Advanced Dryer Drainage Systems: A Resource for Capital Recovery, 1999 Papermakers Conference Proceedings

Thomas A. Gardner

Installations of advanced steam and condensate systems have greatly augmented the recovery of capital for paper manufacturing for most or all types of paper machines. These new age systems have completely outperformed the old processes. According to recent reports, encapsulated here, the combination of increased drying capacity and machine efficiency obtained by the systems has routinely enabled huge production rate increases of eight to ten percent. At the same time, return on investment for the installations has been secured almost exclusively by steam and condensate savings, quite frequently in less than a year. Furthermore, much of the operational uncertainty related to steam systems has been eliminated. For example, one machine crew reportedly did not see a break for three weeks following a startup. Commonly viewed with concern or outright skepticism, steam systems have been treated like orphans when plans are drawn to update paper machines, but the overall performance record of advanced systems has established their role as basic necessities for high capital return on paper machines.