Lesson 5 - Steam Technology SAQ
This lesson allows you to test yourself on the material covered in the Steam Technology lesson and determine the level to which you have met the learning outcomes.
Suggested Response - Q5
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a) How do mechanical and thermostatic steam traps differ in their operation?
b) Give an example of a mechanical and thermostatic steam trap.
c) Where would you expect to find these steam traps within a brewery?
d) In which ways could a steam trap fail, and what would the consequences be?
Response:
a) Thermostatic traps are actuated by temperature, whereas mechanical traps are actuated by liquid level.
b) An example of a thermostatic trap is a bimetallic trap. An example of a mechanical trap is a float trap.
c) Mechanical traps drain continuously and are therefore well-suited to process uses such as heat exchangers and wort boilers. Thermostatic traps rely on the a temperature change of sufficient magnitude (either up or down) enabling them to open or close, thus there is a delay in operation. They are well-suited to condensate draining on the steam lines.
d) A steam trap could fail by either passing steam, or by not draining condensate. If it passes steam, the steam consumption will increase as the steam will be sent to the condensate tank, where it will flash off. If a steam trap doesn’t drain condensate, if it is a line trap, this could cause water hammer in lines. If it a process trap, it could result in equipment not heating as the condensate blocks the flow of steam to the equipment.