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Reduction of Steam Consumption Intensity by Improving BIPC Steam Trap Stations

Short summery:

Spirax Sarco STMS project enabled Bandar Imam Petrochemical Company (BIPC), to 2.2% reduction of steam consumption intensity. BIPC is one of the largest industrial establishments which is located on the North West coast of the Persian Gulf. This location has been chosen due to its easy access to feed stocks, the main national roads, railway network, as well as international waterway.

There are about 6000 steam trap stations in the steam distribution system of Bandar Imam Petrochemical Company (BIPC). The design and execution of these stations dates back to 1970s, therefore having a huge potential steam loss due to a number of reasons.
Timeworn steam trap stations were facing many defects and problems such as the excess of number of connections due to having separate elements and by the passage of time, an increase in the leakage factor. Another reason was the old version of stop valves in the station; they were gland packing type and had a great amount of steam wastage. In addition the old and rusty steam traps were not on the bases of the latest technology and therefore not working properly.

Project Aims:

The project was designed to standardize trap stations on the basis of latest technology, to reduce the potential steam loss, to reduce the steam consumption intensity and to increase the energy efficiency in the steam distribution line. Obviously by reducing the steam supplied there is a reduction in fuel consumed and a total saving.

Detailed Project Description:

For the first time in Iran, Bandar Imam Petrochemical company started a project named Steam Trap Management System (STMS). This project was offered and executed by Sazeh Paydar Ideh, the chief representative of Spirax Sarco in Iran.

From five years back, Paydar Ideh started to conduct training courses for more than 1200 personnel and consulted over different issues on the steam and condensate line in BIPC.

An office was outfit for this purpose and an excessive teamwork was started from February 07 to August 08. An appropriate time table was set, the related drawings were improved and the existing documents were checked. The technical team identified the steam distribution line and denoted them on the bases of the passing steam pressure. They surveyed, tagged and tested the steam trap stations of the whole site and filled up the related check lists.

There were three ways for testing the steam traps: visual, temperature and ultrasonic tests. It was confirmed whether the steam traps were suitable for the application, working correctly, or failed in the open or closed position. In the existing drawing the steam lines relating to the steam traps were highlighted and redrawn separately.

The information was entered into a computerized Steam Trap Management System which showed a full inventory of the traps, their location, status and suitability for the application. Failed traps were highlighted and steam losses calculated gave payback times on replacement of the failed traps.
A comprehensive report was made which contained a short summery on the project detail and different turnouts from the recorded data such as the number of steam traps facing physical problems, their failure list and the station requirements. On the other hand the stores had to be checked and the ones becoming out of order had to be removed. By analyzing the report, 4500 stations could be replaced by compact stations, but the priority was with 2700 of them; the ones having more problems and wastage.
Therefore a team was set to purchase the needed compact stations from Spirax Sarco, according to the set report. The replacement and installation of the old ones was implemented, From March 08 to March 09.

Benefits:

According to the documents, the numbers of elements are reduced from 20,651 to 6,311. The used stop valves are completely sealed. The latest technology is used, 676 ton/year potential steam loss is saved, 0.035 reduction of steam consumption intensity which is equal to 2.2% and 23 ton/hr reduction of steam consumption which costs about Euro 1,319,037 annually is achieved. Euro 140,218 fuel is saved and the payback period is about 1.5~2 years. Its environmental effect was 10% reduction of CO2 emissions.

After its successful execution, this project, this project was implemented in many companies such as Amir Kabir, Tondgouyan, Fajr, etc. Petrochemicals and Behran and Pars Oil Refineries.