FAUJI FERTILIZER COMPANY LIMITED PLANTSITE ~- GOTH MACHHICONTENTS WHAT IS STEAM? WHY STEAM IS REQUIRED IN AN INDUSTRY? HOW STEAM IS GENERATED? WHAT IS CONDENSATE? HOW IS CONDENSATE FORMED? PROBLEMS DUE TO CONDENSATE IN PIPES. HOW IS THE CONDENSATE REMOVED? TYPES OF STEAM TRAPS. MAINTENANCE.ZEFG WHAT IS STEAM? As we have studies in PHYSICS that every MATTER exists in three basics forms, namely SOLID, LIQUID and GAS. The presence of each state is due to certain conditions of PRESSURE and TEMPERATURE. If we alter any of these condition, the states will change e.g. If we heat water to 100 °C, it starts to boil and on further heating will cause steam formation, which is the gaseous state of water. WHY IS REQUIRED IN AN INDUSTRY? Approximately every industry requires and has steam production. There are many usages of steam in an industry. 1, It is a source of power for steam turbines, etc. 2. It is used for heating / cooling of different fluids. 3. Miscellaneous utilities such as line jacketing, instrumentation, oil spill cleaning etc. HOW STEAM IS GENERATED: In an industry steam is generated in pressure vessels called BOILERS. The essential parts of a boiler are TUBE, PRESSURE SHELL, IGNITION SOURCE, BLOWER, SAFETY VALVES. TUBES: ct These are normally of diameters %, %, 1 inches. = These are made of carbon steel. ‘SHELL: It is made of carbon steel plates and its thickness is designed to with stand inner steam pressure. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE z- In case of gas fired boilers this is a burner which uses natural gas. - In case of coal fired boilers coal is used. (Normally the decession of type of ignition source required depends upon the availability of fuel. In Pakistan natural gas is abundant therefore natural gas is used). OWE! Blower is used for for 19 the hot gases into the tubes, in case water is in shell side and in shell in case water is in tube side. SAFETY VALVI Safety valves are fitted on the shell to let the steam pass if its pressure increases the design pressure of the boiler. If safety valves are not provided on the shell then the steam pressure exceeding the design pressure of the boiler will exert a tremendous pressure on the shell, which might burst. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE 31.1.1 - FIRE TUBE “OILERS Fire tube boilers typically have a lower initial cost, are more fuel efficient and easier to operate but they are generally limited to capacities of 50,000pph and pressures of 250 psig. FLUE GAS ourtet WATER SPACE INSULATION: | SHELL FLUE Gas. FUEL, ata ATYPICAL FIRE TUBE BOILER TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE PAGE-3A water tube boiler differs from fire tube boiler in that the water flows through STEAM DRUM ORTHODOX DESIGN OF WATER TUBE MODERN WATER WALL FURNACE BOILER TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE PAGE-4®BOO® ©®@ Fumace side-wall tube panels Fumace front wall tube panels Fumace rear wall tube panels Fumace roof tube panels Fumace floor tube panels Boiler side wall tubes Boiler rear wall tube panels Boiler screen tubes Boiler tubes 10. Superheater elements LL. Upper drum (steam) 2. Drum intemals 13, Lower drum (water) 14, Lower side wall headers 15, Upper side wall headers 16, Supply tubes Ce awaune TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE © ©©O 18, Supetheater connecting tubes 19. Supetheater inlet header 20. Superheater outlet header 21. Ribbed casing (boiler enclosure) 22. Flat casing (ait plenum chamber) 23. Buckst 24 Mineral woo! blanket insulation 25, Floor tiles 26. Cross gas baffle | 27 Type “T" windbox assembly 28, Secondary air supply duct 29. Blast furnace ges supply duct 30. Observation port 31. Access opening 32. Rotary soot blower 33. Ai inlet duct connection 34, Flue gas oullet duct connection PAGEASNN FIFO WHAT IS TE? When steam is cooled down it changes back to its liquid form called the CONDENSATE. HOW IS CONDENSATE FORMED? When steam is generated it has to pass through pipes to reach where it is required, e.g. steam turbines. As the temperature of steam is much greater then the pipes, therefore heat energy from steam will be transferred to the pipes (we know from physics that heat flows from high temperature to lower temperature.) This loss of heat energy will cause a temperature drop in steam which is in contact with the pipe, and hence drops of will be formed and will collect at the bottom of the pipe, called the condensate. CONDENSATE Formation of condensate depends largely on; 1) Rate of heat transfer 2) Insulated / Non-insulated pipes 3) Ambient temperature. