Process Equipment Update
Even small steam leaks add up significantly over time. Hans de Kegel looks at a planned approach to saving energy and costs.
Auch kleine Dampflecks summieren sich im Laufe der Zeit beträchtlich. Hans de Kegel untersucht einen geplanten Ansatz zur Energie- und Kosteneinsparung.
Même les petites fuites de vapeur se cumulent considérablement au cours du temps. Hans de Kegel examine une approche planifiée visant à économiser de l’énergie et de l’argent.
The steam trap T 10
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he price of energy continues to cost industry dearly, but energy waste is costing even more. It’s little wonder therefore
that sustainability has become such a hot topic. Understandably, much attention has
been given to highly visible and energy hungry items such as motors, but in many instances the energy waste is invisible – in the form of lost steam. Around 22% of the steam that leaves
boilers in a plant is lost via leaking traps, meaning predictive maintenance in this area is a worthwhile investment that can considerably and easily reduce losses. In steam systems, a 3mm orifice
under a pressure of 7bar (100psi) can result in the loss of 25 tonnes of steam per year. If leaks are ignored, they can cause a drop in system pressure leading to lower operating efficiency, while over time the corrosive power of steam can cause equipment failure,
resulting in expensive repairs or even the need to replace equipment. Then of course there is the risk of accident and potential liability. The UK’s Health & Safety
Executive’s ‘Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000’ sets out its aim to prevent serious injury resulting from the failure of a pressure system or one of its component parts. This includes stringent guidelines covering the use of materials, the application of safety devices and the need for a suitable maintenance programme, which is perhaps the key to this whole subject. Planned maintenance can go a long way towards eliminating the damage caused by leaks, but at present there is no commonly accepted standard practice. This may be because leaks haven’t
been given the focus and attention they deserve, or because steam leaks can occur in many places, including valve stems, pressure regulators and connection flanges pipe joints, adding
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