Issue 19 - 2013 $5.95

TOPICSAustralian

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Your steam and condensate loop:A living organism

Chemical Water 2 Treatment

Instant Knowledge 3

Turflow 4

The steam loop is a 5 living organism

Your steam and 6 condensate loop: as a living organism

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The Essential Vitamins required for a “healthy” Steam & Condensate Loop

Chemical Water Treatment

A steam and condensate loop acts like a living breathing organism. Taking in water to produce steam and utilising that steam for work, then returning a portion of the used steam as condensate to be reutilised.

From a chemical perspective, the steam loop requires specific control over chemical constituents and nutrients by a water treatment chemical program that is specifically relevant to each plant.

There are 3 key areas of the steam and condensate loop that require a regular “health check-up”

Feedwater: The Life BloodChecking hardness and silica to prevent scaling. Checking oxygen control and pH to prevent corrosion. It all starts with the feed water quality. It needs to be controlled if we are to expect the boiler to last and produce high quality steam over the long term.

Boiler: The Heart of the Steam LoopThe “heart” of the steam loop is the boiler. Its ability to continue to efficiently produce high quality steam is what is important.

This, over an extended time frame, without a preventative mechanical and chemical maintenance programme is all but impossible. Most importantly, checking to ensure dosing of the correct scale and corrosion inhibitor chemicals in the right quantity and in the right place is imperative. Controlling alkalinity and TDS will minimize carryover, and sometimes specialty anti-carryover. As such, foaming chemicals may need to be used. If the boiler is not under control, the steam it produces will struggle to meet requirements both in quantity and quality.

Condensate:Feedback on the BodyWe can learn a lot about the state of the steam distribution system by testing the condensate.

Checking pH can point to evidence of condensate line corrosion or carryover. Checking conductivity will often disclose a level of product contamination. Measuring iron levels in condensate is an essential indicator of both carry-over, condensate line corrosion. As a consequence, it is a good indicator of the performance of your condensate protection chemical programme.

Constant monitoring of the condensate is critical in assessing the overall performance of one’s water treatment programme. Taking action to ensure you get the most from your steam plant is the real key to gains in productivity.

If you want to ensure your Steam Plant is chemically healthy, contact Spirax Sarco for an obligation free “Chemical Health Check-up”.

Howard Davis, Aus / NZ Water Treatment Manager

For more information on Spirax Sarco Water Treatment, please call us on: 1300 SPIRAX (774 729) or email us at topics@au.spiraxsarco.com If you are not calling from Australia, please dial: +61 2 9852 3100

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w a t e r t r e a t m e n t

This issue’s pull-out-and-keep Technical Insert covers Steam Quality Testing and its potential benefits to any heat transfer application.

Heat Transfer effectiveness and the importance of high quality, dry saturated steam

Instant Knowledge

Many modern day processes require an input of heat. The heat energy is usually derived from combusting a fuel such as gas, coal, wood, etc. However, it is not usually practical to burn the fuel and recover the heat energy at each process or piece of plant requiring the energy. Instead, the fuel is efficiently combusted in a central process. From the boiler the heat energy is transferred to a heat transporting medium. Steam is the ideal medium for this purpose allowing this heat energy to be easily transported from the boiler to the plant and then transferred to the process by some means of heat transfer.

Heat transfer can be direct, where the heat is transferred to a product by intimately mixing the heat transport medium with the product. When using steam this is achieved by direct steam injection. However, in most heat transfer applications the product and heat transporting medium must be kept apart by a barrier, such as a plate or tube typically found in the form of a heat exchanger. Effectiveness of heat transfer with steam as the primary energy source is directly related to the quality of the steam being used. For optimum heat transfer, steam needs to as close to saturation as possible.

We need to ensure the steam is dry, contains little non-condensable gas or superheat if we are to gain the best heat transfer result. We discuss this need for high quality steam in our insert; good reading for all.

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SA Seminars:1 Day Seminar: August the 27th

Qld Seminars:2 Day Seminar:Brisbane, April 11th and 12thSept 12th and 13th

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2013 SEMINARSStaying ahead of the rest...

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Call us on 1300 SPIRAX (774 729) to get our latest Australian Product Handbook

Spirax Sarco, the world leader in steam solutions has been running seminars as an integral part of the business since the inception of the company. Thousands of our customers worldwide have benefited from technical training provided by Spirax Sarco.

