KR102605611B1 - Smart Steam Trap - Google Patents

Abstract

The smart steam trap of the present invention includes a steam inlet 11, a steam outlet 12, an inlet pipe connection 13 to be connected to the pipe, and an discharge side pipe connection 14 to be connected to the pipe. A steam flow body portion 10 that is provided and forms a flow path through which steam flows; A water separator (20) that separates steam and condensate; Located between the vapor inlet 11 and the vapor outlet 12 of the vapor flow body 10, branched from the vapor flow body 10, and separated by the water separator 20. A condensate discharge unit 30 that discharges condensate from the steam flow body 10; A steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 that is installed from the outside of the steam flow body 10 to the inside of the steam inlet 11 and measures the temperature of the steam flowing into the steam inlet 11; A steam discharge temperature measuring unit 50 that is installed from the outside of the steam flow body 10 to the inside of the steam discharge unit 12 and measures the temperature of the steam discharged to the steam discharge unit 12; By comparing the steam inlet temperature measured by the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 and the steam discharge temperature measured by the steam outlet temperature measuring unit 50, the blockage state of the condensate discharge unit 30 according to the temperature drop and a controller 60 that determines the mixing state of live steam when discharging condensate by the condensate discharge unit 30.

Description

Smart Steam Trap

The present invention relates to a smart steam trap that is installed in an energy line that uses steam as a heat source and allows monitoring the operating status of the steam trap that discharges condensate contained in flowing steam through an orifice nozzle.

In energy lines that use steam as a heat source, the pipes are wrapped with insulating material to suppress heat release as much as possible. However, since complete thermal insulation is impossible, the temperature of the steam inevitably lowers and condensation water is generated. If this condensate is not discharged, a hammering phenomenon will occur, causing problems such as pipe rupture and air vent damage. Therefore, the condensate must be discharged, and in this case, a steam trap is used.

In general, a steam trap is a device installed in an energy line that uses steam as a heat source to discharge condensate contained in flowing steam through an orifice nozzle.

These steam traps leak steam depending on the degree of wear caused by the period of use, but it is not easy to determine when to replace them.

There are several diagnostic methods to determine when to replace a steam trap.

The first diagnostic method to determine when to replace a steam trap is visual diagnosis.

The visual diagnosis method is to determine the operating status of the steam trap by opening the outlet pipe of the steam trap and monitoring the discharge status of condensate. With this method, it is not easy to determine the discharge state of condensate with the naked eye, and accurate diagnosis is difficult because diagnostic experts rely on experience.

The second diagnostic method to determine when to replace a steam trap is a diagnostic method using a condensate collection test.

The above diagnostic method is a method of quantitatively determining live steam loss by analyzing the amount of heat in condensate.

The diagnostic method using this condensate collection test involves installing a device to collect condensate, performing condensate collection and temperature measurement in order, performing at least three times for accuracy, and dismantling the device to collect condensate when the test is completed. I do it.

Using the collected amount, time, and temperature of condensate measured in this way, the leakage amount of live steam is calculated and derived.

However, this method has the problem that it takes time to perform a series of processes, and since it is performed manually, accuracy is reduced.

The third diagnostic method to determine when to replace a steam trap is thermography, which measures the surface temperature of the pipe using an infrared detector, or measuring the surface temperature of the pipe using a contact thermometer to measure the surface temperature of the pipe. There is a way to measure temperature.

Since this method measures the temperature outside the pipe, its accuracy is bound to be low, and there are problems with frequent errors in diagnosis due to the influence of the environment outside the pipe, etc. However, the diagnostic method is preferred because it is relatively simple.

This is to improve problems with the surface temperature measurement method of pipes, which is the third diagnostic method for determining when to replace a steam trap. Korean Patent No. 10-1570659 (title of the invention: Steam trap live steam leak check device) There is, and this is shown in Figure 1.

The live steam leak check device of the steam trap is in the form of a pipe having an inlet end connected to the steam trap and an outlet end corresponding to the inlet end, and the condensate of the steam trap flows into the inlet end and is discharged to the outlet end. Shiki body (10); a horn portion (20) that has a hollow interior, protrudes from the middle of the body, and communicates with the inside of the body; a first water separation means (30) formed on the inner surface of the body and separating flash steam re-evaporated from condensate flowing through the body; a second water separation means (40) formed on the inner surface of the horn stem and separating the re-evaporated vapor from the first water separation means rising to the top of the horn stem; And a temperature measuring means installed on the upper part of the horn stem and located inside the horn stem, which measures the internal temperature of the upper part of the horn stem and transmits it to the outside to check whether live steam is leaking from the steam trap. Includes (50).

