Efficient use of Steam

Sir Oliver Lyle

The Efficient Use of Steam
Steam Possesses Many Outstanding Qualities:

Very high heat content

Gives up heat at constant temperature
Produced from water (cheap and plentiful)
Clean, odorless, tasteless
Its heat can be used over and over again
Can generate power, then be used for heating
Can be readily distributed and easily controlled

1947

Latent heat vs pressure

Dryness fraction

Steam distribution system

Generating and distributing steam

at higher pressure : Advantages
The thermal storage capacity of the boiler is
increased, helping it to cope more efficiently with
fluctuating loads, minimising the risk of
producing wet and dirty steam.
Smaller bore steam mains are required,
resulting in lower capital cost, for materials such
as pipes, flanges, supports, insulation and
labour.
Smaller bore steam mains cost less to insulate.

Steam Piping : Features

Steam pipes should be laid by the shortest
possible distance.
Provision for proper draining of condensate.
For example, a 100mm well lagged pipe of 30meter length carrying steam at 7 Kg/cm 2
pressure can condense nearly 10 Kg. of water
in the pipe in one hour unless it is removed
from the pipe through traps.
The pipes should run with a fall (slope)of not
less than 12.5 mm in 3 meter in the direction
of flow.

What is the Function of Steam

Traps?
Steam traps are automatic valves used in every steam system to remove
condensate, air, and other non-condensable gases while preventing or
minimizing the passing of steam.
If condensate is allowed to collect, it reduces the flow capacity of steam lines
and the thermal capacity of heat transfer equipment.
In addition, excess condensate can lead to "water hammer," with potentially
destructive and dangerous results.
Air that remains after system startup reduces steam pressure and
temperature and may also reduce the thermal capacity of heat transfer
equipment.
Non-condensable gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, cause
corrosion.
Finally, steam that passes through the trap provides no heating service. This
effectively reduces the heating capacity of the steam system or increases the
amount of steam that must be generated to meet the heating demand.

What steam trap does ?

Trap Installation
Figure 2.

Where the heat goes

Efficient Steam Utilisation

Avoid steam leakages

Provide dry steam for process
Utilising steam at the lowest possible pressure
Insulation of steam pipelines and hot process
equipment
Minimising barriers to heat transfer
Condensate recovery
Flash steam recovery
Proper selection and maintenance of steam traps
Proper sizing of steam and condensate piping
Reducing the work to be done by steam

Steam leaks

Avoiding Steam Leakages

Leaking Steam Pipe / Valve

Audible Leak

Weak whistling
Almost invisible steam jet

Visible Leak

Weak hissing
Visible steam jet

2,000
800
2,000 to
to 4,000
4,000 litre
litre oil
oil per
per yea
yea
800 litre
litre oil
oil per
per year
year

Live steam vs Flash steam

Provide dry steam for the

process
Disadvantages of wet steam
Less heat content, Extended process time,
Irregular heating, Barrier to heat transfer,
Overloading of steam traps

Disadvantages of superheated steam

Poor heat transfer coefficient, takes time to give
up superheat by conduction

Benefits of dry steam

Heat transfer is rapid and regular

Providing Dry Steam for

Process
Use Dry
Saturated steam
for processes
Steam
Separators to be
fitted at point of
steam use
Provide a little superheat to ensure dry saturated steam
at the process end

Steam separators

Utilising steam at the lowest

possible pressure
2730.7 KJ/kg

2770.8 KJ/kg

2151.3 KJ/kg

2054 KJ/kg

579.4 KJ/kg

716.8 KJ/kg

2.4 bar, 121.5oC

6.8 bar, 164.3oC

Total Heat

Latent Heat

Sensible Heat

Steam should always be generated

and distributed at the highest
possible pressure but utilised at the
lowest practicable pressure

Operating a boiler at lower pressure ?

It is the connected load, and not the boiler output, which
determines the rate at which energy is used.
The same amount of energy is used by the load whether
the boiler raises steam at 4 bar g, 10 bar g or 100 bar g.
Standing losses, flue losses, and running losses are
increased by operating at higher pressures, but these
losses are reduced by insulation and proper condensate
return systems.
These losses are marginal when compared to the
benefits of distributing steam at high pressure.

Pressure reduction

Optimal Insulation
Heat loss, 89 mm black steel
pipe, 90 oC

Uninsulated
320 W/m

50 mm insulation
29 W/m

100 mm insulation
19 W/m

50 mm insulation compared with an uninsulated pipe:

320 - 29

263 litre oil per y

50 mm insulation compared with 100 mm insulation:

29 - 19

9 lit

...But dont Over-Insulate:

There is always an optimum insulation level (1-3 years payback)

Insulation of Steam Pipelines and

Equipment

An uncovered flange is equivalent to leaving 0.6 metre

of pipe line unlagged.
if a 0.15 m steam pipe diameter has 5 uncovered
flanges, there would be a loss of heat equivalent to
wasting 5 tons of coal or 3000 litres of oil a year

Heat loss through uninsulated

flanges

How to calculate heat losses from

flanges and valves
A 100 mm dia pipe has 8 pairs of flanges and two valves, and carries saturated steam at 7
bar g. Ambient temperature is 10C. Find out the loss through the falnges and valves
Equivalent length of fittings:
(8 pairs of flanges @ 0.5 m) + (2 valves @ 1.0 m) = 6.0 m of pipe

Saturated steam at 7 bar g:

Steam temperature = 170C
Temperature difference (pipe to ambient temperature) = 170C - 10C = 160C
Heat loss per metre of 100 mm pipe (from Table next slide) = 999 W/m

Heat emission from pipes

Heat emission from bare pipes

Direct Utilization of Steam

Direct Steam use
involves both Latent
Heat and Sensible
Heat
Use temperature
controller in Direct
Use to avoid steam
wastage

Minimising barriers to heat

transfer

Resistance to heat transfer of

water is 60 70 times more
than steel and 500 600
times than copper

Resistance to heat transfer of

Air is 1500 times more than
steel and 19,000 times than
copper

Effect of air and water film

Steam at 1 kg/cm2

Steam at 0.75 kg/.cm2:Air and

water film reduced by 50 % ;
Quicker process time

Air Venting

0.25 mm thick air

film offers same
resistance to heat
transfer as 330 mm
thick copper wall
Install Air vents
where air is likely to
be stagnant

Boiler Fuel Saving by Condensate Return

Saving in percent if condensate is returned to the boiler instead of drain

For every 6OC rise in boiler feed water temperature,

there is a 1 % raise in boiler efficiency

Ogdon Pump

Flash Steam
Flash steam available in %
S1 - Sensible heat of high pressure
condensate
S2 - Sensible heat of steam at lower
pressure (at which it is flashed)
L2 - Latent heat of flash steam at lower
pressure

- S1 - S2
L2

Flash Vessel

Flash steam utilisation: Example

Flash steam

Thermocompressors

Steam Distribution System

Ensures that adequate quantity of steam
that is dry and free of air, reaches the
plant at correct pressure
Diameter of piping should be optimum to
minimise pressure drops, investment and
operating costs

Reducing the work to be done by steam

Have shortest route of piping

Remove moisture mechanically to the fullest before
steam drying / avoid bone drying
Optimise humidity of drier exhaust
Explore process integration
Use thermostatic controls
Remove / blank redundant lines
Productive use of machinery
(Maximise equipment
loading)

Look for cheaper alternatives of doing the job

heat boilers, thermic fluid heater etc)

(waste

Reducing the work done by steam

Limit excessive process

temperatures

Intermittent peak demand