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Washing Cost Calculator
Total washing cost per piece — labour, chemicals, water, fuel, overhead.
CostNest Calculator
Boiler Fuel Consumption Calculator for Steam Generation
Calculate fuel consumption and cost for a steam boiler from efficiency, steam output, and fuel type. Compare natural gas vs diesel vs coal to find the most cost-effective energy source for your washing plant. No account needed — numbers update as you type.
Step By Step
How to Use This Calculator
5 steps
- Enter the boiler's rated steam output in kg/hr.
- Input boiler efficiency as a percentage (typically 75–90%).
- Select fuel type — natural gas, diesel, furnace oil, or coal.
- Enter fuel price per unit (cubic metre for gas, litre for diesel/FO, kg for coal).
- Set operating hours per day to get daily fuel consumption and cost.
Worked Example
Gas Boiler Fuel Cost Example
Use this sample to sanity-check your inputs and understand what the final result represents.
- 1Steam Output: 500 kg/hr
- 2Boiler Efficiency: 85%
- 3Fuel: Natural Gas @ BDT 12/m³
- 4Calorific Value of Gas: 8,500 kcal/m³
- 5Steam Enthalpy: ≈ 640 kcal/kg (at 4 bar)
Final Result
Heat Required: 500 × 640 ÷ 0.85 = 376,471 kcal/hr | Gas Consumption: 44.3 m³/hr | Daily Cost (16 hrs): BDT 8,506
Methodology
Boiler Fuel Calculation Formula
This section explains the calculation logic, assumptions, and source material used to make the result more trustworthy and easier to verify.
Heat Required (kcal/hr) = Steam Rate (kg/hr) × Steam Enthalpy (kcal/kg)
Fuel Consumption = Heat Required ÷ (Boiler Efficiency × Fuel Calorific Value)
Daily Fuel Cost = Fuel Consumption × Operating Hours × Fuel Price per Unit
CO₂ Emissions = Fuel Consumed × Emission Factor (kg CO₂ per unit fuel)
Practical Guidance
Boiler Efficiency & Cost Tips
- 1A 5% improvement in boiler efficiency (e.g., 80% to 85%) cuts fuel cost by 5.9% — well worth investing in annual boiler servicing and flue gas analysis.
- 2Natural gas is typically 30–50% cheaper per unit of heat than diesel or furnace oil in Bangladesh. If your factory has gas connection access, the payback on conversion is usually under 2 years.
- 3Insulating the boiler body and steam distribution pipes typically saves 10–15% of fuel cost.
- 4An oxygen trim controller on the combustion air supply can improve efficiency by 2–5% — a low-cost addition for most burner systems.
- 5Log daily fuel meter readings against steam meter readings. The fuel-to-steam ratio tells you boiler efficiency in real time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What fuel do most garment washing plants in Bangladesh use?+
Most washing plants in Dhaka and Gazipur use natural gas from Titas Gas, which is significantly cheaper than diesel. Plants in areas without gas supply use furnace oil or diesel, which adds 30–50% to steam cost. A few newer plants use biomass boilers for sustainability and lower fuel cost.
How do I calculate my boiler's efficiency?+
Measure steam output (kg/hr) and fuel consumption (m³/hr or L/hr) simultaneously. Calculate heat output = steam rate × steam enthalpy. Calculate heat input = fuel rate × calorific value. Efficiency = Heat Output ÷ Heat Input × 100. A simple flue gas analyser can give you this in real-time.
What is the steam enthalpy value I should use for calculations?+
Steam enthalpy depends on pressure. At atmospheric pressure (1 bar), total steam enthalpy is about 2,676 kJ/kg (639 kcal/kg). At 5 bar, it's about 2,749 kJ/kg. For most washing plant boilers operating at 3–7 bar, use 2,700–2,750 kJ/kg as a practical approximation.
How much does boiler fuel cost per piece of garment washed?+
This depends on steam consumption per piece, which varies by wash recipe. A normal wash at 60°C uses roughly 0.5–0.8 kg of steam per kg of fabric. At BDT 10–15 per kg of steam (gas boiler), fuel cost per piece works out to BDT 1.25–3.00 for a 250g T-shirt.