II500.00r9en - Installation Guidelines

Installation Guidelines
Steam conditioning valves
TT
PT
L1
LIC
L2
SI500.00 rev 9 – English

©2015 IMI CCI
Applicable products
 VLB family steam conditioning valves
 VST family steam conditioning valves
 Dump tubes
About this document

During the course of system design involving IMI CCI equipment, you are cautioned to adhere to the
instructions contained in this manual. The information found in the Installation Guidelines is to be seen as
good engineering practice based on almost 100 years of experience in fluid mechanical and thermodynamic
realities and models. If any instructions found within this document prove difficult to follow, or if there are any
uncertainties regarding the installation or operation of IMI CCI products, you are strongly advised to contact
IMI CCI. Our valve doctors are prepared to discuss solutions to any problems concerning the system design,
operation or installation of IMI CCI equipment.
Please direct all inquiries to:

IMI CCI
CCI Valve Technology AB
Box 603
S-66129 Säffle, Sweden
Phone: +46-533-689600
Fax: +46-533-689601
Website: www.imi-critical.com
E-Mail: se-cciinfo@imi-critical.com
Page 2 of 48
Table of Contents
1. GENERAL 6
2. UPSTREAM PIPING 7
2.1. Distance to first upstream piping .................................................................................................................................. 7
2.1.1. Multiple bends.................................................................................................................................................. 7
2.2. Upstream flow dividers ................................................................................................................................................. 8
2.3. Upstream stop valve..................................................................................................................................................... 8
3. SPRAY WATER 9
3.1. Water piping ............................................................................................................................................................... 10
3.2. Water valve ................................................................................................................................................................ 10
4. DRAINAGE SYSTEM 11
4.1. Drop leg, slope and distance to drain ......................................................................................................................... 13
4.2. Recommended drain installations .............................................................................................................................. 13
4.3. Problematic installations ............................................................................................................................................. 14
5. PREHEATING 15
5.1. Utilizing pressure drop in the main steam line ............................................................................................................ 15
5.2. Utilizing a higher pressure line ................................................................................................................................... 16
5.3. Valve below the steam line ......................................................................................................................................... 16
5.4. Bypassing the control valve ........................................................................................................................................ 17
6. DOWNSTREAM PIPING 18
6.1. Downstream piping material ....................................................................................................................................... 19
6.1.1. Example ......................................................................................................................................................... 20
6.2. Flow dividers .............................................................................................................................................................. 22
6.3. Diffusers and plates.................................................................................................................................................... 22
6.4. Expanders and reducers ............................................................................................................................................ 22
6.5. Bypass to process ...................................................................................................................................................... 23
6.5.1. Distance to first downstream bend................................................................................................................. 23
6.5.2. Distance to temperature sensor ..................................................................................................................... 24
6.6. Bypass to cold reheat ................................................................................................................................................. 25
6.6.2. The distance to the first bend in special conditions ........................................................................................ 25
6.6.3. Distance to temp sensor for HP to cold reheat or similar ............................................................................... 26
6.7. Bypass to condenser .................................................................................................................................................. 27
6.7.1. Temperature control ...................................................................................................................................... 28
6.7.2. Enthalpy control / feedforward control ........................................................................................................... 29
6.7.3. Enthalpy level ................................................................................................................................................ 30
6.7.4. Bypass to Water Cooled Condenser using feedforward control..................................................................... 31
6.7.5. Bypass to Air Cooled Condenser ................................................................................................................... 32
6.7.6. Bypass to ACC with two stage desuperheating and bypass far from ACC .................................................... 33
6.8. Bypass to district heating ........................................................................................................................................... 34
6.8.2. Distance to temperature sensor ..................................................................................................................... 35
7. CONTROL SYSTEM 36
7.1. Pressure control ......................................................................................................................................................... 37
7.1.1. Distance to pressure sensor .......................................................................................................................... 37
7.2. Temperature control ................................................................................................................................................... 37
7.2.1. Placement of temperature sensors ................................................................................................................ 39
7.2.2. Protective shield ............................................................................................................................................ 40
7.3. Feedforward control ................................................................................................................................................... 41
7.4. Desuperheating to Saturation Temperature ............................................................................................................... 43
7.4.1. Two-stage cooling for achieving near saturation temperature (for special processes) .................................. 45
Page 3 of 48
8. INSTALLATION 46
8.1. Fix points and support ................................................................................................................................................ 46
8.2. Vertical installation ..................................................................................................................................................... 46
8.3. Horizontal installations ............................................................................................................................................... 47
8.4. Accessibility ................................................................................................................................................................ 48
Page 4 of 48
List of figures
Figure 1: Pipe elbow upstream from the valve .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Figure 2: Upstream piping with multiple bends .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Figure 3: Upstream flow divider parallel to the valve plug ......................................................................................................................... 8
Figure 4: Upstream flow divider perpendicular to the valve plug................................................................................................................ 8
Figure 5: Installation with a stop valve welded unto a control valve ........................................................................................................... 8
Figure 6: Water valve with bypass valve ................................................................................................................................................. 10
Figure 7: Drain / preheat system ............................................................................................................................................................. 12
Figure 8: Drip leg, slope and distance to drain ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Figure 9: Downwards inlet and horizontal outlet ...................................................................................................................................... 13
Figure 10: Horizontal inlet and vertical outlet .......................................................................................................................................... 13
Figure 11: Horizontal inlet and outlet ...................................................................................................................................................... 14
Figure 12: Upwards inlet and horizontal outlet ........................................................................................................................................ 14
Figure 13: Horizontal inlet, outlet upwards and actuator downwards ....................................................................................................... 14
Figure 14: Valve in low installation .......................................................................................................................................................... 14
Figure 15: Preheating arrangement utilizing the natural pressure drop in the steam line ......................................................................... 15
Figure 16: Preheating arrangement utilizing a higher pressure level ....................................................................................................... 16
Figure 17: Steam system at lower pressure that can handle preheating temperature.............................................................................. 16
Figure 18: Preheating arrangement bypassing the control valve ............................................................................................................. 17
Figure 19: Definitions .............................................................................................................................................................................. 19
Figure 20: HP plots ................................................................................................................................................................................. 20
Figure 21: LP plots ................................................................................................................................................................................. 20
Figure 22: Typical temperature decrease (HP to cold reheat) ................................................................................................................. 21
Figure 23: Typical temperature decrease (bypass to process) ................................................................................................................ 21
Figure 24: Erosion caused by water being injected too close to a diffuser ............................................................................................... 22
Figure 25: Expansion directly welded to the outlet .................................................................................................................................. 22
Figure 26: Distance to first downstream bend ......................................................................................................................................... 23
Figure 27: Distance to temperature sensor ............................................................................................................................................. 24
Figure 30: Temperature control with dump device .................................................................................................................................. 28
Figure 31: Enthalpy control with dump device ......................................................................................................................................... 29
Figure 32: Enthalpy-entropy diagram for steam ...................................................................................................................................... 30
Figure 33: Water cooled condenser ........................................................................................................................................................ 31
Figure 34: Air cooled condenser ............................................................................................................................................................. 32
Figure 35: Two stage desuperheating ..................................................................................................................................................... 33
Figure 38: Feedback control loop............................................................................................................................................................ 38
Figure 39: Recommended positions of temperature sensors in horizontal pipe ....................................................................................... 39
Figure 40: Recommended positions of temperature sensors in vertical pipe ........................................................................................... 39
Figure 41: Protective shield .................................................................................................................................................................... 40
Figure 42: The result of temperature misreading and poor control .......................................................................................................... 40
Figure 43: Feed forward control .............................................................................................................................................................. 41
Figure 44: Feed forward with steam valve as flow meter ......................................................................................................................... 42
Figure 45: Recommended installation for bypass to condenser .............................................................................................................. 42
Figure 46: Pressure control valve with separate desuperheater .............................................................................................................. 42
Figure 47: Steam temperature decrease at 4 bar(a) ............................................................................................................................... 43
Figure 48: T-S Diagram Water ................................................................................................................................................................ 44
Figure 49: Two-stage desuperheating..................................................................................................................................................... 45
Figure 50: Vertical installation ................................................................................................................................................................. 46
Figure 51: Inlet pipe from above with spring hanger ................................................................................................................................ 47
Figure 52: Inlet pipe from below with spring hanger ................................................................................................................................ 47
Figure 53: Inlet pipe from below with sliding support ............................................................................................................................... 47
Figure 54: Inlet pipe from above with sliding support .............................................................................................................................. 47
Page 5 of 48
1. General
The steam conditioning valve is an important part of the system. Parameters such as placement of
instrumentation, configuration of steam pipes and spray water temperatures can have a significant impact on
the performance of the valve. This document will describe different important factors involved in installation as
well as provide guidelines on how to achieve a proper system design.
All steam valves are designed for dry and clean steam. Exposure to wet steam or condensate will cause
damage and is not covered by any warranties. Vent valves and drains must be used to facilitate pipe pre-
warming until those conditions are fulfilled.
High contents of magnetite and other particles in the steam is a growing problem. This contaminated
steam causes erosion damages that are similar to that of wet steam. Damages to valves caused by
contaminated steam are also not covered by warranties, unless otherwise specified or agreed upon prior
to order.
Spray water shall never be injected before steam flow is established and never be injected after the
steam valve is closed. This will cause damage to the steam valve, downstream piping and downstream
equipment. An interlock between the spray water valve and steam conditioning valve, which does not
permit the water valve to open unless the steam valve is opened should be implemented in the DCS to
avoid this risk.
Damages caused by improper spray water valve control are not covered by any warranties.
Page 6 of 48
2. Upstream piping
Steam conditioning valves require straight pipe runs both upstream and downstream to perform well.
The reason for having a straight pipe run upstream is that a pipe bend or t-piece creates a non-uniform flow
pattern.
There should always be a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor installed upstream from the steam
conditioning valve to ensure that the steam is dry before the valve opens. These sensors are also necessary
when using an algorithm to control the outlet steam temperature, i.e. feed forward control.
2.1. Distance to first upstream piping

