STEAM SYSTEM & STEAM TRAPS

BY: Muhammad Akbar Rao

Contents
Introduction FFC Steam Network Steam traps Classification Selection Monitoring Problems associated with traps Monitoring system Exercises

INTRODUCTION

Introduction
Steam is water in vapor phase. It is one of the oldest industrial tools It allows the energy of fuel burned in a boiler to be carried to some other point where it can provide mechanical energy through an engine or, more commonly, to provide heat.

Boiling of Water
Steam Latent heat

Temp Water

Ice

HEAT

Steam Terminology
Sensible heat
Heat that produces temperature rise

Latent heat
The heat that produces phase change

Saturated steam
The dry steam at its boiling point corresponding to pressure.

Superheated steam
The steam heated above the saturation temperature at a particular pressure

Steam Heat Content

Steam Terminology
Flash steam
Steam that results when saturated water or condensate is discharged to a low pressure

Enthalpy
Total energy due to pressure and temperature of a liquid or vapor.

Superheat
Heat added to dry saturated steam

Flash Steam Calculation

Flash Steam Curve

PV Diagram

Pressure Temperature Diagram

Factors Affecting Steam System

Water Hammer
Condensate moving along steam form solid slug moving at steam velocity result in water hammer which can cause damage to piping.

Air
Before start-up boiler and piping are full of air, therefore it must be removed during startup. Steam air mixture has less temperature than steam alone at a specific pressure.

Gases
Oxygen and CO2 are responsible for corrosion.

Water Hammer

Condensate Drainage

Condensate Drainage

Steam Line Branches

Steam Line Reduction

Steam Tables
Listing of heat content of steam in KJ/Kg and its volume in m3/kg at various pressures and temperatures. The properties of saturated steam are most frequently summarized.

Saturated Steam
Specific enthalpy Specific volume steam

Water Pressure bar absolute 0.30 0.50 0.75 0.95 1.00 1.013 gauge 0 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80 0.90 1.00 1.10 1.20 0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100.0 110.0 120.0 100.00 102.66 105.10 107.39 109.55 111.61 113.56 115.40 117.14 118.80 120.42 121.96 123.46 419.06 430.2 440.8 450.4 459.7 468.3 476.4 484.1 491.6 498.9 505.6 512.2 518.7 30.0 50.0 75.0 95.0 100.0 101.3 69.10 81.33 91.78 98.20 99.63 100.00 289.23 340.49 384.39 411.43 417.51 419.06 kPa Temp C (hf) kJ/kg

Evaporation (hfg) kJ/kg

Steam (hg) kJ/kg

m3/kg

2336.1 2305.4 2278.6 2261.8 2257.9 2257.0

2625.3 2645.9 2663 2673.2 2675.4 2676.0

5.229 3.240 2.217 1.777 1.694 1.673

2257.0 2250.2 2243.4 2237.2 2231.3 2225.6 2220.4 2215.4 2210.5 2205.6 2201.1 2197.0 2192.8

2676.0 2680.2 2684.2 2687.6 2691.0 2693.9 2696.8 2699.5 2702.1 2704.5 2706.7 2709.2 2711.5

