Steam Economy
also known as specific steam consumption
Steam economy is the mass of water evaporated divided by the mass of fresh steam supplied to the evaporation train. A single-effect evaporator reaches about 0.9; a triple-effect unit reaches roughly 2.5 to 2.8; an MVR unit can exceed 10 in equivalent terms because the compressor does the work that steam would otherwise do.
Why it matters in practice
Steam economy is the number that decides whether an evaporation step is economically viable, because steam is usually the largest operating cost in that step. It also explains why adding effects or switching to MVR is worth substantial capital.
Where this appears on this site
Calculators that use this
Equipment referenced in this entry
Triple-Effect Evaporation Crystallization Unit
8 Specifications · evaporation crystallization equipment
MVR Evaporation Crystallization Unit
8 Specifications · evaporation crystallization equipment
Related terms
Reference entry GL-STEAM-ECONOMY. Definitions on this page describe engineering practice in hydrometallurgical process design; they are not a substitute for test work on your own material.