The recommended straight upstream pipe distance is determined by the inlet pipe diameter. Larger pipe
diameters generally require longer straight pipes for the stabilization of the flow profile. See Figure 1.
L1 Steam pipe Distance from valve inlet to

DN first upstream bend [L1]
Ø < 200 mm / < 8 1m / 3.28 ft or longer
inches
Ø 200 – 400 mm Min. 5 x Ø or 2m (6.6 ft)
(8 – 16 inches)
Ø > 400 mm / > Min. 3 x Ø or 2m (6.6 ft)
PT TT 16 inches
Figure 1: Pipe elbow upstream from the valve
2.1.1. Multiple bends

Two or more pipe bends in three dimensions, especially just before the steam condition valve is known to
cause a very unstable flow. This results in vibrations and other flow induced problems. Though valves are
normally equipped with an inlet strainer (cage) that reduces the problem, the configuration of the inlet pipe
must still be taken into consideration. As a general rule, upstream straight pipe length should be increased by
a factor of 3 (compared to the recommendations given in Section 2.1) when multiple bends are involved. The
actual minimum distance must be estimated for each case.
L2
PT TT
Figure 2: Upstream piping with multiple bends
Page 7 of 48
2.2. Upstream flow dividers

The orientation of the closest upstream flow divider in respect to the valves rotation is also very important.
If the upstream flow divider is installed perpendicular to the valve plug, the resulting flow pattern can cause
rotational forces on the valve plug. An installation like the one shown in Figure 3 is preferred over the
installation in Figure 4, whenever possible. IMI CCI must be informed in advance if an installation like the one
shown in Figure 4 is unavoidable.
PT TT
PT TT
Figure 3: Upstream flow divider parallel to the valve Figure 4: Upstream flow divider perpendicular to the
plug valve plug
2.3. Upstream stop valve

Undersized stop valves result in a nonlinear characteristic in the bypass valve, due to the strong influence of
the pressure drop in the stop valve. Stop valves like these must be installed as far upstream as required to
ensure a uniform flow pattern in the bypass valve inlet. It is the responsibility of the supplier of the stop valve
to inform IMI CCI of the required distance. An angle-style stop valve and a control valve can be assembled as
one unit, with the stop valve outlet welded directly to the control valve inlet. If an installation like this is
planned, IMI CCI must be informed in advance. Expanders / reducers welded together without prior
consideration can cause vibrations, pressure drop etc. Undersized stop valves with reduced bore upstream of
a bypass valve are known to cause noise and vibrations due to high vena contracta velocities and non-
uniform velocity distribution.
PT TT
Figure 5: Installation with a stop valve welded unto a control valve
Page 8 of 48
3. Spray water
The following points must be considered when supplying spray water to the valve:
 Only use clean water or condensate as spray water. As impurities are always a risk, IMI CCI
recommends that you install a strainer upstream the spray water control valve.
 Maximum acceptable particle size is approximately 200 microns (mesh ≈ 70), depending on the type of
spray nozzle used.
 Contaminated cooling water may increase wear on the nozzle trim and lead to clogging by particles.
 Avoid cold water, less than 90°C / 194°F since this will result in poor performance.
 Always provide a higher pressure drop across the spray water control valve than the maximum water
pressure drop in the desuperheater itself.
 The water valve should always be installed lower than the desuperheater. Note that when long vertical
distances are involved, the pressure loss in the water pipe needs to be taken into consideration. See
Section 3.2.
 Install manually operated shut-off valves in the system to ensure safe and easy service and
maintenance of the control elements.
 If the water is heavily contaminated, it is recommended that multiple filters with different mesh size are
installed in series.
Water at high temperatures evaporates faster than colder water as the surface tension decreases with higher
temperature, resulting in smaller drops with a larger total surface area. The larger total surface area in turn
means that the water requires less energy to reach saturation temperature. It is therefore recommended to
use condensate of high temperature even though a slightly higher flow of desuperheating media is required.
The spring loaded variable orifice OP nozzle used in the VLB is designed to avoid flashing in upstream
installed water control valve by creating a backpressure higher than the saturation pressure for the actual
water temperature.
Page 9 of 48
3.1. Water piping

The water pipe routing (isometric) must be done in such a way that the forces originating from thermal
expansion are not transferred to the connection point on the bypass valve.
 Deviations from this point must be clearly stated before ordering, as they can be critical for the design
of the product
 For VST-SE, the water connection has to be the same size as the customer water pipe, and the
installation between VST-SE bonnet and water pipe has to be adjusted to avoid bend stress and any
gaps between flanges. Best result is achieved if IMI CCI gets to specify the size of water pipe and
flanges 4-6 meters (13 – 20 feet) upstream from this connection.
3.2. Water valve

Spray water valves must always have tightness Class V to prevent water from being collected in the system.
External water valves must always be installed below the lowest point of the spray connection and keep a
recommended distance of 4 - 6 meters (13 – 20 feet) between water valve and water connection piece on the
bypass valve. Note that for optimal performance, any reduction in water pipe size should occur upstream from
the water control valve. Any pressure drop between water valve outlet and water connection piece on the
bypass valve must always be specified in order to include this pressure drop when sizing the water valve.
Not providing correct information may lead to flow capacity / control problems for which IMI CCI cannot be
held responsible.
Manual or automatic water bypass valves like the one shown in Figure 6 are not recommended. If this valve
leaks or is accidentally left open, water will be injected into the steam pipe when the steam conditioning valve
is not open.
A D A. Condensate / feedwater
B. Water control valve
C C. Water bypass valve
D. To steam conditioning valve
Figure 6: Water valve with bypass valve
Page 10 of 48
4. Drainage system
The steam conditioning valve performs an important function in the steam system. It is therefore essential to
protect the valve from damage that might occur if water enters the valve. It is equally important to protect the
downstream system from damage caused by a malfunctioning temperature control system. It is therefore
necessary to have drains both upstream and downstream of the valve.
Maximum condensate normally occurs during cold startup. This must be considered already at the design
stage for sizing of the drainage system. Condensate volume that must be removed during start up should be
calculated each time based on real data, but as an estimate, a water mass of typically 7-14 % of the upstream
piping weight needs to be removed through the condensate system. To prevent damages, there should
always be a temperature sensor that can confirm that the upstream piping is dry before the valve is opened.
Drain should always be the recommended procedure to warm up before a cold start and never the preheating
system, if installed, since the preheating system can be damaged during condensate removal phase.
The main sources for free water are:

