SBIR Phase I: An Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Electromechanical Steam Trap for Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Energy Savings

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses a longstanding steam industry problem, the undetectable leaking of steam traps. In North America, $500 billion worth of steam is made every year for diverse industries: oil & gas, chemicals, food, medical, utilities, etc. Around 20% of the lost steam contributes to 1.4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas which would be enough to generate electricity for 15 million homes. The key steam system issue comes from failed or underperforming traps that go undetected. A correctly working steam system is a closed loop environment that maintains the required pressure and temperature for proper steam flow. Over time, steam converts to liquid condensation and is captured in traps to be cleared on a regular basis to maintain the steam system performance integrity. In this project, a new trap system is designed to replace the current passive mechanical technology. The system integrates an active electromechanical system and remote monitoring using Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) sensors, providing steam operators with real-time monitoring and real-time data performance to identify steam trap and system issues for immediate resolution. This SBIR Phase I project identifies the known flaws of current steam trap design and operations by applying innovative solutions to the design a new trap. Current traps are purely mechanical that, when exposed to corrosive, high-pressure and temperature environments with repeated water discharge, wear out for a shortened lifespan. This technology may result into an optimal-performing steam system that continuously monitors steam flow for the best operational performance and reliable water removal. When a trap fails and steam is discharged, energy is lost, requiring boilers to consume added fossil fuels to generate additional replacement steam with unwanted greenhouse gas emissions. The new steam trap will (1) improve reliability by doubling the trap lifespan from 2-4 years to 10 years, (2) reduce the number of moving parts, (3) incorporate electronic sensors to monitor water condensation levels versus relying on mechanical floats or discs to detect and discharge condensate, and (4) provide real-time monitoring to collect and track unmonitored operational parameters continuously. This system will retrofit with existing traps for cost-effective operations and to will reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.