Steam Utilization FAQ

• What type of steam trap should I install on a heating coil/jacket ? Why ?

Only Ball Float type of traps should be installed on process heaters. This kind of trap discharges condensate continuously at steam temperature and as rapidly as it forms, which makes it the first choice for applications where the rate of heat transfer is high for the area of heating surface available.

The Spirax Ball Float Steam Trap Module has continuous discharge characteristics and hence even when a small amount of condensate is formed, it is discharged. The continuously modulating discharge do not create pressure disturbance, which may cause erratic control in air heating coils, shell and tube heat exchangers, etc.

• Why is the ball float steam trap the only steam trap for process application and not Thermodynamic (TD) or Inverted Bucket (IB) traps ?

All other types of traps except the ball float steam trap have intermittent discharge characteristics. This would mean, that there would be some condensate held back in the steam space till the next cycle of evaporation, which will continue resulting in accumulation of condensate in the steam space. This will cause lengthening in the process time, which will cause the operator to open up the by-pass to drain out the logged condensate. This may also result in increased steam consumption in the process

• How can I control my process temperature automatically?

Since the temperature of saturated steam is determined by its pressure, control of pressure and the flow is the best method of accurate temperature control. Self Actuating Temperature System should be installed on steam inlet lines for an automatic control of the process temperature.

• Can I monitor my steam traps without taking them offline ? How ?

All the steam traps in the process plant can be monitored online by using 'Spirax' Steam Trap Monitoring System.
A Steam Trap Modules has 'SpiraTec' Sensor Chamber installed before the steam trap which senses the presence of water , steam or air in the chamber and determines the performance of the steam trap. SpiraTec will indicate at a glance that either all the traps are operating correctly, or that there is a failure of any particular identified trap or traps. In addition to the trap performance, it also continuously monitors and displays the temperature at which the condensate is being removed from the steam space, giving valuable information about process efficiency.

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