CONTACT SPIRAX SARCO ON 1300 SPIRAX (774 729) TO LEARN MORE!If you are not calling from Australia, please dial: +61 2 9852 3100

Turflow

For more information on how you can Reduce Costs, Save Water, Reduce CO 2 and Save Energy, please call us on: 1300 SPIRAX (774 729) or email us at topics@au.spiraxsarco.com If you are not calling from Australia, please dial: +61 2 9852 3100

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The TVA (Target Variable Area) does not rely on measurement of differential pressure across the flowmeter, measuring instead the force generated by the deflection of the cone via a series of high quality strain gauges. The TVA has an internal temperature sensor enabling full density compensation for saturated steam applications, removing the need for additional sensors and flow computers.

Although it is true that the higher turbulence from the corrugated tubes does also increase the pressure drop, this is usually off-set by the reduced tube length. This results in having a shorter, more efficient heat exchanger and so the overall pressure drop on the tube side is usually similar to a conventional smooth tube design heat exchanger.

The turbulent flow from the corrugated tubes also provides a self-cleaning action that helps prevent scaling and build-up on the tube surfaces. When installed vertically, the combined effect of gravity and the high velocity turbulent flow act to minimize particles settling on the tube wall, further reducing the scaling effect.

Being a compact single pass unit with built-in shell side expansion bellows allows the Turflow range of heat exchangers to be easily incorporated

into process pipework, making for a tidy, compact heat exchange solution. Alternatively, the units can be provided in pre-assembled skid mounted packages, complete with all control equipment, sized and designed specifically for the application.

High Thermal Efficiency Corrugated Tube Heat Exchangers

Features and advantages of the Turflow range of high efficiency heat exchangersAll stainless steel construction with no gaskets

High efficiency corrugated tubes

Straight corrugated tubes allow for easy mechanical and chemical cleaning when required

Suited to both heating and cooling applications

Shell side expansion bellows

Suitable for many service fluids (steam, superheated water, glycol & diathermic oil)

Can be supplied as a complete heat exchange package solution

Designed & Manufactured in Europe to PED 97/23/CE

Use of corrugated tubes in shell and tube heat exchangers promotes optimum turbulent flow conditions and enables a considerable increase in the Nusselt value, which is a component of the overall heat transfer coefficient. In simple terms, it greatly increases the heat transfer efficiency, generally resulting in a shorter more compact heat exchanger solution.

The Spirax Sarco Turflow VES and VEP Series corrugation patterns are particularly well suited to fluids in the lower viscosity range, such as water, juices, glycol, light solutions, CIP and suspensions containing small particles. Primary media such as steam, superheated water and diathermal oil can all be accommodated. The Turflow is also well suited to applications where cooling is required. For example, to ensure the overflow from the blow down vessel is constantly below 32°C and within allowable EPA limits. The added bonus is the visual plumes of flash steam from the boiler house are now also eliminated. The actual payback in this such case as reported by the boiler house and engineering staff on site was around 3 months. This was much less than our very conservative estimate of 12-18 months. Annual savings were estimated to be around $200,000 per year in just energy and efficiency savings.

‘AN INTRODUCTION TO CONTROLS’ 2013 SPIRAX SARCO

Steam quality testing, a health check for your steam system

A shortcoming in a steam system may at times be hard to identify. For example a problem with a piece of steam plant happens seemingly at random so how can the cause be determined? Have previous attempts at resolving the problem been unsuccessful? Time and money subsequently spent on replacing various components that did not fix the problem. Perhaps it is time for a more scientific approach based on empirical data and real analysis rather than following the potentially expensive and ineffective “let’s see what happens when we replace this part” strategy.

In hospital sterilisation departments (CSSD) for example how may one determine the cause for steam sterilisers failing to successfully complete a sterilising cycle? A more serious scenario is where the sterilised surgical instruments are found to be wet (and possibly unsterile) on unwrapping at the intended time of use in the operating theatre. Needless to say this is a costly and extremely undesirable situation for everyone involved. The true cost of a “failed load” of sterilised items can be enormous when you take the operating theatre delays, doctors and nurses’ time and reprocessing costs of the surgical instruments involved, into consideration. A commonly used figure of $5000 per wet load is therefore generally an under-estimation.

The cause for the failure of the steriliser to produce a properly sterilised load of surgical instruments can be difficult to identify. There are numerous factors which can determine the outcome leading to a successful sterilisation or a failed load. The steriliser itself is usually the first to be blamed by the CSSD staff, which results in the hospital engineering staff and steriliser servicing company investigating why this is occurring. If there is no fault found with the sterilisers or load packing methods, then what? Often the only way to get to the root cause of these problems is to analyse the one factor that can be the most important yet the most difficult to measure without the right equipment and expertise; the actual steam quality at the point of use.

