Steam trap failure monitoring

Background

A pharmaceutical manufacturing facility uses steam traps throughout its steam system. The team checks their condition through a periodic survey, leaving intervals when a trap’s behaviour is not being followed. Our monitoring focuses on those intervals, when a trap can fail open and continue losing energy until the next inspection.

The problem

A failed-open trap allows a continuous loss that becomes part of the gas bill. The bill combines that demand with the rest of the facility’s use, so it offers little help in locating the trap. Waiting for the next survey leaves the team without a current view of which traps need attention.

How we found it

We use surface temperature probes upstream and downstream of each trap. The readings provide a temperature signature that can flag a fail-open pattern. A dashboard shows the status of each trap separately, connecting the change in the readings with a specific location for maintenance to check.

What changed

The facility team has an ongoing view of trap condition between surveys. A changing signature gives them a reason to investigate an individual trap while the loss is occurring. The status board makes that information available as part of regular monitoring, with the history beside the current reading to help explain what changed.

The lesson

Use the temperature signature to direct maintenance checks. Keep monitoring after the repair so operations and maintenance can check that the expected pattern has returned.