The live steam leak check device of the steam trap measures the temperature of the live steam by the temperature measuring means 50 installed inside the horn stem 20 to check whether live steam is leaking from the steam trap. I'm doing it.

However, live steam may also contain condensate, making it difficult to measure the temperature of only live steam, which may reduce the accuracy of checking for leaks of live steam.

The present invention was developed to solve the above problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a smart steam trap that can accurately check whether live steam is leaking when discharging condensate from the steam trap.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a smart steam trap that can solve the problem on its own without separately supplying power to drive a sensor to measure the leakage of live steam.

The smart steam trap of the present invention for achieving the above object includes a steam inlet 11 through which steam flows in on one side, a steam outlet 12 through which steam is discharged on the other side, and the steam inlet 11. An inlet-side piping connection part 13 is provided at the inlet end of the steam outlet and is connected to the pipe, and an outlet-side piping connection part 14 is provided at the discharge end of the steam discharge part 12 and is connected to the pipe. A steam flow body portion (10) forming a flow path through which steam flows; A water separator (20) provided inside the steam flow body (10) to separate steam and condensate; Located between the vapor inlet 11 and the vapor outlet 12 of the vapor flow body 10, branched from the vapor flow body 10, and separated by the water separator 20. A condensate discharge unit 30 that discharges condensate from the steam flow body 10; A steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 that is installed from the outside of the steam flow body 10 to the inside of the steam inlet 11 and measures the temperature of the steam flowing into the steam inlet 11; A steam discharge temperature measuring unit 50 that is installed from the outside of the steam flow body 10 to the inside of the steam discharge unit 12 and measures the temperature of the steam discharged to the steam discharge unit 12; By comparing the steam inlet temperature measured by the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 and the steam discharge temperature measured by the steam outlet temperature measuring unit 50, the blockage state of the condensate discharge unit 30 according to the temperature drop And a controller 60 that determines the mixing state of live steam when discharging condensate by the condensate discharge unit 30.

In addition, the controller 60 has a temperature drop range between the steam inlet temperature measured by the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 and the steam discharge temperature measured by the steam outlet temperature measuring unit 50 within a certain range. It is characterized in that it is further equipped with a notification unit to notify the manager if it exceeds or falls below a certain range.

In addition, the controller 60 is fixed to the lower part of the smart steam trap, and a storage portion 71 in which the controller 60 is stored is formed and extends upward from one upper side of the storage portion 71. A first fixing part 72 that secures the receiving part 71 to the outside of the vapor inlet 11 of the vapor flow body 10, and a first fixing part 72 extending from one upper side of the receiving part 71 to the side. A controller fixing bracket 70 consisting of a second fixing part 73 that is fixed to the outside of the condensate discharge part 30 is further provided.

In addition, the steam inlet temperature measurement unit 40 and the steam discharge temperature measurement unit 50 are in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the steam flow body 10 or the condensate discharge unit 30 to generate power by heat radiated to the outer peripheral surface thereof. ) is characterized in that it is further provided with a thermoelectric element 80 that supplies electricity for operation.

In addition, the installation height of the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 inside the steam inlet 11 is 1/3 from the top of the inside of the steam inlet 11, and the steam discharge temperature measuring unit 50 The installation height inside the steam discharge part 12 is characterized in that it is the lower end of the inside of the steam discharge part 12.

The smart steam trap of the present invention with the above configuration measures the steam inlet temperature and steam discharge temperature, and directly measures the temperature of the incoming steam flowing into the steam inlet and the exhaust steam discharged from the steam outlet, thereby reducing the temperature drop. Depending on the range, it is possible to determine whether live steam is mixed when discharging condensate through the condensate discharge unit 30 or whether the condensate discharge unit 30 is clogged, thereby checking the operating status of the steam trap more accurately and providing accurate steam. It has the effect of predicting the replacement time of the trap.

