Steam Transportation : Point in Steam Transportation
Steam generated in the boiler is supplied to necessary place in factory through transport pipe.
There are three important points for this steam piping system.
One is to select appropriate nominal size for the amount of steam to be transported.
Rough estimate for nominal size of steam pipe is the value where average fluid velocity of steam is 30 m/s.
If nominal size is too small, since fluid velocity is high, pressure drop is large untill reaching at steam using equipment.
If nominal size is too large, pressure drop is small, but piping work cost is high.
The second important thing is condensate removal inside piping.
Although the amount of condensate generated in transport pipe is small, it may accumulate with time, then may gather for a certain portion and cause water hammer. It is also the cause of the corrosion of pipe material.
For this reason, it is necessary to discharge condensate from transport pipe promptly.
The third important thing is lessening the heat loss by steam leak or heat release in steam transportation as much as possible, and then securing supply of the dry saturated vapor to steam equipment.
Since heat in transportation is lost without any work, it is complete loss, and the steam quality deteriorates.
According to the amount of heat loss, a part of steam condenses and become moist steam, and then the amount of heat in steam falls.
In order to prevent this, all transport pipes are kept warm.
Steam Transportation
