Regarding the treatment of reboiler steam condensate
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Regarding the steam condensate from the reboiler, is it better to use a trap or a gas-liquid separator? Personally, I feel that the air separator tends to leak air. Also, if the heat exchange is insufficient and a portion of vapor builds up before the steam trap, will this increase the flow resistance?
The selection should take into account factors such as the amount of liquid produced and the discharge pressure. When the volume is small and the liquid produced is not drained in a timely manner, the impact on the process is minimal; in such cases, using a steam trap is more cost-effective. If a large amount of liquid is generated, and failing to remove it has a significant impact on production, it is best to use a gas-liquid separator with a larger capacity.
I previously asked the manufacturer, and based on actual operation practices, it is advisable to install a dew catcher downstream of the condensate pipeline in the heat exchanger. Firstly, the amount of condensate isn’t as much as one might think (a few hundred KG/H). Secondly, it’s difficult to recover the liquid from the gas-liquid separation tank. From my own experience, when steam enters the heat exchanger for heating, the fluid in the pipeline leading to the dew catcher is still mostly steam; it is only over time that condensate begins to appear. Once there is enough liquid, it will be sent downstream to the dew catcher for recovery
Strainers tend to get clogged and stop working, which is very annoying.