-term fuel cost reductions.
In energy-intensive industries, finned tube economizers turn waste heat into valuable energy assets.
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Steel & Metallurgy: Recovering heat from reheating furnaces and soaking pits.
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Cement & Glass Production: Installed in waste heat boilers at the kiln end to generate auxiliary power or process steam.
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Petrochemicals: Used in the convection zones of process heaters and ethylene cracking furnaces.
Essential for Gas Turbine Combined Cycle (GTCC) power plants.
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Efficient Transfer: Since gas turbine exhaust is relatively clean, Serrated Fin Tubes or Spiral Fin Tubes are densely packed to extract maximum energy within the HRSG unit.
Space is a premium on vessels, making the high surface-to-volume ratio of finned tubes indispensable.
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Compact Energy Recovery: Utilizes the exhaust from the ship’s main engine to produce steam for heating or domestic use on board.
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SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction): Used to preheat flue gas to the optimal temperature required for catalysts to remove NOx effectively.
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Flue Gas Reheating (GGH): Prevents “white smoke” and acid dew point corrosion in chimneys after wet desulfurization.
Related Product
Economiser in Thermal Power Plant FAQs
A: It is a key heat exchanger installed at the boiler flue tail, which recovers waste heat from exhaust flue gas to heat the boiler feed water. It can improve boiler efficiency by 5%~15%, reduce fuel consumption by 10%~30%, and lower the overall operation cost of the power plant.
A: The main symptoms include: abnormal drop of drum water level, feed water flow being obviously higher than steam flow; hissing leakage sound, flue gas and steam spraying out from gaps of flue doors; flue gas temperature on the leakage side decreasing significantly, and temperature difference between two sides of the economiser exceeding the normal range.
A: The resistance of the recirculation pipe is far lower than that of the economiser tubes. If the valve is opened, most of the low-temperature feed water will directly flow into the steam drum without passing through the economiser, which will cause huge thermal stress on the high-temperature steam drum, and the economiser tubes will lose effective water cooling and get overheated.
A: When the economiser wall temperature is lower than the acid dew point (usually 120~150℃), the SO₂ in flue gas will combine with water vapor to generate sulfurous acid, which will erode the tube wall. It can be prevented by increasing the inlet feed water temperature to keep the wall temperature above the acid dew point.
A: Immediately increase the feed water flow to push the steam plugs into the steam drum, keep continuous water feeding as far as possible. If water feeding has to be stopped, open the economiser recirculation valve to maintain water flow inside the tubes, avoid huge thermal stress caused by frequent temperature fluctuation.