Condensate in a superheated steam line 4

[onuigbo]

Can we have condensate in a superheated steam line?. I run a 300 psi superheated steam line that was sufficiently trapped and partly insulated. One of my service guys shut all the traps and the next day the whole line was full of water. Then somebody told my operator that the water was not as a result of shutting the traps, that there can be no condensate in a superheated steam line. What do you guys say?

We deliver steam as if your life depends on it.

 

[cjw81]

I have worked a few years in the field and believe me there are no "ideal" conditions out there. The traps must be installed and fully functional or you could have catastrophic results if the line encounters adverse conditions such as an underground steam supply that becomes submerged due to a penetrated rickwell or tunnel wall (how could that happen?. Make sure that those traps are functioning at all times.

 

[TBP]

Is the 225# steam saturated, or superheated? If you really want to know what's happening, install a thermometer downstream of the PRV. I've done that on 125 down to 10# steam, and seen the temp wander with the steam load. In any event, in practice you won't likely get enough superheat to matter, unless the steam ahead of the PRV is already superheated. Few if any saturated steam lines will have 100% dry steam, so in practice, you very much tend to get just really good quality steam downstream of PRV stations like this. The superheat won't exist very far downstream of the PRV. This is much more of a theoretical issue than a practical one.