CRITICAL DESIGN REPORT

Improvement on Steam Supply Circulation towards Smart System

Prepared by: OOI WOEI SONG

PROBLEM STATEMENT
Current Problem: unknown steam flow rate inside production lines not enough temperature inside main oven too high temperature inside pre-leaching tanks, acid tanks and alkaline tanks manually adjusting steam valve to control temperature discharging return hot water issue occurred on line VL14DD to VL17DD back pressure issue & water-hammering wastage in heat and biomass Current Situation: Boiler side is producing around 42ton/hr to 60ton/hr of hot steam to production lines which depending on how many lines are running on that day. The steam flow rate for respective boilers are fluctuating in every moment. Inconsistent steam flow rate in lines, empty link, changing line speed and etc are suspected to cause such issue. Production side frequently having bypass problem due to low temperature inside oven (lower than 100C) will prompt to quality problem to the gloves. By theoretically explained, the oven having low temperature is caused by low pressure in steam supply. However, after investigation has been made, the temperature inside oven will still maintain above 100C (110C to 120C) when the pressure on steam header dropped to 8.0 Bar. For pre-leaching tanks, many cases on too high temperature, although it will not pose any quality problem but it is already exceeded the standard temperature set by production department. If the temperature value is not important on pre-leaching tanks, why we still need to install temperature controller to alarm the line-boy? To lower down the temperature for pre-leaching tanks, acid tanks and alkaline tanks, workers are adjusting the steam valves without scaling. Hence, it required constantly monitoring by line-boys on the temperature value to keep the value in standard. Discharging return hot water caused a big problem to IETS department as it prevent the lowering down the temperature on recycle water. It may kill the bacteria inside the treatment tanks. To discharge the return hot water, production line can maintain the temperature inside ovens and tanks. Thus, this shows a bad return flowing rate! To maintain the temperature inside the ovens and tanks, what boiler side can do is providing more steam supply to the production side. Production side, removing the floating ball inside steam traps to increase the steam flow rate, discharging which is the action that throwing away steam; increase heatexchange efficiency, and burning excessive biomass to solve this problem. What a waste!

MODIFICATION
Enhancement: Moving towards automation separate out High Pressure Steam Loads from Low Pressure Steam Loads install electro-controlling valves for High Pressure Steam Load install Pressure Reduce Valve (PRV) for Low Pressure Steam Load install self-acting Temperature Controls for tanks Towards Smart System:
Steam Header