 Condensate
 Spray water that has not evaporated in the steam system.
 Slopes that allow for accumulation of water in undrained points in the steam pipe.
 Undrained local low points in the steam pipe caused by bends, expanders, reducers, flow meters etc.
where water might accumulate.
 Vent / drain system upstream of the valve is undersized and cannot handle condensate from the pipe
warming when the plant is started from cold, or valves are used before piping itself have reached a
temperature above saturation. This is the most common reason for damage of valves. If this kind of
damage occurs, check that there is no magnetite present since this can cause damages that look very
similar to condensate damages.
Free water in the piping can be a source for multiple problems:

 The weight of the accumulated water can seriously damage piping and supports.
 Free water in the steam system causes noise, mechanical damage and makes temperature
measurements difficult.
 Free water at the bottom of the piping can cause very serious vibrations and pressure transients in the
piping.
 Downstream temperature sensor can be hit by non-evaporated water causing severe control problems.
 Water hammers.
Page 11 of 48
TT
PT
B A C
D
F
L1
LIC
L2 J
H I
K
M
L
Figure 7: Drain / preheat system

A. Steam conditioning valve. H. On/off valve. DCS controlled. On when
B. Preheat flow on/off valve. Controlled by DCS. condensate is contaminated.
See section 5. I. On/off valve. DCS controlled. On when
C. Spray water control valve. condensate is clean.
D. Valve. Manual or on/off from DCS. Used to J. Flash tank.
handle startup condensate removal. K. Condensate pump
E. Water stop valve. Closed during startup. L. To hot well / condensate recovery system
F. Steam trap. Drain level control type. M. To drain
G. Water control valve.
Page 12 of 48
4.1. Drop leg, slope and distance to drain

L2
L1
D
A
1 1
B
100 50
Figure 8: Drip leg, slope and distance to drain

 The drip leg inner diameter (A) should be ½ of the inner diameter of the steam pipe (D).
 The drip leg length (B) should at least be between 300 mm and 600 mm, and must be longer than (A).
 The minimum slope to drain at a low point should never be less than 100:1 in flow direction, and 50:1
against flow direction. Slopes should always be arranged so that water flows towards the drain.
 Drain between steam conditioning valve and temperature sensor is mandatory. The distance to drain
(L1) should be 2/3 of the distance to temperature sensor (L2). Exception should be made for bypass to
condenser with feed forward control.
4.2. Recommended drain installations

The inlet steam pipe shall have a drain connection at the low point close to the valve.
PT TT
TT
PT
1 1
100 50
1 1
100 50
Figure 9: Downwards inlet and horizontal outlet Figure 10: Horizontal inlet and vertical outlet
Page 13 of 48
TT
PT
D
D
Figure 11: Horizontal inlet and outlet Figure 12: Upwards inlet and horizontal outlet
4.3. Problematic installations

The installation shown in Figure 13 The installation shown in Figure 14 is not preferred, but possible in
with an upwards pointing outlet is certain applications. Please contact IMI CCI.
forbidden.
TT
PT TT
PT
1 1
D 100 50
Figure 14: Valve in low installation
Figure 13: Horizontal inlet, outlet

upwards and actuator downwards
Page 14 of 48
5. Preheating
Modern fully machined forged symmetrical valves do not normally need preheating, but when the valve is in
standby mode, the upstream piping must be preheated to avoid condensate formation. This small flow,
typically 50-200 kg/h (111-444 lbs/h), should be piped to a steam consumer as deaerator or similar. The
connection point can be the same as a drain stud at the valve body if the valve is installed in a low position
and should be in high position point if the valve is installed higher than the piping. Without this small flow, it is
also very difficult to confirm that steam is always superheated in the valve inlet before the valve is opened.
Upstream piping must be executed in such a way that pockets of condensate are always drained from the
steam pipe. It is absolutely necessary in all conditions to have superheated steam in the inlet of the valve. The
minimum degree of superheat depends on how accurate temperature can be measured. Arrange for
preheating in cases where the control valve normally is closed under operation – e.g. in a turbine bypass
application. Additional preheating of forged IMI CCI valves is not required.
Typical pipe dimensions for the preheating line are in the range of 50 - 200 mm (2 - 8 inches). The preheating
line must be equipped with an isolation valve, which can also be used for manual flow control of the steam
flow for preheating.
The main objectives when selecting the preheating arrangement are to:
 Create an effective system so that the piping will be sufficiently preheated and drained.
 Minimize the energy losses due to preheating steam.
Preheating lines must always be closed during startup, or they will be eroded by condensate forced
through the system. Preheating lines can only be activated when the inlet steam is 100% dry. For start-up
condensate removal, use the drain system.
Uncontrolled preheating can lead to very high downstream temperatures, and great care must be taken
regarding material selection due to increased temperature of the downstream piping.
5.1. Utilizing pressure drop in the main steam line

This method is energy efficient but requires a suitable system design. This method utilizes the pressure drop
between point 1 and 2 in Figure 15 to create a flow through the valve.
Preheating of the piping upstream is normally not necessary if the distance “L” does not exceed 12 meters (40
ft), and the upstream piping slopes down to the main steam line.
PT
L
TT
A. Bypass line
1 2 B B. Main steam line
C. Preheating isolation valve
Figure 15: Preheating arrangement utilizing the natural pressure drop in the steam line
Page 15 of 48
5.2. Utilizing a higher pressure line

When preheating an intermediate- or low pressure bypass valve, it is also possible to use the HP main steam
line. This solution is energy efficient but may sometimes require a long preheating line. See Figure 16. This
solution is only suitable for controlled preheating.
D 2
PT
TT
B A. Bypass line
B. Hot reheat line
1 C C. HP main steam line
D. Preheating isolation valve
Figure 16: Preheating arrangement utilizing a higher pressure level
5.3. Valve below the steam line

This method requires a suitable design and utilizes the pressure difference between inlet and a system with
lower pressure. However, because the preheating piping is at a low point, there is an added risk of
condensate damaging the preheating system. With proper control of the preheating system, it is possible to
have a common low point connection. See Section 4 for more information and a larger version of Figure 17.
TT
PT
L1
LIC
L2
Figure 17: Steam system at lower pressure that can handle preheating temperature
Page 16 of 48
5.4. Bypassing the control valve

