Jetomat Increases Process Throughput Breaking Steam Bottlenecks:
WHEN STEAM LIMITS PRODUCTION
In many plants, the Capacity of Production Processes is Directly tied to Steam Availability. A “steam bottleneck” occurs when a process cannot get enough steam (in quantity or pressure) to operate at its optimal rate.
This might manifest as an equipment train running slower than its mechanical capacity or a quality issue when trying to push rates (e.g., not enough heat to fully dry a product at higher throughput). Traditionally, solving a steam bottleneck could mean expensive solutions like adding a new boiler, uprating steam lines, or increasing pressure setpoints (with safety implications).
However, Jetomat thermocompressors present a clever alternative: unlocking the latent potential of existing steam to overcome these limitations.
BOOSTING LOCAL STEAM PRESSURE
One type of bottleneck is when a process unit is starved for steam pressure.
A real-world example comes from a pulp mill (Sappi Fine Paper) that had steam-heated wood chip stoves operating at ~2.5 bar, which limited their throughput. The plant wanted to raise the steam pressure to around 4–5 bar for better performance, but the boiler could only supply 2.5 bar to that part of the process. The solution was to install a Jetomat (controllable steam jet pump) to mix 2.5 bar Steam with High-Pressure 11 bar Steam, boosting the supply to about 4 bar at the stoves. This effectively provided higher driving force (temperature and pressure) for the cooking process without requiring a new dedicated high-pressure line.
The result? Each batch of wood chips could be processed faster – the plant reported an output increase of roughly 3–5% per batch after the Jetomat installation. In other words, what used to be a steam-limited step was debottlenecked, allowing more throughput. The increase may sound modest, but in a continuous or batch process, a 5% productivity gain can translate to a significant financial uptick over time (especially with minimal investment).
Moreover, in this case the Jetomat project paid for itself within a few months, partly due to energy savings, but also thanks to the value of extra production.
EXTENDING BOILER CAPACITY
Another common bottleneck is at the Boiler House. A plant’s steam generation might be at full fire to meet demand, leaving no room to increase production that needs steam. In such scenarios, thermocompressors can effectively increase the capacity of the existing boiler by reclaiming steam that was being wasted.
For instance, if a factory is venting a portion of steam due to process imbalances or pressure let-downs, capturing that with a Jetomat means the boiler’s output is utilized more fully for productive work. As one supplier notes, using Jetomat technology “helps in reducing live steam load from the boiler resulting in direct reduction in fuel... or can increase the capacity of the existing boiler house”.
In practical terms, this could allow the plant to add a new steam-consuming equipment or expand production without immediately investing in a new boiler. The Jetomat frees up steam that would otherwise be lost, making it available to the new load.
CASE ILLUSTRATION
A food processing plant had a steam bottleneck on their spray dryer – the dryer couldn’t get enough steam during peak operation, limiting its evaporation rate. The boiler was already maxed out, and management was considering a boiler upgrade. Upon auditing the steam system, engineers found that a lot of low-pressure steam from other parts of the plant was venting or being sent to condensate without usage.
They installed a Jetomat thermocompressor to Scavenge Flash Steam From Several Condensate Receivers and Boost It To Supplement The Spray Dryer Steam Supply. This effectively delivered an extra ~10% steam flow to the dryer when needed. Consequently, the dryer could handle more feed and produce more powder per hour, eliminating the production bottleneck.
The clever part: the additional steam wasn’t “new” steam from the boiler, but reclaimed steam that the plant already had in its system. By breaking this bottleneck, the plant deferred the costly boiler expansion, yet achieved its throughput increase.
DYNAMIC RESPONSE TO DEMAND
Jetomats are particularly useful because they can adjust to fluctuations and only draw in as much waste steam as is available or needed.
In high demand periods, they automatically entrain more waste vapor (if present) to meet the process requirement, and in low demand periods, they throttle back via the adjustable nozzle. This means the benefits for throughput are on-demand – whenever your process starts to be limited by steam, the Jetomat kicks in to supply the extra push.
Think of it as an on-call booster that raises steam pressure or flow when you’re nearing the ceiling.
BEYOND THROUGHPUT - SECONDARY BENEFITS
By alleviating steam bottlenecks, Jetomat installations often bring side benefits. Processes run more reliably at higher rates, because the steam system can keep up. This can reduce downtime or quality issues that might occur when equipment is pushed without sufficient steam (like temperature dropouts).
Additionally, operators gain confidence that they have a margin in steam supply; they’re not constantly on the edge of “low steam” alarms.
CONCLUSION
In summary, Jetomat thermocompressors can Remove Steam-Related Constraints that hold back production. Whether by locally boosting steam pressure to a hungry unit or by broadening the effective capacity of a boiler, they enable plants to get more output from existing infrastructure.
For plant engineers eyeing that next 5%–10% increase in throughput, the answer might not be a bigger boiler or a new line – it could be as simple as integrating a Jetomat to tap unused steam potential.
By breaking steam bottlenecks, Jetomat technology helps facilities Translate Energy Efficiency Into Production Efficiency, achieving higher throughput with the steam they already have.