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE 4FRG N THE CONDENSA’ D? Provide drain valve at locations where the condensate is more likely to accumulate. As the steam circuit is usually very long, which includes pipes going up and down at most of the places. Therefore the best location to provide these valves are those portions of piping circuit which are at lowest elevations then others. BOILER be In the above figure portions a, b, c & d are more likely to accumulate condensate, therefore if we provide valves at these locations, then the amount of condensate accumulated in the circuit can be removed. But by providing valves, it will be uneconomical, because for operating these valves we will have to depute operators for each valve and the removal of condensate will purely depends upon their experience and practice, otherwise it will cause steam leakages. The selection of steam traps is by no means straightforward. A trap must be” selected to carry out a given function under given conditions. These may involve variations in operating pressure, load or back pressure. Traps may be subjected to extremes of temperature or water hammer, while corrosion or dirt are other common hazards. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE ZPROBLEMS DUE TO CONDENSATE IN PIPES: a) WATER HAMMERING: When condensate collects at the bottom of the pipe it starts to move with the steam and when it reaches any restriction such as ELBOWS, VALVES, EQUIPMENT OR MACHINERY like Steam turbine, it creates sound and vibration upon impact. This vibration can cause the Pipe to dislodge from its supports or can make pipe joints weaker. b) STEAM STARVATION: The condensate due to its heavy weight collects at the lowest portion of the piping circuit such as a vertical U-bend. This condensate restricts the flow of steam to an extant that the amount of steam required does not reach, causing steam starvation ‘Steam Steam c) IRREGULAR EXPANSION OF PIPES: The portion of pipe which is in contact with steam expands corresponding to the steam temperature where as the portion of the pipe in contact with condensate expands corresponding to condensate temperature. This irregular expansion of pipe causes the pipe to bend thus weakening the pipe joints or stressing the machinery / equipment connection with pipe. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTERPFC N\ STEAM TRAPS THE FUNCTION OF STEAM TRAPS It is extremely important that steam distribution system always be properly drained. Steam traps are the key to optimum steam / condensate system operation, and as such, have three basic functions: a) (2) (3) Remove condensate: Condensate must be allowed to pass through the trap quickly and completely, keeping the heat transfer equipment and piping free of condensate to maximize heat transfer. Remove air and other noncondensible gases: Air and gases In the system reduce heat transfer area, and lower the overall heat transfer temperature. In addition, 02 and CO are corrosive in the presence of condensate. Prevent steam loss: The trap must minimize live steam loss while it passes condensate, air and noncondensibles. TYPES OF STEAM TRAP: There are three basic types of steam traps, operating on three basic physical principles to distinguish between steam and condensate: (1) Thermostatic (temperature difference): The thermostatic trap senses temperature, and operates on a temperature difference between steam and condensate. The steam not only has a higher temperature than the condensate, but also has a higher heat transfer coefficient, and can have an immediate effect on the thermostatic sensor. The sensor cools TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE(2) (3) ZEEFC in the presence of condensate, and opens a valve to release it: but upon contact with live steam the valve is closed to prevent steam loss. Mechanical (density difference): This trap relies on the difference in density between steam and condensate for its operation. A float or bucket rises in the presence of condensate, and fall when only steam is present. This mechanical movement causes a valve to open in the presence of condensate, and close in the presence of steam. Thermodynamic (change of state): This third type of trap is not so easily recognized as such and encompasses a group of apparently unrelated devices. + These _ include thermodynamic, impulse and labyrinth traps, and even the simple orifice plate. All rely on the fact that hot condensate, released under pressure, can “flash off" to give a mixture of steam and water. THERMODYNAMIC TRAPS Thermodynamic traps are phase detectors, i.e. they can differentiate between liquids and gases. But they cannot differentiate between steam and air or other non-condensible gases. Disc Traps- Disc Traps utilize the heat energy in hot condensate and the kinetic energy in steam to open and close a valve disc. They are phase detectors, sensing the difference between liquid and gas or vapor. Fig. 3-A helps to explain how the trap operates. Disc