In the tomato paste factory, more than half of the steam is absorbed by the multi-effect evaporator; Since the effect number changes the consumption by ±30%, it is the most important information that determines the steam need of the tomato paste factory. A line processing 1,000 t/day of tomatoes draws ≈ 17.4 t/h steam with 4 effects and ≈ 20.7 t/h steam with 3 effects. In canning, jam and ready-made food facilities, the boiler is determined by the short but large peaks of the autoclave (retort), blancher and pasteurization tunnel; Since usage pressures are 1–6 bar g, an 8 bar class steam boiler is sufficient for most facilities.
Which machine draws how much steam?
Values were calculated using the wizard’s calculation engine, with typical inputs for each machine, and for a single machine.
| Machine | Typical capacity | Steam | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot break heater (20 → 95 °C) | 40 t/h tomatoes | 5.900 kg/h (cold break 3.776 kg/h) | 3 bar g |
| Multi-effect evaporator (5 → 28 Bx) | 40 t/h tomatoes | 3 effects 12.683 · 4 effects 9.512 · 5 effects 7.610 kg/h | ≈ 2 bar g (10 bar g with TVR) |
| Aseptic sterilizer (tube-tube, 65 → 110 °C) | 7,000 kg/h tomato paste | 560 kg/h | 5 bar g |
| Autoclave / retort (water spray, 4 baskets) | 1,200 kg product / cycle | 384 kg / cycle; rise peak 1.620 kg/h | 6 bar g |
| Blanker (steam, typical) | 5,000 kg/h | 1,899 kg/h | 1 bar g |
| Pasteurization tunnel (720 cc jar) | 6,000 jars/h | 309 kg/h; commissioning 2.210 kg/h | 3 bar g |
| Exhaust / preheat tunnel | 12,000 boxes/h | 608 kg/h | 1 bar g |
| Double-walled cooking vessel (jam) | 1,000 kg lot | 320 kg/lot; peak 549 kg/h | 5 bar g |
| Vacuum cooking vessel | 2,000 kg lot | 480 kg/lot; peak 534 kg/h | 3 bar g |
| Syrup / brine preparation tank (60 Bx) | 5 t lot | 460 kg/lot; peak 613 kg/h | 3 bar g |
| Plate pasteurizer (juice, 85% regeneration) | 10,000 L/h | 276 kg/h | 3 bar g |
| Fruit wort heating (15 → 50 °C) | 20 t/h apples | 591 kg/h | 3 bar g |
| CIP station (3 m³ circuit + 5 m³ tank) | 1 cycle | 581 kg/cycle; 1.161 kg/h in 30 min | 3 bar g |
| Jar / bottle washing | 6,000 containers/h | 160 kg/h | 2 bar g |
Example: Tomato paste factory processing 1,000 t/day tomatoes
The “Tomatoe · 1,000 t/day” template in the wizard: 41.7 t of tomatoes per hour, hot break, 4-effect evaporator (5 → 28 Bx), tube-by-tube aseptic sterilizer; 24 hour operation in season. Boiler room defaults: line loss 5%, condensate return 60%, growth margin 10%, fuel natural gas.
| Machine | Input | Steam (kg/h) | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot break heater | 41.7 t/h tomato, 20 → 95 °C | 6.151 | 3 bar g |
| Multi-effect evaporator, 4 effects | 33.055 kg/h water evaporates, 7.186 kg/h tomato paste comes out | 9.916 | 2 bar g |
| Aseptic sterilizer | 7.186 kg/h tomato paste, 65 → 110 °C | 575 | 5 bar g |
| CIP and other consumptions (≈ 5%) | — | 800 | 3 bar g |
- The simultaneous demand of the machines is 17,442 kg/h (≈ 0.42 t steam / t tomatoes); The share of the evaporator is 57%.
- Line loss +872 kg/h, deaerator steam +1.691 kg/h, growth margin +2.001 kg/h → calculated need 22.005 kg/h → recommended steam boiler 23 t/h.
- Boiler operating pressure 6.5 bar g (sterilizer 5 bar g + 1.5 bar allowance), design pressure class 8 bar.
- Boiler thermal power ≈ 14.263 kW ≈ 12.264.000 kcal/h; natural gas at full load ≈ 1.616 Sm³/h.