Spirax Sarco offers a Steam Quality Testing service that can measure the key properties of the steam and condensate loop to effectively analyse the behavior of the steam system as a whole. This approach allows a detailed understanding of the interactions between the steam generation, distribution system and the steam-using equipment. The steam dryness, pressure, superheat, non-condensable gas levels and purity are key factors in determining the steam’s quality. These must be empirically measured to accurately establish the health of the steam system.

c a s e f o r s t e a mpull-out technical insert

STeAm IS CLeAN

‘AN INTRODUCTION TO CONTROLS’ 2013 SPIRAX SARCO

Steam quality testing, a health check for your steam system

pull-out technical insert

The steam quality when used for sterilisation in hospitals must conform to the applicable Australian standards. This requires accurate measurement of many properties of the steam to verify the steam quality. There are two Australian Standards that stipulate such values for the steam quality, AS1410 and AS4187. Properties of the steam such as the steam dryness, superheat, non-condensable gas levels and purity are given quantifiable values. These values indicate if the steam is of acceptable quality to be used in steam sterilisers. However, many of the requirements in these standards are based on sound, proven steam engineering principles and can be applied to many other applications that use steam outside of the sterilisation field.

This is why the Spirax Sarco steam quality test measures and records the steam pressure, steam dryness and superheat with data logging equipment to provide quantifiable values. These tests are for periods of a few hours up to days or even weeks if required. Other key steam properties such as non-condensable gas and contamination levels in the steam are also tested and recorded to allow a comprehensive understanding of the health of the steam system.

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Steam quality testing equipment in use.

STeAm IS COmPeTITIveSTeAm IS NON-vOLATILe

‘AN INTRODUCTION TO CONTROLS’ 2013 SPIRAX SARCO

Steam quality testing, a health check for your steam system

pull-out technical insert c a s e f o r s t e a m

The AS1410 specifies a steam dryness value of 97% or better, but what does that mean? The concept of “dryness” of the steam might sound counterintuitive, but steam when it is 100% “dry” is a gas only. It will only become liquid water again when it condenses after it transfers its latent heat energy (the enthalpy of evaporation) on to the object being heated. Steam that has a dryness value of 100% contains no liquid water, thus steam that is 97% dry is 3% liquid water by weight. This means there can be no more than 3% liquid water entrained in the steam as droplets. For example a steam steriliser might use on average 10kg of steam per sterilising cycle in the chamber. If the steam is 90% dry then that means the steam is mixed with 1 litre of liquid water, as opposed to 300ml of liquid water with 97% dry steam. This additional water can adversely affect the sterilising process and cause “wet loads”, where the surgical items that were intended to be dry and ready for use are indeed covered in water. A “wet pack” of surgical instruments will be rejected by the surgical staff in the operating theatre, as there is no guarantee that the surgical instruments have been maintained at sterilising temperature for enough time to be sterilised.

STeAm CAN Be eASILy AND eFFeCTIveLy DISTRIBUTeD

‘AN INTRODUCTION TO CONTROLS’ 2013 SPIRAX SARCO

Steam quality testing, a health check for your steam system

pull-out technical insertc a s e f o r s t e a m

The minimum temperature required to sterilise surgical instruments inside a steam steriliser chamber used here in Australia is 134°C . This equates to a saturated steam pressure of 205 kPa to achieve the required temperature inside the steriliser. In this case the 205 kPa steam with a 100% dryness value has latent heat energy of 2,161.7 kJ/kg, but the energy when it is liquid water (sensible heat) at the same temperature is only 564.5 kJ/kg. It can be easily seen that far more heating energy is in the steam and not in the condensate. The condensate can also form a layer on the heat exchange surface and itself act as a barrier, reducing the heat transfer rate/ efficiency.

The steam pressure can have a significant effect on the steam dryness value, as sudden increases in steam demand can cause a drop in the steam supply pressure. The steam velocity may also increase significantly in the steam pipes, which can pick up condensate sitting in low points of the steam system and be carried with the steam causing poor steam dryness. The boiler can also start to carry over and boiler water can be carried through the steam system, causing wet steam and contamination of that steam. This is the reason the Spirax Sarco Steam Quality Test monitors steam pressure in several locations to be able to understand the steam systems’ response at times of high steam demand.

