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Glite Dictionary
superheater

superheater

1 8.9
A machine that heats steam to make it hotter and drier in boilers or steam engines
  • noun
  • /ˈsuːpərˌhiːtər/
  • Specialized
: sobrecalentador
  • In modern steam engines, the superheater is essential for increasing the temperature of the steam beyond its boiling point.

Examples

  • Upgrading the old system included installing a superheater to enhance performance and reduce energy consumption.

  • "Their capacity is being increased from 750,000 pounds of steam per hour to one million lbs./hr, by the replacement of division walls with screen walls, the addition of a larger superheater, larger steam and mud drums with increased generating bank surface, and the addition of an economizer," said Rick Speers, a mechanical engineer and director of Energy Services Projects at Suncor.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The engineer explained that the new superheater would significantly improve the boiler's efficiency by heating the steam further.

How Hot

superheater
  • Specialized
1 8.9
boiler
  • Specialized
66 3.4
heater
111 1.0

Surface Forms

superheater singular
superheaters plural

Morphology

superheater = heater (semi-transparent) = super + heat + er

The term 'superheater' is derived from 'heater' with the prefix 'super-', indicating an enhanced function, but the specific technical application may not be immediately clear to all learners.

Etymology

The word superheater joins super 'above' and heater 'something that makes heat', so it means a device that makes steam hotter than usual, above its boiling point, so engines and boilers work better.