Steam trap testing using ultrasound: Avoid enormous waste and deterioration with the SDT270.

A defective steam trap can lead to an enormous waste of energy and steam. It can also cause significant equipment deterioration, as well as a loss of production quality. Paradoxically, maintenance programs often neglect steam trap monitoring.

Improving steam systems is a concern for every industry. The petrochemical industry, agribusiness, pulp&paper, energy producers and many others need clean steam in an efficient network. Converting water to steam requires a great deal of energy. This means that steam is an expensive resource which should be considered an investment worth protecting.

Steam is an expensive heat-transfer fluid, costing about €30/Tonne. Repairing a single leaking thermodynamic trap can save at least €2500 per year. Identifying that small float trap (discharge port = 3.2 mm) which is stuck open can save €5000/year at 6bar steam pressure and €7400/year at 10bar. The principal steam trap manufacturers recognise that, on average in an uncontrolled environment, around 30% of steam traps will not be working properly. How many traps do you have?

The combination of ultrasound and temperature measurements is recognised to be the best monitoring strategy for steam traps. This is what the SDT270 offers. Detecting healthy and faulty steam trap function can be carried out during production and in noisy environments.

Click this link to see a short video explaining how ultrasound testing of steam traps works : http://ow.ly/TFv7z