Table taken from Health Technical Memorandum (HTM)2031

Determinand Value Recommended test for complianceBased on Sterilized Water for Injections BP:

Acidity or alkalinity NQ BP test. Tests for pH are not an acceptable substitute

Ammonium 0.2mg litre-1 BP test or suitable method

Oxidisable substaces NQ BP test

Calcium and magnesium NQ BP test. Tests for hardness are not an acceptable substitute

Heavy metals substitute 0.1 mg litre-1 BP test. Tests for individual elements are not an acceptable substitute

Chloride 0.5 mg litre-1 BP test or other suitable method

Nitrate 0.2 mg litre-1 BP test or other suitable method

Sulphate NQ BP test

Residue on evaporation 30 mq litre-1 BP test. Conductivity measurement is not an acceptable substitute

Pyrogens 0.25 eU ml-1 BP test. Conductivity measurement is not an acceptable substitute

Based on EN 285:

Phosphate 0.1 mg litre-1 Any suitable method

Silicate 0.1 mg litre-1 Any suitable method

Routine monitoring only:

electrical conductivity at 25°C 35 luS cm-1 See Appendix 4 and Chapter 7

‘AN INTRODUCTION TO CONTROLS’ 2013 SPIRAX SARCO

Steam quality testing, a health check for your steam system

pull-out technical insert c a s e f o r s t e a m

Conversely what happens if the steam is too dry? This is the phenomena of superheated steam where the steam is heated to above the saturation steam temperature for a given pressure, which can be seen in saturated steam tables. Why is superheated steam undesirable in many steam systems, as it appears to have a higher temperature and therefore energy in the steam? While there are many good uses for superheated steam like steam turbines, most applications including sterilising and heat exchange applications will actually be adversely affected by using superheated steam. This is due to superheat causing the steam to act as a non-condensing dry gas. This results in little heat energy available to the process until it cools to the saturation temperature, at which point it condenses and the latent heat is made available to the process. A dry non-condensing gas that is used for sterilisation instead of saturated steam will take 2 hours at 160°C to sterilise an item. Saturated steam will take less than 4 minutes at 134°C to achieve the same level of sterilisation.

Superheated steam may be generated though pressure reduction, the larger the pressure reduction through any valve, the more likely there is to be some element of superheated steam. The recommended steam supply pressure of 420 kPa +/- 40 kPa specified in the AS1410 is to reduce the potential for superheated steam to a manageable level. Sterilisers have their final steam pressure reduction valve usually set to 230kPa. The final 205kPa for the steriliser chamber is controlled by a solenoid valve on the steam supply line. The reduction in steam pressure from a common boiler steam pressure of 1000 kPa down to 230 kPa for example has the potential to create superheated steam, depending on the steam’s dryness. This is why the 420 kPa steam pressure is recommended for steriliser steam supply. The two stages of pressure reduction are to negate the superheating effect of pressure reduction of steam so there is not a risk of compromising sterilisation by superheated steam entering the chamber.

In other applications like the production of animal feed pellets the steam dryness is also critical. If there is superheated steam present the pellets don’t bond together in the desired way, if at all. Conversely if the steam is too wet the pellets are simply a mushy mess. In process heat exchangers for heating liquid products the presence of superheated steam is not desired, as the output of the heat exchanger will be reduced compared to that using dry saturated steam as the heating medium. The ability to measure superheat in the steam as done in a Spirax Sarco Steam Quality Test can help to diagnose the cause of an under-performing process, as well as to verify compliance with Australian Standards in the case of steam for sterilisation.

STeAm IS THe BeST CHOICe AS AN eNvIRONmeNTALLy FRIeNDLy

eNeRgy meDIUm

‘AN INTRODUCTION TO CONTROLS’ 2013 SPIRAX SARCO

Steam quality testing, a health check for your steam system

pull-out technical insertc a s e f o r s t e a m

Another important property of steam quality is the non-condensable gas levels in the steam. But what are non-condensable gases and how do they get into the steam? Also, why do we care about these gases in the steam? A non-condensable gas is generally described as a gas such as Oxygen, Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide. These gases do not “condense” into a liquid form until they are cooled to cryogenic temperatures. Another property of these gases is they dissolve into water at normal ambient temperatures. However, when water is heated to over 80°C these gases will be released from solution due to the inverse temperature/ solubility of these gases in water. A well designed steam system will have a heated and vented boiler feed water tank at over 80°C with this in mind. most of the dissolved gases will be driven out of the feedwater at temperatures over 80°C so the water being supplied into the boiler will have a much lower content of non-condensable gases. It is also worth noting that a common boiler pressure is 1000 kPa, which according to steam tables for saturated steam, states the temperature of water inside the boiler will be 184.13°C. Any non-condensable gases dissolved in the boiler feed water that enter the boiler will instantly be released into the steam, with undesirable consequences for the boiler, the steam distribution system and the steam heat exchange processes downstream.

