- Steam Theory
- 1. Basics of Steam
- 2. Steam Heating
- 3. Basics of Steam Traps
- 4. Steam Trap Selection
- Steam Trap Selection: How Application Affects Selection
- Steam Trap Selection: Understanding Specifications
- Steam Trap Selection: Safety Factor and Life Cycle Cost
- Traps and Orifices Part 1
- Traps and Orifices Part 2
- Casting vs. Forging
- Applications of Different Types of Steam Traps
- Don't Get Steamed : Selecting Steam Trap Design
- Understanding Steam Traps
- Compare Two Fixed Orifice Venturi Products to a Variable Orifice Free Float Steam Trap
- 5. Steam Trap Problems
- 6. Steam Trap Management
- 7. Water Hammer
- Water Hammer: What is it?
- Water Hammer: The Mechanism
- Water Hammer: Cause and Location
- Water Hammer: In Steam Distribution Lines
- Water Hammer: In Equipment
- Water Hammer: In Condensate Transport Piping
- Identifying Water Hammer Using a Thermal Camera
- Mitigation of Water Hammer in Vertical Flashing Condensate Transport Piping
- Stop Knocking Your Condensate Return
- Steam Trap Management: Do Something; Anything. Please!
- 8. Risk Mitigation
- 9. Steam Quality
- 10. Steam Distribution
- 11. Condensate Recovery
- Introduction to Condensate Recovery
- Returning Condensate and When to Use Condensate Pumps
- Condensate Recovery: Vented vs. Pressurized Systems
- Condensate Recovery Piping
- What is Stall?
- Methods of Preventing Stall
- Cavitation in Condensate Pumps
- Steam Heat Exchangers are Underworked and Over-Surfaced
- Allocate New Plant Focus to Steam System Design—Part 2
- 12. Energy Efficiency
- Tips to improve steam plant efficiency
- Advice on Winter Preparation for Steam Systems
- Insulating Traps
- Steam Compressors
- Why Save Energy?
- Management Strategies for Conserving Energy
- Recovering Steam Clouds and Waste Heat
- Waste Heat Recovery
- Boiler Energy Saving Tips
- Steam Line Energy Saving Tips
- Steam-Using Equipment Energy Saving Tips
- Preventing Steam Leaks
- Handle Steam More Intelligently
- Optimize the Entire Steam System
- Use Available Data to Lower System Cost
- 13. Compressed Air / Gas
- 14. Other Valves
The History of Steam Traps #1
Contents:
Mankind first began to use steam in industry following the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. Initially, steam was used as a motive source, to drive pumps, locomotives and the like.
After a time, the use of steam as a motive source declined and instead steam began to be more widely used as a heating source.
As you know, a characteristic of steam is that it condenses and changes to condensate when heat is used. In the beginning, the condensate was removed by either periodically opening a valve to blow out the condensate or by leaving a valve slightly open at all times to discharge the condensate while at the same time leaking steam (we touched on this in Steam Theory: What is a Steam Trap?).
The History of Steam Traps
Removing condensate by manually operating a valve is not only very bothersome, but it also leaks steam. As the number of applications that use steam grew, a valve to automatically remove condensate was developed, and this was the birth of the steam trap.
The first steam trap to make an appearance was a bucket type steam trap, developed in the first half of the 1800’s. The types developed in the early years of steam traps were a metal expansion type in the 1860’s, then an impulse type quite a bit later in the 1930’s, and finally in the 1940’s the disc type with which we are all familiar was developed. The latest technology is the Free Float® trap, which was first put into use in 1966. Cross-sectional views and summaries of each type of steam trap are found below.
The cross-sectional views show the present-day versions of each type of trap.
Early 1800’s - Bucket Type![]() Current Inverted Bucket Type By means of the buoyancy of the cylindrical bucket, the valve at the top opens and closes to intermittently discharge condensate. Unlike the trap shown in the cross-sectional view (Inverted bucket Type), in early bucket type traps the top of the ‘bucket’ was open (Open Bucket Type). |
1860’s – Metal Expansion Type![]() Current Bimetal Type At the beginning, a straight metal rod was used which could expand when the temperature became high, closing the valve located to the end of the rod. This type of trap is no longer used in the present day, having been superseded by bimetal type traps. Two types of metal with different heat expansion rates are combined into a bimetal element. When the ambient temperature fluctuates the shape of the bimetal element changes, controlling the opening and closing of the valve and the discharge of condensate. |
1930’s – Impulse Type![]() Current Impulse Type From the outside, the adjustment screw is used to set the amount of steam that flows in through the flange on the piston valve and the amount of steam that flows out the hole down through the center of the piston valve. The upward and downward movement of the piston valve opens and closes the valve opening, intermittently discharging condensate. |
1940’s – Disc Type![]() Current Disc Type Pressure fluctuations in the chamber above the disc valve result in the opening and closing of the disc valve. |
1966 – Free Float® Type![]() Current Free Float® Type Condensate is continually discharged while the size of the valve opening is controlled at all times by the amount of buoyant force acting upon the tightly-sealing float. The original floats were attached to a lever, but modern-day floats are spherical with the float itself acting as the valve. |
Features Required on Steam Traps
As we have seen, many different types of steam traps have been developed over the years. Each of the types we’ve touched on in this article is still in use today.
At present, it is considered essential that a steam trap, as a type of automatic valve, should have the following 3 features:
Depending on the type (operation principle, construction) of steam trap, these features have their relative strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, the modes of operation vary among the different types—there are types that discharge condensate continually and types that discharge condensate intermittently. The combination of these gives each type of steam trap its special characteristics.
In this article we’ve presented a rough history of the development of steam traps from their first appearance up to the present day. In The History of Steam Traps Pt 2 we’ll take a closer look at the construction and operation principles of each type of trap, as well as the changes each type of steam trap has undergone.
What is a Steam Trap? | The History of Steam Traps #2 |