This method is the easiest and most common way of preheating upstream piping. This method uses the
pressure difference between the valve inlet and outlet to create a preheating flow. It can result in energy
losses due to the high energy steam being emitted into the outlet. In order to reduce this energy loss, the
steam flow through the preheating line must be moderated based on the required valve / inlet pipe
temperature with a control loop. In most cases, normal preheating flow is 50 – 200 Kg/h (111 – 444 lbs/h).
This method can also cause very high temperatures downstream. Special springs in the bypass valve spray
nozzles made of Nimonic or similar material must therefore be used if location B is too close to the valve
outlet and preheating steam temperature is >500˚C. The factory needs to be informed prior to manufacturing
the valve if this type of preheating arrangement is planned. Min. distance to avoid special design nozzles
varies upon data and application, contact factory in doubt of required distance.
The high downstream temperature can also damage the weld between valve outlet and downstream piping. A
distance of at least 0.5 meters (1.6 ft) between valve outlet and downstream preheating stud is required. See
“L” in Figure 18.
TT
PT L
1
C B 100
A. Bypass line
B. Downstream preheating stud
DCS
C. Preheating control valve
Figure 18: Preheating arrangement bypassing the control valve
Page 17 of 48
6. Downstream piping
Different applications have different requirements on downstream piping and instrumentation. All
applications can more or less be divided into four groups:
 Bypass to process where downstream pressure and degree of superheat are relatively stable and
where the flow varies. The degree of superheat is normally limited, and reference point for guidelines
are min 10°C / 18°F superheat and min 90°C / 194 °F spray water.
 HP to cold reheat where both inlet and outlet pressure varies significantly between start-up and full
load. The degree of superheat is normally high and the spray water is warm.
 Bypass to district heating where inlet conditions can vary between start up and full load, but variation in
outlet conditions can often be the most demanding problem since conditions downstream often varies
with ambient temperature. This can often result in high rangeability in downstream flow and in large
pressure variations in downstream pressure. The degree of superheat is often low and the spray water
temperature rather cold. It is very important that all conditions are considered to avoid future problems.
 Bypass to condenser, where there basically are four versions.
− WCC with bypass close to condenser and with feed forward control. Normally wet steam in outlet
with condensate used for desuperheating.
− WCC with bypass far from condenser and with temp control. Both feedwater and condensate used
for spray water.
− ACC with bypass close to condenser and with feed forward control. Normally wet steam in outlet
with condensate used for desuperheating. Normal design temperature for ACC is 120°C / 248°F
and this must be considered.
− ACC with two stage desuperheating and bypass far from condenser. First stage typically
desuperheat to approx. 200°C / 392°F using feedwater. Second stage close to ACC typically using
condensate and feed forward control.
Page 18 of 48
6.1. Downstream piping material

IMI CCI generally recommends 5 m / 16 ft of downstream piping of alloy material when the steam temperature
before desuperheating is > 425°C / 797°F. The reason is that the evaporation is not instant after water
injection.
The design temperature in the valve outlet is determined by these three variables also shown in Figure 19:
 Pd1
 td1
 Pd2
When IMI CCI determines the outlet design temperature, no consideration is taken to temperature decrease
caused by spray water injection. One reason for this is that it takes time for the injected spray water to
evaporate and desuperheat the steam. The second reason is that the spray water system could fail, in which
case there may be no spray water injected into the outlet. Therefore the outlet design temperature stated by
IMI CCI is often higher than the maximum temperature stated by the customer for the downstream piping.
The outlet design temperature td2 calculated by IMI CCI is based on an isenthalpic expansion of the steam
from pressure Pd1 at temperature td1, down to pressure Pd2. This is exemplified by points 1 and 2 in Figure
20 and Figure 21. Point 3 is the temperature required by customer after cooling, t2max.
Variable Description Unit

Pd1 Design pressure at valve inlet bar(a)
td1 Design temperature at valve inlet °C
h1 Enthalpy at valve inlet kJ/kg
Pd2 Design pressure at valve outlet bar(a)
td2 Design temperature at valve outlet °C
t2max Maximum allowed temperature in downstream piping °C
Pd1
1 td1
h1
Pd2
Pd2
2 td2 3 t2max
h1
Figure 19: Definitions
Page 19 of 48
6.1.1. Example
Examples for steam temperature reduction for HP bypass and LP bypass can be seen in Figure 20 and Figure
21 respectively. The examples show steam operating data together with water-steam property charts.
HP bypass LP bypass
Pd1 = 264 bar(a) Pd1 = 64 bar(a)
Td1 = 610°C Td1 = 608°C
Pd2 = 64 bar(a) Pd2 = 16 bar(a)
This results in the design temperature td2 ≈ 539°C This results in the design temperature td2 ≈ 591°C
Figure 20: HP plots Figure 21: LP plots
IMI CCI valve outlets (material and thickness) are designed for Pd2 and td2, i.e. only the isenthalpic
expansion governed by thermodynamic laws, is taken into consideration. The calculated design temperatures
(td2) for HP bypass and LP bypass is calculated to 539°C and 591°C respectively.
Even if the stated design temperatures downstream (t2max) are 385°C (HP) and 250°C (LP) (points 3), this
cannot be achieved before a minimum of 5 meters downstream of the valve outlet, due to the time it takes for
the water to evaporate and cool down the steam. Therefore the pipe (material and thickness) connected to the
valve outlet and <5 meters downstream must also be designed for Pd2 and td2, even though the stated
downstream maximum temperature is lower (t2max). This can be reduced in certain cases, but only after
written factory approval. As can be seen in Figure 22 and Figure 23 the temperature decreases fairly quickly
in the beginning after spray water injection. Within 5 meters, most of the temperature decrease will have taken
place, allowing material and/or thickness to change according to the pressure Pd2 and temperature t2max.
Note that welding a thin pipe to a thicker valve outlet creates a weak point in the piping system due to the
abrupt transition and variations during mechanical expansion caused by differences in material thickness.
Therefore, welding a thinner pipe directly to the valve outlet is not allowed. This transition can only be done
after 5 meters.
An abrupt transition in material thickness at the valve outlet where the temperature is still high will expose the
weld to high risk of thermal shock and stress, whereas > 5 meters downstream from the outlet, the
Page 20 of 48
temperature and thus the risk of thermal stress is much lower. See temperature reduction examples in Figure
22 and Figure 23.
Figure 22: Typical temperature decrease (HP to Figure 23: Typical temperature decrease (bypass to
cold reheat) process)
Page 21 of 48
6.2. Flow dividers

The outlet flow from a valve must never be divided by a T-piece, Y-piece or any other configuration before the
outlet temperature can be properly measured. This includes flow meters, stop valves etc. which must never be
installed before a temperature sensor.
6.3. Diffusers and plates

Diffusers and plates can for certain applications be used downstream of the water injection, but with limited
service life unless installed at a correct distance. If water is injected too close to any kind of pressure
reduction stage, erosion and thermal stress will result in a shortened operational lifetime. Installations with
downstream diffusers or plates require factory approval from IMI CCI Sweden. A typical distance between
valve outlet and diffuser is 3 – 6 m (10 – 20 ft). Always consult the factory for this type of application.
Figure 24: Erosion caused by water being injected too close to a diffuser
6.4. Expanders and reducers

An installation like the one shown in Figure 25 with an expansion directly after the outlet will in most cases not
work or cause severe water fallout, and often results in thermal stress induced cracks. Any expander or
reducer installed downstream from the steam conditioning valve requires prior approval from factory. IMI CCI
valves are tailor made to fit the customer piping. Deviations between valve connections and customer piping
are normally caused by mismatch between specifications and reality.
Expanders, especially asymmetrical expanders are normally not approved before temperature sensors, and
should be avoided.
TT
PT
Figure 25: Expansion directly welded to the outlet
Page 22 of 48
6.5. Bypass to process

6.5.1. Distance to first downstream bend
Following the water injection, it will take a while for most of the water droplets to evaporate. To avoid problems
with free water hitting the pipe wall and causing erosion and free water following the pipe wall, it is necessary
to ensure a minimum distance before the first bend. See Figure 26. The distance before the first bend should
be a minimum of 0.1s x maximum steam velocity in the pipe.
TT
PT
LB
Figure 26: Distance to first downstream bend
VST-SE
For the VST-SE steam conditioning valve, IMI CCI recommends a minimum distance to first bend of 0.05s x
maximum steam velocity. This is due to the VST-SE internal control principle which means proportioning of
water into the steam flow and modulating atomizing flow, thereby limiting the amplitude of transients during
load change.
Page 23 of 48
6.5.2. Distance to temperature sensor

