Venturis
Steam is considered by the Department of Energy to be one of the technologies of the future. The use of steam is the optimal way to perform certain types of industrial work. One of the keys to efficient use of steam is in how the condensate is removed or trapped during and after the heat transfer processes. Traditional technologies to trap steam and eliminate condensate include the use of moving parts which fail over time. An innovation introduced in the 1960s in the US Navy was fixed orifice plates and later nozzles (venturis), basically a permanent part with no moving parts, but which requires proper sizing in order to successfully implement. When the patents for venturis lapsed in the 1980s, many companies began innovating on product development and marketing. To date, only a small percentage of the world market has adapted to using venturis. eSteamG’s innovation builds on a successful algorithm for sizing the orifice and adds a unique marketing philosophy not widely seen with other venturi companies.
eSteamG offers venturis to fit socket-weld or threaded pipe sizes ½”, ¾”, and 1” as standard products. eSteamG offers custom products, including custom flanged assemblies for special applications. eSteamG coontinues to recognize the best practice of marrying the venturi unit with a suitable Y-strainer to protect the orifice and a blow-down valve to clear out the screen of the Y-strainer. eSteamG will work with seasoned venturi users who recognize this best practice and offer the venturi unit alone.
Here are examples of accomplishments by the eSteamG team:
- Sawmills – 34 full mill conversions to venturis during 2003-2008 – wood drying kilns and steam distribution systems for an average reported 10% gain in throughput
- Plywood Plants – multiple plant conversions to venturis 2005-2009 – new and retrofit plywood presses, several retrofit veneer dryers for a demonstrated increase in throughput of 4-8%, multiple particleboard presses, and one plant optimization that enabled the successful compliance with new glue standards
- Paper Mills – one full conversion and multiple partial conversions of 20% or greater
- Oil Sands of Alberta – a new construction project in Ft McMurray in 2008 – custom flanged venturi assemblies for 100% of the steam distribution system plus a system of five large heat exchangers for the extraction water heaters, using 400 Tons per hour of steam combined;
- Oil Refinery in Alberta – 100% retrofit of a small refinery in Peace River in 2007