Steam accumulators-----
Steam accumulators is a pressure tank that is coated with steel for the purposes of holding steam under high pressure. Purpose of the steam accumulators is to release steam at the time when the demand for the steam is greater than the ability of the boiler to supply the amount required and when the demand is low, it helps to accept the steam back, To meet fluctuating & sudden steam load & To meet peak load demands in specific industries
How steam accumulator charges the steam: the tank is filled halfway with cold water then a steam is blown into the tank from a Steam Boiler through perforated pipes that are attached along the base of the tank. in the event that the steam accumulator has charged to its fullest, some of the heated water will then condense back to the tank and as a result, it raises the levels of water in the tank to almost full and in the process, the pressure and even temperature go up in the tank.
Design of Accumulators -------
During periods when then there is an excess of steam (ie periods of low demand) steam is directly injected into a large volume of water (typically held in a horizontal cylindrical pressure vessel - the accumulator). This steam condenses in the water, heats it up and holds it at the saturation pressure. During periods of high steam demand, the pressure of the vapor above the water surface in the accumulator decreases in pressure, as a response to this pressure drop vapor flashes from the water surface and saturated steam is released to make up for the high process steam demand. This process will continue until either the main steam supply is able to meet the process demand or until the pressure of the vapor above the water surface is the same as the process steam pressure and no more pressure drop is available.
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