Spirax Sarco describes its STAPS Wireless monitoring system as ‘a quick and easy way to implement continuous monitoring of entire steam trap populations, regardless of manufacturer, reducing costs, and significantly improving steam system performance’.
Spirax Sarco said: “Automated monitoring systems provide continuous visibility of steam trap condition, enabling drops in performance to be identified instantly and corrected. Installing a wired system can be timeconsuming and costly, with production interrupted by the installation of power and data lines.”
The STAPS Wireless monitoring system ‘eliminates these drawbacks’ – by using the Zigbee or ISA100 wireless networking standards. A STAPS head unit is simply clamped onto the upstream side of the steam trap, avoiding the need to isolate processes or cut into pipework. “Furthermore,” Spirax Sarco explained, “STAPS Wireless can be deployed almost anywhere, extending monitoring to remote and hard-to-access areas such as high-level pipe racks.”
The sound signature of each steam trap is categorised and transmitted via the wireless network to a central PC, which uses purpose-built software to determine the trap condition and calculate steam loss ‘in actual cost terms’. Steam system operators can thus ‘instantly identify’ blocked or stuck-open traps, and take immediate remedial action.