- The same line draws 20,748 kg/h with a 3-effect evaporator and requires a 27 t/h boiler: the fourth effect saves ≈ 3,300 kg steam and ≈ 300 Sm³ natural gas per hour.
The result agrees with field data: ≈ 0.54 t steam / t tomato in a tomato processing plant measured by steam meters (Singh et al. 1980), 0.41 t/t was found in the Ataturk University tomato paste design sample; It has been measured that evaporation takes ≈ 60% of the total energy in a Turkish tomato paste factory (Söğüt, İlten, Oktay 2010).
Canning, juice and jam templates
| Template | Simultaneous need | Recommended boiler | Boiler pressure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato · 300 t/day tomatoes (3 effects) | 6.269 kg/h | 8 t/h | 6.5 bar g |
| Tomatoe · 2.500 t/day (2 lines, 4 effects) | 43.665 kg/h | 56 t/h | 6.5 bar g |
| Canned · 20 t/day, 1 shift | 2.024 kg/h | 3 t/h | 7.5 bar g |
| Canned · 100 t/day, 2 shifts | 5.695 kg/h | 8 t/h | 7.5 bar g |
| Canned · 300 t/day, 3 shifts | 11.782 kg/h | 16 t/h | 7.5 bar g |
| Fruit juice · 5 t/h pomegranate / sour cherry (3 effects) | 1.754 kg/h | 2.5 t/h | 4.5 bar g |
| Apple concentrate · 20 t/h (5 effects + aroma) | 5.646 kg/h | 8 t/h | 4.5 bar g |
| Apple concentrate · 50 t/h (6–7 effects) | 11.227 kg/h | 15 t/h | 4.5 bar g |
| Jam · 5 t/day | 629 kg/h | 0.8 t/h | 6.5 bar g |
| Jam · 30 t/day (vacuum cooker) | 2.278 kg/h | 3 t/h | 4.5 bar g |
| Jam · 100 t/day (continuous line) | 4.030 kg/h | 6 t/h | 4.5 bar g |
In the 100 t/day canning pattern (blancher 4,000 kg/h, 4 retorts, pasteurization tunnel, 2 double-walled boilers, syrup tank, exhauster, CIP, jar washing), the largest items are retorts (1,980 kg/h) and blancher (1,519 kg/h). If the retort cycles were not shifted, the simultaneous elevation of four retorts alone would pull 6,481 kg/h.
Boiler type and pressure for food factory
Hot break, evaporator, sterilizer, retort and blancher work with steam. Since the blower, exhaust and saturated steam retort give the steam directly to the product, the condensate does not return; In the 100 t/day canning pattern, this share is ≈ 32% and the deaerator grows accordingly. Since the usage pressures are 1–6 bar g, the boiler operates at 4.5–7.5 bar g and 8 bar class is sufficient; If there is an evaporator with TVR (10 bar g motive steam), the boiler increases to 12 bar class.
The need for seasonal tomato paste and fruit juice concentrate plants is mostly above 6 t/h: header type water tube steam boiler and economizer are suitable. For canning, jam and small fruit juice plants up to 6 t/h, package type and hybrid type steam boilers are sufficient; At 2 t/h and above, an economizer is added. Consumers below 90 °C, such as pasteurization tunnel, jar washing and domestic water, can also be fed from a separate
How to calculate?
F is the tomato flow rate, y is the passata yield after peeling and seeding (≈ 96.5%), Bx₁ and Bx₂ are the inlet and outlet brix; ≈ 31.707 kg/h of water evaporates in 28 Bx tomato paste from 40 t/h of tomatoes. In batch machines (retort, cooking vessel, syrup tank) the wizard calculates the heating peak and cycle average separately; A simultaneous come-up is assumed in multiple retorts, while the others are held. Since the morning commissioning peaks of the pasteurization tunnel and CIP tank are made before production, they are not included in the peak. Then, line loss, deaerator steam, blowdown and growth allowance are added; 60% of indirect condensate is considered return.
Use the wizard at the top of the page to calculate with your own list of machines; Boiler Capacity Calculation for all sectors.
The results of the wizard are estimates for preliminary purposes; Boiler selection should be finalized with on-site exploration and engineering calculations. contact us for free pre-engineering support.