Steam Condensate Line Hammering

A Heat exchanger consists of jacketed pipe to increase dry gas for 5 Deg C by saturated Low Pressure Steam of 4.4 barg pressure. Shell side is using LP steam and temperature of Inlet & Outlet (design temperature) is 145/145 C, while pressure is 4.4 barg. Out let of shell side is a steam trap which discharge is joining the steam condensate header. The exchanger is a concurrent flow.

In practical scenario, outlet steam condensate temperature is too cooled (approximately 40 ⁰ C) while 5 ⁰ C temperature increase is maintained and inlet steam pressure is approximately 2 barg.  Due to too cooled steam condensate joins the other sources of steam condensate which are approximately 100 ⁰ C, there is hammering in the steam condensate header line. One suggest to keep the exchanger outlet steam condensate line heat tracing to increase the steam condensate temperature to avoid hammering. Will it works? Is there any other solution to avoid hammering?

Thanks in advance.

You can inject a bit of steam into the condensate downstream of the trap. Or add a spray nozzle to inject the condensate into the condensate header.

Bobby

Hi ,

Using a spray nozzle is a good option  !

https://www.tlv.com/...rt-piping.html#

Breizh

Edited by breizh, 11 September 2018 - 03:41 AM.

Can anyone tell why out let steam condensate temperature is too cold?

You can re-calculate the Xchanger performace based on the actual data.

If Steam Flowrate is too low or Process Gas Flowrate is too high than its datasheet values, then it is normal, condensate temparature is around 40 C which have 10 degree celcius temperature approach with Process Gas Temperature outlet.

hi ,

In addition to my previous post..

hope this is helping you and others

Breizh

You can inject a bit of steam into the condensate downstream of the trap. Or add a spray nozzle to inject the condensate into the condensate header.

 

Bobby

Injecting steam into the condensate downstream  of trap may create back pressure to steam inlet of exchanger.

A Heat exchanger consists of jacketed pipe to increase dry gas for 5 Deg C by saturated Low Pressure Steam of 4.4 barg pressure. Shell side is using LP steam and temperature of Inlet & Outlet (design temperature) is 145/145 C, while pressure is 4.4 barg. Out let of shell side is a steam trap which discharge is joining the steam condensate header. The exchanger is a concurrent flow.

In practical scenario, outlet steam condensate temperature is too cooled (approximately 40 ⁰ C) while 5 ⁰ C temperature increase is maintained and inlet steam pressure is approximately 2 barg.  Due to too cooled steam condensate joins the other sources of steam condensate which are approximately 100 ⁰ C, there is hammering in the steam condensate header line. One suggest to keep the exchanger outlet steam condensate line heat tracing to increase the steam condensate temperature to avoid hammering. Will it works? Is there any other solution to avoid hammering?

 

Thanks in advance.

The steam flow is very low, only the latent heat of the steam should be used for heating purpose, in your case you are using the sensible heat of the condensate as well.

I would check the design of the heat exchanger.