What is the best location to place the feedwater valve:

1.) Before the boiler economizer.

or

2.) After the boiler economizer.

Kelly Paffel
Tech Manager
PSE

Water hammer is not only a system issue; it is primarily a safety issue. Understanding the nature and severity of water hammer in a steam and condensate system, will allow facilities to avoid its destructive forces.

This greater understanding should also help with introduction of preventative measures into system designs, steam system startups, maintenance and installations, which help provide maximum safety for personnel, reduce maintenance cost, and reduced system downtime.

When it comes to testing steam traps, a frequently asked question is, “what is the best method?”

The true answer is to use all of the technologies available today. No single test method provides the best results all of the time for the variety of steam traps in the marketplace.

We have posted in our Steam System Best Practices section, the new technical brief on Condensate Piping Best Practices.

We are currently writing a Technical Brief on PTC 39, which is the test method for steam trap leak rates.

We are looking for suggestions from our readers regarding this subject matter.

Please write or email; kelly.paffel@plantsupport.com

Looking for the Best Practices for installing Drum Level Transmitters.

What is the typically range?

Piping the transmitter to the drum?

Is there a need for a condensing pot?

Besides; the loss of condensate - what are the negatives to injecting steam directly into the process?

Besides; less costly - what are the positives to injecting steam directly into the process?

Why is the typical storage requirement for deaerators usually set at 10 minutes?

What is the origin of the 10 minute rule?

How feasible is an upflow in a vertical condensate pipe without using a pressurized (flash) tank?

Please assume modulating steam conditions: ~60.000 to ~6.000 lbs/h steam consumption @ 100 psi, ~10% flash steam @ 15 psi.

Great web site for calculating boiler efficiency.

” Quoted from the web site” Natural Resources Canada has developed an online Boiler Efficiency Calculator to help managers quickly analyze the efficiency of boiler operations associated with heating and steam plants fired by natural gas and fuel oil.

http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/industrial/technical-info/tools/boilers/

There is a lot of discussion going on now about the steam leak rate for new steam traps……..we will keep posting the statements and comments…please added into the conversation.

Statement: If steam users are purchasing new steam traps with steam leaks during
normal operating conditions (other than a inverted bucket trap) they should be returning
the leaking steam traps back to the manufacture.

Answer: The measuring tool is PTC 39, which will provide the consumer knowledge of
the leak rates and more knowledge of steam trap steam leakage. We assume a new steam
trap does not leak steam, but in reality, every steam trap leaks a percentage of steam. We
(as consumers) need to know that quantity of steam leakage.

There was clear and singular “ownership” of the process. All jurisdictional authority coalesced around NASA’s lead.

The lesson here for the steam community: a steam or energy champion is usually vital to the success of energy management efforts. This is an individual with knowledge and authority to act.

The “champion” is the visionary, coach, and arbitrator who keeps everything on track.

From Energy Pathfinder www.energypathfinder.com

Read the full article on Steam

Process Heating Magazine

The April 2007 issue of Process Heating magazine focuses on industrial process heating boilers and will include an Equipment Overview of industrial process boiler manufacturers.

The Equipment Overviews also are posted on our web site, www.process-heating.com.

We are taking a survey on a more appropriate name for the so call “Live Steam”. Steam which is produced in the boiler.

We do have “Flash Steam”

We do have “Waste Steam”

Let us know what you would recommend…..

Our plant has began burning #6 Fuel Oil with low sulfur content in the boilers. Wondering if anyone has any experience with fuel oil additives. Do they really help to keep the boiler cleaner with less soot thus boiler runs more effiently? Do they really help the fire burn cleaner? Do they really work or is it a waste of money? Would different operating procedure produce the same results with out the fuel additives. Any help, suggestions and ideas welecomed.

I have an Air Handler with two steam coils one is a steam valve contolled preheat coil and athe other is straight thru (not valve) steam dessiccant regeneration coil. Unfortunately both condensate returns were tied into an elevated condensate return main which collects several AHUs and goes into a flash tank and then a condensate pump. The initial steam pressure into the coils is 65 psi.

My problem is that when the preheat coil valve throttles close as is discharge air set point is reached I can not longer lift that condensate due to the back pressure form the regeneration coil. I could seperate the lines and run them seperate to the flash tank or I could use a steam power pump trap to life the condensate from the preheat coil to the main. Got any suggestions or other ideas?

Posted for a PSE Client

Desiccant materials from a desiccant dryer (that failed) passed through the dryer filters and the material is now in the compressed air lines.

What is the best way to remove the desiccant material from the compressed air system?

Condensate pressure above 50 psig!!!

Read why “High Pressure Condensate” has become the normal operation for steam plants.

http://www.plantsupport.com/download/HPCRS.pdf

Babcock & Wilcox has the new “Steam and its Generation” (version 41) available now!

The newly released 41st edition of Steam/its generation and use, a book published by The Babcock & Wilcox Company, details advances in the production of steam and the utilization of all types of fuels. This edition has been thoroughly updated and revised including completely rewritten sections on environmental protection, emissions control, and advanced steam generator designs for the 21st century.

http://www.babcock.com/pgg/tt/steambook.html

What is the best type of steam trap for high pressure steam.

625 PSIG steam

the free flaoting steam traps or the thermostatic steam traps

thank you

Ramadhan