In addition, the present invention not only solves the problem by itself without separately supplying power to drive a sensor to measure leakage of live steam, but also generates electricity using waste heat to supply electricity, so it has an energy saving effect.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing a conventional steam trap.
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the smart steam trap of the present invention.
Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the smart steam trap of the present invention.
Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the controller fixing bracket of the smart steam trap of the present invention.
Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the internal structure of the smart steam trap of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the steam trap of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the smart steam trap of the present invention, Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the smart steam trap of the present invention, Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the controller fixing bracket of the smart steam trap of the present invention, Figure 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the internal structure of the smart steam trap of the present invention.

The steam trap according to the present invention includes, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a steam flow body 10; Water separator (20); Condensate discharge unit (30); Steam inlet temperature measuring unit (40); Steam discharge temperature measuring unit (50); It includes a controller 60;

The steam flow body 10 is in the form of a straight pipe and is installed on a pipe through which steam flows. The steam flow body 10 has a steam inlet 11 through which steam flows in on one side, a steam outlet 12 through which steam is discharged on the other side, and an inlet end of the steam inlet 11. An inlet-side piping connection part 13 is provided and connected to the pipe, and an discharge-side piping connection part 14 is provided at the discharge end of the steam discharge part 12 and is connected to the pipe, and the steam flows. Form the euro.

The inlet pipe connection part 13 and the discharge side pipe connection part 14 connect the pipes through which steam flows, and are screwed together with the pipes and have female or male threads.

The condensate discharge part is branched to one side from the steam flow body 10 and is for discharging condensate generated from the steam flowing through the steam flow body 10. The condensate discharge part has various forms, an example of which is a float type (Float type). type), bucket type, bimetal type, bellows type, disk type, fixed orifice type, etc.

As an example, a bucket-type steam trap is explained as follows. When steam flows into the bucket, the bucket rises, closes the ball valve associated with it, and is discharged through the orifice provided in the bucket, causing the steam to flow. The steam inside the bucket condenses due to heat radiation, etc., causing the bucket to lose buoyancy. It will sink, and the ball valve will be opened to discharge condensate through the vent hole.

In a buoyancy steam trap, condensate accumulates and the float rises due to the buoyancy of the condensate, opening the condensate discharge hole and discharging the condensate.

In the present invention, in the known structure of a disk-type orifice steam trap or a fixed orifice type steam trap, the condensate discharge part is branched to the lower part of the steam flow body 10, and the steam discharge part of the steam flow body 10 ( 12) and is formed to branch at an acute angle.

The water separator 20 is provided inside the steam flow body 10 and serves to separate steam and condensate, and has a known structure of a disk-type orifice steam trap or a fixed orifice-type steam trip.

As shown in FIG. 5, the disk-type orifice type steam trap is provided with a strain (21) in the condensate discharge part (30) branched downward from the steam flow body part (10), and the steam inlet part An orifice 22 is provided at the upper part between (11) and the steam discharge part 12, and an upper chamber 23 is provided at the upper part of the discharge end of the orifice, and a disk 24 that moves up and down is provided in the upper chamber 23. ) is provided, and steam is discharged from the upper chamber 23 to the steam discharge unit 12 by opening and closing the disk 24.

As shown in Figure 6, the fixed orifice type steam trip is provided with a strain (21) in the condensate discharge part (30) branched downward from the steam flow body part (10), and the steam inlet ( An orifice 22 is provided at the upper part between 11) and the steam discharge part 12, and a protrusion 25 protruding downward is provided at the upper part of the discharge end of the orifice, and the flow path located in front of the protrusion 25 is for steam. It communicates with the discharge part 12 and the steam from which the condensate is separated is discharged.

The steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 is installed from the outside of the steam flow body 10 to the inside of the steam inlet 11 and serves to measure the temperature of the steam flowing into the steam inlet 11. Do it.

The steam discharge temperature measuring unit 50 is installed from the outside of the steam flow body 10 to the inside of the steam discharge unit 12 and serves to measure the temperature of the steam discharged to the steam discharge unit 12. Do it.

The controller 60 compares the steam inlet temperature measured by the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 and the steam discharge temperature measured by the steam outlet temperature measuring unit 50, and discharges the condensate according to the temperature drop. When discharging condensate by the unit 30, it serves to determine whether live steam is mixed or whether the condensate discharge unit 30 is clogged.

