Use and Measurement of Steam in Pulp and Paper Production

In the technological cycles of pulp and paper mills, steam serves as a key energy carrier involved in most stages — from the preparation of alkalis and pulp cooking to drying the finished paper web. As the main source of thermal energy, steam requires highly accurate monitoring of its consumption. This is necessary to maintain uninterrupted technological operations, reduce energy costs, and increase the overall efficiency of the enterprise.

This review describes the key areas of steam application in the paper industry, the challenges associated with its accounting, and the advantages of implementing the vortex flowmeter IZMERKON VT 470 as the optimal tool for these tasks.

Areas of Steam Use in Production

Steam is used in various critical stages of production:

• Preparation of reagents: heating chemical solutions for cooking and bleaching fibrous pulp.
• Pulp cooking: saturated high-temperature steam acts on wood chips, promoting the dissolution of the binding lignin.
• Evaporation of black liquor: concentrating spent black liquor by evaporating excess moisture before its regeneration.
• Paper drying: heating drum drying cylinders for intensive evaporation of water from the paper web.
• Auxiliary needs: heat treatment, sterilization, as well as washing and disinfecting equipment (CIP/SIP systems).

All these processes require stable and controllable steam supply, and accurate flow measurement ensures reliability and efficiency.

The Importance of Steam for the Industry

Steam directly affects the main technological processes: it softens raw materials during cooking, separates fibers during mechanical refining, and provides drying, shaping the final properties of the paper. In addition, it often drives turbo generators, providing combined heat and power generation (cogeneration). Rational use of steam allows reducing the energy component in the product cost, which can reach 43%, and decreasing production waste.

Challenges of Accurate Steam Accounting

Measuring steam flow at a pulp and paper enterprise is associated with several difficulties:

• Steam moisture: the presence of liquid droplets in the steam flow distorts readings of many types of flowmeters.
• Dynamic load mode: flow varies greatly depending on the operating mode of paper machines and other units.
• Data requirements: ACS systems require high-frequency and reliable real-time data for operational control.
• Cost analytics: detailed energy consumption accounting is necessary for cost calculation and identifying savings points.

Technological Solution from Izmerkon: Vortex Flowmeter IZMERKON VT 470

The vortex flowmeter IZMERKON VT 470 is specialized for working with saturated steam in the harsh industrial conditions typical for pulp and paper mills.

Key operational advantages:

• Integrated temperature and pressure compensation, allowing direct mass flow measurement without additional calculations.
• High accuracy at low velocities (up to 2 m/s), ensuring reliability under variable loads.
• Operation with wet steam without loss of accuracy.
• Durable stainless steel housing, resistant to high temperatures and pressures.
• Support for modern communication protocols (Modbus/RS485) for easy integration into control systems.

Benefits for manufacturing enterprises

Implementing the vortex flowmeter IZMERKON VT 470 helps to:

• Increase the energy efficiency of the enterprise.
• Control and manage steam flow at various production sites.
• Receive prompt feedback for adjusting the technological process.
• Optimize costs and maintain sustainable development goals.
• Enhance data transparency for performance analysis.

Practical Example

At a pulp and paper production facility, a system for reducing saturated steam pressure was organized, converting high-pressure wet steam into low-pressure dry steam. For effective process management, accurate monitoring of steam flow, pressure, and temperature was required, which was facilitated by modern flow measurement equipment. Flowmeter IZMERKON VT 470 from Izmerkon proved to be an excellent solution, providing reliable steam supply for boiling, concentrating, and drying processes, leading to improved process stability, reduced energy consumption, and significant cost savings.

Thus, the use of modern vortex flow meters significantly enhances the quality and efficiency of pulp and paper industry enterprises.

If you want to increase production efficiency and reduce energy costs at your enterprise, consider implementing modern solutions for accurate steam measurement. Contact our specialists today to get advice and make your production process more sustainable and economical.

Also read:

«Steam flow control. Equipment for measuring steam flow»

«Gas flow measurement»