Energy Recovery

MEI's permanent condensate removal system is a solution for recovering energy in your steam system

Our customers consistently report fuel savings of between 10% and 25% for their trapped steam.  Enercon's venturi orifice traps are about 5% more efficient than new mechanical steam traps when first installed, and they retain their efficiency indefinitely. The main reasons for the improved efficiency of the venturi traps are:

1. Conventional traps typically have a lifespan of 3 to 5 years (3 years running 24/7). Your trap manufacturer can give you the life expectancy for your conventional traps.  Because they are constantly opening and closing, mechanical traps become increasingly less efficient over time until they begin to leak and, finally, fail, losing large amounts of steam. Most plants with large trap populations do not repair or replace 25-33% of their steam traps every year as they should, because they have higher priorities for their maintenance staff.
2. A properly operating mechanical trap cycles six times a minute. A 100-trap system will 'open and shut' 36,000 times an hour. Each time the trap opens there is a small pressure drop, which is easily demonstrated.  All of these little pressure drops need to be made up at the boiler.
3. The cycling of conventional traps causes sluggish returns.  However, with Enercon orifices, there is always a specific direction for condensate to flow.

Even plants that repaired or replaced all of their mechanical traps less than a year before converting to Enercon's system have reported improvements in fuel efficiency and heat transfer.

Reduce boiler pressure

Plants that are completely converted can usually reduce their boiler pressure. They no longer need to run boilers at higher pressures to compensate for system pressure losses.  The lower the pressure, the more fuel is saved.

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Because the Enercon venturi traps don't wear out, greenhouse gas reductions associated with fuel savings are permanent.  Converting a mechanical steam trap system to the Enercon System is a profitable way to reduce greenhouse gases.

Water and chemical savings

Along with energy recovery, most plants don't have to reheat and chemically treat many thousands of gallons of fresh water that would otherwise end up in a wastewater treatment facility.