[0001] The subject-matter of the invention is a clean steam generator which is supplied
with process/power steam and generates steam meeting the hygiene requirements, and
thus is applicable in medical, pharmaceutical and food industries.
[0002] Clean steam generators used so far are constructed in such a way that the main tube/plate
exchanger in which steam is generated is connected through the inlet and the outlet
with the tank which at the same time is the tank supplying the exchanger with water
and the separation tank possessing a steam space and a water space, which is regulated
with the water level regulator. In this system the water/steam circulation is possible,
and water dosing occurs into the tank and the exchanger, because the exchanger and
the tank constitute a system of connected vessels. In the tank, storage of the feed
water and separation of steam occur, and dosing of water up to the assumed level is
regulated by the sensor on the separation tank. Clean steam condensate can return
to the exchanger installed in parallel.
[0003] The purpose of the invention is to develop a design of a small-size clean steam generator
of high purity of steam, which does not require the application of a typical desalting
process, and condensate and sludge from the reparation tank cannot return to the tube
exchanger in which the water steam is generated, and are removed outside as waste,
it results from the application of a series connection of the flow elements.
[0004] The clean steam generator in the form of a flow device equipped with the tube exchanger
supplied by the pump with water of required purity from its external source and pumped
to the exchanger shell, whereby inside of the exchanger shell there is a coil or a
bundle of tubes heated with a heating medium in the form of steam or thermal oil supplied
to it from the outside, according to the invention is characterised by that it possesses
a separate separation tank of clean steam taken in from a stub pipe, which separation
tank of clean steam is connected in series and in a one-way manner with the stub pipe
of the exchanger equipped on the inside with a bundle of tubes, whereby the level
of water in the exchanger shell is regulated by the level sensor of the water level
regulator installed on the shell space of the tube exchanger which controls the feed
pump operation, whereas the separation tank is connected in a one-way manner with
the stub pipe of the tube exchanger, whereas the separation tank possesses drainage
and blowdown in the bottom part. The exchanger is equipped over its entire height
with a bundle of tubes for the heating medium, whereby the ratio of the volume V1
of the tube exchanger shell to the volume V2 of the bundle of tubes or the coil amounts
to V1:V2 from 1.0 to 3.0.
[0005] The advantage of the flow clean steam generator is the absence of accumulation of
pollutants and of the necessity of separate desalting of the water used, since in
the exchanger system concentration of salt does not occur, which is the result of
the flow character of steam generation in the tube exchanger and of the continuous
removal of the excess condensate through the steam trap from the bottom part of the
separation tank. Any possible pollutants carried by the feed water that can appear
in the separation tank and the steam condensate are easily separated and removed from
the whole system in such a way so as to obtain the highest degree of the purity of
steam used for example for pharmaceutical manufacture purposes.
Moreover, it is possible to select the level of water in the separation tank - its
presence or absence - thus, the humidity level may be controlled and an adverse phenomenon
of temporary overheating of clean steam may be eliminated when used in medical sterilization
processes according to EN 285.
[0006] The subject-matter of the invention is presented in the embodiment in the drawing,
where in Fig. 1 a schematic diagram of the clean steam generator is presented, and
in Fig. 2 a schematic diagram of the clean steam generator consisting of tube exchangers
connected with each other in a parallel way is presented.
[0007] As it is presented in the drawing, the heating medium, for example steam of higher
temperature, flows through the inlet
1 to the bundle of tubes (14) or the coil of the tube exchanger
5 and heats clean water accumulated in the shell of the tube exchanger
5, which is supplied through the pipeline
12 to the pump
7, from where it is pumped to the shell of the tube exchanger
5 equipped with a bundle of tubes
14, where the energy is taken off from the heating medium through the walls and water
is converted into steam, then the cooled heating medium leaves the tube exchanger
5 through the outlet
2. The inside space of the bundle of tubes
14 or the coil does not possess a connection with the shell space and the heating medium
does not mix with clean water and steam. Clean steam leaves the shell of the tube
exchanger
5 through the outlet
3. The level of clean feed water in the shell of the tube exchanger
5 is set by the water level regulator
6 which controls the pump
7 supplying clean water, ensuring appropriate level of water by dosing depending on
the clean steam demand. The water level regulator
6 is installed on the shell space of the tube exchanger
5. Steam generated in the shell of the tube exchanger
5 goes into the separation tank
8. The separation tank
8 separates possible condensate and pollutants, and then the separated clean steam
can be taken in by the clean steam pipeline
9. The separation tank
8 is equipped with drainage
11 fulfilling at the same time the function of desalting - removal of light floating
pollutants, and blowdown
10 located in the lowest point.
[0008] The tube exchanger
5 is equipped over its entire height with a bundle of tubes
14 for the heating medium, whereby the ratio of the volume V1 of the tube exchanger
5 to the volume V2 of the bundle of tubes
14 amounts to V1:V2 from 1.0 to 3.0.
1. Clean steam generator in the form of a flow device equipped with the tube exchanger,
whose shell is supplied by the pump with clean water from its external source, whereby
inside of the exchanger shell there is a coil or a bundle of tubes for the heating
medium supplied from the outside, characterised by that it has a separate separation tank (8) of clean steam taken in from the stub
pipe (9), which separation tank (8) of clean steam is connected in series and in a
one-way manner with the stub pipe (3) of the exchanger (5) equipped on the inside
with a bundle of tubes (14), whereby the level of water in the shell of the exchanger
(5) is regulated by the level sensor (13) of the water level regulator (6) installed
on the shell space of the tube exchanger (5) controlling the operation of the feed
pump (7), whereas the separation tank (8) is connected in a one-way manner with the
stub pipe (3) of the tube exchanger (5), whereby the separation tank (8) possesses
drainage (11) and blowdown (10) in the bottom part.
2. The generator according to Claim 1, characterised by that the tube exchanger (5) is equipped over its entire height with a bundle of tubes
(14) for the heating medium, whereby the ratio of the volume V1 of the tube exchanger
(5) to the volume V2 of the bundle of tubes (14) or the coil amounts to V1:V2 from
1.0 to 3.0.
