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Nov 08, 2023

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Thermal Supercritical, subcritical and fluidized-bed boilers Shortly after our

Thermal

Supercritical, subcritical and fluidized-bed boilers

Shortly after our establishment in 1867, Babcock & Wilcox designed the world's first installed utility boiler. B&W boilers now provide more than 300,000 MW of generating capacity in approximately 60 countries.

In 1957 when B&W built the world's first commercially operated supercritical boiler, our designs were instrumental in the advancement of power generation efficiency. Since then, we've designed and constructed the first U.S. ultra-supercritical power plant using technology representing the most advanced steam cycle conditions commercially available today.

Designed for pulverized coal, B&W's advanced once-through ultra-supercritical boilers are usually applied to systems with a capacity of 400 MW or more. These clean and efficient boilers usually operate at throttle pressures of 3500 psi (24.1 MPa) or more and steam temperatures in the 1100F (595C) range.

B&W's radiant boiler designs accommodate pulverized coal, including difficult-to-burn coals, natural gas and/or oil and combustible byproduct gases. Subcritical pressures range usually 1800 to 2600 psi (12.4 to 17.9 MPa) and superheater and reheater outlet temperatures as required, usually in the range of 1000 to 1050 F (538 to 566C).

With subcritical and supercritical steam pressures, temperatures and capacities, our top-supported, one- or two-drum designs use challenging fuels in a circulating bed of inert particles to control combustion and emissions. The CFB boiler is ideal for high sulfur and high ash fuels and various waste fuels, wood, biomass, gob and culm.