The recommended distance before the temperature sensor is 0.2s x maximum steam velocity for a ratio ≤
15% of spray water / steam flow and 0.3s x maximum steam velocity for a ratio >15% spray water / steam
flow. These values are based on a set-point of >10°C / 18°F above saturation for steam at a steam pressure
of ≥ 4 bar / 28 psi, and a water temperature of 90°C / 194°F or higher.
Higher degree of superheat allows a shorter distance, while a lower degree of superheat requires a longer
distance. A higher water temperature reduces the evaporation time allowing a shorter distance, while a lower
water temperature increases the required minimum distance to the temperature sensor. The exact required
distance to the sensor is normally determined after all the parameters are known, but it can be no less than
12 meters / 39 ft. See LT in Figure 27.
LT
TT
LB
PT
1 1
100 50
Figure 27: Distance to temperature sensor
Valves with low outlet velocity

In valves with a low outlet velocity (≤ 30 m/s, 100 ft/s), the evaporation time can be longer than usual, so the
required distance should never be shorter than 12 m / 39 ft for all applications.
[ C]
500 The chart on the left shows the typical temperature
downstream of water injection of a steam
conditioning valve in a bypass to process
Application where downstream pressure is 4 bar /
400
58 psi and the set point is 10°C / 18°F above
saturation.
300
200
160
4 bar
143,6
0 0,05 0,10 0,15 0,20 0,25 0,30 0,35 [s]
Page 24 of 48
6.6. Bypass to cold reheat

to ensure a minimum distance before the first bend. See LB in Figure 28. The distance before the first bend
should be a as standard be 0.1 s X Vmax but can be shorter if conditions are fulfilled as per 6.3.2.
TT
PT
LB
6.6.2. The distance to the first bend in special conditions

The distance to the first bend can be reduced to 0.067s x maximum steam velocity if the following conditions
are fulfilled:
 Downstream pressure of 15 – 60 bar / (217 – 870 psi). Lower pressures normally only occur during
sliding pressure mode or during start up.
 Degree of superheat at 100°C / 180°F or higher
 Water temperature at 140°C / 284°F or higher
Page 25 of 48
6.6.3. Distance to temp sensor for HP to cold reheat or similar

The recommended distance before the temperature sensor is 0.2s x maximum steam velocity if below
conditions are fulfilled.
distance to the sensor is normally determined after all the parameters are known. Factory valve doctors can
support in case of special requests. See LT in Figure 29.
LT
TT
LB
PT
1 1
100 50
High pressure bypass to cold reheat or similar process applications

The distance to the temperature sensor can be reduced to 0.15s x maximum steam velocity if the following
conditions are fulfilled:
 Downstream pressure of 15 - 60 bar (217 - 870 psi). Lower values normally only occur during sliding
pressure mode or during start up.
 Degree of superheat 100°C / 180°F or higher
 Water temperature at 140°C / 284°F or higher
Page 26 of 48
6.7. Bypass to condenser

As the pressure in the condenser is very low, it is necessary to use a dumping device to make the final
pressure reduction in order to avoid the need of impractical pipe diameters downstream of the bypass valve.
Admitting steam into the condenser is very arduous. Problems with condensers are a leading cause of
unscheduled plant outages, particularly in large fossils-fuel-fired plants. A substantial portion of these
problems is caused by damage from continuous or intermittent high energy fluid admission to condensers.
These instructions are not intended to solve all problems regarding admission to the condenser in detail, but
only to give some advice on how to minimize design stage problems at a reasonable cost.
The approximate cost relationship to solve these problems is:

At conceptual design stage 1
At specification stage 10
At commissioning stage 100
After commissioning 1000
It is of great importance to take future investments into consideration, as replacement after commissioning
could be very costly. Even the most cost-efficient plant will sooner or later be less cost-effective than the next
generation of power plants. The plant will therefore be used as peaking plant instead of base load. In order to
avoid very high upgrading costs required for start and stop every day instead of once a year, it is much more
cost-effective to spend a few percent more on bypass system design and purchase from the beginning.
The dump tube is an integrated part of a bypass system, and the bypass supplier should always design with
suitable diameter and backpressure. Unsuitable dump tube design can cause poor system functionality and
dramatically increased cost.
The first question when designing the control system is; should the system be controlled by temperature
measurement or by enthalpy measurement. Both methods come with their advantages and disadvantages.
Page 27 of 48
6.7.1. Temperature control
PT
TT
TT
DCS
FT LT
Figure 30: Temperature control with dump device
Advantages Disadvantages
 This direct method simplifies the control  Requires long distance between the
considerably. desuperheating point and measuring point,
which is expensive, both in terms of space
and the cost of large diameter piping.
 High temperature of the steam entering the
condenser, which causes large temperature
variations between normal operation
conditions and bypass conditions. This results
in thermal stress, expansion problem, etc.
 A spray curtain inside the condenser can
solve this problem, but at a high cost and with
an increased risk of erosion problems.
 It is very common to have temperature spikes.
The results will be an excess or a lack of
water as the system reacts to deviations that
have already taken place.
 It is very difficult to avoid spikes in
temperature due to response time of sensors
and control system and high temp entering
condenser are always a risk.
 Condensate in the system from condensing
against the cold piping that can cause water
hammers, unless the downstream piping is
properly drained, which is practically difficult
as pressure varies with flow.
Page 28 of 48
6.7.2. Enthalpy control / feedforward control
PT
TT
PT
DCS
FT
Figure 31: Enthalpy control with dump device
Advantages Disadvantages
 Less space consuming and therefore a less  Requires more complicated control system
expensive system and more knowledge Indirect control which
 Better rangeability depends on knowledge of characteristics
 Lower enthalpy can be achieved  Risk of damages if system design / control are
not done based on experience.
 Reacts before an event, thus avoiding
incorrect amount of spray water and, which
improves exactness
 Can easily be integrated into the DCS or PLC.
Page 29 of 48
6.7.3. Enthalpy level
P=0.5
P=1
4200
P=2
P=5
P=10
T=800
3
4
P=20
4100
T=750
4000
T=700
3900 P=0.2
T=650
3800
T=600
3700
T=550 P=0.1
3600
3500 T=500
3400 T=450
Specific enthalpy [kJ/kg]
P=0.05
3300 T=400
3200 T=350
3100 T=300
P=0.02
3000 T=250
P=0.01
2900
T=200
2800 T=150
1 P=0.004
2700 T=100
2600 T=50
2 Saturation line
P=0.001
2500 X=1.0
2400
3 P=0.000612
X=0.95
2300
X=0.90
2200
X=0.85
2100
2000
X=0.80
1900
X=0.75
1800
T=Temperature, ºC
X=0.70
P=Pressure, MPa
1700
5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0
Specific entropy [kJ/kg K]

Figure 32: Enthalpy-entropy diagram for steam
Superheated steam before the dump tube (condition 1) entering the condenser will create longer dangerous
distance than wet steam with an enthalpy higher than saturation (condition 2) when evaporating drops in the
jet will expand when evaporating and therefore make the jet unstable, and therefore shorter.
Over spraying of water to an enthalpy level lower than saturation will result in erosion (condition 3). Too low
enthalpy levels affect the dump tube life time in a negative way due to the larger quantities of free water.
Based on long experience, the optimal set point should be 20 – 40°C (36 - 72°F) above saturation in the
condenser.
In Figure 32, 4 bar in the dump tube and 0.04 bar in the condenser is chosen as representative for an
application like this.
 The accuracy of all included instrumentation must be taken into consideration when selecting a set
point.
 Downstream bends must be avoided if wet steam is expected before the dump tube.
Page 30 of 48
6.7.4. Bypass to Water Cooled Condenser using feedforward control