A serious problem with non-condensable gases in a hospital steam system supplying sterilisers is the effect they have on heat transfer. A layer of gas between the surface you are trying to sterilise and the steam severely reduces the heat transfer into that surface. A thin layer of gas effectively acts as a barrier to heat transfer. This barrier may result in parts of the surgical instruments in the steriliser not being heated to correct sterilising temperatures. Obviously this is a very serious problem in trying to ensure effective sterilisation. Other applications will also suffer from high non-condensable gas levels by causing a reduction of heat transfer, such as process heat exchangers used in many industries.

‘AN INTRODUCTION TO CONTROLS’ 2013 SPIRAX SARCO

Steam quality testing, a health check for your steam system

pull-out technical insert c a s e f o r s t e a m

Another serious problem caused by the presence of non-condensable gases in the steam system is corrosion. Oxygen in the steam system will very quickly cause pitting in the boiler tubes and cause rust on all iron based components, while the presence of Carbon Dioxide in the steam system may cause the formation of Carbonic Acid when it comes in contact with the steam condensate.

Corrosion may result in a variety of foreign matter finding their way into the steriliser. This foreign matter may cause brown and black staining on the surgical instrument wrappings and steriliser chamber walls. It is also worth noting that automatic air vents will not remove non-condensable gases from the steam that comes from the boiler feed water. Their primary purpose is to allow air, normally at a lower temperature to the steam, to escape on the start-up of a steam system.

Steam quality testing equipment in use.

Soludity of Oxegen in water

Oxe

gen

cont

ent m

g/k

g (o

pm)

Water temp degC

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

AS1410 states a limit of 3.5ml per 100ml condensate as acceptable for steam for sterilisers. How can this gas be measured as it is invisible and at the same temperature as the steam? An effective way to measure the non-condensable gas is to condense the steam back into water and separate out the non-condensable gases and measure them. This is exactly the method as described in the Australian Standard and the method that Spirax Sarco utilises as part of our Steam Quality Testing regime. This test gives a detailed trend of the non-condensable gas levels in the steam and the ability to verify compliance with the Australian Standard.

STeAm IS COmPeTITIveSTeAm IS NON-vOLATILe

‘AN INTRODUCTION TO CONTROLS’ 2013 SPIRAX SARCO

Steam quality testing, a health check for your steam system

pull-out technical insertc a s e f o r s t e a m

Water + energy = SteamSteam + Work Done = Condensate (Water)

Condensate Returned = Reduced Water Consumption, Reduced emissions and Dollars Saved

There is an increasing trend to focus on how “clean” the steam is, specifically in regards to contaminant levels for steam used in sterilisation, pharmaceutical and food industries. Potential contamination of the steam by boiler carryover and priming exist and may introduce many undesirable substances into the steam distribution and processes potentially causing spoiled product. Contaminants found in the boiler feed water such as trace metals, Pyrogens and other contaminants are of increasing concern when it comes to sterilisation. The presence of these potential contaminants on a surgical instrument may negatively impact the patient’s recovery. There are control limits placed on these contaminants in documents such as the english HTm 2010 and 2031, as well as the european standard eN285.

There are also negative effects on the steam distribution system and processes, as these potential contaminants can interfere with the function of the steam control and pressure reduction valves, heat exchangers and steam traps. Deposits and sludge can accumulate in parts with fine tolerances, potentially causing serious problems with their operation. Heat exchangers can also become scaled up as well, significantly reducing output.

By measuring and understanding the boiler feed water and boiler water properties and their relationship with the ability of the boiler to supply good quality steam to the processes, the cause of steam contamination can be diagnosed. Spirax Sarco tests the steam condensate and boiler water properties during a steam quality test, which combined with the other testing forms a comprehensive picture of the health of a steam system.

There is a well-known and very relevant phrase, “you cannot manage what you cannot measure”. If your site has steam processes that are not working to expectations, perhaps it is time to test the steam quality to get the full diagnosis on the health of your steam system.

The steam loop is a living organism

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When the EPA (Environment Protection Authority) comes knocking on your door because your discharge to a nearby river is considerably higher than the accepted comfort level for the fish, yet more than enough for the breeding of other parasites, what do you do?

This was the case for an automotive manufacturer in Victoria who then contacted Spirax Sarco. We had assisted them recently in eliminating some unsightly steam plumes emanating from above the paint shop through improvements to the steam system design.

