Corus’s Trostre Steel Works in
Llanelli has installed Thermal
Energy International’s GEM Venturi
orifice steam traps as part of a
continuous improvement
programme into energy conservation
and CO2 reduction.

TEI was asked to survey the
continuous annealing process line
and V Stand Mill and found that of
the 12 steam traps surveyed 25% had
failed closed and 17% had failed
open. This was increasing energy and
creating additional CO2 emissions.

Now, 18 GEM Venturi orifice
steam traps have replaced mechanical
steam traps on the process line. Based
on nominal consumption rates of
600t of steam a week, the traps are
providing around 5% energy savings
which equates to £0.5K a week based
on a gas tariff of £4.4/GJ and
condensate waste treatment costs.

Payback on the GEM steam traps is
expected in about 30 weeks.

The traps use the venturi orifice
design to drain condensate from the
system without losing steam.