The source of the specifications regarding the spacing between condensate traps in the steam pipelines of petrochemical plants

This post was last edited by ylb913 on 2017-5-7 at 17:32. At least based on experience, many theories are developed after gaining practical experience, after which standard requirements are established or calculation formulas are created and so on. In our factory, it’s rare to see containers with liquid collection systems; instead, the bottom of such containers has an opening through which a DN20 or DN25 pipe leads down to the ground where a drain valve is installed. In many cases, there isn’t even a drain valve – instead, an exhaust valve is left open all the time. Whether steam condenses water depends on the flow rate; when the flow rate is low, heat loss is bound to be high. A few years ago, I heard on several occasions that the factory was considering the issue of the flow direction of medium-pressure steam; as a result, it was necessary to monitor the temperature of the steam in the relevant pipe sections, in order to avoid situations where the flows counteract each other and dead zones occur.

There are some discrepancies between the corporate operations team and the design team’s approaches. From the perspective of intrinsic safety in design, drainage facilities for steam pipelines are definitely necessary; at the very least, they are required to handle the condensate that is generated during startup and shutdown processes, and this has nothing to do with heat loss. Also, the issue of steam flow direction that you mentioned must be given attention to, in order to avoid blind spots and dead zones and prevent accidents. My question still revolves around theoretical calculations, analyzing specific data from a theoretical perspective. Thank you!

The idea is that the temperature drop in the steam pipeline for heat retention should not exceed the required degree of subcooling.