Frontier trends in the boiler field on May 12: A full analysis of technological innovation, safety r

Frontier trends in the boiler field on May 12: A full analysis of technological innovation, safety r

1. Highlights of boiler technological innovation

Supercritical carbon dioxide boiler commercialization
On May 12, an international energy group announced that its first supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) cycle power generation boiler completed a 72-hour continuous operation test, with a power generation efficiency of over 52%, 10 percentage points higher than that of traditional steam turbines. This technology uses CO₂ as a working fluid, and the system volume is reduced by 60%, which is suitable for distributed energy and nuclear energy-industrial coupling scenarios.
Hydrogen mixed-fired boiler enters the industrial verification stage
A German company jointly released a report with a research institute that its 30% hydrogen-mixed coal-fired boiler has achieved stable operation on a 500MW unit, reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 40%, and verified the hydrogen burner anti-flashback technology, marking a key step in the transformation of traditional coal-fired power plants to low-carbonization.

2. Safety regulations and risk prevention and control upgrades

AI intelligent monitoring system mandatory standards released
China Special Equipment Inspection and Research Institute released the "Technical Specifications for Intelligent Safety Monitoring of Boilers" on May 12, requiring that new boilers must be equipped with a multimodal AI early warning system from October 1, 2024, integrating acoustic imaging, infrared thermal imaging and pressure fluctuation analysis, which can warn of furnace tube leakage, coking and other accidents 24 hours in advance, with a false alarm rate of less than 0.5%.
Draft of hydrogen boiler safety standards publicized
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) publicly solicited opinions on the "Guidelines for the Safety Design of Hydrogen Combustion Equipment", focusing on clarifying the application standards of hydrogen embrittlement-resistant materials (such as 316L modified stainless steel) for hydrogen transmission pipelines, and the dynamic control threshold of hydrogen-air mixing ratio (adjustable from 5% to 95%), clearing regulatory obstacles for the large-scale promotion of hydrogen boilers.

3. Energy efficiency improvement and environmental protection policy drive

The new EU boiler energy efficiency regulations take effect
From May 12, the third phase of the EU Industrial Boiler Energy Efficiency Directive was officially implemented, requiring boilers with a rated power >1MW to meet a thermal efficiency of ≥94% (based on low calorific value) and to be equipped with a waste heat recovery device (HRSG). It is expected to promote the European boiler market to condensing and heat pump coupled products.
Breakthrough in carbon capture boiler technology
The MIT team published its results in Nature Energy. The calcium cycle-boiler coupling system it developed achieved a 90% CO₂ capture rate on a 5MW test bench, and the energy consumption cost was 35% lower than the traditional amine method, providing a new path for the negative carbon operation of coal-fired power plants.

4. Market trends and investment trends

Demand for modular boilers surges
The Global Data Corporation (IDC) report shows that the order volume of modular boilers in Q1 2024 increased by 68% year-on-year, mainly driven by industries with high requirements for heat source flexibility such as data centers and biomedicine. Leading companies such as Siemens Energy have launched containerized biomass boilers, with a 40-foot unit that can achieve 10MW thermal power and an installation period shortened to 2 weeks.
A surge in orders for hydrogen boilers
On May 12, Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries announced that it had received the first order for pure hydrogen fuel boilers in Southeast Asia, which will be used in the Singapore Chemical Park and is expected to be put into operation in 2025. At the same time, domestic company Dongfang Boiler disclosed that it has more than 20 orders for hydrogen boilers on hand, covering high-energy-consuming industries such as steel and cement.

Conclusion

The dynamics of the boiler industry on May 12 showed that technological iteration is accelerating towards low-carbonization, intelligence, and modularization. Companies need to focus on supercritical carbon dioxide circulation, hydrogen co-combustion, and AI safety monitoring technology, while adapting to the increasingly stringent global energy efficiency and emission standards to seize the initiative in a new round of industrial transformation.

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