Steam Management

Unlike air, steam is not free!

Steam required a large amount of heat to be generate, heat that can result from different energy sources: coal, natural gas, biomass, nuclear reactors, etc.

This loss of steam involves a large energy dissipation. Furthermore, liquid lost in the form of steam must be reintegrated into the system with additional costs related to water treatment.

The components which are the main causes of energy losses are: valves and steam traps.

Proper maintenance of the steam traps is vital for any steam plant. The consequences of failure to surge, in fact, are serious:

• Security: water hammer causing serious damage to people and property.
• Efficiency of the production process: steam traps are also used to keep the temperature constant in the system. If this does not happen, the product quality deteriorates.
• Equipment life: the accumulated water in the tubes causes them to rust.
• Energy costs: the partially fault steam traps can cause up to 10,000 Euros per year of energy consumption for each of them.

In steam systems without an inspection and reparation program, the percentage of steam trap failures can reach 50%, an amount that is significantly reduced with six-monthly or annual inspections and immediate repairs.

The valves are used to intercept, set, block or divert the steam flow. These components may be faulty or malfunctioning and therefore allow the passage of steam where not needed with consequent energy losses.

These losses represent a considerable waste of economic resources, which often managers are unaware, because they are mixed together with useful expenses under the item "energy costs".

Auditech Solution

Auditech, using specialized engineers, makes the steam leak detection process and the management on the existing facilities in order to increase efficiency and reduce consumption.

It also aims to design and maintain new steam lines and to offer consulence on possible measures to optimize efficiency / management of existing lines.