What is a supercritical boiler?
Supercritical boilers are frequently used for the production of electric power. Supercritical power plants use a boiler/turbine system that operates at a high enough pressure and temperature (greater than 3200 pounds per square inch gauge [psig] and 1075º F) that water is no longer considered a gas or a liquid but is characterized as a supercritical fluid with thermodynamic properties that are in between the two phases. Operating in this mode allows a supercritical plant to be more energy efficient than a subcritical plant which generally operates at lower steam temperatures (usually 2,400 psig and 850º F). Supercritical power plants are more efficient than subcritical power plants, resulting in less fuel use and, therefore, lower overall emission rates per unit of energy produced. With more than 400 supercritical facilities having been built around the world, supercritical boilers are considered a proven technology.
