The Challenge - Applications at a Glance
Drip Legs/Tracing

 

When A.K. Velan looked at drip leg and tracing applications, he realized that they both shared similar characteristics. Steam traps on those two applications had to:

  1. Handle a controlled startup load.
  2. Handle low to medium flow conditions.
  3. Discharge large quantities of air.

 

The available steam traps in the marketplace at that time only discharged condensate at steam temperature.  Velan looked at the population of drip leg / tracing applications and realized they constituted the majority of all steam traps in a plant.  Therefore, Velan reasoned, what advantage was there to the customer to discharge condensate at steam temperature on these applications when discharging it a few degrees below saturated temperature would yield the following advantages:

  1. Steam traps that constantly modulate condensate at all times will create a pressure drop in the drip leg or tracing line and precipitate better condensate drainage, versus blasting open, then clearing whatever had formed in the drip pot.
  2. Steam traps that modulate versus blast on – blast off will last longer.
  3. Steam traps that discharge condensate a few degrees below saturated steam temperature will help lower condensate return pressures, thus putting less stress on the other steam traps and the condensate pumps.