MAGAZINe-NIA-Article..-KirsnerConsultingEngineering.docVIP

When Removing Insulation Turns Deadly! Removing insulation from live steam lines accelerates condensate formation and subcooling—two prerequisites for explosive Condensate Induced Waterhammer by Wayne Kirsner, P.E. Removing Insulation from a live steam system is more hazardous than one might think. Sure there’s the danger of being burned by brushing up against hot pipes— bare pipes carrying 100 psig steam have a surface temperature of 334oF—but there’s also a deadly peril that you and the owner/engineer/or prime contractor who asked you to do the job probably don’t understand—Condensation Induced Waterhammer. Most people associate water hammer with pipes clanging—like the banging often heard when old-time steam radiators warm up. But these systems typically only use 2 psig steam. In this article, I’m talking about waterhammer with enough force to kill people. Its initiating mechanism is much different than the image most engineers and contractors have of what causes waterhammer—i.e., fast moving steam picking up a slug of condensate and hurling it downstream against an elbow or a valve. Condensation Induced Waterhammer can be 100 times more powerful than this type of waterhammer. It is initiated by the rapid condensation that occurs when steam is surrounded by subcooled condensate—condensate that may have cooled because insulation was removed. Because it does not require flowing steam, condensation induced waterhammer often occurs during relatively quiescent periods when operators least expect it. Its most often initiated by opening a valve, even a drain valve to remove condensate. The overpressure from an event can easily exceed 1000 psi—enough pressure to fracture a cast iron valve, blow out a steam gasket, or burst an accordion type expansion joint. Anyone asked to work on, or operate a live steam system needs to understand this type of waterhammer so they know what they may be getting into. During my career as a forensic engineer, I’ve investigated