BEST PRACTICES

Water Hammer Overview

On several locations in the steam and condensate system we noticed water hammering. There are two sorts of water hammer: hydraulic water hammer and thermic water hammer. Hydraulic water hammer occurs on incorrect designed or missing drip legs. If steam condenses in the steam pipes, the condensate in these steam Lines must be removed as soon as possible.

Too much condensate in the steam line often indicates radiation losses (missing or bad insulation), however also a failing desuperheater can cause high amounts of condensate in steam lines. Too much condensate in steam lines may cause corrosion Too much condensate in steam lines may cause erosion in elbows Too much condensate in steam lines may cause water hammer Radiation losses on a steam line will (especially at start up) generate a small layer of condensate at the bottom of the steam pipe. When the demand for steam rises, the velocity of the steam will rise. As the velocity increases the condensate will be dragged along with the steam. With a velocity of 80-110 km/h (50-60 mile/h) the condensate will collide with the inside wall of the first elbow it passes. The condensate will back up in front of this elbow, and partially close the passage for steam. As a result of this blockage, the local steam velocity will rise, and the collected volume of condensate will be dragged along with the steam again. At the next elbow this much heavier ball of condensate will again hit the pipe wall. This is giving excessive pressure peaks and is very dangerous. Steam lines should be installed on a correct slope, and should have sufficient drip legs. A simple drain in a straight pipe will not do the job; most of the condensate will pass this drain with a high velocity. The only way to drain the condensate from a steam line is by the use of a proper sized drip leg, preferably at the bottom end of a vertical steam line. The condensate must be allowed to drain by gravity to the drip leg, even when there are high steam velocities in the pipe.

Thermic water hammer is usually caused by imploding flash steam in condensate return lines and heat exchangers. Flash steam is generated when condensate pressure is decreased, at a location where the condensate temperature is higher than the steam saturation temperature at the lower pressure. For example, a heat exchanger operating at a steam pressure of 3 bar(g) (58 psig) (saturation temperature 142.7C/288F) will generate condensate at 142.7C288F. If this condensate is reduced to a pressure of 0,2 bar(g) (saturation temperature 104.8C/220F) flash steam will be generated: the condensate is 142.7-104.8=37.9C too hot. The sensible heat of this 37.9C/100F is used to re-evaporate part of the condensate to steam of 0.2 bar(g)/17 psig. The flash percentage can be calculated in the following way: Enthalpy condensate high pressure Enthalpy condensate low pressure ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- x 100% Enthalpy steam low pressure Enthalpy condensate low pressure The value of the Enthalpy can be found in steam tables. Instead of using the pressures we can also use the temperatures before and after the pressure drop.

In the example the pressure drop is from 3 bar(g) to 0,2 bar(a): 601 kJ/kg 439 kJ/kg -------------------------------- x 100% = 7,2% 2737 kJ/kg 439 kJ/kg Also the specific volume of steam can be found in steam tables. For 0.2 bar(g) it is 1428 liter per kg. In the example, with a condensate load of 1 kg will generate 0,928 kg condensate with a volume of 0,928 liter. Also generated is 0,072 kg steam with a volume of 0,072 x 1428 = 102,8 liter. Both the steam and the condensate have a temperature of 104,8C. Most condensate lines should therefore be seen as steam lines and not as water lines. When condensate is flowing at different temperatures and are mixed together, the flash steam will heat up the coldest condensate. The flash steam will condense very fast, causing a very sudden pressure drop (vacuum) at the mixing point. These implosions may locally cause very high flow velocities with water hammer as a result. Water hammer may lead towards extremely hazardous situations, and may cause severe damage to steam and condensate systems. It is of great importance to localize and eliminate water hammer in a steam and condensate system.