Steam trap replacement saves chemical plant GBP50k

A Spirax Sarco survey of the steam system at Great Lakes Chemicals at Trafford Park in Manchester have led to substantial energy savings and improvements in maintenance procedures

Surveys conducted in 2001 analysed all 749 of the site steam traps and found that 20% had failed, wasting an estimated ?77,000 of steam generation costs per year.

A further survey of the entire steam system resulted in several recommendations for improvements.

The most cost effective of these was to return condensate back to the boiler-house from clean systems.

Previously, concerns about contamination had led the company to dump all condensate to ground, losing an estimated ?1,000 per week in energy.

Now, about 80% of condensate is recovered.

Subsequent replacement of faulty steam traps, the installation of condensate pumps and other measures to recover condensate have all contributed to a substantial drop in steam consumption.

Spirax Sarco estimates the measures have saved more than ?50,000 in energy over the past year alone.

This equates to a payback of well under one year.

Almost all of the sites steam traps were not manufactured by Spirax Sarco: the defective ones are being replaced by the latest Spirax Sarco Quick-Fit traps.

Quick-Fit steam trapping stations cut the time to replace a steam trap from up to two hours to as little as four minutes.

Each steam trap is secured to a pipeline connector by two bolts that can be quickly removed to replace the trap.

The connector also incorporates valves to isolate the steam supply to the trap during its replacement, which is a further benefit as the site Maintenance Manager, Mr Keith Murphy, explains: "We work in a highly safety-conscious environment and we must have secure isolation before carrying out any maintenance".

It has not always been easy to identify a good means of isolation with plant that is up to 30 years old.

The Spirax Sarco Quick-Fit trapping stations solve this by providing obvious and fast isolation.

The surveys have also helped the site maintenance procedures to shift from being reactive to a more efficient proactive approach, says Mr Murphy.

"Previously, our maintenance engineers would have to work at short notice as faults arose, with no diagnostic tools.

A key part of our improvement plan is to have tasks actioned in a planned manner with people and materials available, before failing equipment causes a problem.

This helps avoid production delays and will enable us to cut our overall maintenance and energy costs".

Mr Murphy has instigated annual surveys to help plan maintenance but is looking to increase their frequency to twice-yearly in critical areas.

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