The system in the boiler house had been the same since the factory was built. There was a shell and tube heat exchanger designed to take the heat out of the blow-down water while preheating the feed water. However, it appeared this had not worked from day one. There were a few other issues which became apparent after a look around and discussions with staff, including the feed water going into the economisers at 65°C. A deaerator was already in place but had not been working and the feed water tank supplying the deaerator could only go to 60°C due to feedwater tank construction constraints.

TDS controlled blow-down was already in place on the 3 large boilers. They were however all piped into the same line as the bottom blow-down to the blow-down vessel. Finally, there was no cooling system at the blow down vessel, so any water going to the drain was close to boiling point and the flash was vented to atmosphere.

Spirax Sarco put a plan together to redirect the TDS blow-down to a flash vessel. The Flash Vessel separates the usable flash steam from the blow-down water. Approximately 12% of the water being blown down was flashing off and going out through the Blow-down vessel vent. This flash steam had also attracted some unwanted attention. By reclaiming this flash steam we were able to reuse this heat energy. This previously wasted energy was used to heat the deaerator. The rest of the blow down water from the TDS blow-down, then goes through a plate heat exchanger to pre-heat the water for the feed tank. The TDS blow-down water, now considerably cooler was then piped back into the original blow down line to the blow-down vessel. As a final safety precaution, we then installed a cooling system to the blow down vessel just to ensure that any water discharged would be below the EPA’s temperature requirements.

Estimated savings in heat energy gave this project a payback of 12-18 months. The fabrication and pre-assembly of all pipe work meant there was no additional down time and the switchover occurred during a 1 day shut down.

Once completed the feed water to the tank was raised to around 45°C with no additional heat being added. The water temperature prior to the economisers is now 90-95°C. The overflow from the blow down vessel is constantly below 32°C and within allowable EPA limits. The added bonus is the visual plumes of flash steam from the boiler house is now also eliminated. The actual payback as reported by the boiler house staff and engineering staff on site was around 3 months, much less than the very conservative, estimate of 12-18 months. Annual savings are estimated to be around $200,000 per year just in energy and efficiency savings alone.

Estimated savings in heat energy gave this project a payback of 12-18 months.

A steam system and boiler should not be thought of as individual functional items cobbled together to heat water, raise steam and supply to process loads.

Your steam and condensate loop: as a living organism

It is an interconnected system of entities that forms a healthy steam and condensate loop. In carrying energy from boiler fuels each element relies on the other to perform specific tasks to effectively transfer energy liberated from the boiler fuel to the process application.

To assess the application requirements of the steam and condensate system (The Loop) it is important to consider these interconnections and resulting effects. All components in The Loop must be designed and selected properly with the end point of use steam quantity, quality and purity requirements in mind. If not, the components in The Loop could operate correctly but not achieve the required outcome. The design and selection process should start at the very beginning of The Loop and look at the:

• Quality of the water being supplied to the boiler

• Boiler water treatment chemicals used

• The boilers’ steam generation rate

• Sizing of pipe work, valves and steam traps

• Requirement for positive condensate removal systems

• Condensate pumps and

• Quantity and quality of the condensate returned to the boiler feed system.

Many applications in a steam system require steam to be used in direct contact with the end product requiring steam of a very high quality and purity to prevent contamination. Some of these applications include hospital sterilization. See our article on SQT in this issue of Topics.

For more information please call us on: 1300 SPIRAX (774 729) or email us at topics@au.spiraxsarco.com If you are not calling from Australia, please dial: +61 2 9852 3100

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s t e a m d i s t r i b u t i o n

A steam and condensate system for a hospital sterilizer application must take into account the purity requirement of a condensed steam sample in its initial design, as the largest influencer of the steam purity is outside of what is traditionally included in The Loop.

All of the components in The Loop can be operating correctly, the steam reaching the sterilizers may be at the required pressure, have the correct dryness value, be free of superheat and have less than 3.5ml of non-condensable gas per 100ml of condensed steam, but still not achieve the required purity due to:

• Traditional use of a base exchange softener to remove calcium and magnesium salts to prevent scaling in the boiler.

• A chemical water treatment regime to prevent corrosion in the boiler

• Carry-over of boiler water into the steam system resulting in higher than acceptable alkalinity, chloride and sulphate levels

• The steam passing through the steam distribution system, picking up contaminants and carrying them to the sterilizer including Pyrogen levels higher than acceptable parameters.

Pyrogens, the resilient remains of dead bacteria, can remain viable after sterilisation. They can only be removed in the boiler feed water pre-treatment section of The Loop by either distillation or ultrafiltration typically utilizing a reverse osmosis plant.

