Vapor Lock and Exchanger Flooding in Steam Systems

Vapor Lock and Exchanger Flooding in Steam Systems 

The interaction of a steam reboiler with its condensate collection system can be very simple or very complex. Simple in the sense that the plant operators are satisfied to drain the steam condensate to the sewer from the channel head of the steam reboiler or feed preheater. Complex if the operators are trying to route the condensate back to the steam generation (boiler house) for recovery and reuse. 

In many refineries, the ratio of fresh BFW (boiler feedwater) to steam generation is so high (70-80 percent) that one has to wonder, what has happened to most of the steam condensate Mainly, due to design errors, the plant operators have been forced to divert the condensate to the sewer. 

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