How do steam coils work?
How do steam coils work?
How Steam Coils Work. Steam coils are a common heat source in an air handler to provide heating for many commercial and industrial buildings. The supplied air from the fans is warmed by moving across aluminum, stainless or copper fins. The fins are warm from the exchanged heat of the steam going through the tubes.
What is a steam trap and how is it used?
Steam traps are a type of automatic valve that filters out condensate (i.e. condensed steam) and non-condensable gases such as air without letting steam escape. In industry, steam is used regularly for heating or as a driving force for mechanical power.
What is steam hammering?
Steam hammering is the phenomenon which occurs in steam charging in the pipeline while there is a presence of condensate in the line. This is because of sudden drop in pressure of steam as it comes in contact of condensate. Poor condensate drainage in pipeline leads to this steam hammering.
Where should the steam trap be located on a steam coil?
Locate the steam trap below the lowest condensate discharge point of the equipment. Never install a rise in the pipe ahead of a steam trap. Check valves should be installed after the steam traps in most applications.
How do you make steam coils?
A steam distributing coil uses a tube-within-a-tube design, where the steam is delivered through the interior tube and condenses on the inside of the exterior tube (see Figure 1). The interior tube acts a heat tracer which helps prevent condensate from freezing before it can be drained from the coil.
Does the water in the steam lines get released from the plant?
As steam loses heat, it turns back into water. Inevitably the steam begins to do this as soon as it leaves the boiler. The water which forms is known as condensate, which tends to run to the bottom of the pipe and is carried along with the steam flow.
How do you stop steam hammering?
The most important way to prevent water hammer is to remove the water from the steam lines before passing the steam again through them. Water is removed from the steam lines using drain connections. All the water should be drained out to make the lines clear.
How do you know when a steam trap is bad?
Some bad trap indications may be more obvious than others, such as; Steam Flashing, water hammer & banging noises emanating from the Steam Pipes, pump cavitations, and blowing steam from the vent on the condensate receiver.
Why are there different types of steam coils?
Coils can be too long in length and the steam cannot travel the length of the coil and distribute evenly. Condensate can easily be trapped somewhere in the coil, and the result is water hammer. Capital Coil & Air has years of experience designing steam coils, and is here to answer any questions and help to design the right coil for your project!
Why does my steam heat exchanger have a hammer?
When the steam control valve opens, the steam tries to pass through the condensate, and this causes a “hammer.” The water hammer in the shell will cause damage to the tube bundle. The image below shows damage to a tube caused by water hammer.
Why is it important to know about steam hammer?
Whether you realize it or not, many of our modern conveniences are a direct result of steam systems, most notably electricity. So it’s critical that engineers can design steam systems to be safe from dangerous phenomena, including thermal and differential shock, also known as a steam hammer.
What happens if steam coil is too long?
Coils can freeze easily. Coils can be too long in length and the steam cannot travel the length of the coil and distribute evenly. Condensate can easily be trapped somewhere in the coil, and the result is water hammer.
How are steam coils used to heat vessels?
Vessels can be heated in a number of different ways. This module will deal with indirect heating. In these systems, the heat is transferred across a heat transfer surface. Options include: Submerged steam coils – A widely used form of heat transfer involves the installation inside a tank of a steam coil immersed in a process fluid.
Can a steam hammer back up into a heat exchanger?
Condensate will back up into the heat exchanger or coil and steam hammer will destroy the coil. (Never lift out of a heat exchanger or coil with a modulating control valve.
What does steam hammer do to a tank?
Steam hammer occurs when un-condensed steam forms bubbles, and when these bubbles contact a pipe wall or the side of a tank, they collapse and the moving fluid produces a concussive sound. Steam hammer can be very destructive and lead to the following issues:
When does a water hammer occur in a steam pipe?
What is water hammer? Water hammer occurs when water, accelerated by steam pressure or a low-pressure void, is suddenly stopped by impact on a valve or fitting, such as bend or tee, or on a pipe surface. Water velocities can be much higher than the normal steam velocity in the pipe, especially when the water hammer is occurring at startup.