The steam trap is to automatically discharge condensed water and non-condensable gas to block the leakage of the steam valve. In industry, steam is often used to heat products or drive machinery. In this case, use a steam trap to ensure that the steam does not leak.
In valve terminology, "trap" is defined as a device that can automatically remove condensate from equipment or pipelines without external help. What is the purpose of installing a trap? Steam is the gas formed when water is heated and evaporated. In order to evaporate, water molecules must absorb enough energy to decompose. This process of converting energy from liquid to gas is called latent heat.
Steam basis: The heat exchanger uses the latent heat of steam to transfer heat to the product, but when the steam completes the heating task (ie, latent heat loss), the steam condenses into condensed water. In other words, condensed water does not have the ability of steam to heat objects. The heat transfer efficiency will be affected, so whether it is in the steam pipe or the heat exchanger, the condensate must be discharged quickly.
Why are steam traps necessary, and what are the problems with general valves? Sometimes people think that it is possible to manually adjust the opening of the valve to achieve the discharge of condensate, so that the replacement control valve can be used to replace the traditional trap. In theory, it is possible. However, the conditions and circumstances that need to be met are extreme. So in fact, this is not a practical solution. The biggest problem is how to set the valve opening. If it is set on a fixed opening, it cannot be adjusted with fluctuations in the rate of condensation water formation. In fact, the amount of condensate formed in the same system is not the same.
As far as equipment is concerned, the amount of condensed water at startup is different from that during normal operation, and fluctuations in product load will also affect the amount of condensed water. Similarly, in the case of steam pipes, the amount of condensed water is also related to the outdoor temperature and weather. If the equipment cannot withstand the fluctuation of the condensate load, it is necessary to immediately drain the condensate from the opposite equipment, or the condensate accumulated in the pipe will affect the heat transfer efficiency. On the other hand, when the condensate load is reduced, steam leakage will occur, causing steam waste. Reduced heat exchange efficiency and waste steam traps are suitable for various mechanical devices. Various types of steam traps (classified by working principle) have been developed successfully, which can automatically discharge condensed water and non-condensable gases. At present, the most commonly used principle is to use the three aspects of temperature difference, specific gravity, and pressure difference. Each type of trap has its advantages and uses.