Design Guidelines for a Successful Steam

Desuperheater Installation
By Richard L. Jones, PE

Desuperheaters are generally utilized to reduce the temperature of superheated steam to a

desired setpoint for the protection of downstream piping and equipment or for the supply
of saturated steam for heat transfer purposes. This steam temperature reduction is
occasionally accomplished by using a heat-exchanger with no contact between the fluids
but is most frequently accomplished by the addition of water to the steam. The success of
a desuperheater installation is dependant on selecting the best available equipment and
the incorporation of proven desuperheater system design guidelines.

Water injection desuperheaters generally fall into one of the following three categories:

a) surface absorption b) mechanical atomization including venture and c) steam

atomization. An absorption desuperheater consists of a vessel in which the wetted
internal surfaces are in contact with the steam flow. The superheated steam absorbs the
water thereby lowering the temperature of the steam. The absorption type is generally
characterized by high initial cost, large pressure drop, ability to reduce steam temperature
to saturation, small space requirements, and very high system turndown rangeability.

The mechanically atomized desuperheater is characterized by cooling water being

injected directly into the steam flow. In some cases, the desuperheater internals will
include a venture section designed to create turbulence and better mixing of the water at
the point of injection. Venturi type desuperheaters are frequently able to operate with
water pressure equal to or only slightly higher than the steam pressure. These units are
usually characterized by low system turndown rangeability, high water fall-out rate, and
the need for the set point to be a minimum of 15-20 degrees F above saturation.

Other mechanical designs are in essence a spray nozzle inserted into the steam pipe with
a focus on generating the best possible spray pattern and the smallest possible water
droplets. These units are characterized by relatively low initial cost, moderate system
turndown rangeability, the need for relatively high steam velocities, set points limited to
approximately 15-20 degrees F above saturation, and large space requirements.

The steam atomized desuperheater utilizes a higher pressure atomizing steam in

conjunction with the cooling water. The atomizing steam adds heat to the cooling water
thereby speeding its change in state to a gas as well as atomizing it mechanically into a
finer sized mist of droplets than is possible by only mechanical injection through a
nozzle. The finer mist results in faster absorption, reduced space requirements, less
dependence on steam pipeline velocities, and higher system turndown.

Selecting the best desuperheater for the application requires a thorough understanding of
the application and the features, weaknesses and limitations of the different type
desuperheaters. However, once the best desuperheater has been selected, the system must
be designed according to the manufacturers recommendations and proven guidelines to
ensure proper system performance.

Proper desuperheater system design requires a complete knowledge of all anticipated

operating conditions and an understanding of the main parameters affecting the systems
performance. Included in these parameters are: a) turndown, b) steam and water pressure
drops, c) straight runs, d) distance to the temperature sensor, and e) suitable drain.

There are several turndown ratios involved in desuperheating, First, the manufacturer
generally provides a turndown for the desuperheater. This turndown is the ratio of the
maximum water flow to minimum water flow for which the desuperheater is able to
generate consistently suitable and small droplets. Another turndown is that of the water
flow control valve. It may be a standard control valve or may be an integral part of the
desuperheater. In either case, the valve has a turndown ratio of maximum to minimum
controllable water flow. The most important turndown associated with a desuperheater is
the system turndown. This is the ratio of maximum steam flow to minimum steam flow
for the installed desuperheater for which controllable desuperheating can be
accomplished. Typically, system turndowns are limited to approximately 15:1 for
mechanical desuperheaters and approximately 30:1 for steam atomized desuperheaters.

Many other factors affect the available system turndown. Included are line size and its
interrelated steam velocity, spray water temperature, and the presence of a liner. Steam in
a smaller pipe has greater turbulence at a given velocity than in a larger pipe. Therefore,
the minimum velocity necessary to prevent water fallout is lower in the smaller pipe than
in a larger pipe. Thus, the maximum possible system turndown in smaller pipe is often
greater than that possible in larger pipe. Also, if the cooling water is hotter and close to
the saturation temperature of the steam, it will more readily flash and evaporate thereby
speeding the steam cooling and reducing the chance of water droplet fallout at a given
steam velocity. Liners can further improve the systems turndown. They are typically
installed to protect the base pipe from contact by the relatively cool water droplets with
resulting thermal stress and/or to create a short section of reduced inside diameter piping
through which the steam is accelerated with increasing turbulence and better mixing and
thus faster and better droplet evaporation.

