A method of controlling steam generation in a steam press, comprising:
- pumping recycled steam from a first pump connected to a first steam plate outlet and a second steam plate outlet, into a first heat exchanger inlet port;
- pumping, by a second pump, fresh water at a first temperature, into a second heat exchanger inlet port;
- mixing the steam with fresh water at the first temperature in the heat exchanger with the recycled steam by a swirl generator, generating mixed water at a second temperature higher than the first temperature;
- pumping, by a third pump, the mixed water through a check valve into a storage tank;
- pumping, by a fourth pump, the mixed water from the storage tank into a steam generator;
- heating, by providing power to a resistive heating element of a steam generator heating circuit located in the steam generator, the mixed water at the second temperature to boiling, thus generating steam at a third temperature;
- pressing a first foot pedal to actuate a controllable pressure valve located at the steam generator outlet, to deliver the steam at the third temperature to a first steam plate inlet and a second steam plate inlet;
- heating, by resistive heating or inductive heating, the steam within the first steam plate and the second steam plate to a fourth temperature higher than the third temperature;
- pressing a second foot pedal to actuate the first pump to evacuate the steam from the first steam plate outlet and the second steam plate outlet;
- measuring the first, second, third and fourth temperatures with first, second, third and fourth temperature sensors respectively;
- measuring, by a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor connected between the first steam plate outlet and the first pump, a third pressure sensor located at the steam generator outlet, a fourth pressure sensor located at the second heat exchanger inlet port and a fifth pressure sensor located at the heat exchanger outlet port, a first, second, third, fourth and fifth pressure respectively;
- measuring, by an ultrasonic water level sensor, a water level reading in the heat exchanger;
- controlling the steam generation and recycling of the steam, by a controller connected to the first, second, third and fourth temperature sensors, the first, second, third, fourth and fifth pressure sensors, the ultrasonic water level sensor, the controllable pressure valve, and the steam generator heating circuit, the controller including a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored therein that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
- monitor the water level reading in the heat exchanger;
- compare the water level to a water level threshold;
- monitor the first, second, third, and fourth temperatures;
- monitor the first, second, third, fourth and fifth pressures;
- compare the first, second, third, and fourth temperatures to a first set of temperature setpoint values;
- compare the first, second, third, fourth and fifth pressures to a second set of pressure setpoint values;
- and
- generate control signals to adjust the first pump, the second pump, the third pump, the fourth pump, the controllable pressure valve, and a power supplied to the steam generator heating circuit to generate steam matching the first set of temperature setpoint values and the second set of pressure setpoint values.