Open or closed steam condensate system

Steam condensate systems can be open or closed. In open systems, after the condensate drain, condensate enters the condensate collection tank, which is connected to the atmosphere and is not under excess pressure, and then is pumped into the boiler room with the help of a pump. In this case, the temperature of the condensate in the tank is about 100 ° C.

The advantage of such a system is a lower initial investment, as well as ease of installation.

In closed condensate recovery systems, the condensate does not come into contact with the surrounding atmosphere, in such systems it is under pressure during the entire recovery process, therefore its temperature can be significantly higher than 100 ° C, and this saves energy for heating the condensate and, most importantly, eliminates the loss of secondary steam.

Conditions for choosing the type of system

Two indicators are used to select a system:

condensate recovery factor
condensate pressure

Pivot table

-	Open system	Closed system
Maximum condensate return temperature	100 ° C	180 ° C and above *
system configuration	Simple	Complex
Initial costs	Low	High
Energy efficiency	Depends on the system (losses increase with increasing steam condensing pressure)	Maximum
Corrosion of pipelines	High (condensate comes into contact with air)	Practically absent
Loss of secondary steam	Large amount (increases with increasing steam condensation pressure)	Practically absent
Chemical consumption prepared water	High	Minor