A is raised from the seat C by incoming pressure, allowing air and condensate to pass radially TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE gZPRG outwards under the disc before discharging through outlet B. As the condensate under pressure approaches steam temperature it experiences a drop in pressure at the inlet orifice and some of the condensate flashes to steam. Flash steam flows round the end of the disc resulting in a pressure build up in the control chamber D. Outlet Port (8) Seating Surface _ Inlet Port 1) Bonnet Chamber (D). Valve Disc (A) Fig. 3-A When The steam pressure in chamber D acting over the full area of the disc exceeds the incoming condensate pressure acting on the much smaller inlet area, the disc snaps shut-covering the inlet orifice, This snap action is important. Disc traps are most frequently used in light condensate load applications and are known as "hot" traps i.e. quickly discharging very hot condensate immediately after it forms. Strainers are installed at the inlet to ensure dirt free condensate / steam. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTREZBEEG Advantages: ° Simple construction. 0 Small size and light weight. © Can be mounted in any position. ° Rugged, withstands water hammer. Disadvantages: © Marginal air handling capability. © Condensate discharge temperature cannot be adjusted. 0 Excessive back pressure in return systems can prevent trap trom closing. © High discharge noise level. Piston Traps - Fig. 3-B shows piston trap and its internals. During initial start-up pressure created by the cold condensate lifts the piston valve, allowing discharge of condensate. When the temperature of the discharging condensate is very close to steam temperature, the condensate, experiencing the lower pressure of the control chamber, will change into flash steam. This increased pressure, acting on a larger effective area of the piston valve than the inlet pressure, causes it to snap shut-preventing steam flow through the trap. When cooler condensate reaches the trap, causing the control chamber pressure to drop, trap reopens to repeat the cycle. The control orifice provides a continuous discharge which is helpful in Passing air or other non-condensable gases during start-up. Steam loss through the control orifice is minimal. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE Fry First Orifice ‘Second Orifice (Controt Orifice) Control Chamber Piston Valve Fig. 3-B Advantages © Suitable for high pressure © Can be mounted in any position. © Good response to changing condensate load conditions. © Rugged, withstands water hammer. © Good air handling capability. Small size and light weight. Disadvantages ° ° Excessive back pressure in return system can prevent trap from, closing. Condensate discharge temperature follows the saturation curve over a limited range. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTREZPPG Lever Traps - Typical lever trap is shown in Fig. 3-C. incoming condensate pushes the lever upward with a tilting motion and full flow goes under it and out the discharge port. Condensate flowing past the inlet seat (a restriction) experiences a pressure drop and it will flash into steam when the condensate temperature is very close to steam temperature. The localized lower pressure under the lever causes the lever and inlet valve to snap shut. This prevents steam flow through the trap. When condensate with its cooler temperature again reaches the trap, it will reopen, repeating the cycle. Lever traps are designed for applications having especially large condensate loads and that benefit from the very rapid discharge of condensate after its formation. Lover Control Orifice Becond Oriice) Bonnet Chamber Inlet Seat First Orifice inlet Valve Discharge Fig. 3-C TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE LQN nC Advantages © Suitable for high pressure applications. © Good response to changing condensate load conditions. © ‘Rugged, withstands water hammer. © — Good air handling capability. ° Small, compact, easy to install and service. Disadvantages ° Excessive back pressure in return systems can prevent trap from closing. © Can only be mounted in one position. iv Impulse - The impulse trap is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3-D. It consists of a hollow piston A with a piston disc B working inside a tapered piston C which acts as a guide. At start up the main valve rests on the seat D leaving a passage of flow through the clearance between 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 between piston and disc. | through E and away to the trap outlet. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE {2As the condensate approaches steam temperature some of it flashes to steam as it passes through the gap. Although this 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. BCpise) .