This section describes installation guidelines with bypass to condenser with dump tube close to the bypass
valve and wet steam in the outlet.
 The recommended distance between valve outlet and condenser wall should be at least 0.05s x
maximum outlet velocity. See L in Figure 33.
 The recommended outlet velocity is 60 – 80 m/s (197 – 262 ft/s). If the velocity exceeds 100 m/s (328
ft/s), contact IMI CCI valve doctor for assistance.
 Any downstream bends will separate condensate from steam and cause erosion and vibrations, and
must therefore always be avoided. A non-uniform flow into the dump tube can cause condensate jets
that may damage the condenser.
PT
TT
L
PT
DCS
FT
Figure 33: Water cooled condenser
Page 31 of 48
6.7.5. Bypass to Air Cooled Condenser

This section describes installation guidelines with bypass to condenser with dump tube close to the bypass
valve and wet steam in the outlet.
 The recommended distance between valve outlet and condenser wall should be at least 0.05s x
maximum outlet velocity. See L in Figure 34.
 The recommended outlet velocity is 60 – 80 m/s (197 – 262 ft/s). If the velocity exceeds 100 m/s (328
ft/s), contact IMI CCI valve doctor for assistance.
 Any downstream bends will separate condensate from steam and cause erosion and vibrations, and
must therefore always be avoided. A non-uniform flow into the dump tube can cause condensate jets
that may damage the condenser.
 Most air cooled condensers have a maximum design temperature of 120°C (248°F). This must be
considered during system design.
PT
TT
DCS
FT
PT
Figure 34: Air cooled condenser
Page 32 of 48
6.7.6. Bypass to ACC with two stage desuperheating and bypass far from ACC
Some customers prefer to have the bypass valves installed far from the condensers. This is easily solved
using an installation like the one shown in Figure 35. The first stage, comprising of a steam conditioning valve
(A) desuperheats the steam to a suitable degree of superheat (normally 50°C / 90°F or more). The second
stage, comprising of a DAM-D desuperheater (B) performs additional desuperheating in order to prevent
overheating of the condenser. This second stage is always controlled by feedforward.
This design have long piping that will have condenser saturation temperature, and condensate will form
that may damage the system, especially if the degree of superheat is too low.
TT
PT A
TT
DCS
B
FT
PT C
Figure 35: Two stage desuperheating

A. Steam conditioning valve
B. DAM-D desuperheater
C. Dump tube
Page 33 of 48
6.8. Bypass to district heating

Bypass to district heating can be very difficult if the pressure in the district heating condenser varies. This is
the most common design, and the outlet temperature leaving the heat exchanger is normally 70 - 100°C (126
- 180°F). Therefore pressure in the heat exchanger corresponds to those temperatures (± 4 - 7°C) / (7 –
13°F).

to ensure a minimum distance before the first bend. See Figure 36. The distance before the first bend should
be a minimum of 0.1s x maximum steam velocity in the pipe.
TT
PT
LB
VST-SE
For the VST-SE steam conditioning valve, IMI CCI recommends a minimum distance to first bend of 0.05s x
maximum steam velocity. This is due to the VST-SE internal control principle which means proportioning of
water into the steam flow and modulating atomizing flow, thereby limiting the amplitude of transients during
load change.
Page 34 of 48
6.8.2. Distance to temperature sensor

The recommended distance before the temperature sensor is 0.2s x maximum steam velocity for a ratio ≤
15% of spray water / steam flow and 0.3s x maximum steam velocity for a ratio >15% spray water / steam
flow. These values are based on a set-point of >10°C / 18°F above saturation for steam at a steam pressure
of ≥ 4 bar / 28 psi, and a water temperature of 90°C / 194°F or higher.
distance to the sensor is normally determined after all the parameters are known, but it can be no less than
12 meters / 39 ft. See LT in Figure 37.
LT
TT
LB
PT
1 1
100 50
Valves with low outlet velocity

In valves with a low outlet velocity (≤ 30 m/s, 100 ft/s), the evaporation time can be longer than usual, so the
required distance should never be shorter than 12 m / 39 ft for all applications.
[ C]
500 The chart on the left shows the typical temperature
downstream of water injection of a steam
conditioning valve in a bypass to process
Application where downstream pressure is 4 bar /
400
58 psi and the set point is 10°C / 18°F above
saturation.
300
200
160
4 bar
143,6
0 0,05 0,10 0,15 0,20 0,25 0,30 0,35 [s]
Page 35 of 48
7. Control system
Steam conditioning valves combine two functions:
 Modulated pressure control
 Steam desuperheating within a limited space
The reason for having this combination of functions is that the conditions for accurate temperature control in a
piping system with geometrical limitations are superior to the use of a separate pressure reducing station and
a desuperheater. When designing a control system, it is important to understand that the steam conditioning
valve and the spray water control valve are the tools that execute the actual pressure reduction and the water
injection for the temperature reduction. The pressure and temperature controllers provide the data which
controls how the valves should open or close; while the valves only do what they are told. The pressure and
temperature control loops must operate correctly for the valves to handle desired pressure and temperature
reductions.
Balance in all systems is always advisable when designing control systems. It is always advisable to use feed
forward system for predictably positioning a water valve during a transient, in order to minimize deviations in
the water flow. Excessive over or under spraying can cause severe problems of thermal cycling, impact
damage, erosion downstream from the valve.
Note! Always open the steam valve slightly before the water valve and close the water valve slightly before
the steam valve. To minimize the risks, it should be hardwired to the system so that the spray water valve
should not be able to open before the steam valve. When the equipment reaches minimum specified flow, the
steam valve and the spray water valve shall close simultaneously and quickly.
When steam atomized nozzles are used in combination with spring loaded variable area nozzles, two
separate water control valves shall be used. For steam atomized nozzles, a separate on/off valve is used to
supply atomizing steam and must be interlocked to open only after the steam valve has opened. A water valve
associated with steam atomized desuperheating must open after the steam valve.
Water hammer can destroy all kinds of piping and valves, and opening or closing should therefore never be
faster than what the process requires. A spray water valve may never open quicker than a bypass valve.
Systems with a low degree of superheat (especially at low pressures) often require enthalpy-based feed
forward control to be able to operate correctly.
Inexactness is normally a consequence of too short actuating times and incorrect PID settings.
Recommended distance to temperature sensors assumes well-tuned PID loop. The instrumentation is often
the weakest point for exact control and must also be discussed with the factory for applications with large
pipes, low steam pressure and high rangeability.
Note! Distance to a temperature sensor must be enough to allow not only for complete evaporation at
steady state conditions, but also for transients when a steam valve opens or closes quickly and therefore
causes a quick change in required water injection.
Page 36 of 48
7.1. Pressure control

The pressure control system is normally quite uncomplicated and causes very few problems. Pressure control
is always a closed loop system with feedback.
The following aspects should be considered:
 Valve stroke time
 System response time
 Start-up condition
 Stability, especially in the actuator
 Pneumatic boosters because they can create instability
 Response on small signal variations
7.1.1. Distance to pressure sensor

In order to receive an acceptable and stable pressure sensor signal, it is necessary to have a relatively
uniform velocity gradient. The distance from valve to pressure sensor should be at least 5 x outlet diameter.
7.2. Temperature control