To remove these impurities steam must be produced from a source that can be supplied with reverse osmosis water and also not require the use of water treatment chemicals – A Clean Steam Generator. A clean steam generator is a stainless steel vessel that is specifically designed to heat high purity feed water to produce steam using plant steam as the motive or fuel source. The stainless steel construction resists the corrosive effects of the reverse osmosis water allowing Pyrogen free water to be used for steam generation and removes the need for a water treatment program to prevent scale formation. The steam distribution system will also require stainless steel pipe work and valving to prevent contamination of the clean steam as it travels through the distribution pipe work.

Regardless of the type of steam system and the components used in steam generation the steam and condensate system is a connected loop. The operation of any one component in the loop will effect the conditions experienced at another part of the loop and often in ways that may not seem related. When attempting to diagnose problems or make changes in the steam and condensate system the potential effect on the entire steam and condensate loop should always be considered.

All components in The Loop must be designed and selected

properly with the end point of use steam quantity, quality and

purity requirements in mind.

With increasing pressure on companies to reduce carbon emissions, Spirax Sarco is seeing an increased demand for electrically actuated control valves as they consume less energy and produce fewer carbon emissions over their lifetime when compared to a pneumatic actuator.

This new series of electric actuators includes fast acting and fail safe options. These two important features enable the Spirax Sarco electric actuators to meet the fast response requirements of typical steam heat exchanger applications. This development will also enable electric actuators to be fitted in pressure control applications available.

Design featuresThe AEL-6 series has been developed from the proven EL5600 (now the AEL-5) actuator range and is available for various voltages and mounting to most types and sizes of valves.

Speed controlled actuationThe output is controlled by electronics via pulse width modulation; consequently the actuators can be operated at variable speed.

Mechanical designAll AEL-6 electronic actuators are built with field-proven components, including robust spur gears with trapezoidal threads and are lubricated for life to be maintenance-free.

Electrical designThe device is easily connected direct to terminal blocks in the integrated terminal box. Enhanced electronics with an embedded micro-controller with flash memory control to monitor the entire actuator function.

Additional features available to youThe AEL-6 series delivers an innovative range of key features that adds to Spirax Sarco’s proven and comprehensive actuator range.

Fail-safe unitThe optional fail-safe device uses supercapacitors, so that a safety position – in case of loss of power supply or control signal – can be freely defined without any mechanical alterations to the actuator.

Local controlMost of the actuator-specific values can be set onsite using the optional/additional lockable local control panel. The large LCD display includes a full text display of actual position, messages and parameters of the actuator.

Non-intrusive setting parametersValve-specific details are easy to adjust using an external digital LCD display without the need to open the actuator cover and expose the device to levels of dust, moisture or other contaminants where ingress may cause damage.

Thrust and speed settings can be changed, alerts configured, and freely programmable valve curve corrections made via the communication software.

New AEL-6 Smart Actuator

By Trevor Peeling, Product Manager

For more information please call us on: 1300 SPIRAX (774 729) or email us at topics@au.spiraxsarco.com If you are not calling from Australia, please dial: +61 2 9852 3100

p r o d u c t r e l e a s e

7

The AEL6 series of smart electric linear actuators are suitable for fitting to the Spirax Sarco range of SPIRA-TROL and QL control valves. This series features positioning speeds of up to 4.5 mm per second, which means that this actuator is now fast enough to be installed where previously only pneumatic actuation could be used.

If unclaimed please return to:Spirax Sarco Marketing Department 14 Forge St BLACKTOWN NSW 2148

PRINTPOST

PP255003/04601

POSTAGEPAID

AUSTRALIA

You can now subscribe or unsubscribe to Australian Spirax Sarco Topics on our website at www.spiraxsarco.com/au

We hold seminars and training courses Australia wide. Call 1300 SPIRAX (774 729) and find out when we are holding one in your state!Training Courses

Issue 19 - 2013 $5.95

TOPICSAustralian

spiraxsarco.com/au

DOWNLOAD THE FREE SPIRAX SARCO iPhone APP!