1.673 1.533 1.414 1.312 1.225 1.149 1.088 1.024 0.971 0.923 0.881 0.841 0.806

Superheated Steam
Pressure lbs. / sq. in. Abs. P' 15.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100.0 120.0 Gauge P 0.3 5.3 15.3 25.3 35.3 45.3 55.3 65.3 75.3 85.3 105.3 Sat. Temp Total Temperature--Degrees Fahrenheit ( t ) 350 V hg V hg V hg V hg V hg V hg V hg V hg V hg V hg V hg V hg V hg V hg V hg 31.939 1216.2 23.900 1215.4 15.859 1213.6 11.838 1211.7 9.424 1209.9 7.815 1208.0 6.664 1206.0 5.801 1204.0 5.128 1202.0 4.590 1199.9 3.7815 1195.6 400 33.963 1239.9 25.428 1239.2 16.892 1237.8 12.624 1236.4 10.062 1234.9 8.354 1233.5 7.133 1232.0 6.218 1230.5 5.505 1228.9 4.935 1227.4 4.0786 1224.1 3.4661 1220.8 3.0060 1217.4 2.6474 1213.8 2.3598 1210.1 500 37.985 1287.3 28.457 1286.9 18.929 1286.0 14.165 1285.0 11.306 1284.1 9.400 1283.2 8.039 1282.2 7.018 1281.3 6.223 1280.3 5.588 1279.3 4.6341 1277.4 3.9526 1275.3 3.4413 1273.3 3.0433 1271.2 2.7247 1269.0 600 41.986 1335.2 31.466 1334.9 20.945 1334.2 15.685 1333.6 12.529 1332.9 10.425 1332.3 8.922 1331.6 7.794 1330.9 6.917 1330.2 6.216 1329.6 5.1637 1328.2 4.4119 1326.8 3.8480 1325.4 3.4093 1324.0 3.0583 1322.6 700 45.978 1383.8 34.465 1383.5 22.951 1383.0 17.195 1382.5 13.741 1382.0 11.438 1381.5 9.793 1381.0 8.560 1380.5 7.600 1380.0 6.833 1379.5 5.6813 1378.4 4.8588 1377.4 4.2420 1376.4 3.7621 1375.3 3.3783 1374.3 800 49.964 1433.2 37.458 1432.9 24.952 1432.5 18.699 1432.1 14.947 1431.7 12.446 1431.3 10.659 1430.9 9.319 1430.5 8.277 1430.1 7.443 1429.7 6.1928 1428.8 5.2995 1428.0 4.6295 1427.2 4.1084 1426.3 3.6915 1425.5 900 53.946 1483.4 40.447 1483.2 26.949 1482.8 20.199 1482.5 16.150 1482.2 13.450 1481.8 11.522 1481.5 10.075 1481.1 8.950 1480.8 8.050 1480.4 6.7006 1479.8 5.7364 1479.1 5.0132 1478.4 4.4508 1477.7 4.0008 1477.0 1000 57.926 1534.5 43.435 1534.3 28.943 1534.0 21.697 1533.7 17.350 1533.4 14.452 1533.2 12.382 1532.9 10.829 1532.6 9.621 1532.3 8.655 1532.0 7.2060 1531.4 6.1709 1530.8 5.3945 1530.3 4.7907 1529.7 4.3077 1529.1 1100 61.905 1586.5 46.420 1586.3 30.936 1586.1 23.194 1585.8 18.549 1585.6 15.452 1585.3 13.240 1585.1 11.581 1584.9 10.290 1584.6 9.258 1584.4 7.7096 1583.9 6.6036 1583.4 5.7741 1582.9 5.1289 1582.4 4.6128 1581.9 1300 69.858 1693.2 52.388 1693.1 34.918 1692.9 26.183 1692.7 20.942 1692.5 17.448 1692.4 14.952 1692.2 13.081 1692.0 11.625 1691.8 10.460 1691.6 8.7130 1691.3 7.4652 1690.9 6.5293 1690.5 5.8014 1690.2 5.2191 1689.8 1500 77.807 1803.4 58.352 1803.3 38.896 1803.2 29.168 1803.0 23.332 1802.9 19.441 1802.8 16.661 1802.6 14.577 1802.5 12.956 1802.4 11.659 1802.2 9.7130 1802.0 8.3233 1801.7 7.2811 1801.4 6.4704 1801.2 5.8219 1800.9

t
213.03 227.96 250.34 267.25 281.02 292.71 302.93 312.04 320.28 327.82 341.27

140.0

125.3

353.04

160.0

145.3

363.55

180.0

165.3

373.08

200.0

185.3

381.80

Advantages of steam
Requires smaller pipes to transfer specific amount of heat. It is lighter, so steam lines are lighter in weight Flows in response to pressure drop and requires no pumping Heat transfer coefficients are high Steam fills any space at uniform temperature for even heating Load can be varied easily within defined limits; no need of variable pumps and valves.

Steam VS other Heating Mediums

STEAM Heat Content Cost H.T. Co-eff Pressure Reqd Circ. Pump Pipe size Load Control Traps Condensate Flashing Blowdown loss Corrosion Fire risk Flexibility High Hl=2100Kj/kg Cheap but WT cost Good High press for high temp Not required Small Easy Required Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes HTHW Moderate Cheap Moderate High press for hi temp Required Large Difficult Not Required No No No Moderate No Less HT OIL Poor Sp heat 0.4 ~0.7 Expensive Relatively poor No Press for hi temp Required Large Difficult Not Required No No No No Yes No

FFC STEAM NETWORK

Varieties of steam -LS (Low pressure steam) 3.8 kg/cm2 150 oC. -MS (Medium pressure steam) 24 kg/cm2 240 oC. -HS (High pressure steam) 39 kg/cm2 390 oC. -KS (Very high pressure steam) 104 kg/cm2 510 oC.

