Condensate load on a steam main
Condensate load on a steam main
(OP)
Hello,
I'm sizing traps for a long straight 8" pipe carrying 50 psi saturated steam, with 0F ambient.
Using the tables in steam equipment catalogs, they produce an answer in the neighborhood of 50 lb/hr condensate per 100 ft insulated pipe.
Typically I like to check the tables against my own calculations. In this case, my calcs gave me around 1.2 lb/hr condensate per 100 ft insulated pipe.
At first glance, it looks like the catalog tables assume crummy insulation or they incorporate a generous safety factor. Has anyone else encountered this problem with the tables in Armstrong or Spirax Sarco books?
I'm sizing traps for a long straight 8" pipe carrying 50 psi saturated steam, with 0F ambient.
Using the tables in steam equipment catalogs, they produce an answer in the neighborhood of 50 lb/hr condensate per 100 ft insulated pipe.
Typically I like to check the tables against my own calculations. In this case, my calcs gave me around 1.2 lb/hr condensate per 100 ft insulated pipe.
At first glance, it looks like the catalog tables assume crummy insulation or they incorporate a generous safety factor. Has anyone else encountered this problem with the tables in Armstrong or Spirax Sarco books?





RE: Condensate load on a steam main
The choice depends mainly on how often you start up that line. If it is once a year, then you can proabably afford to decrease the rating on the traps, and open the bypasses during start-up. If you shut down every week-end, you may prefer to have the traps handle the start-up load automatically.
Remember also that a larger trap will waste a lot more steam than a small one if they are stuck open. How often are your traps checked and maintained?
RE: Condensate load on a steam main
Double check your calculations and look carefully at the units.
RE: Condensate load on a steam main