Condensate Pot Water Hammer Due to Improper Flash Mixing

This cause is diagnosed by inspecting the piping configuration for the junction of high-pressure flash lines and low-pressure condensate headers. If high-temperature flash steam is tied directly into a line containing subcooled, stagnant condensate without the use of a flash vessel, the resulting steam collapse is the source of the hammer. Verification includes tracing lines to confirm that flash lines and pumped return lines are converging into a single, un-vented header, which promotes thermal instability and violent steam-liquid contact.

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