Inveno Engineering LLC’s Virtual Engineering Support – Root Cause Analysis

Virtual Steam System Engineering Support is Inveno Engineering, LLC’s latest offering to support our clients during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Access to plant operations can be limited because of the pandemic as well as for a variety of other reasons. The need for engineering support, however, does not change. We have developed the following program to meet the plant needs.
Here’s how it works:
1. Plant provides information on the current issue or problem with your steam system. The submittals can be in the following areas:
a. Safety,
b. Reliability,
c. Operations,
d. Performance,
e. Energy,
f. Problem Analysis and Solutions
2. Our engineers review the problem. If more information is required, our engineers will respond to you by teleconference or email.
3. Reviews are encompassing with;
a. Identification,
b. Documentation,
c. Benchmarking,
d. Our steam system engineering team will be using the latest engineering tools to assist in the virtual diagnosis and analysis
4. Test equipment can even be provided to the facility for any necessary testing (if required), with training and support
5. After our engineers have concluded the investigation, the engineering team will develop and provide the following:
a. Video presentation outlining investigation and the roadmap for remediating the problem.
b. Written narrative on the video presentation
c. Typically, a conference call within a week to follow-up on the root cause analysis study.
y.

My name is Kelly Paffel, technical manager from Inveno Engineering LLC. We would like to review case study number 28 root cause analysis, a loss of production temperatures in the process. This a root cause analysis was done on a rotating dryer process. The dryer had a loss of temperatures during operation which was causing issues with production, product, rejects and slowing the machine systems down due to the dryer surface temperatures are inconsistent or not a steady temperature for, the different process applications that are occurring through the system. Therefore, review for operation, installation and safety compliance. Well, the items that came to our attention immediately was there needs to be a pressure gauge at the inlet of this process here. There was a questionnaire exactly what pressure is after the control valves. The steam pressure that’s coming through, isolation valves, strainer, and a control valve.
Therefore, we really need to know what pressure is coming into those process units right here. The other thing is the ball valves are installed here on the system. Do not meet code compliance. They’re not rated for the pressure and temperature of this operating system, therefore they need to be changed. The next item we looked at was the review of the steam hoses. The steam hose has reduced connections here. And then one of the things that reduce connections is that restricts the flow of steam going into the dry or rotating dryer and condensate coming out of the dryer. And we don’t if the connections are an inch and a half-inch and a half, what was his unrestricted flow? The other thing that happens is that a dryer hoses do not meet be 30 one. one code requirements that for us, they’re not in code compliance. , one other item here is though, Oh, it should come down a little bit further, more vertical to assist in the siphoning action of removing the condensate from the rotating dryer.
Next is we looked at the condensate drainage side and this is the kind of sate coming down here. , there is a strainer here, but the Cerner did not have a blow-off valve on the strainer. , we had to shut the system down and, take a look at the strainer was probably around 35% plugged, which was restricting flow coming to the steam trap. The steam trap located here is the correct steam trap. It’s a float and thermostatic design steam trap. However, on, an investigation we found the steam trap does not have the correct Orifice – and there was a small orifice which was again reducing the capacity of the steam trap. The other thing that I’m rotating dryers that we’d like to do is come off and bypass around the steam trap with a needle valve and come back and put a condensate return system.
So we get some blow through steam which assists in the evacuation of a rotating dryer. The other thing on the system is that during operation there is theme links from the threaded connections and we want to eliminate threaded connections as much as possible or totally. The other item was there was a check valve in the system. Again, restricting the flow and this particular system, there is no need for a check valve because backflow can not occur. And the last item is putting a pressure gauge here. So we know the condensate return line pressure because the steam trap is a Delta P device P one at the AMA and P two here at the output. So pressure gauges always tell us the pressures that occur. , always say what happens to Morrow short term, , replaced the steam hoses, , with correct size and code compliant.
, correct. The steam trap, orifice and we’ll send technical datasheets along with this email on this presentation. Isolation valves of course need to be replaced cause they’re not in code compliance with this. A safety issue installed pressure gauges so we know the steam pressures and the condensate line pressures and install a ball valve on the strainer. So we got a PM blow downs of the stringer and remember the check valve. It’s under restriction in the piping and there’s no need for the ball valve. A R S check belt, the install of ball valves for isolation. Always highly recommend design standards. Standardize on a proper steam trap station. This happens to be a steam trap station, , using tubing tube connectors, ball valves for isolation. , back here is the blow off valve for the strainer that’s built internally and the steam trap located a very small compact package and eliminates threaded connections. Just one of many, , steam trap station designs. Um, here is our approach, short term, we do steam balancing, steam reliability, and steam engineering and training. Long term, we do process changes, , lowering steam costs, increasing. What liability. Do you have any questions regarding this correction roadmap? , you can contact us at any of these emails and we’d be more than happy to have a conference call and discussed, all our findings. Thank you for your time. Have a great day.