172-65173MA-04 (J3B/JF3B) 4 Oct 2021
5
Operation
Principles of air and condensate discharge:
1. Start-up Air and Cold Condensate Discharge
At start-up, before steam is supplied the system
is cold and the bimetal plate is flexed downward,
keeping the air vent valve (A) open. This allows
for the rapid discharge of air through the vent (A)
and cold condensate through the orifice (B) when
steam is first supplied to the system.
2. Condensate Discharge
After the discharge of initial air and cold
condensate, the heat of the inflowing steam and
condensate cause the bimetal plate to flex
upward, closing the air vent valve (A). The rising
condensate level causes the float to rise due to
buoyancy, opening the orifice (B) and allowing
condensate to be discharged. The flexed bimetal
plate keeps the vent closed and will not open
again during normal operation.
3. Discharge of Large Quantities of Condensate
Increases in the condensate inflow rate cause
the condensate level in the trap to rise. The float
consequently rises and enlarges the opening of
the orifice (B), allowing more condensate to be
discharged. In this manner, continuous
condensate discharge occurs while the opening
size of the orifice varies depending on the
condensate flow rate.
4. Closed Position
When the condensate flow rate decreases, the
float falls, closing off the orifice (B) opening. A
water seal is maintained at all times over the
orifice (B) to prevent steam loss. On equipment
where steam-locking or air-binding tends to
occur, system integrity can be maintained by
operating the properly adjusted lock release
valve.
Flash
Steam
Air
Steam
Condensate
Lock Release
Valve