4.2

Kg/cm 2g 197 C

0.0 0.0

Steam Traps
Basics of steam traps. Significance of steam traps
To remove - Condensate - Air - Non Condensable gases

TECHNIQUES FOR STEAM SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT

Techniques to minimize the load on steam traps

Improve BFW quality (Avoid Priming) Avoid high load on boiler Improve insulation of steam lines. Reduce length of steam lines Audits of steam network

Pre-heating De-aerator Hydrazine

BFW and STEAM

V-201

distribution system
B-605 KS header HS header
LS header

B-601/602

CLASSIFICATION OF STEAM TRAPS

Thermostatic - Principle of working - Heat transfer coefficient difference b/w steam & condensate. Mechanical - Principle of working. - Internal arrangement. Thermodynamic - Working on the difference is change of state.

THERMOSTATIC TRAPS
Rapid response on change in temp. Remove air/ non condensable. Their coaching leg should be at least 3 ft long for better response.

Types of Thermostatic Traps: 1- Liquid expansion. 2- Bellows traps. 3- Bimetallic traps.

LIQUID EXPANSION
This is one of the simplest thermostatic trap. An oil filled element expands / contracts for opening / closing of valve.

1- Diagram 2- Graph

Response Changes with Change in pressure as temp. varies with pressure

Typical balanced pressure capsule arrangement

ADVANTAGES
Rugged. Good air handling capability. Withstand water hammer. Can be mounted on any position.

ADVANTAGES
Dirt particles can prevent tight close. Requires substantial sub cooling. Slow response to changing condensate loads. Only works at temperature.

BELLOWS TRAPS
Their valve actuator is a capsule or bellow filled with vaporizing liquids which has boiling point somewhat lower than water. Diagram Graph

BELLOWS TRAPS

ADVANTAGES
- Excellent Air handling capacity. - Energy efficient. - Condensate discharge temperature follows the saturation curve. - Various condensate discharge temperature. - Can be mounted in several positions. - Simple construction. - small size and wt.

DISADVANTAGES
- Delicate bellows. - Not suited for high pressure.

BIMETALLIC
These traps utilize the sensible heat in the condensate in conjunction with line pressure to open and close a valve.

- Diagram - Graphs

Simple bimetallic traps

MULTI STRIPS BIMETALLIC STRIPS

ADVANTAGES
Rugged. Energy efficient. Withstand water hammer. Capable of discharging temp. adjustment. Simple construction. Can be mounted on several position.

DISADVANTAGES
Dirt particles can prevent tight valve closing. Balance may effected due to back pressure. Relatively slow response to changing condensate loads. Bimetallic elements corrosion problem.

Disc Spring Thermostatic

MECHANICAL TRAPS
Main Features: - Mechanical traps are phase detectors. - These are independent of temp and pressure. - These are extremely energy efficient. BALL FLOAT TRAPS: These traps are widely used on the plants. The opening and closing of the valve is caused by changes of the condensate level with in the traps shell.

SIMPLE FLOAT TRAP

Float Traps

ADVANTAGES
Unaffected by sudden or wide pressure changes. Responds very quickly to condensate load changes. Continuous discharge. Condensate discharge temp. Closely follow saturation curve. - Simple construction. -

DISADVANTAGES
of failure. Relatively large and heavy. Float easily damaged by water hammer. Can be mounted only in one position. Requires auxiliary air vent which is an additional source

INVERTED BUCKET
As the name implies the working portion consists of an inverted bucket attached through a lever to a valve. An essential part of the trap is the small air vent hole in the top of the bucket. -Step-1 -Step-2 -Step-3 -Step-4

COMPLETE CYCLE OF INVERTED BUCKET TRAP

Inverted Bucket Trap

ADVANTAGES
- Simple construction. - Rugged. - Condensate discharge temp. Closely follow the saturation curve. - Fast response the change condensate loads.

DISADVANTAGES
- Marginal air handling during startup. - Can lose prime and is not self priming. - Can be mounted only us a single position.

