Steam Trap Loss Calculator

Adjusted Napier approximation for a failed-open orifice under critical-flow assumptions.

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1 Inputs

Minimum: 0.01

Minimum: 0

Minimum: 0

Minimum: 0

Minimum: 0.1 · Maximum: 1

2 Results

Annual cost of this failed trap
$3,996
Steam loss rate
30.4 lb/h
Annual steam lost
266,390 lb
= tonnes / year
120.8 t
Cost / day
$10.95
W(lb/h) = 24.24 × (psig+14.7) × D(in)² × Cd
Adjusted Napier approximation for a failed-open orifice under critical-flow assumptions. Pressure is gauge psig and diameter is inches. Backpressure, steam condition and failure opening matter; validate survey evidence before claiming recoverable savings.

Worked example

Example values are illustrative. Replace them with your measured data.

InputValue
Orifice diameter0.125 in
Steam pressure (gauge)100 psig
Hours open / year8760 h
Steam cost15 $/1000 lb
Discharge coefficient0.7 —

Annual cost of this failed trap: $3,996

References

Related tools

About this calculator

How it works

You enter orifice diameter (in), steam gauge pressure (psig), hours open per year, steam cost per 1,000 lb and a discharge coefficient. Napier's formula gives W (lb/h) = 24.24 × (psig + 14.7) × D² × Cd. Annual loss = W × hours; cost = loss ÷ 1,000 × steam cost.

Worked example (illustrative inputs)

1/8 in (0.125) at 100 psig, Cd 0.7: W = 24.24 × 114.7 × 0.0156 × 0.7 ≈ 30.4 lb/h. Over 8,760 h ≈ 266,400 lb, or about $3,996 per year at $15/1,000 lb.

How to read the result

Loss grows with the square of orifice diameter, so doubling the orifice size quadruples the loss. The figure assumes the trap is fully failed open for the hours entered.

When to use it

Use it to prioritise trap repairs after a survey and to budget a trap programme.

À propos de ce calculateur

Traduction (brouillon) — à relire.

Fonctionnement

Vous saisissez le diamètre d'orifice (in), la pression relative de vapeur (psig), les heures d'ouverture par an, le coût de la vapeur pour 1 000 lb et un coefficient de décharge. La formule de Napier donne W (lb/h) = 24,24 × (psig + 14,7) × D² × Cd. Perte annuelle = W × heures ; coût = perte ÷ 1 000 × coût vapeur.

Exemple chiffré (valeurs d'illustration)

1/8 in (0,125) à 100 psig, Cd 0,7 : W = 24,24 × 114,7 × 0,0156 × 0,7 ≈ 30,4 lb/h. Sur 8 760 h ≈ 266 400 lb, soit environ 3 996 $ par an à 15 $/1 000 lb.

Lire le résultat

La perte croît avec le carré du diamètre : doubler l'orifice quadruple la perte. Le calcul suppose un purgeur bloqué ouvert pendant toutes les heures saisies.

Quand l'utiliser

Utilisez-le pour hiérarchiser les réparations après une campagne de contrôle et budgéter un programme de purgeurs.

حول هذه الحاسبة

ترجمة (مسودة) — للمراجعة.

طريقة الحساب

تُدخل قطر الفتحة (in) وضغط البخار النسبي (psig) وساعات الفتح سنويًا وتكلفة البخار لكل 1000 lb ومعامل التصريف. تعطي معادلة Napier: ‏W ‏(lb/h) = 24.24 × (psig + 14.7) × D² × Cd. الفقد السنوي = W × الساعات؛ والتكلفة = الفقد ÷ 1000 × تكلفة البخار.

مثال محسوب (قيم توضيحية)

1/8 in ‏(0.125) عند 100 psig وCd ‏0.7: ‏W = 24.24 × 114.7 × 0.0156 × 0.7 ≈ 30.4 lb/h. وعلى 8760 ساعة ≈ 266,400 lb، أي نحو 3996 $ سنويًا عند 15 $ لكل 1000 lb.

قراءة النتيجة

يزداد الفقد مع مربع قطر الفتحة، فمضاعفة القطر تضاعف الفقد أربع مرات. ويفترض الحساب أن المصيدة عالقة مفتوحة طوال الساعات المُدخلة.

متى تستخدمه

استخدمها لترتيب أولويات إصلاح المصائد بعد المسح ولإعداد ميزانية برنامج المصائد.

In one line

Adjusted Napier approximation for a failed-open orifice under critical-flow assumptions. Pressure is gauge psig and diameter is inches. Backpressure, steam condition and failure opening matter; validate survey evidence before claiming recoverable savings.

Worked example

EXAMPLE

Illustrative values (the calculator defaults), not data from a real site.

Inputs
Orifice diameter0.125 in
Steam pressure (gauge)100 psig
Hours open / year8760 h
Steam cost15 $/1000 lb
Discharge coefficient0.7 —
Results
Annual cost of this failed trap$3,996
Steam loss rate30.4 lb/h
Annual steam lost266,390 lb
= tonnes / year120.8 t
Cost / day$10.95

Frequently asked questions

How much does a failed steam trap really cost?

It depends heavily on orifice size and pressure, but even a small 1/8-inch trap failed open at 100 psig can vent tens of thousands of pounds of steam a year, often amounting to thousands of dollars. Since unmanaged systems commonly have a meaningful fraction of traps failed at any time, the plant-wide total adds up fast.

What is Napier's formula and how accurate is it?

It's a widely used engineering approximation for steam flow through an orifice under critical flow, corrected by a discharge coefficient for real-world, non-ideal flow. It's accurate enough for prioritizing trap repairs and budgeting an energy program, but it's not a substitute for actual flow metering if you need precise figures.

What discharge coefficient should I use?

Around 0.7 is a common default for a worn or irregular trap-failure orifice, with some references using a range of roughly 0.6 to 0.9 depending on the failure mode. If you don't know your specific value, 0.7 is a reasonable planning estimate.

How do I know if a trap has failed open versus failed closed?

A failed-open trap typically shows continuous flow or hiss on an ultrasonic or thermal survey and a hot discharge line; a failed-closed trap backs up condensate and often shows a cold or waterlogged line downstream. Regular acoustic or thermal trap surveys are the standard way to find both failure modes.

What fraction of traps in a typical plant are failed?

Facilities without an active trap-management program often have a meaningful share of their trap population failed at any given time — this varies a lot by system age and maintenance practice, so a periodic survey is the only reliable way to know your own number.

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