Running from 10-14th March, the two-yearly ISH trade fair in Frankfurt focused on sustainability, efficiency and renewable energies.
This year the event included 2361 exhibitors from 58 countries and attracted over 202 000 attendees. Visitors from outside Germany increased from a quarter in 2007 to a third in 2009.
One of the highlights was the launch by Loos International of its new universal modular boiler (U-MB) steam boiler. With steam capacities ranging from 175kg/h to 2t/h, the new type series represents the successor to the Loos Dampffix DF quick steam generator.
The Dampffix DF quick steam generator was the only boiler not originally designed as a shell boiler to be still manufactured by the company.
Explaining its reasoning, the company said: "Quick-steam generators are generally used if steam is only needed sporadically, with long interruptions in between. The advantage of the rapid heating-up time is countered by the disadvantages of more maintenance, a shorter working life and the poorer quality of the steam. Using a quick steam generator only makes sense in a limited number of applications"
Located in the lower capacity range, the new U-MB boiler is particularly suited to small and medium-sized customers.
As is the case with Loos's large-scale boiler range - which go up to 38 MW or 55 t/y - the new series will be constructed as a three-pass shell boiler. The programmable touch screen control, remote serviceability and further equipping of the new product will also be identical to the large industrial boiler series.
This series has some important innovations in respect of control and regulation, with 'easy to use' being the buzz phrase at Loos for its new boiler. Besides the intuitive touch screen interface, the small-scale boiler includes an automatic start-up function, allowing the steam generator to be booted automatically from a cold state at the press of a button or via an external start signal.
Overload protection is also a new feature. This ensures premium steam quality, regardless of consumer behaviour.
The customer can then devote his attention to what counts - his production, rather than the energy supply.
As the name suggests, the new boiler is made up of several modules, which can be selected according to each specific order (Fig.1). The relevant elements can be configured to meet the necessary requirements in respect of emissions and steam quality, making this a universal steam boiler for all applications. It can also be modularly combined with all Loos system components for fuel and water supply, wastewater disposal, water analysis and heat recovery.
Although production of the Dampffix DF quick steam generator has now stopped, Loos is confident that the range of services relating to shell boilers is so vast that even low nominal capacities can be well covered by this product. The company points out that all orders for DF quick steam generators received by March 2009 will be met in full. And Loos maintenance will still be available to operators of Dampffix quick steam generators.
Summing up this year's event, Michael Peters, member of the Messe Frankfurt board of management, was very upbeat: "Our expectations were surpassed."