A successful temperature control system is a result of several considerations:
 A closed loop control system shall be used, only when the downstream temperature can be accurately
measured and used for feedback.
 The degree of superheat. The higher the degree of superheat, the easier the control.
 A feed forward control system shall be used when accurate temperature measurements cannot be
made. Feed forward systems require more exact instruments and also require correct flow
measurement over the full range (especially on the water side).
 ”Feed forward control system” in this context refers to the spray water control system.
 Temperature measurements must only be made at a location where all injected water has evaporated,
and the steam is absolutely dry.
 The temperature at the measuring point shall be at least 10°C / 18°F above the saturation temperature
to guarantee that the steam is dry. This can be achieved under steady state conditions with very careful
instrumentation, installation and control and must be discussed prior to order. Anything below 10°C /
18°F superheat must be approved in writing before order.
 Turndown requirement and capability of steam conditioning and spray water valves.
 Available spray water pressure and temperature.
 The piping arrangement must allow for required straight run and distance to the temperature sensor.
 Piping arrangement must allow for proper draining in case of malfunction of the temperature control
system.
 An interlock shall be used, and the spray water valve will therefore automatically close if and when the
steam conditioning valve closes.
 If possible – avoid a separate pressure reducing valve upstream of the spray water valve. If not
avoidable – take great care in designing the control system and consider the response times in different
control loops. This often leads to pressure transients far above specified inlet pressure, resulting in
increased maintenance and wear of the last spray water valve. This is a design that always should be
avoided if possible, since there are excellent water valves that can take the full pressure drop.
 Prevent particles in the water from damaging the valve or nozzles by installing a strainer upstream of
the spray water control valve in the spray water supply line.
 Avoid the booster function on the spray water valve if possible.
 Never use faster actuation on the spray water valve than necessary, as this makes the system more
unstable and increases the risk of thermal cycling.
Page 37 of 48
For a well performing temperature loop it is very important to consider the following:
 Response time for the temperature sensor during temperature gradient (T66).
 Response and sampling time for the controller / DCS.
 Response and sampling time for the actuator.
 Resolution and control characteristic of the spray water control valve.
 Pipe size. Large pipes (approx. diameter 0.8 m / 32”) downstream of the valve particularly with low
velocity, very frequently have a non-uniform temperature distribution and should therefore have three
temperature sensors installed perpendicular to the pipe. See Section 7.2.1.
 Velocity at minimum load. If the minimum steam velocity at the water injection point is below ≈8 m/s (12
bara) – 12 m/s (4 bara) or 26 ft/s (174 psi) – 40 ft/s (116 psi) depending on pipe size, steam-assisted
steam conditioning valves (VST-SE, VLB-SE) should be used, unless a dump device is used
downstream (see Dump Tube Philosophy).
 Thermowell sleeves for the temperature sensor, quick response type, should be used if the degree of
superheat is 10°C / 18°F or lower.
 Drains must always be sized to handle maximum fallout caused by transients, heat losses or minimum
3-5% of maximum water injection, whatever largest.
 Temperature sensors in vertical pipes should always be avoided if technically possible due to the risk of
water hitting the pipe wall which may affect the measurement correctness.
In order to achieve good performance, the control loop itself must be analyzed to find out, within which
exactness the water flow can be controlled by the complete control loop. The most important parameters are:
 Sensor response time
 Controller response time and accuracy
 Positioner accuracy
 Valve accuracy
 Valve characteristic
 Valve position accuracy
 Dead band
 Maximum transients
 Actuator accuracy and stiffness
This analysis also provides the answer regarding sizing of the drainage system downstream of a
desuperheater or steam conditioning valve.
PC PT
TC TT
Figure 38: Feedback control loop
Page 38 of 48
7.2.1. Placement of temperature sensors

When using temperature sensors as part of the temperature control loop, IMI CCI recommends installing three
temperature sensors in the steam line (shown in Figure 39 and Figure 40). Installing temperature sensors in a
horizontal pipe is always preferred compared to installation in a vertical pipe. When installing sensors in a
vertical pipe protective shields must always be used. With these installations the risk of water hitting the
sensors is minimized.
Using three temperature sensors provides a safeguard against single sensor error, as the deviating sensor
can be ignored by the system in favor of the two remaining sensors. Using this method, a more reliable signal
can be produced based on three measurements.
One proposed method to handle temperature measurements based on three sensors is presented in the three
steps below:
Step 1: Calculate the average of the three sensors
12:00 (TT1, TT2 and TT3).
Time TT1 TT2 TT3 Average
10:00 14:00 1 245,9 244,2 245,3 245,1
2 245,9 245,5 245,5 245,6
3 246,0 243,9 245,0 245,0
4 225,0 243,9 238,0 235,6
Step 2: Compare the value of each sensor against

the calculated average, and remove the value for the
sensor value that deviates most from the average.
𝑎𝑏𝑠(𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 − 𝑇𝑇)
Figure 39: Recommended positions of temperature Time Average TT1 TT2 TT3
sensors in horizontal pipe
1 245,1 0,8 0,9 0,2
2 245,6 0,3 0,1 0,1
12:00 3 245,0 1,0 1,1 0,0
4 235,6 10,6 8,3 2,4
Step 3: Calculate the average of the remaining two

sensors and use this as the temperature signal for
the control loop.
Time Choice 1 Choice 2 Result
1 TT1 TT3 245,6
2 TT2 TT3 245,5
3 TT1 TT3 245,5
4 TT2 TT3 241,0
08:00 16:00
Figure 40: Recommended positions of temperature
sensors in vertical pipe
As can be seen at Time 4, temperature sensor 1 is very far from the average of the three temperature
sensors. If the average of all three is used for temperature control, one faulty sensor will give a misreading of
the temperature. When only using the two sensor readings closest to the average of all three and calculating a
new average with these two values, the temperature reading is more likely to be correct. With 3 sensors the
probability of getting incorrect measurements is decreased. If one sensor consistently is far from average, an
automatic warning can be set in the DCS informing that the sensor needs calibration or replacement.
Page 39 of 48
7.2.2. Protective shield

To avoid misreading, a protective shield is recommended for ≤10°C / 18°F superheat in order to minimize the
effect of water hitting the sensor. At 5 - 7°C (9 - 12°F) superheat, or if the temperature sensors are installed in
a vertical pipe, protective shields must be used.
The exact shape of the protective shield is very important; be careful not to use lookalike copies without
references. An incorrectly designed protective shield can often increase misreading.
Flow direction
Figure 41: Protective shield
The graph below, Figure 42, shows a theoretical example of how wet sensors behave. When the temperature
sensor is hit by water, the reading incorrectly shows saturation temperature which causes the spray water
valve to close. When the water on the sensor is evaporated, the temperature of the sensor spikes quickly,
causing the spray water valve to open fast. The spray water once again hits the temperature sensor, dropping
the measured temperature to saturation, which again causes the spray water valve to close. This cycle
continues for as long as the sensor is at risk of getting hit by spray water.
Figure 42: The result of temperature misreading and poor control
Page 40 of 48
7.3. Feedforward control

Feed forward control is superior to temperature control, as it avoids all transients that may damage the pipe
and condenser. Damages to valve outlet, piping, dump device, condenser, etc. are very rare. Every year there
are damages reported where the temperature control is used, most commonly where there is a long distance
(more than 20 m / 65 ft) between water injection and condenser.
To avoid risks of having free water after the dump tube, the recommended superheat after the dump tube is
20°C / 36°F. An enthalpy of 2650 KJ/Kg is normally recommended for most applications.
A flow meter must be installed in the water line for each water valve. There should also be a pressure sensor
upstream and downstream of the water valve to allow for good estimation of the water flow below the effective
range of the water flow meters. Those pressure sensors can also be used for back up of the flow meter if it
fails and as preventive maintenance measurement, since deviations from calculated values indicate the true
cause of the problem before damages etc. can occur.
Note! Bends downstream can only be used if the enthalpy of the mixture is at least 10°C / 18°F above
saturation in the inlet of the dump device. This is because all bends create separation between steam and
water.
The algorithm is based on the dump device used as a flow meter and a heat balance using inlet pressure and
temperature is shown in Figure 43.
PT
TT
PT
DCS
FT
Figure 43: Feed forward control
Page 41 of 48
When a dump device cannot be used as a flow meter, an algorithm with compensation for variations in inlet
pressure and temperature can be used. Inlet pressure and inlet temperature are also used in the heat
balance, as shown in Figure 44.
PT TT
DCS
FT
Figure 44: Feed forward with steam valve as flow meter
Steam conditioning valves with integrated desuperheating shown in Figure 45 are preferred over separate
steam pressure and desuperheating arrangements shown in Figure 46. The latter is only allowed after factory
approval.
PT TT
TT
PT
Figure 45: Recommended installation for bypass to Figure 46: Pressure control valve with separate
condenser desuperheater
Page 42 of 48
7.4. Desuperheating to Saturation Temperature