Different style desuperheaters have varying steam pressure drops. Venturi type result in
relatively hig steam pressure drops. Mechanical injection through nozzles can result in
little or non-existent pressure drops. Additionally, the spray water typically needs to take
a 75 psi minimum pressure drop through the spray water control valve and spray nozzle
in order to have decent control and create adequately small droplets.

Straight runs upstream and downstream of a desuperheater are commonly required. The
upstream straight run is usually recommended as a function of the pipe diameter,
typically 3-5 pipe diameters. This is to ensure that the steam is in a somewhat consistent
and homogeneous state and not swirling or cork-screwing when the spray water is
injected. The downstream straight run is best determined by computing the required
evaporation time of the droplets or using a commonly accepted time factor and
multiplying it times the maximum steam velocity. The result is the minimum
recommended straight run necessary to ensure that the water droplets have evaporated
before coming into contact with an elbow and becoming recombined into a pool of water.

Similar to the recommended minimum downstream straight run, the recommended

distance to the temperature sensor requires that all droplets have been evaporated. This
distance is therefore always past the minimum recommended straight run. Additionally,
it is acceptable and even advantageous to have an elbow between it and the
desuperheater. The temperature measurements must be made on dry steam as any
droplets could result in a false reading and poor temperature control.

A suitable drain downstream of a desuperheater is an essential safety precaution.

Changing process conditions, failed equipment, and failed temperature control system
can lead to catastrophic loss of control and excessive water spray and buildup at the
bottom of the steam pipe. It is imperative that such buildup be avoided and a properly
designed drip leg with a steam trap and emergency manual atmospheric drain valve are
always recommended. The atmospheric drain is also a means for understanding the state
of operation of the desuperheater when troubleshooting the system for problems.

Knowledge of the available desuperheater equipment and its correct operation plus
incorporation of proper system design parameters is essential to ensure a safe and
successful desuperheater installation.

Richard L. Jones, PE is the President of Richard L. Jones, Inc. and a 1975 Nuclear
Engineering graduate of Texas A&M University.

Article # 0016 TEST QUESTIONS:

1. What are desuperheaters generally used for?
a. To reduce the temperature of superheated steam.
b. To remove a superheater coil.
c. To improve the steam quality.
d. All of the above
2. Which of the following are categories of water injection desuperheaters?
a. saturated output
b. condensing steam
c. steam atomization
d. All of the above
3. An absorption desuperheater consists of a vessel with...?
a. a large surface area for heat transfer.
b. only one steam inlet and one steam outlet.
c. wetted internal surfaces in contact with the steam flow.
 d. None of the above
4. The absorption type desuperheater is generally characterized by ...?
a. small space requirements
b. very high system turndown rangeability
c. large pressure drop
d. All of the above
5. The mechanically atomized desuperheater is characterized by ...?
a. cooling water being injected directly into the steam flow
b. very high system turndown rangeability
c. a large surface area for heat transfer.
d. All of the above
6. Which of the following factors affect the available system turndown?
a. spray water temperature
b. line size / steam velocity
c. the presence of a liner.
d. All of the above
7. Why are straight runs required upstream and downstream of a desuperheater.
a. to ensure that the steam is in a somewhat consistent and homogeneous state
when it reaches the desuperheater.
b. to ensure that the water droplets have evaporated before coming into contact
with an elbow.
c. Both a. and b.
d. None of the above
8. Typically, system turndowns are limited to approximately ___ for mechanical
desuperheaters
a. 5:1
b. 15:1
c. 30:1
d. All of the above
9. Typically, system turndowns are limited to approximately ___ for steam atomized
desuperheaters.
a. 5:1
b. 15:1
c. 30:1
d. All of the above
10. What parameter(s) must be known for proper desuperheater system design?
a. Boiler size in lb/hr.
b. Boiler fuel.
c. turndown
d. All of the above