When considering fuel savings, what is the impact of a temperature rise in feed-water?

A rise in the temperature of feed-water positively impacts fuel savings due to the principle of heat exchange in steam systems. The hotter the feed-water entering the boiler, the less additional energy is needed to convert that water into steam. This process occurs because less fuel is required to raise the temperature of water that is already closer to its boiling point compared to colder feed-water.

When the feed-water temperature is elevated, the boiler operates more efficiently. The heat recovered from flue gases can be utilized to pre-heat the incoming feed-water, thus reducing the overall demand for fuel. In practice, this means that using warmer feed-water translates directly into a reduction in the amount of fuel needed for steam generation, making the operation more economical.

In summary, raising the temperature of feed-water leads to significant fuel savings by improving the thermal efficiency of the steam generation process, which is essential for optimizing overall operational costs in steam plants.