Although desuperheating steam down to saturation temperature is seldom necessary for process applications,
it is sometimes required by our customers. There are methods to reach close to saturation, see Section 7.4.1,
but this entails higher installation costs, higher operating costs (spray water losses to the drain system) and a
more complex control system. Therefore IMI CCI advises against desuperheating down to saturation
temperature, unless the process absolutely requires it.
There are two reasons why maintaining the steam close to saturation temperature is difficult.
The first reason is that the available energy for evaporating the spray water droplets decreases with the
decrease in steam temperature. In the desuperheating process the desuperheater creates a spray of water
droplets from the spray water (primary atomization), secondly the droplets collide with the steam and break
down into even smaller droplets (secondary atomization). The third and final stage is for the droplets to heat
up and evaporate. After a very short period of time all of the spray water has reached saturation temperature.
As can be seen in Figure 47 below, the temperature decrease of the steam is rapid in the beginning and slows
down the closer to saturation temperature it gets. The reason is that the smallest droplets evaporate first,
cooling down the steam in the beginning. This also decreases the amount of available energy to evaporate
the remaining droplets. The energy transfer from the steam to the remaining droplets is a function of the
temperature difference between the steam and the water. The red arrows represent the amount of available
energy for evaporation, as the steam temperature reaches saturation the temperature difference is zero, i.e.
the available energy for evaporation is zero.
Due to the gravitational forces acting on the droplets, the bigger droplets will fall to the bottom of the pipe
before they have received enough energy to evaporate. Once a film of condensate has been created it is
impossible for it to heat up and evaporate within a reasonable amount of time, i.e. the steam will not reach
saturation temperature and the spray water collected in the bottom of the pipe will need to be drained. Large
amounts of unevaporated spray water also risks damaging downstream piping and equipment.
Figure 47: Steam temperature decrease at 4 bar(a)
Page 43 of 48
The second reason why maintaining the steam close to saturation temperature is difficult, has to do with
temperature control.
As can be seen in the T-S Diagram below, the temperature of saturated steam, saturated water and
everything in between in the mixed region remains at a constant temperature for a given pressure. At 4 bar(a)
for example this temperature is 143,6 ˚C.
If a temperature control loop is used, where the measured outlet steam temperature is used to control the
spray water valve opening, there is no way for the control system to know if it is actually achieving saturated
steam or if it is heavily over spraying into the mixed region. The risk of overspray is significant as well as the
risk of damaging downstream piping and equipment.
Figure 48: T-S Diagram Water
Page 44 of 48
7.4.1. Two-stage cooling for achieving near saturation temperature (for special processes)
Temperature control requires that the steam is dry and superheated, and that limits minimum degree of
superheat for most systems to approximately 7 - 10 °C (12 - 18°F) superheated steam. A proven solution to
handle demands for closer to saturation temperature is to build a so called “master and slave” control. That
means that the majority of cooling is performed by the first stage (A) and the secondary cooling (B) will be
controlled by a heat balance based algorithm. See Figure 49 for an example illustration.
To reach saturation, over-injection must be done and excess water must be drained from the steam pipes.
The level of over-injection needed must be calculated case by case. Factory experts can be consulted
regarding these kinds of questions.
DCS
FT
PT A
TT TT PT
1 1 1
100 100 50
FT
A. Steam conditioning valve

B. Desuperheater
Figure 49: Two-stage desuperheating
Page 45 of 48
8. Installation
8.1. Fix points and support
The piping system must be so designed that valve(s) will not be used as a fix point. Supports are often
required for auxiliary equipment and valves, and must be properly designed.
8.2. Vertical installation

B
A
PT TT
A. Spring hanger
B. Crane for lifting
C. Platform
D. Duct
Figure 50: Vertical installation
Page 46 of 48
8.3. Horizontal installations
A A
A
PT TT
PT TT
Figure 52: Inlet pipe from below with spring

Figure 51: Inlet pipe from above with spring hanger hanger
PT TT
PT TT
B
B
C
C
Figure 53: Inlet pipe from below with sliding

support Figure 54: Inlet pipe from above with sliding
support
A. Spring hanger
B. Sliding support
C. Vibration absorber
Page 47 of 48
8.4. Accessibility
Space must be provided for service and maintenance of the valve. If the valve is installed in a pipe rack or any
other location which is difficult to reach, a platform needs to be provided around the valve with a safe route to
it. The platform shall be sufficiently large to accept a minimum of two persons and temporary storage of valve
internals.
Note! Consider also transportation of heavy spare parts.
A bracket or other arrangement for a lifting device shall also be available. The capacity shall be at least 5
tons. To facilitate maintenance within scheduled time, lifting equipment and a working platform must be
provided. Planning for future maintenance is a very good investment and should always be taken into
consideration.
Page 48 of 48

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Installation Guidelines

Steam conditioning valves

SI500.00 rev 9 – English

About this document

Please direct all inquiries to:

2.1. Distance to first upstream piping

L1 Steam pipe Distance from valve inlet to

Figure 1: Pipe elbow upstream from the valve

2.1.1. Multiple bends

Figure 2: Upstream piping with multiple bends

2.2. Upstream flow dividers

2.3. Upstream stop valve

Figure 5: Installation with a stop valve welded unto a control valve

3.1. Water piping

3.2. Water valve

Figure 6: Water valve with bypass valve

The main sources for free water are:

Free water in the piping can be a source for multiple problems:

Figure 7: Drain / preheat system

4.1. Drop leg, slope and distance to drain

Figure 8: Drip leg, slope and distance to drain

4.2. Recommended drain installations

4.3. Problematic installations

Figure 14: Valve in low installation

Figure 13: Horizontal inlet, outlet

5.1. Utilizing pressure drop in the main steam line

5.2. Utilizing a higher pressure line

5.3. Valve below the steam line

5.4. Bypassing the control valve

6.1. Downstream piping material

Variable Description Unit

td1 Design temperature at valve inlet °C

h1 Enthalpy at valve inlet kJ/kg

Pd2 Design pressure at valve outlet bar(a)

td2 Design temperature at valve outlet °C

t2max Maximum allowed temperature in downstream piping °C

Figure 20: HP plots Figure 21: LP plots

6.2. Flow dividers

6.3. Diffusers and plates

6.4. Expanders and reducers

6.5. Bypass to process

Figure 26: Distance to first downstream bend

6.5.2. Distance to temperature sensor

Figure 27: Distance to temperature sensor

Valves with low outlet velocity

0 0,05 0,10 0,15 0,20 0,25 0,30 0,35 [s]

6.6. Bypass to cold reheat

Figure 28: Distance to first downstream bend

6.6.2. The distance to the first bend in special conditions

6.6.3. Distance to temp sensor for HP to cold reheat or similar

Figure 29: Distance to temperature sensor

High pressure bypass to cold reheat or similar process applications

6.7. Bypass to condenser

The approximate cost relationship to solve these problems is:

6.7.1. Temperature control

Figure 30: Temperature control with dump device

6.7.2. Enthalpy control / feedforward control

Figure 31: Enthalpy control with dump device

6.7.3. Enthalpy level

Specific entropy [kJ/kg K]

6.7.4. Bypass to Water Cooled Condenser using feedforward control

Figure 33: Water cooled condenser

6.7.5. Bypass to Air Cooled Condenser

Figure 34: Air cooled condenser