Water hammer in steam condensate pipelines
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Before installing the device, there was steam condensate being discharged; now that a new condensate recovery pipeline has been added, water hammer phenomena occurred in this pipeline after it had been in use for some time (about 8 days after installation). The steam pressure is 0.4 Mpa, and the temperature of the condensate released earlier was also very low (not hot to the touch). Check that the steam trap has no internal leakage, and the vibration occurs before the trap. Is this situation caused by too high backpressure on the steam trap (an 8m static pressure difference in the upper pipeline tray and resistance in the downstream pipelines), resulting in poor drainage of steam? The drainage capacity of the steam trap is adjustable; will opening the steam trap improve things? Thank you.
Based on your description, the pipeline water hammer phenomenon is likely caused by excessive back pressure at the steam trap. Excessively high back pressure can cause poor water drainage, preventing steam condensate from being discharged properly and leading to its accumulation in the pipes, thereby causing water hammer. Since you mentioned that the vibration is located in front of the steam trap, this further indicates that the steam trap itself might be the problem. You can try adjusting the steam trap by increasing its opening to boost the steam drainage capacity. This should help reduce or eliminate water hammer effects. At the same time, it is also recommended to examine the design and layout of the entire recycling system to ensure that no other design flaws or installation issues are causing poor water drainage. If water hammer still occurs after adjustment, it may be necessary to further check whether the slope and bends of the pipeline are appropriate, or consider installing devices such as pulse water hammer arresters to resolve the issue. .
It’s most likely caused by poor hydrophobicity; thank you.
Try turning it up to a higher setting; the problem seems to be that the water isn’t being drained
Thank you for the reply. I went to the site today to take a look at the newly added recycling pipeline; it runs through the pipe trench on the ground, goes a certain distance before going back into the trench, and then enters the top of the tank. No exhaust valve is installed at the high points either; there are a total of 17 90-degree elbows in total, both at the front and back. We’re not sure whether it has a significant impact on the back pressure, and we’re also uncertain whether increasing the size of the steam trap will have a noticeable effect; we can only give it a try.
Looking forward to your feedback on the further handling results