The Performance Requirements of Steam Traps

The function of the trap uses and utilizes steam on equipment that requires only steam. Condensed water must be generated in such equipment, and the condensed water becomes a harmful fluid, and at the same time, it is mixed with air and other non-condensable gases, which becomes the cause of equipment failure and performance degradation. In principle, the action of the trap is fully open or fully closed, that is, open and close. Depending on the type, there may be two types of continuous discharge and intermittent discharge.

The function of the steam trap
1. It can remove all condensed water anywhere in the steam system. The steam trap must be able to discharge the condensed water generated in any part of the steam system, such as piping, heat exchanger and other main devices of the steam using equipment, in a high flow rate and accurately.
2. It can discharge air and condensed water at the same time. The air mixed in the steam equipment is initially mixed in the steam and is separated when the steam condenses into water. It forms an air layer on the heat transfer surface of the steam using equipment, which seriously affects the heat conduction, so the air must be excluded.
3. The applicable pressure range is large. For steam traps, if the pressure fluctuates slightly, its performance will be affected, or even stop the action. In this case, its performance should not be affected and it should be able to adapt to any pressure. At the same time, it is required that the back pressure tolerance of the trap should be large.
4. Easy to overhaul and maintain. This requirement is related to the construction of the trap. It is required that the trap has a simple structure and few moving parts. In order to avoid stress on the moving parts of the valve, suitable materials should be selected, and more importantly, its structure should be easy to process. In short, the management of steam traps should not require full-time personnel to carry out frequent maintenance work, that is to say, to reduce maintenance costs.
5. High practicality. The trap should be small in size, light in weight, long in life and low in price, and should not lose its drainage capacity due to air or steam obstacles, and accidents such as air blockage and steam lockup will not occur.