Steam accumulator

Steam accumulator

A Steam accumulator is an insulated steel pressure tank containing hot water and steam under pressure. It is a type of energy storage device which is used to smooth out peaks and troughs in demand for steam in a factory.

Charge

The tank is about half-filled with cold water and steam is blown in from a boiler via a perforated pipe near the bottom of the drum. Some of the steam condenses and heats the water. The remainder fills the space above the water level. When the accumulator is fully charged the condensed steam will have raised the water level in the drum to about three-quarters full and the temperature and pressure will also have risen.

Discharge

Steam can be drawn off as required, either for driving a steam turbine or for process purposes (e.g. in chemical engineering), by opening a steam valve on top of the drum. The pressure in the drum will fall but the reduced pressure causes more water to boil and the accumulator can go on supplying steam (at gradually reducing pressure and temperature) for some time before it has to be re-charged.

Pressure and temperature

This steam table shows the relationship between pressure and temperature in a boiler or steam accumulator:

Abbreviations and notes

* PSI = pounds-force per square inch
* Absolute pressure = gauge pressure + atmospheric pressure
* °C = degrees Celsius
* °F = degrees Fahrenheit

External links

* [http://www.spiraxsarco.com/resources/steam-engineering-tutorials/the-boiler-house/steam-accumulators.asp Steam Accumulators] A complete overview of the need for steam storage to meet peak load demands in specific industries, including the design, construction and operation of a steam accumulator, with calculations - Spirax Sarco

ee also

* Fireless locomotive

ources

* Everyman's Encyclopaedia 1931, volume 2, page 543


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Accumulator (energy) — An accumulator is an apparatus by means of which energy can be stored, such as a rechargeable battery or a hydraulic accumulator. Such devices may be electrical, fluidic or mechanical and are sometimes used to convert a small continuous power… …   Wikipedia

  • accumulator — /euh kyooh myeuh lay teuhr/, n. 1. a person or thing that accumulates. 2. a register or electric device on an arithmetic machine, as an adding machine, cash register, or digital computer, that receives a number and produces and stores the results …   Universalium

  • Meiningen Steam Locomotive Works — The Meiningen Steam Locomotive Works (German: Dampflokwerk Meiningen) is a railway repair shop in Meiningen, Germany. It is owned by Deutsche Bahn and has specialised in the maintenance of museum steam locomotives since 1990, having extensive… …   Wikipedia

  • Solar thermal energy — Solar thermal system for water heating in Santorini, Greece …   Wikipedia

  • Energy storage — is the storing of some form of energy that can be drawn upon at a later time to perform some useful operation. A device that stores energy is sometimes called an accumulator. All forms of energy are either potential energy (eg. chemical,… …   Wikipedia

  • Accumulateur de vapeur — Un accumulateur de vapeur est un réservoir isolé thermiquement contenant de l eau liquide et de la vapeur sous pression. C est un moyen de stockage d énergie. Il peut être utilisé pour lisser les pics et les creux de la demande de vapeur. Les… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Glossary of boiler terminology — Boilers for generating steam or hot water have been designed in countless different shapes, sizes and configurations. An extensive terminology has evolved to describe their common features. This glossary provides definitions for these terms.… …   Wikipedia

  • Fireless locomotive — Preserved Andrew Barclay 0 6 0 fireless steam locomotive, South of Scotland Electricity Board, No. 1 at Glasgow Museum of Transport …   Wikipedia

  • Aircraft catapult — An aircraft catapult is a device used to launch aircraft from ships in particular aircraft carriers as a form of assisted take off. It consists of a track built into the flight deck, below which is a large piston or shuttle that is attached… …   Wikipedia

  • Thermal energy storage — District heating accumulation tower from Theiss near Krems an der Donau in Lower Austria with a thermal capacity of 2 GWh Thermal energy storage comprises a number of technologies that store thermal energy in energy storage reservoirs for later… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”