During such operations, there may not be sufficient water inside an inverted bucket trap to create buoyancy. In superheated systems, there is often little condensate. Because of this, it is important to understand how steam traps operate in environments where condensate loads may be extremely low. Steam traps are a necessity in any system where condensate forms, even if it forms in very small volumes, such as in systems using superheated steam. Trap Selection Affects Operation in Low-Condensate Systems As such, in steam traps that drain intermittently, condensate will accumulate within the trap for as long as the valve remains closed. The flow of condensate from equipment and steam lines is generally continuous, regardless of how a particular steam trap operates.
Consequently, when the valve is closed, it can shut completely, with no condensate drained until a certain amount of steam is vented from the inside of the bucket. On the other hand, in steam traps that drain intermittently, condensate is not drained until a significant amount of vapor is vented from the bucket, thereby triggering the bucket to sink and the valve to open. Inverted Bucket Traps Offer Intermittent Drainage
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Additionally, the natural rotation of the Free Float® allows for an almost infinite number of contact points to seal the orifice, significantly reducing localized valve wear. A Free Float® is able to independently rise away from the orifice, allowing condensate to be drained free of obstruction. In TLV Free Float® traps, the float is not attached to a lever, and the float itself serves as the valve for the trap. However, due to the limited movement of the lever arm, the valve head often remains in the path of condensate flow, which may result in an extra pulling force acting to close the valve during high flow conditions. As condensate enters the trap, the float becomes buoyant and moves the lever, causing the trap valve to open. In lever float designs, a float is attached to a lever that controls the valve. There are two basic designs used for float traps: lever float and Free Float®. The float responds to condensate flow, opening and closing the valve to compensate accordingly. In float traps, the position of the float is affected directly by the level of condensate in the trap. Float traps typically utilize a sealed spherical float, while inverted bucket traps utilize a buoyant, cylindrical cup turned upside-down.īuoyancy is the key force operating at the core of both types of mechanical traps, but their structures and principles of operation are quite different. There are two main types of mechanical steam traps: float traps and inverted bucket traps. This is one of their distinct advantages over thermostatic and thermodynamic steam traps, whose performances can be affected by external factors such as rain, wind, or even insulation.
Mechanical traps are able to operate in precise response to the flow of condensate without their performance being compromised by most external factors. In mechanical traps, the valve opens and closes due to the movement of a float that rises and sinks with the flow of condensate. Mechanical traps are steam traps that operate on the principle of specific gravity (specifically the difference in the specific gravities of water and steam), unlike other types of steam traps that rely on temperature change or velocity/phase change.
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