Indian steel firm cuts energy and maintenance with new steam traps 08 September 2011

Thermal Energy International is reporting that a major steel plant in India is saving on energy, replacement steam traps and maintenance, having replaced conventional thermodynamic traps with its GEM Venturi orifice-based units.

Following successful bucket tests on drip legs, TEI's Indian agent, Hyderabad based Zenith Marketing & Consultants, installed 400 GEM traps throughout the plant, in India's eastern region.

The site has a very long steam network measuring approximately 16km, consisting of a high pressure system, running at 63bar and 480?C, and a low pressure system at 15 bar and 300?C.

Zenith director Subhas Naik says that plant engineers were finding that thermodynamic traps and inverted bucket traps from all of India's five steam trap manufacturers were lasting less than six months. In desperation they turned to mechanical traps from Germany and Japan, but although better, they still only lasted between six and 12 months.

He says that Zenith was contacted for its industrial energy expertise, which led to its recommendation of the GEM venturi orifice steam trap. When after a 30-month evaluation trial, one of the traps on a main steam line was still working well, the plant signed up for a mass transformation.

"We have installed 15mm and 20mm sized traps, which have helped solve the steam network's many problems," states Naik. "The plant is delighted with the GEM trap and has made it its steam trap of choice."

Fitting GEM steam traps has resulted in the plant achieving energy savings by preventing steam leaks from failed traps and providing added efficiency. That is on top of the cost savings in terms of replacement traps and maintenance, eliminated trap inspections and pipe damage that used to destabilise the steam distribution system, and improved safety.

Brian Tinham

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