As shown in fig. insulation of steam pipelines is not sufficient and losses in steam distribution system are very high. As piping work and insulation provided is done by local person, also installation of boiler is not as per standards. Boiler efficiency is very poor causing more fuel consumption and high production cost. Hence re-design of steam system is necessary.
By proper inspection and observation during the training period in swami textiles, we concluded some of the reasons behind it.Some of the main reasons we have considered are,1. Due to use of inefficient wood fired boiler the quality of steam is lowered at the generation so that it is getting wet near to the process equipment. Wood has lower calorific value and improper maintenance may cause of lower quality steam.2.
Decreased quality of steam may be because of lower quality insulation on the steam carrying pipes or thickness of insulation is more than the critical thickness of insulation for given condition. So improper insulation is the major factor affecting the quality of steam.3.
Improper pipeline diameters and unnecessary length of the steam carrying pipe cause the pressure drop in the pipe so the condensation of steam takes place. Sometimes it also lowers the velocity and this cause the loss of heat to the surrounding by heat transfer.
