Rethinking the Routine:

Anyone focused on the process productivity of their steam system will be acutely aware of their steam traps' performance. Potentially, sleepless nights can be caused when you know the effects of failed steam traps on your plant, reducing efficiency, causing downtime to remedy the situation, or even introducing the risk of water hammer.

Steam traps that are not functioning correctly will cause concern for others, too. Those with an eye on a business's sustainability, or profitability, will have reason to worry about the resulting increase in fuel consumption and reduced ability to meet stringent environmental targets.

Knowing that your steam traps will, at some point, fail, at least acknowledges the fact. It also led to the usual approach to mitigate the effects of steam trap failures: introducing regular steam trap surveys or audits. Exactly how often these are conducted varies tremendously, depending on the steam system. For example, the U.S. Dept. of Energy has suggested these intervals, determined by the operating pressures of the traps:

• High-Pressure (150 psig and above): Weekly to Monthly
  
  
• Medium-Pressure (30 to 150 psig): Monthly to Quarterly
  
  
• Low-Pressure (below 30 psig): Annually

These are "recommended" intervals; not obligatory standards. The same body has said that:

If you search online archives for statistics on steam trap failures, the costs in terms of lost energy, reduced operational performance, and the expected life span of traps, you will find many wildly varying examples. But one thing is for certain: at some point, as with all mechanisms, failure (either by being permanently open or closed) will happen. Estimates are that an average-quality trap might only have a four-year operational life versus eight years for the higher-quality steam traps produced at GESTRA.

There is a connection with the traditional, manual form of steam trap testing here. You may have the most astute, dedicated engineers looking at your steam trap population's health, but outside "noise" may still lead to the wrong result. Similarly, the quality of the ultrasonic and temperature data given by a WSTM device is of utmost importance. And how that data is interpreted is also vital.

GESTRA's WSTM solution is linked to its IoT (internet of things) platform, building a repository of valuable data on past performance. This may be accessed remotely, via a customised portal. These insights will be critical to preventing failures before they happen and help prepare your business as the demands to meet operational efficiencies and emissions-related regulations grow.

Operational efficiency and cost control have long been watchwords for businesses looking for long-term growth. Today, sustainability and process optimisation join those as forward-thinking businesses navigate the net zero journey. If steam is part of your process, continuing with past practices is no longer enough. Embracing every opportunity to improve steam generation, distribution, and utilisation is crucial for securing its future.

It is unlikely that steam traps will ever be replaced. The need for them remains constant in any system. But, we can evolve to ensure that their work is completed as efficiently and not just assume that the way things used to be is how they always must be.