Food & Beverage Plant in Spain Fixed a Faulty Steam Ejector & Unlocked Fast Savings
10-30%
1.8 ₹Cr/Yr
Monetary Saving
1.6 Month
Payback
A leading Food & Beverage producer in Spain suffered chronic losses in its steam equipment: a large share of steam was vented to atmosphere because the safety valve at the suction side of a steam ejector (DN150, PN40, 320 mm nozzle) was constantly open. Actuator mismatch (installed stroke 22 mm vs. required 44 mm) made matters worse, pushing energy costs up & reliability down.
The Challenge
With the ejector mis-controlled, the plant lost usable steam & struggled to keep the process stable. Baseline parameters showed 16 bara / 5,500 kg/h as Motive, 1.1 bara / 1,400 kg/h at Suction, & 3.5 bara / 6,900 kg/h at Discharge—evidence that a significant portion of flow was not contributing to production but escaping as waste. The team needed a fix that would save energy without disrupting operations.
A fresh survey captured the current parameters & prompted a full re-calculation. The study identified an oversized jet & recommended a smaller ejector (DN100)—two sizes down—configured as a vapor ejector Baelz 590 in compression. The new spec aligned with actual loads (e.g., ~3.2 t/h at 2.5 barg, ~8 t/h at 11 barg, & re-evaporation pressure ~0.8 barg), with ~1,240 kg/h of steam recoverable instead of being lost.
Diagnosis & Design
On 9 January 2017, the plant installed the recalculated Baelz 590 steam jet ejector. By matching nozzle design to real duty & correcting the actuator issue, the ejector once again operated on the steam jet ejector working principle: high-pressure motive steam expands through the nozzle, entrains low-pressure vapor, & the mixture recompresses in the diffuser & nozzle assembly to a useful pressure—turning losses into productive steam within the heating systems. The corrected thermocompressor design improved control on the steam & condensate side & eliminated the chronic venting.
The Solution
The Results
Energy & cost: With 1,240 kg/h steam now recovered instead of dumped, monthly savings were calculated at €14,880/Month (1.8 Cr/Yr), for an investment of €25,000 (25 Lacs), & a payback of 1.68 months.
Annualized recovery corresponds to 29.76 t/day & 8,928 t/year of steam (based on the case data).
Reliability: The right-sized steam jet compressor / steam thermocompressor restored stable operation & removed the need to “fight” the safety valve.
Sustainability: Less venting means lower boiler load, a leaner heat recovery system, & measurable saving energy at source.
Installations with steam ejectors in compression commonly yield 10–30% direct steam savings (& even higher in some cases), with strong effects on energy costs & maintenance.
Why This Works
Ejectors are elegant heat transfer solutions when sized & actuated correctly. The vapor compressor effect uses motive steam to entrain low-pressure vapor (including flash steam after a steam separator) & recompress it—essentially a thermo vapour recompressor. Getting the nozzle & diffuser geometry right—& aligning actuator stroke—returns the unit to its intended thermocompressor working principle, recovering otherwise lost energy as useful process steam.
Takeaway
If you see safety valves lifting, unstable pressures, or excessive venting, review your steam jet thermocompressor sizing, actuator stroke, & control logic. A targeted recalculation—like this plant’s shift from DN150 to DN100—can reboot performance, strengthen your condensate & flash steam recovery system / flash steam recovery system, & pay back fast. Technologies in the Jetomat family & Baelz 590 range show how a well-executed steam compressor retrofit can stabilize production & cut OPEX—without adding complexity.
Project Details
Location: Spain (Sugein)
Technology: Baelz 590 vapor ejector in compression.
Industry: Food & Beverage
Company: F & B Company