Steam trap construction with ease of access for maintenance

A condensate removal trap for removing condensate from a process line of an apparatus carrying a working fluid used by the apparatus, the condensate removal trap comprising a trap body having an internal flow path from a trap inlet to a trap outlet, said trap inlet being constructed for introducing working fluid to said internal flow path from the process line at an operating temperature and pressure causing the working fluid to include a liquid fraction and a gaseous fraction during operation of the apparatus, wherein:

• said trap includes a venturi nozzle comprising a single, straight-line venturi flow path portion that forms the only venturi nozzle in said internal flow path between said trap inlet and said trap outlet, said straight-line venturi flow path portion being configured to reduce the pressure of working fluid in said internal flow path by an amount sufficient to cause at least a portion of the liquid fraction thereof to convert to a gaseous phase and at least partially restrict flow of the gaseous fraction through said straight-line venturi flow path portion while discharging as condensate another portion of the liquid fraction at a pressure less than the operating pressure;
• said straight-line venturi flow path portion is formed by a through passage in a condensate nozzle secured to said trap body and having a nozzle inlet in fluid communication with said trap inlet for introducing said process fluid therein to said through passage and a nozzle outlet for discharging said condensate from said through passage into a reduced pressure region of said internal flow path forming a discharge chamber in fluid communication with said trap outlet for discharging from said trap body condensate discharged from said nozzle outlet;
• said condensate nozzle comprises a nozzle cartridge assembly including a nozzle holder and a separate nozzle insert secured in said nozzle holder;
• said discharge chamber has an access opening sealed by a removable cover to provide access to said condensate nozzle;
• and
• said nozzle holder is removably secured to said trap body by removable fasteners with said nozzle inlet sealed to an inlet of said discharge chamber and said nozzle holder disposed in said discharge chamber, said fasteners being accessible for removing said nozzle cartridge assembly from said condensate removal trap via said access opening when said cover is removed.

A steam trap for removing condensate from a process line of an apparatus carrying a working fluid including steam used by the apparatus, the steam trap comprising (i) a steam trap body providing an internal flow path between a trap inlet constructed for attachment to the process line of the apparatus and a trap outlet, and (ii) a condensate nozzle including a replaceable venturi nozzle cartridge with a nozzle holder and a separate nozzle insert in a nozzle holder bore through said nozzle holder, wherein:

• said nozzle holder includes a nozzle holder inlet in fluid communication with said trap inlet via an inlet passage forming a working fluid inlet portion of said internal flow path for introducing to the nozzle holder inlet working fluid from the process line of the apparatus at an operating temperature and pressure causing the working fluid to include a liquid fraction and a gaseous fraction;
• said nozzle insert comprises a nozzle insert bore forming a single, straight-line venturi flow path portion in said internal flow path between said trap inlet and said trap outlet, said venturi flow path portion being configured to reduce the pressure of working fluid introduced to said nozzle holder inlet by an amount sufficient to cause at least a portion of the liquid fraction thereof to convert to a gaseous phase and at least partially restrict flow of the gaseous fraction through said nozzle insert bore while discharging another portion of the liquid fraction from an outlet of said nozzle insert bore at a pressure less than the operating pressure as condensate into a reduced pressure region of said steam trap body forming a discharge chamber in fluid communication with said trap outlet for discharging from said steam trap body condensate discharged from said outlet of said nozzle insert bore;
• and
• said discharge chamber has an access opening sealed by a removable cover and said nozzle holder is removably secured in place in said steam trap body by bolts, with said nozzle holder inlet being sealed to an inlet of said discharge chamber in fluid communication with said trap inlet and said bolts being accessible for removal of said replaceable venturi nozzle cartridge from said steam trap via said access opening by removing said cover.

