STEAM PIPING

1 STEAM PIPING.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR STEAM PIPING Removing air from steam lines Air in steam lines lowers the temperature for the given pressure, and calculated rate of heatings may not be met. The most economic means of removing air from steam lines is automatically thru temperature-sensitive traps or traps fitted with temperature sensitive air venting devices placed at points remote from the steam supply. When full line temperature is attained the vent valves will close automatically. Why Place vents at remote points. On start-up, cold lines will be filled with air. Steam issuing from the source will mix with some of this air, but will also act as piston pushing air at remote end of each line. Why remove Condensate Steam as it flows through the pipe, condenses due to heat loss. The steam piping layout should be such that the condensate formed is removed promptly. If the condensate removal is improper, the lines shall be partially

flooded which will increase the pressure drop in pipelines. Another disadvantage is that when fast moving steam picks up slugs of accumulated condensate, water hammering occurs. Water hammer is a prime cause of steam leaks and damage of valve packing. Also steam with entrained water droplets will form a dense water film on heat transfer surfaces and interfere with heating. Steam Piping in Rack Steam header shall be located generally on the upper tier and at one end of the rack adjacent to columns. Branch lines from horizontal steam header, except condensate collection points, shall be connected to the top of the pipe header. Isolation valves (If provided) on the branch line shall preferably be provided on the horizontal run and outside the piperack. All branch lines shall be drainable. Piping Tips for condensate Removal Provision of steam traps with good air venting facilities to remove air which is present in pipelines during startup.

-2 Drain pocket shall be provided at every loop and every 30 M distance of steam header. The header shall be sloped towards the drain pocket.

 All branches shall be taken from top of the header to avoid condensate going to the users. Concentric reducers shall be avoided to prevent forming of water pockets. Drip legs and steam traps shall be provided at all low points and dead ends of steam header. All turbines on automatic control for start up shall be provided with a steam trap in the steam inlet line. Driplegs to collect condensate It is futile to provide a small dripleg or drain pocket on large lines as the condensate will not be collected efficiently. Driplegs are made from pipe and fittings. Methods of dripleg construction: Following table suggests dripleg and valve sizes.

-3Draining Superheated steam lines Steam lines with more than a few degrees of superheat will not usually form condensate in operation. During the warming-up period after starting a cold circuit, the large bulk of metal in the piping will nearly always use up the degrees of superheat to produce a quantity of condensate. Start-ups are infrequent and with more than a few degrees of

superheat it is unnecessary to trap a system which is continuously operated. These superheated steam lines can operate with driplegs only, and are usually fitted with a blowdown line having two valves so that condensate can be manually released from the dripleg after startup. A superheated steam supply to an intermittently operated piece of equipment will require trapping directly before the controlling valve for the equipment, as the temperature will drop at times allowing condensate to form.

-4Piping Tips for Thermal Expansion Effects Expansion loops are to be provided to take care of the expansions within units.