BUENAFLOR , NESDALE F.

ME29: 5ME-3i ACTIVITY NO. 2.1

STEAM POWER PLANT INDUSTRY

 STEAM COMPRESSOR
When medium to high pressure steam traps discharge condensate, the low
pressure in the condensate recovery line causes some of the liquid to "flash"
back into steam. This flash steam contains valuable heat energy that, if
effectively re-used, can help to increase plant efficiency and reduce energy
consumption. All too often, the flash steam may be vented to atmosphere, and
the heat energy is subsequently wasted. However, there are two possible
methods to retain the heat energy: flash recovery and steam compression.
One of the most common ways to capture the heat is by installing a pressurized
flash tank or flash recovery system. The flash tank receives condensate
discharged from the steam traps and allows the flash steam to be diverted into
a low-pressure line for re-use elsewhere.
However, a flash recovery system results in a certain amount of backpressure;
caution must be taken to preserve the necessary pressure differential upstream
so that steam traps can continue to operate. Furthermore, there must also be
an actual need for the low/mid-pressure steam provided by the flash tank.
Sometimes, the pressure of the recovered flash steam is below the minimum
pressure or temperature required for re-use. In such cases, a steam
compressor can provide a more effective solution.
  STEAM COMPRESSOR EFFICIENCY

One indication of a steam compressor's efficiency is the "entrainment ratio," which is the
ratio of motive steam needed to capture/entrain a lower pressure steam flow and
effectively raise its pressure. For example, if 4.1 tons of high-pressure steam are
needed to raise 1 ton of flash steam to the desired pressure, the entrainment ratio
would be 4.1. Therefore, in cases where the primary goal is to raise the steam pressure
using the least amount of high-pressure steam possible, a lower entrainment ratio would
indicate higher efficiency.
A larger entrainment ratio indicates that more high-pressure steam is being consumed
to create a combined flow at the required pressure, and as a result, the total volume of
steam output increases. This may be unavoidable if the pressure difference between
the high and low-pressure flows is large, but in some cases, there may be insufficient
demand for such large volumes of the output “mixed pressure” steam. In such cases, a
large entrainment ratio may potentially lead to an inefficient process with wasteful
excess.
As such, carefully considering the plant’s steam balance to determine how the elevated
pressure steam and its full volume will be used are key steps in reaping the maximum
benefit of the steam compressor. Ultimately, the successful introduction of an efficient
steam compressor can significantly reduce energy costs and boiler generation, thereby
improving plant and local environmental conditions by reduced CO2 production and
flash steam venting.