A steam trap for removing condensate from a process line of an apparatus carrying a working fluid including steam used by the apparatus, the steam trap comprising a steam trap body having an internal flow path from a trap inlet to a trap outlet, said trap inlet being constructed for introducing working fluid to said internal flow path from the process line at an operating temperature and pressure causing the working fluid to include a liquid fraction and a gaseous fraction during operation of the apparatus, wherein:

• said steam trap includes a venturi nozzle comprising a single, straight-line venturi flow path portion that forms the only venturi nozzle in said internal flow path between said trap inlet and said trap outlet, said straight-line venturi flow path portion being configured to reduce the pressure of working fluid in said internal flow path by an amount sufficient to cause at least a portion of the liquid fraction thereof to convert to a gaseous phase and at least partially restrict flow of the gaseous fraction through said straight-line venturi flow path portion while discharging as condensate another portion of the liquid fraction at a pressure less than the operating pressure;
• said straight-line venturi flow path portion is formed by a through passage in a condensate nozzle secured to said steam trap body and having a nozzle inlet in fluid communication with said trap inlet for introducing said process fluid therein to said through passage and a nozzle outlet for discharging said condensate from said through passage into a reduced pressure region of said internal flow path forming a discharge chamber in fluid communication with said trap outlet for discharging from said steam trap body condensate discharged from said nozzle outlet;
• said straight-line venturi flow path portion of said internal steam trap flow path is substantially parallel with the direction of working fluid flow at said trap inlet;
• and
• said discharge chamber has an access opening sealed by a removable cover to provide access to said condensate nozzle.

A nozzle cartridge for mounting to a steam trap to remove condensate from a process line of an apparatus carrying a working fluid including steam used by the apparatus, the steam trap comprising a steam trap body having an internal flow path from a trap inlet to a trap outlet, said trap inlet being constructed for introducing working fluid to the internal flow path from the process line at a temperature and pressure causing the working fluid to include a liquid fraction and a gaseous fraction, wherein:

• said nozzle cartridge comprises a nozzle inlet, a nozzle outlet, and a through passage between said nozzle inlet and said nozzle for forming a straight-line venturi flow path configured to reduce the pressure of the working fluid introduced to said nozzle inlet by an amount sufficient to cause at least a portion of the liquid fraction thereof to convert to a gaseous phase and at least partially restrict flow of the gaseous fraction through said venturi flow path while discharging another portion of the liquid fraction through said nozzle outlet as condensate at a pressure less than the operating pressure;
• said nozzle cartridge includes mounting structure for removably securing said nozzle cartridge in a reduced pressure region of the steam trap body by removable fasteners with a surface of said mounting structure sealed to an inlet of the reduced pressure region to form a single venturi flow path between the trap inlet and the trap outlet;
• and
• said removable fasteners are accessible via an access opening in the reduced pressure region sealed by a cover removably secured to the steam trap body.

A condensate removal trap for removing condensate from a process line of an apparatus carrying a working fluid used by the apparatus, the condensate removal trap comprising a trap body having an internal flow path from a trap inlet to a trap outlet, said trap inlet being constructed for introducing working fluid to said internal flow path from the process line at an operating temperature and pressure causing the working fluid to include a liquid fraction and a gaseous fraction during operation of the apparatus, wherein:

• said trap includes a venturi nozzle comprising a single, straight-line venturi flow path portion that forms the only venturi nozzle in said internal flow path between said trap inlet and said trap outlet, said straight-line venturi flow path portion being configured to reduce the pressure of working fluid in said internal flow path by an amount sufficient to cause at least a portion of the liquid fraction thereof to convert to a gaseous phase and at least partially restrict flow of the gaseous fraction through said straight-line venturi flow path portion while discharging as condensate another portion of the liquid fraction at a pressure less than the operating pressure;
• said straight-line venturi flow path portion is formed by a through passage in a condensate nozzle secured to said trap body and having a nozzle inlet in fluid communication with said trap inlet for introducing said process fluid therein to said through passage and a nozzle outlet for discharging said condensate from said through passage into a reduced pressure region of said internal flow path forming a discharge chamber in fluid communication with said trap outlet for discharging from said trap body condensate discharged from said nozzle outlet;
• said straight-line venturi flow path portion of said internal trap flow path is substantially parallel with the direction of working fluid flow at said trap inlet;
• said discharge chamber has an access opening sealed by a removable cover to provide access to said condensate nozzle, removably secured in said discharge chamber in the reduced pressure region of the trap body by removable fasteners with a mounting structure surface sealed to an inlet of the reduced pressure region to form the single straight-line venturi flow path between the trap inlet and the trap outlet;
• and
• said removable fasteners are accessible via the access opening in the reduced pressure region sealed by the cover removably secured to the trap body.