Dearator PUMP PUMP Boilers Condensate Receivers Tanks

Steam Trap Steam Trap

High Pressure Steam Load

Main Oven Coagulant Oven Final Drying Oven

Feed Water Tank

Low Pressure Steam Load PUMP

Acid Tank Alkaline Tank Pre-leaching Tank Coagulant Tank

PUMP
Water Steam

Storage Tanks

Diagram 1: Current situation

Steam Header Electro-control Valve

Dearator PUMP PUMP Boilers Condensate Receivers Tanks

Steam Trap Steam Trap Temperature sensor

High Pressure Steam Load

Main Oven Coagulant Oven Final Drying Oven

PRV
Steam Header

Self Acting Temperature controls

Feed Water Tank

Rod sensor

Low Pressure Steam Load

Acid Tank Alkaline Tank Pre-leaching Tank Coagulant Tank

PUMP

PUMP

Storage Tanks

Water Steam Temperature control

Diagram 2: After modification

One of the main reason that caused low steam flow is high pressure steam loads (ovens) are directly connected to the low pressure steam loads (tanks), refer to diagram 1. The steam return from ovens is separated by the piping where the steam has to partially flow to the tanks for further heat-exchanging and part of the steam will flow back to the condensate receiver tanks where the return pipe size is not big enough to support the return flow rate. To be frank, it was a perfect save cost system to use back the heat from return steam, but the current situation does not show as what we yearn for. Bad steam flow, heat waste, excessive burning and etc. From those problems, we have to think back why most factories are not working like that, but separating out the high pressure steam load from low pressure steam load. To improve the steam flow, this is the key to remedy current problems. After separating, high pressure steam load and low pressure steam load have different cycle. We can manage the steam flow rate for respective cycles, where steam consumption can be saved. For ovens, we can install electro-controlling valve to monitor the steam flow into heater instead of providing free flow. With this automatic valve, it can control the temperature inside heaters by allowing some steam to flow in when temperature inside heater is lowering down and blocking steam to flow when temperature inside heater is exceeded certain value. This valve can be set to maintain the heater temperature within the range. Furthermore, it can control the amount of steam return as well. That's solved the slow steam flow in return pipe to the condensate receiver tanks. Low pressure steam loads are the main factor that causing back pressure effect. To reduce the temperature inside tanks, workers will close the steam valve to lower down the steam flow. If the steam valve is closed to the point that pressure in the heat exchanger is less than the condensate back pressure, the heat exchanger will unintentionally flood. This decreases thermal performance and can lead to backpressure effect. More pressure is required to push the water back to storage tanks. Therefore, it will indirectly affect the return hot water flow rate. Separating cycles shows the importance on isolating the main oven from affected by the back pressure at low pressure steam loads. For low pressure steam load cycle, it does not require too much of pressure which means consuming less steam. An extra piping has to be installed directly from main steam supply through PRV to reduce down the pressure to certain level (3 to 5 Bar). PRV can be used to control the steam flow into the low pressure steam loads. Hence, pressure in main steam supply can be controlled well at 9.5Bar. With the stable steam header pressure, boiler side can save cost from burning excessive biomass. Furthermore, the electro-controlling valve can function well with the constant steam supply. To control the temperature for those tanks, we should install self-acting temperature controls at the steam supply pipe. With this control, the temperature can be maintained at certain range. Normally, the temperature requirement for acid tanks, alkaline tanks and coagulant tanks will not exceed 80C. Hence, this control can limit the steam flow into the tanks, after heat-exchanging, most of the steam will turn into water. Currently, those return water is pushed into storage tanks by the steam pressure after passing through steam traps. But after modification, we will not be using pressure to push it but with pascal principle (water within one open system will have the same water level under atmospheric pressure), to allow water to flow from bottom into the storage tanks. Motor pumps in storage tank will pump back the return water into the feed water tank to further reduce the water level. Hence, return water will more ease to flow into the storage tanks. The design was shown in figure below.

30 Tanks Storage tanks

Same Water Level

Summary on Overall Operation: 1. Fresh steam will pump into steam header pipe from boiler side 2. Fresh steam will flow through electro-controlling valves into ovens 3. When the temperature inside ovens reached the standard temperature, electro-controlling valves will stop the steam supply 4. When the temperature drops lower than standard temperature, electro-controlling valves will open to allow steam flow 5. Return steam from ovens after passing through steam traps will flow back to the condensate receiver tanks (Return steam after steam traps will still contain around 7-8Bar which is sufficient to flow back to the condensate receiver tanks) 6. Fresh steam will flow into low pressure steam loads( acid tanks, alkaline tanks, coagulant tanks and pre-leaching tanks) after passing through PRV and self-acting temperature control 7. PRV will limit the steam pressure inside the low pressure steam loads to control the steam consumption 8. Self-acting temperature control will monitor the temperature inside tanks 9. When the temperature inside tanks reached the standard temperature, self-acting temperature control will stop the steam supply 10. When the temperature drops lower than standard temperature, self-acting temperature control will open to allow steam flow 11. Steam flowed into tanks will turn to water after heat-exchanging process 12. Water will flow down to the bottom and steam will trap on top of the pipe which created a simple steam trap system 13. With Pascal Principle, water will automatically fill up the place inside storage tanks 14. Motor in storage tanks will pump the water return to the feed water tank for further process

Equipment Suggested: Electro-pneumatic control valve for steam -use to control steam flow rate from steam header supply to the ovens Thermostats Self-acting Temperature Controls -use to control steam flow rate to the low pressure steam load