¢ (cYUNDER) Advantages ° Can handle substantial condensate capacity as compared to their size. Suitable for high pressure applications. Good air venting capabilities. Small, compact, easy to install. Disadvantages ° ° Cannot give a dead shut off and will blow steam on very low loads. Easily affected by any dirt and plug small clearance between piston and cylinder and of course the control orifice. Trap will not work against a back pressure which exceeds 40° percent of the inlet pressure. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE . iy; “i ZBeEG v. Labyrinth - This type hardly qualifies as an “automatic drain tap" but is shown in Fig. 3-E. It consists of a series of baffles which can be adjusted by means of a hand wheel, BAFFLES ADJUSTMENT Fig. 3-E Hot condensate passing between the first baffle and the trap body is subject to a drop in pressure and some of it flashes to steam. The space around the next baffle has to cope with an increased volume of hot condensate and flash steam. The result is a restriction along the length of the trap which slows down the flow of condensate and prevents the escape of live steam. The device is fairly crude and requires frequent adjustment to cope with varying conditions. Advantages ° Can handle condensate in large capacity as compared to its size. ° No mechanical failure since there are no moving parts. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTREZPeG Disadvantages © Manual adjustment is required with the variation in either steam Pressure or condensate load. If the adjustment is not done. Steam wastage or water logging of the steam space will occur. vi. Orifice Traps - This device consists of one or more successive orifices. Where two or more orifices are used (as shown in Fig. 3-F), condensate passes through a number of /—_ successive chambers where flashing en cued occurs. This, in turn, creates a restricting or choking effect and allows the use of larger and less dirt sensitive orifices for a given | condensate capacity. In Second Orifice some design executions, these orifices are adjustable valves. Fig. 3-F Advantages 0 No moving parts. © Suitable for high pressure application. © Rugged, withstands water hammer. ° Can be mounted in any position. Disadvantages © Orifice size must be carefully selected for each installation. © Can not respond to varying condensate loads. © Inefficient if oversized. © Dirt particles readily impair performance. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTREZPPG ° Difficult to field check because of continuous discharge. © In the absence of condensate, the trap passes live steam. MECHANICAL TRAPS. Mechanical traps, are also phase detectors. These devices respond to changes in condensate level only, independent of temperature or pressure. They respond rapidly to changing conditions. Condensate discharge temperatures follow closely the saturation curve and they have a modulating type of discharge. They are extremely energy efficient. All mechanical traps are position-sensitive. i. Closed Float Traps - Although it is one of the oldest in the market, the closed float trap is still in widespread use. The opening and closing of the valve is caused by changes of the condensate level within the trap shell. Fig. 3-G shows float and float thermostatic traps. When the trap is empty, the weight of the float closes the valve. As condensate enters the trap, the float rises and opens the valve, allowing condensate to be discharged. An inherent disadvantage of a simple float trap is that it : Thermostatic cannot discharge air or non- 1 Air Vent, 4 condensible gases. It is therefore necessary to install an auxiliary thermostatically activated air vent. For this feason, these traps are known as float and thermostatic or F & T traps. Fig. 3- TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE 3N\ Tag] | @ Advantages © Unaffected by sudden or wide pressure changes. © Responds very quickly to condensate load changes. © Continuous discharge. ° Condensate discharge temperature closely follows the saturation curve. ° Simple construction. Disadvantages © Relatively large and heavy. © Float easily damaged by water hammer. © Can be mounted only in one position. © Suitable only for relatively low pressures. ° Requires auxiliary air vent which is an additional source of failure. ii. Inverted Bucket Traps - Inverted bucket traps are members of the mechanical trap family, using an open “inverted bucket" as a float. The trapping principle utilizes the difference in density between steam and water. The construction of the trap is such that the trap inlet leads into the bottom and open end of the inverted bucket. Discharge is through an’ outlet valve above the inverted bucket as shown in Fig 3-H. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE “1Steam entering the inverted and submerged _ bucket, causes it to float and close the outlet valve, preventing discharge of steam. Steam in SEAT the bucket both condenses and leaks through the vent, Hl Bory — allowing the bucket to sink 4 and open the valve to discharge condensate. | 8asketT—— Inverted bucket _traps discharge condensate intermittently very near steel saturation temperature. Fig. 3-H Any air or non-condensible gases entering the trap will also cause the bucket to float and the valve to close. In order to overcome this problem, the bucket has a hole to vent air and steam. Advantages © Simple construction. © Rugged. ° Condensate discharge temperature closely follows the saturation curve. © Fast response to changing condensate loads. Disadvantages © Marginal air handling during start-up © Can lose prime, and is not self-priming. © Can be mounted only in a single position. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE 3PEG ii, Open Bucket Trap - Open bucket traps are rarely used today. NY When condensate first enters the trap, it fills the trap body and causes the bucket to rise and close the vale at the top of the trap. Condensate will continue to enter the trap, finally spilling over into the bucket. This causes it to sink and open the valve allowing discharge of condensate. When steam arrives, it pushes the condensate out of the bucket through the siphon tube, which in turn refloats the bucket and closes the valve. As the steam in the trap condenses, additional condensate enters the trap and the cycle is repeated. Fig. 3-1 This type of trap requires an auxiliary thermostatically activated air vent. Typical open bucket trap is shown in Fig. 3-I. Advantages © Simple construction. © Condensate discharge temperature closely follows the saturation curve. © Fast response to changing condensate loads, Disadvantages © Can lose prime, not self-priming. ° Can be mounted only in a single position. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE 78ZPPFG © Requires auxiliary air vent which is an additional source of failure. © Suitable only for relatively low pressures. © Relatively large and heavy. THERMOSTATIC TRAPS thermostatic traps respond to changes in temperature and therefore differentiate very well between steam and cooler non-condensible gases They can rapidly purge air from a system, especially on a cold start-up, and can be installed in various positions. cooling leg atleast three feet in length is recommended for better response. Bimetallic - _Bimetallic steam traps utilize the sensible heat in the condensate in conjunction with line pressure to open and close a valve. The bimetallic elements are in the form of small discs and are arranged to roduce a closing force with increasing temperature as shown in Fig. 3-J. BIMETALLIC STRIPS Booy Al f + Fig. 3-J 7 Some bimetallic traps use a single leaf element rather than the stacked disc elements.As the condensate cools, the line pressure becomes the dominant force, causing the valve to open and allowing the discharge of condensate. Back pressure in a closed return system provides an TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE >ZFC additional closing force resulting in a lower opening temperature than the same trap discharging to atmosphere. The discharge temperature, therefore, is affected by back pressure. Advantages 0° Rugged. o Energy efficient. © Withstands water hammer. © Capable of discharge temperature adjustment. ° Can be mounted in several positions. Disadvantages © Dirt particles can prevent tight valve closing. © condensate discharge temperature is made lower as backpressure increases. 0 Relatively slow response to changing condensate loads. ° Bimetallic elements are relatively susceptible to corrosion. Bellows traps (Balanced pressure) - Bellows traps are thermostatic traps that respond to the changes in the temperature and pressure of the steam supply to open and close a valve. The valve actuator is a capsule or bellow filled with a vapourizing liquid. Typical construction of bellows type steam trap is shown Fig. 3-K. In the cold conditions which exist at start up the element is contracted. The valve is off its seat and is wide open, allowing removal of air. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE 22N ta] Gs] @ Bopy Bellows Element Valve LET OUTLET { Seat Fig. 3-K As condensate passes through the trap, heat is transmitted to the liquid in the element. Before steam reaches the trap this liquid boils. The vapour Pressure within the element causes it to expand and the trap shuts. Heat loss from the trap cools the water surrounding the element and the filling condenses. The element contracts to open the valve and releases condensate until it again approaches steam temperature when the cycle is repeated. The temperature below steam temperature at which the trap operates is governed by the filling. At the same time the fact that the element is thin walled means that the boiling effectively takes place at the operating pressure. Advantages ° Excellent air handling capability. ° Energy efficient. © Various condensate discharge temperatures available depending on bellows design. