Float and Thermostatic Steam Traps

Float and Thermostatic Steam Trap
Courtesy Colton Industries

Steam traps are found on almost every steam system in commercial and industrial sites. The trap is a self-contained automatic valve that allows condensate to drain from a steam containing system, while retaining the steam within the system. Non-condensible gases can also be removed by a steam trap with a thermostatically controlled port.

Steam based heating relies on the delivery of the latent heat of the steam to a heat exchanger or piece of utilization equipment. Once the latent heat is delivered, condensate (basically hot water) forms. The condensate contains no latent heat and provides comparatively little value as a heat source. Utilization equipment and heat exchangers have their performance predicated upon a supply of steam, not hot water. A properly selected steam trap will remove condensate across a range of steam utilization rates, keeping the system operating at the rated capacity.

The steam trap routes the condensate out of the steam containing portion of the system, often on a return trip to the boiler. Cycling the condensate back through the system for re-boiling contributes greatly to steam system energy efficiency. Condensate removal is accomplished with a float. Non-condensible gases are vented through a thermostatically controlled port on the unit.

More details on steam traps are included below. Share your steam system challenges with a product specialist, combining your facility and process knowledge with their product application expertise to develop effective solutions.

Float and thermostatic steam traps for condensate return from MSJacobs-Cali

Building Steam System Efficiency for Profitable Returns

Improvements in steam system efficiency can yield
substantial return on investment

Steam, an energy efficient, reliable, scalable form of transferring heat, is utilized throughout commercial, industrial, and institutional settings. The ubiquitous adoption and use of this heat transfer medium has resulted in steam generation ranking as a substantial line item on any organization's financial operating report. The scale of many steam production operations can produce some sizable payback opportunities from modifications that improve efficiency or reduce maintenance requirements.

The application of modern precision measurement instrumentation is one area where comparatively modest investments in system improvement can yield ongoing returns. Magnetrol International, a globally recognized leader in the design and manufacture of flow and level instrumentation, has produced a white paper describing aspects of the steam cycle that are candidates for profitable improvement and how various measurement technologies can help garner the maximum attainable gain in efficiency.

The paper is included below, and will prove to be informative and interesting reading. More information is available on specific instrument recommendations from product application specialists. Share your steam system challenges with them and work together to find the best solutions.

Optimizing the Steam Generation Cycle and Condensate Recovery Process from MSJacobs-Cali

Positive Returns From Steam Generation and Condensate Recovery Efficiency Gain

Steam systems are excellent candidates for cost saving
through increased efficiency.

The generation of steam is a lifeblood operation to many commercial and industrial operations around the world. The large scale of its use can make steam generation one of the largest energy consumption activities for an industrial plant or commercial building. The size and complexity of steam systems, with generation, condensate handling, heat recovery, and feedwater treatment, provides a number of areas where inefficiencies can cost very substantial sums of money. Conversely, enhancing efficiency toward a maximum attainable level will yield very large savings in operating costs.

Magnetrol International, a globally recognized leader in the design and production of flow and level controls for commercial and industrial use, has produced a video summarizing the elements of the steam system that are good candidates for upgrade, as well as general direction on how to achieve increased efficiency for each. In keeping with the company's line of level and flow measurement products, the focus is on how accurate and robust instrumentation can improve overall system performance and generate a decidedly positive return on the time and funds invested.

Invest a few minutes in the video below and learn how the operating efficiency of your steam system can be elevated with an instrument upgrade. There is a white paper on the same subject available on request. You can also receive a listing of the specific Magnetrol instruments that can be applied to steam systems, with a short description of where each is applied. Reach out to a product application specialist and share your steam system challenges. Combining your system knowledge with their product application expertise will yield the best solution.