Your steam and condensate loop:A living organism

Chemical Water 2 Treatment

Instant Knowledge 3

Turflow 4

The steam loop is a 5 living organism

Your steam and 6 condensate loop: as a living organism

New AEL-6 Smart 7 Actuator

Competition Winners 8

Enter our competition for a chance to Win the Beats

Wireless Headphones

Contacting UsNEW SOUTH WALES14 Forge Street(PO Box 6308 Delivery Centre)BLACKTOWN NSW 2148Ph: 1300 SPIRAX (774 729)Fax: (02) 9831 8519E-mail: Info@au.SpiraxSarco.com

VICTORIA4A/9 Jersey Road(PO Box 353)BAYSWATER VIC 3153Ph: 1300 SPIRAX (774 729)Fax: (03) 9720 5224E-mail: Vic@au.SpiraxSarco.com

QUEENSLAND57 Distribution Street LARAPINTA QLD 4110Ph: 1300 SPIRAX (774 729) or +61 7 3441 1600 Fax: (07) 3800 9900 E-mail: Qld@au.SpiraxSarco.com

SOUTH AUSTRALIAUnit 5/ 6 Walla St LONSDALE SA 5160Ph: 1300 SPIRAX (774 729) Fax: (08) 8307 2777 E-mail: Sa@au.SpiraxSarco.com

WESTERN AUSTRALIA1/14 Bannick CourtCANNING VALE WA 6155Ph: 1300 SPIRAX (774 729)Fax: (08) 9455 4809E-mail: Wa@au.SpiraxSarco.com

TASMANIASteam Plus13 Ferguson DriveQUOIBA TAS 7310Ph: 03 6424 6202Fax:03 6424 6214E-mail: admin@steamplus.com.au

The Steam and Condensate Loop Book

8

● This great book is prepared by experts from Spirax Sarco, a world leader in steam engineering.

● The ‘Steam and Condensate Loop’ book explains the principles of steam engineering and heat transfer.

If you are not calling from Australia, please dial: +61 2 9852 3100

'The Tracer'Congratulation to Issue 18 Competition winners!

MAIN PRIZE WINNER(iPad 3): West End Brewery Ricky Vassallo SEMINAR WINNER: Amcor Jeff Zammitt STEAM AND CoNDENSATE LooP Book WINNER: Bickfords Shane Ormsby

Keep entering our competition for your chance to win and remember ALL WHO ENTER WILL RECEIVE A PROMOTIONAL GIFT FROM SPIRAX SARCO!

Topics main prize winner:West End Brewery – Ricky Vassallo

WIN the Beats Wireless

Headphones by Dr Dre

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To enter online visit spiraxsarco.com/auand follow the instructions

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for your chance To

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The BeaTS WireLeSS

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By Dr Dre

FIRST PRIZE:Monster Beats by Dr Dre, Studio Red Headphones uses advanced technology to isolate noise. Beats Studio headphones can cut out external noise so that all you hear are the complete details of the music itself. Beats by Dr Dre have excellent sound quality and clarity. It is the best choice when you want to listen to music.

SECOND PRIZE:A complimentary place at a Spirax Sarco seminar.

THIRD PRIZE:The Steam and Condensate Loop book.

about the prizes

The BeaTS

WireLeSS

heaDphoneS

By Dr Dre

ENtEr OUrcompeTiTion

for yourchance To

WIN

name .......................................................................................

company..................................................................................

position ....................................................................................

phone number .........................................................................

company address ....................................................................

.................................................................................................

email address ..........................................................................

TermS anD conDiTionS: enter the competition by answering a few simple questions in our insert placed in our quarterly Topics publication. The competition starts 1st may 2013. closing Date of the competition is 10th July 2013. Date of the draw will be 15thJuly 2013. Time will be 10.00am. Draw will take place at the Spirax Sarco head office at 14 forge Street, BLac KToWn nSW 2148. The total prize value is: $1,214.00. main prize is the new monster Beats By Dr Dre Studio red headphones valued at $399.00. Second prize is a place in the next Spirax Sarco ‘Steam engineering’ seminar when held in your state valued at $650.00. Third prize is the Steam and condensate Loop book valued at $165.00. Winners’ names will be announced on the Spirax Sarco website on 20th July 2013 and published in issue 20 of Topics. all prize winners will be notified by phone call and e-mail from their local representative who will personally deliver the prize. Website address is: www.spiraxsarco.com/au in the news section. The promoter is Spirax Sarco with registered office at 14 forge Street Blacktown, nSW 2148. aBn 52 001 126 601. redraw will be held on 7th oct 2013. redraw will be held at the same address and time as original draw. prize winners will have their prizes delivered by our Spirax Sarco staff member for that sales territory and all prizes will be delivered before 17th Sep 2013 subject to a possible redraw. ac T residents excluded. nSW: LTpm/13/00412.

your Details

Q1. Do you have a heat exchange application in your plant?

n yes n no

Q2. have you had a SQT audit?

n yes n no

Q3. have you tested the quality of your steam in the last 12 months?

n yes n no

Q4. Do you have the latest australian Spirax Sarco product handbook?

n yes n no