The smart steam trap of the present invention, structured as described above, measures the steam inlet temperature and steam discharge temperature, and directly measures the temperature of the incoming steam flowing into the steam inlet and the exhaust steam discharged from the steam outlet, reducing the temperature drop. Depending on the range, it is possible to determine whether live steam is mixed when discharging condensate through the condensate discharge unit 30 or whether the condensate discharge unit 30 is clogged, thereby checking the operating status of the steam trap more accurately and providing accurate steam. It has the effect of predicting the replacement time of the trap.

The controller 60 determines that the temperature drop range between the steam inlet temperature measured by the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 and the steam discharge temperature measured by the steam outlet temperature measuring unit 50 exceeds a certain range. Alternatively, it is desirable to further include a notification unit (not shown) that notifies the administrator if the value falls below a certain range.

The notification unit may be provided in the form of turning on a warning light, generating an alarm sound, and notifying the manager through a display unit such as an LCD window.

The notification unit determines whether the temperature drop range between the steam inlet temperature measured by the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 and the steam discharge temperature measured by the steam outlet temperature measuring unit 50 exceeds a certain range. Be sure to tell us whether it is less than or equal to the amount.

If the temperature drop range between the steam inlet temperature measured by the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 and the steam discharge temperature measured by the steam outlet temperature measuring unit 50 exceeds a certain range, the condensate flows smoothly. Since it is not discharged, it can be determined that the condensate discharge unit 30 is blocked, and the steam inlet temperature measured by the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 and the steam discharge measured by the steam discharge temperature measuring unit 50 If the temperature drop range from the temperature is within a certain range, it is determined that live steam is mixed when discharging condensate by the condensate discharge unit 30, and the steam inflow temperature measured by the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 If the temperature drop range from the steam discharge temperature measured by the steam discharge temperature measuring unit 50 is less than a certain range, it is determined that the steam trap is in a normal operating state.

It is preferable that the controller 60 is spaced apart and fixed to the lower part of the smart steam trap.

A controller fixing bracket 70 is used to fix the controller 60 to the lower part of the smart steam trap.

As shown in FIG. 4, the controller fixing bracket 70 consists of a receiving part 71, a first fixing part 72, and a second fixing part 73.

The storage unit 71 accommodates a controller.

The first fixing part 72 extends upward from one upper side of the receiving part 71 to attach the receiving part 71 to the outside of the steam inlet 11 of the steam flow body 10. It serves to keep it fixed.

The second fixing part 73 extends from one upper side of the receiving part 71 to the side and serves to be fixed to the outside of the condensate discharge part 30.

In addition, the present invention can use a battery or supply electricity by wire to supply electricity for the operation of the steam inlet temperature measurement unit 40 and the steam discharge temperature measurement unit 50.

Preferably, the steam inlet temperature measurement unit 40 and the steam discharge temperature measurement unit are in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the steam flow body 10 or the condensate discharge unit 30 to generate power by heat radiated to the outer peripheral surface thereof. A thermoelectric element (80) is provided to supply electricity for the operation of (50), so that electricity is supplied by itself.

At this time, the thermoelectric element 80 may be brought into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the vapor flow body 10 to generate power by the heat radiated, but as shown in FIG. It is desirable to install it in contact with it so that power is generated by the heat radiated.

When the thermoelectric element 80 is made to generate power by heat radiated in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the condensate discharge part 30, heat is not taken away from the steam passing through the steam flow body 10 and power is not generated, and when condensate is discharged, Since power is generated using waste heat radiated from condensate, thermal loss can be reduced as much as possible.

When using the thermoelectric element 80, a battery 90 (see FIGS. 2 to 4) that stores electricity generated by the thermoelectric element 80 is further provided, and the battery 90 is one of the above-described numbers. Make sure it is received in payment (71) (see Figure 4).

In addition, the installation height of the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 inside the steam inlet 11 is 1/3 from the top of the steam inlet 11, and the steam discharge temperature measuring unit 50 It is preferable that the installation height inside the steam discharge part 12 is at the bottom of the inside of the steam discharge part 12.

When the installation height of the steam inlet temperature measurement unit 40 inside the steam inlet 11 is higher than 1/3 of the point from the top of the steam inlet 11, the flow rate becomes slower toward the top of the pipe. Since the amount of steam is reduced, temperature measurement becomes inaccurate.

In addition, when the installation height of the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 inside the steam inlet 11 is lower than 1/3 of the point and 1/2 of the point from the top of the inside of the steam inlet 11, the steam inflow occurs. Since the speed of the steam is fast and the amount of steam flowing in is large, accurate temperature measurement becomes inaccurate.