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE wBERG O Condensate discharge temperature follows the saturation curve. Oo Can be mounted in several positions. ° Simple construction. © Small size and weight. Disadvantages o Bellows elements tend to be failure prone, especially when subjected to water hammer. ° Generally not suited for high pressure applications. i Liquid Expansion Traps - This is one of the simplest thermostatic trap as shown in Fig. 3-L. An oil filled element expands (when hot condensate pass through the trap) and close the valve against the seat The adjustment allows the element to be moved relative to the seat which effectively alters the temperature of the trap discharge. This type of trap operates at a fix temperature what so ever be the condensate temperature. CyLinDER Element Gurve vane Adjustment tS Cornog arep TOBE Fig. 3-L TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE 2yZPRG Advantages ° ° ° ° Rugged. Good air handling capability. Withstands water hammer. Can be mounted in any position. Disadvantages ° ° ° Dirt particles can prevent tight close. Requires substantial sub cooling. Slow response to changing condensate loads. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTREZPFG MAINTENANCE OF STEAM TRAPS: ROUTINE MAINTENANCE: This is perhaps the text book approach to trap maintenance whereby traps are ‘examined and if necessary, serviced on a regular basis. It is an approach which is applied to larger pieces of plant but rarely extends down to steam traps. It produces a demand for labour while the cynics will say that messit 1g about with the traps’ will do more harm than good. A lot will depend on the type of trap and what is actually done. The balanced pressure thermostatic steam trap for example, has an element which is designed for easy replacement. Changing these on a regular basis - say every two years -- may seem wasteful in time and materials. However, this practice obviates the need for trap checking and should ensure a trouble-free system with no losses through defective traps. Routine maintenance which involves cleaning and the reinstatement of partially fatigued bellows uses just as much labour but leaves a questionable steam trap It will have to be checked from time to ¢ and will be prone to fatigue. Routine maintenance should include the renewal of any suspect parts if it is to be cost effective. REPLACEMENT OF INTERNALS: The facility to renew the internals of a steam trap makes sound sense. The body will generally have as long a life as the plant to which it is fitted and it is only the internal moving parts which should wear. There are obvious advantages in replacing these internals from time to time. A good deal will depend on the ease with which the new parts can be fitted and’ the reliability of the refurbished trap. The elements of thermostatic traps can generally be changed by removing a screwed in seat. Replacement is simple and the remade trap will be reliable. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTREZPFG Unfortunately the replacement seats of some thermodynamic traps are more complicated. Two separate gasketed joints may have to be made or a single gasket has to cope with two or more steam / condensate passages. The weakest point is in fact the joint between trap body and seat. Particularly if this, has been allowed to blow steam, remaking it become impossible. A lot will depend on site conditions. The small float and inverted bucket traps as shown in figure, are designed so that the cover with the internals attached can be taken to the workshop for attention without disturbing the pipe work. Th is far preferable to renewing the seats of inaccessible traps, welded into pipe work. REPLACEMENT OF TRAPS: On some sites the high cost of labour will rule out the repair of all but the largest traps. In these cases it is essential that the traps themselves can be changed easily. Flanged connections provide one solution. Unfortunately the flanged trap is more expensive than the equivalent screwed trap, while the mating flanges are an additional expense. The trap shown in Figure was designed for easy removal from welded systems. Two large unions with generous faces ensure adequate joints which can be broken quickly to facilitate trap removal. STRAPS2.DOC/hm TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE ‘ we a mm aa