50km Long Steam Pipe Line

[mmartens]

An idea got passed across my desk. I thought I would put it out there just in case someone may know some thing about long distance steam pipe lines.

I am looking for any information about engineering a steam pipe line from a steam plant to a town 50 km away. I am not sure of the engineering changles one would face or if it is possable taking into account pressure loss, corrosion, etc....

I am interested to know any thing, any papers, any person or group of persons who might know any thing about this.

Thanks

 

[dicksewerrat]

I'd try to sell the steam a lot closer to home. there are a lot of small steam plants in the upper midwest, but none I know of are shipping steam 30 miles.

 

[hacksaw]

it would make a great condenser, in fact it might be cheaper to just build a condenser and condense all of your steam, then pay the end user to find an alternative heat source........

 

[TD2K]

YOu'd have a great source of boiler feedwater following up on hacksaw's comment. ;-)


Seriously, while you could do it, I would wonder about the cost to deliver the steam without excessive pressure drop and the heat losses from that long of a line.

Theoretically, it's quite possible. Practical and economical is the question.

 

[hacksaw]

you could transport hot condensate, and flash it at the far end. steam would be too costly insulation-wise, condensate removal, etc.

 

[TBP]

The only way to practical move heat this distance (or even a few kms) is to use the steam to heat water at the steam plant, and pump the water as a circulating loop. To even come close to making this worth considering, economically, you'll need a very large heat load, and cheap (as in free) steam at the source.

 

[arsef]

If you do this be sure to install a parrellel line to return the full steam load as condensate. Also, you will need many manholes (the size of large rooms) to house the necessary steam traps. The condensate from the steam traps then can be returned or pumped back to the steam plant. If you run the lines underground be sure to include isolation flanges and cathodic protection. Even 5 miles is a very ling distance and almost impossible to have good transport of steam.

 

[25362]

The longest geothermal hot water pipline in the world is 63 km, in Iceland. Googleing you may find some interesting information on geothermal heat transportation, and you may visit the site of NRG Thermal Corporation which exposes some steam long pipelines.
Probably the following site may be of help:

http://www.spiraxsarco.com/learn/html/1_2_01.htm

Good luck.

 

[GenB]

It is very posible: with good insulation in underground piping; heat the water(calc the temp/heat loss and add); transport it at high pressure, you will need a separator at the other end, you will have to use the steam as you make it, so throttling the water outlet will be important.(use it or loosse it). I only hope that you are not in a cold environment.
ER

 

[KevinNZ]

Geothermal power station steam lines can be long. One at Wairakei NZ isabout 6km long and 1050mm (42') The pressure drop is a little bit on the high side so they do not get much condensation.

Cheers Kevin