When the installation height of the steam inlet temperature measurement unit 40 inside the steam inlet 11 is 1/3 from the top of the steam inlet 11, it becomes close to the average flow rate of the incoming steam. Accurate temperature measurement becomes possible.

When the installation height of the steam discharge temperature measurement unit 50 inside the steam discharge portion 12 becomes the lower end inside the steam discharge portion 12, condensate has a higher specific gravity than steam and accumulates at the bottom, If the condensate contained in the steam discharged to the steam discharge unit 12 contains condensate, the temperature drop will be large. Therefore, when condensate is discharged by the condensate discharge unit 30 according to the temperature drop, whether live steam is mixed or the condensate is discharged. It is advantageous to determine whether part 30 is blocked.

The technical idea of the present invention should not be interpreted as limited to the above-described embodiments. Not only is the scope of application diverse, but various modifications can be made at the level of those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Therefore, such improvements and changes fall within the scope of protection of the present invention as long as they are obvious to those skilled in the art.

10: steam flow body 11: steam inlet
12: Steam discharge part 13: Inflow side piping connection part
14: discharge side piping connection 20: water separation part
21: strain 22: orifice
23: upper chamber 24: disk
25: protrusion 30: condensate discharge part
40: Steam inlet temperature measurement unit 50: Steam discharge temperature measurement unit
60: Controller 70: Controller fixing bracket
71: storage part 72: first fixing part
73: second fixing part 80: thermoelectric element
90: battery

Claims (5)

A steam inlet 11 through which steam flows in on one side, a steam outlet 12 through which steam is discharged on the other side, and an inlet pipe provided at the inlet end of the steam inlet 11 and connected to the pipe. A steam flow body portion (10) provided with a connection portion (13) and a discharge side pipe connection portion (14) provided at the discharge side end of the steam discharge portion (12) and connected to a pipe to form a passage through which steam flows. ;
A water separator (20) provided inside the steam flow body (10) to separate steam and condensate;
Located between the vapor inlet 11 and the vapor outlet 12 of the vapor flow body 10, branched from the vapor flow body 10, and separated by the water separator 20. A condensate discharge unit 30 that discharges condensate from the steam flow body 10;
A steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 that is installed from the outside of the steam flow body 10 to the inside of the steam inlet 11 and measures the temperature of the steam flowing into the steam inlet 11;
A steam discharge temperature measuring unit 50 that is installed from the outside of the steam flow body 10 to the inside of the steam discharge unit 12 and measures the temperature of the steam discharged to the steam discharge unit 12;
By comparing the steam inlet temperature measured by the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 and the steam discharge temperature measured by the steam outlet temperature measuring unit 50, the blockage state of the condensate discharge unit 30 according to the temperature drop And a controller 60 that determines the state of mixing of live steam when discharging condensate by the condensate discharge unit 30,
Ensure that the controller 60 is fixed,
A storage portion 71 in which the controller 60 is stored,
A first fixing part 72 extending upward from one upper side of the receiving part 71 to secure the receiving part 71 to the outside of the steam inlet 11 of the steam flow body 10. and,
A controller fixing bracket 70 consisting of a second fixing part 73 extending from one upper side of the receiving part 71 to the side and fixed to the outside of the condensate discharge part 30 is further provided. Smart steam trap. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller 60:
If the temperature drop range between the steam inlet temperature measured by the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 and the steam discharge temperature measured by the steam outlet temperature measuring unit 50 exceeds a certain range or is below a certain range, notify the manager. A smart steam trap further equipped with a notification unit to notify. delete According to claim 1,
In contact with the outer peripheral surface of the steam flow body portion 10 or the condensate discharge portion 30, power is generated by heat radiated from the outer peripheral surface thereof, so that the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 and the steam discharge temperature measuring unit 50 are generated. A smart steam trap further equipped with a thermoelectric element (80) to supply electricity for operation. According to claim 1,
The installation height of the steam inlet temperature measuring unit 40 inside the steam inlet 11 is 1/3 from the top of the steam inlet 11,
A smart steam trap, characterized in that the installation height of the steam discharge temperature measuring unit (50) inside the steam discharge unit (12) is at the bottom of the inside of the steam discharge unit (12).

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