OPEN BUCKET TRAP

This is also member of Mechanical traps but it is being used rarely.

Open Bucket

THERMODYNAMIC TRAPS
Main Features: - These traps are phase detectors. - They can differentiate b/w liquids and gases. - They can not differentiate b/w stream and air or other non-condensable gases. Types of Thermodynamic Traps: 1.Disc traps 2.Piston Traps 3.Lever Traps 4.Impulse 5.Labyrinth 6.Orifice Traps

DISC TRAPS:
This is the commonest type of trap relying on the fact that hot condensate released in pressure will produce flash steam. The trap is supremely simple. Cause i Condensate Removal Phase: Disc A is raised from the seat C by incoming pressure, allowing air and condensate to pass radially outwards under the disc before discharging through outlet B. Cause ii: Cause iii: Cause iv:

DISC TRAPS

DISC TRAPS

Advantages: Simple construction. Small size and Can be mounted in any position. Rugged. Withstand water hammer Disadvantages: Marginal air handling capability Condensate discharge temp. cannot be adjusted Excessive back pressure in return systems can prevent trap from closing High discharge noise level.

IMPLUSE TRAP
CONSTRUCTION It consists of a hollow piston A with a piston disc B working inside a tapered position C which acts as a guide. WORKING At start up the main valve rests on the seat D leaving a passage of flow through the clearance b/w piston and cylinder and the hole E at the top of the piston. Increasing flow of air and condensate will act on the piston disc B and lift the main valve off its seat to give increased flow. Some condensate will also flow through the gap b/w piston and disc through E and away to the trap outlet. As the condensate approaches steam temperature some of it flashes to steam as it passes through the gap. Although it is bled away through hole E it does create an intermediate pressure over the piston, which effectively positions the main valve to meet the load.

IMPULSE TRAP DIAGRAM

ADVANTAGES
- Can handle substantial condensate capacity as compared to their size. - Suitable for high pressure applications. - Good air venturing capabilities. - Small, compact, easy to install.

DISADVANTAGES
- Cannot give a dead shut off and will blow steam on very low load. - Easily affected by dirt and plug small clearance b/w piston and cylinder and of course the control orifice. - Trap will not work against a back pressure which exceeds 40 % of the inlet pressure.

LABYRINTH TRAPS
This is normal types steam trap. It consists of a series of baffles which can be adjusted by means of a hand wheel.

Hot condensate passes through the baffles and trap body is subjected to a drop in pressure and some of it flashes to steam. A series of baffles slows down the flow of condensate and prevents the escape of live steam.

ADVANTAGES
- Can handle condensate is large capacity as compared to its size. - No mechanical failure since there are no moving parts.

DISADVANTAGES
- Manual adjustment is required with the variation in either steam pressure or condensate load of the adjustment is not done, stream wastage or water logging of the steam space will occur.

Summary of Traps Characteristics

F&T Discharge Air Vent modul Good Bucket Cyclic Poor Good Poor Poor Good Open/ Close Yes Yes No Disc Cyclic Fair Good Excelnt Excelnt Good Open No No Yes Bellows Cycl/mod Excelnt Fair Good/fair Good/fair Good/fair Open/ Closed No No No Capsule Cyclic Excelnt Fair Good G/fair G/fair Open/ Closed No No No Bimetthermo Bimet T/T Cycl/mod Modul Excelnt Good Good Excelnt G/fair open No No No Excelnt Good Good Excelnt G/fair open No No No

Dirt Handling Good Superheat W/Hammer Response Fail mode Freezing Position sensitive Back Psi Sensitive Poor Poor Exclnt Close Yes Yes No

SELECTION OF STEAM TRAPS

Sensitivity to back pressure. Sensitivity to dirt. Air venting capability. Venting non condensable at steam temp. Responsiveness to changing loads. Resistance to shocks, vibrations and water.

SELECTION OF STEAM TRAPS

Predominant failure modes. Installation versatility. Resistance to corrosion. Energy Consumption of steam traps. Condensate sub cooling. Ease of maintenance.

Plant standards.

CHECKING OF STEAM TRAPS

There are following techniques to check the performance. 1- Traps discharging to atmosphere. 2- Test vent. 3- Sight glasses. 4- Temperature difference. 5- Sound. 6- Electronic.