Method and apparatus for managing steam systems

The steam system management apparatus, comprising:

• a reservoir with an inlet and an outlet;
• valve means in said outlet for opening and closing said outlet, said valve means including an electric solenoid actuator;
• thermal electric generator means adjacent said inlet for producing electric power of about one volt of direct current potential thermionically from heat in the steam system for energizing said solenoid actuator;
• and
• electronic control means for controlling the electric power to actuate and deactuate said solenoid, said electronic control means including a voltage converter for converting the one volt electric power to about five volts of electric power, said voltage converter including an inductor coil, one end of which is connected to said one volt electric power and the other end of which is connected to ground, switch means between said other end of said inductor coil and the connection to ground, and a high voltage power output line with a rectifier diode therein connected to said other end of said coil between said other end of said coi and said switch means being timed to switch on a longer time to charge the inductor with the one volt power than it is switched off to discharge the coil through the high voltage output line.

In a steam system having a valve therein for opening said system to the outside, a method for controlling the air content in the steam system, comprising the steps of:

• positioning a thermal-electric generator capable of generating electric power thermionically from heat transfer therethrough adjacent a heat conducting wall of said steam system;
• connecting an electric solenoid to said valve for opening and closing said valve;
• operating said solenoid with the electric power generated by said thermal-electric generator to open said valve to purge air from the steam system and closing said valve to terminate the purge;
• determining the thermal transfer efficiency E* by providing said thermal-electric generator in a form that produces an electric potential in proportion to the quantity of heat conducted therethrough;
• positioning a first temperature sensing device capable of outputting a voltage in relation to temperature in the steam system adjacent said heat conducting wall;
• positioning a second temperature sensing device capable of outputting a voltage in relation to temperature at the side of said thermal-electric generator opposite said heat conducting wall;
• dividing the magnitude of voltage produced by said thermal-electric generator by the difference between the respective magnitudes of the voltage outputs of said first and second temperature sensors, comparing said thermal transfer efficiency E* with a predetermined reference thermal transfer efficiency E*;
• and
• actuating said solenoid to open said valve to purge air from the steam sytem when the actual thermal transfer efficiency varies a predetermined amount from the reference thermal transfer efficiency E*.

A method of controlling the amount of entrained air in a steam system, comprising the steps of:

• positioning a thermal-electric generator, which is adapted to produce electricity thermionically from heat in relation to the quantity of heat flowing therethrough, adjacent a heat conducting wall of a steam system;
• positioning a first temperature sensor, which is adapted to output an electric signal in relation to temperature, adjacent said thermal-electric generator on a side thereof opposite the heat conducting wall of the steam system;
• dividing the electric output of the thermal-electric generator by the output of the first temperature sensor and comparing the dividend with a predetermined reference value corresponding to an acceptable amount of air in the steam system;
• and
• opening a valve in the steam system to the outside of the steam system to purge excess air from the steam system when said dividend varies a predetermined amount from said reference value corresponding to an unacceptable amount of air in the steam system.

A method of controlling the amount of entrained air in a steam system, comprising the steps of:

• positioning a thermal-electric generator, which is adapted to produce electricity thermionically from heat, adjacent a heat-conducting wall of a steam system;
• positioning a first heat sensor, which is adapted to output an electric signal in relation to temperature, adjacent said thermal-electric generator on a side thereof opposite the heat-conducting wall of the steam system;
• positioning a first heat sensor, which is adapted to output an electric signal in relation to temperature, adjacent said thermal-electric generator on a side thereof opposite the heat-conducting wall of the steam system;
• positioning a second heat sensor, which is adapted to output an electric signal in relation to temperature, adjacent said heat conducting wall of said steam system;
• dividing the electric output of the thermal-electric generator by the difference between the electric outputs of the first and second heat sensors and comparing the dividend with a predetermined reference value corresponding to an unacceptable amount of air in the steam system;
• and
• opening a valve in the steam system to the outside of the steam system to purge excess air from the steam system when said dividend varies a predetermined amount from said reference value corresponding to an unacceptable amount of air in the steam system.

Steam system management apparatus, comprising:

• a reservoir having an inlet adapted for connection to a steam distribution and an outlet;
• pilot actuated valve means for opening and closing said outlet, said pilot actuated valve means including pressure actuated main valve means positioned in said outlet for selectively opening and closing said outlet, pressure distribution means for directing a fluid under pressure to said main valve means, and pilot valve means in said pressure distribution means for selectively applying and releasing pressure on said main valve means;
• pilot control means for actuating said pilot valve means, including a moveable armature connected to said pilot valve means, an electric solenoid adjacent said armature for moving said armature in one direction, spring bias means connected to said armature for moving said armature in the opposite direction, and solenoid actuator means electrically connected to said thermal electric generator means and said solenoid for selectively energizing and deenergizing said solenoid, and
• liquid level sensing means in said reservoir for sensing when said reservoir is full of liquid and when it is empty of liquid, said liquid level sensing means being connected to said solenoid actuator means to energize said solenoid to close said main valve means when said reservoir is empty of liquid and to deenergize said solenoid to open said main valve means when said reservoir is full of liquid.

Steam system management apparatus for steam systems having steam-containing components and heat transfer surfaces through which heat transfers from steam in the system, comprising:

• a reservoir having an inlet for connecting said reservoir to a steam distribution system and an outlet;
• valve means for opening and closing said outlet;
• and
• air detection means for detecting the amount of air in the steam system, said air detection means being connected to said valve means to open said valve means for purging the air from the steam system when a predetermined maximum acceptable amount of air is detected in the steam system and to energize said solenoid to close said valve means to terminate the air purge when a predetermined minimum amount of air is detected in the steam system, said air detection means including heat transfer detection means positioned at a heat transfer surface for detecting heat transfer through the heat transfer surface.

Steam management system apparatus, comprising:

• a reservoir having an inlet for connecting said reservoir to a steam system and an outlet;
• valve means for opening and closing said outlet;
• computer means for constantly monitoring the times the valve means remains open;
• and
• alarm means for alerting attending personnel of excessively long periods of the valve means remaining open, said alarm means including an output signal capable of being detected by a person's natural senses, an input signal to said computer means from said valve means when said outlet is opened, wherein said computer means is adapted to compare the time the outlet is opened with a predetermined standard time corresponding to the normal time interval between opening of said outlet when said reservoir is full of liquid and closing said outlet when said reservoir is empty of liquid and outputting a signal to said low level alarm means when the outlet is opened for a time period longer than said predetermined standard time.

In a steam system having a valve therein for opening said system to the outside, a method for controlling the air content in the steam system, comprising the steps of:

• positioning a thermal-electric generator capable of generating electric power thermionically from heat transfer therethrough adjacent a heat conducting wall of said steam system;
• connecting a reservoir to said steam system for collecting and retaining condensate;
• positioning a solenoid valve at the bottom of said reservoir;
• positioning an upper liquid level sensor switch near the top of said reservoir and a lower liquid level sensor switch near the bottom of the reservoir;
• and
• connecting said level sensor switches to said electrical power from said thermal electric generator and said solenoid valve to actuate said solenoid valve to open said solenoid valve when the condensate level in the reservoir reaches the upper sensor switch and to close said solenoid valve when the condensate level falls to said lower sensor switch.