Ever since people started using steam as an energy source, engineers have always strived to keep steam machinery working at peak efficiency. However, steam had the tendency to mix with the condensate it came from, as well as with non-condensable gases. The result was that steam-dependent machines would lose efficiency when fed steam mixed with such materials; fortunately, this problem was solved by the creation of sturdy steam traps. (more…)

Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) were invented in Denmark and introduced in the Seventies as a cheap and easy way of controlling zoned temperatures throughout a large building with a “wet” heating system fed by one central boiler (the origin of the term “central heating”).

TRVs can be useful in commercial buildings such as offices and factories, and are also widely used in apartment buildings in Europe, where one boiler in the basement often feeds dozens of flats. In this situation, the boiler is constantly fired-up and hot water is constantly circulating throughout the pipe network (so that the boiler is operating at optimum efficiency).

Individual flat dwellers control their homes’ temperatures using TRVs and quickly learn to judge the correct setting.
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Many industries make use of steam to generate the right amount of heat needed to power various production processes. The process goes like this: boilers create the steam, which is then piped to heat exchangers, which can then harness the heat to power machines. An important part of the whole chain of events is the utilization of steam traps that remove condensation and gas from the system to optimize its efficiency. Valvemagazine.com has published an article detailing information on how they work along with a list of types that are available to manufacturers:

Mechanical steam traps operate because of the difference in density between a liquid and gas. The most common types of mechanical steam traps in use today are float & thermostatic and inverted bucket.
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The textile industry is one of the leading beneficiaries of energy derived from steam where it is used in various processes, most notably for dyeing. Steam generates heat which is then used to power production processes in the manufacture of textiles. As noted in an article by Textiletoday.com.bd, however, a defective steam generator can result in wastage that leads to higher production costs and production inefficiency.

Steam can be lost in three ways. First, when pipes have bends and steam hits the bends, it loses heat energy, thus forming condensate. Condensate collected on the inner surface on the pipes leads to corrosion and erosion. This is where installing steam traps can prevent wear and tear of machinery and reduce unnecessary loss. The second is through leaks. Leaks are so common that people in general consider this to be a part of industrial process and ignore this money eating menace. Third, if the pipes through which steam passes are not smooth, it loses energy while running through rough lines and turns into condensed steam (also known as condensate).
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WiseGeek.com writer Donn Sayler provides in-depth information on steam traps in the quoted article. He explains how the four types of this device work to maintain the efficiency of different kinds of steam engines. Installed between pipes that transfer steam, these traps are designed to maintain a low level of steam consumption, eliminate condensate, water, and types of gas that do not turn to liquid as they cool down.

A steam trap is an instrument utilized to eliminate water and non-condensable gases from steam lines. Steam traps serve three key responsibilities: maintaining a low level of steam consumption, getting rid of water as it forms, and eradicating air and non-condensable gases. Typical steam traps are simply valves that operate automatically, opening, closing, and regulating as necessary to ensure the three functions are performed without incident.
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