STEAM CONDENSATE: SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

1. Overview
Condensate is a by-product of steam usage. As steam transfers its energy to another
medium (e.g. in a heat exchanger), it loses heat and condenses into hot water. As the
boiler feed water is chemically treated, this pre-heated, pre-treated condensate becomes
an expensive commodity which should be returned to the boiler house for re-use.

Returning the condensate to the boiler house as re-cycled feed water reduces boiler fuel,
top-up water and water treatment costs significantly.
2. Benefits to Site
The energy content of a tonne of condensate at 90C is 315 MJ.
Up to 10% of a sites total steam costs may be saved by installing/updating a
condensate return system (on average, the production of a tonne of steam per hour
costs approximately 140,000 per annum).
On an average site using 3 tonnes of steam per hour for 8,000 hours per annum,
returning 80% of the condensate generates an estimated 120,000 per year saving,
broken down as 95,000 in fuel, 15,000 in water treatment and 10,000 in incoming
water costs.
The resulting CO
2
savings in an average site (above example) is approximately 400
tonnes per year.
3. Ease of Implementation
The installation/extension of a condensate return network does not affect the delivery of
steam to site and therefore has no impact on production.
STEAM CONDENSATE RETURN
Applicable to all sites using steam
HEADLINE SAVINGS
Potential saving of up to 10% of total steam cost
Approximately 120,000 cost savings per year for an average site
Approximately 400 tonnes per year CO
2
reduction
ENERGY
WATER
WASTE




4. Implementation
Document the layout and schematic of the existing condensate return system and
determine where changes can be made to pipework distribution and positions of
new traps for collecting uncontaminated condensate.

Install/extend the steam trap network to cover the entire steam distribution system.
The effects of the presence of condensate in the steam pipes is shown below (there
is a hammer kick created due to the speed of the steam in the pipe).





Steam
Isolating
Valves
Steam Trap
Condensate
Check Valve
Compact steam trap
examples:
f01_37.pdf



Install steam trap monitors with remote reporting features such that any faults can
be highlighted to maintenance staff before excessive amounts of energy are
expended. If steam trap monitors seem too costly vis--vis the amount of condensate
being returned, the alternative would be to conduct periodic, internal checks of all the
traps, using an ultrasonic leak detector which is a hand-held device and costs as little
as 500.



Install a condensate meter in each main return before it connects to the hot well in
the boiler house.

Should there be any difficulties with returning condensate from the plant due to the
low steam pressure, consider installing a condensate tank with an electric pump (see
examples below).

p089_01.pdf p089_38.pdf