Desuperheater

Desuperheating, sometimes called attemperation or steam conditioning, is the reduction of gas temperature. Its most common application is the reduction of temperature in a steam line through the direct contact and evaporation of water.

Desuperheating is found in many industries, but it is commonly found in Refineries, Petrochemical and Chemical plants.  Desuperheating can be a critical application where improper micron droplet size can potentially cause thermal shock.  Desuperheating nozzles can be used to cool Superheated Steam into a Saturated Steam state.  Certain applications, such as heat exchangers, require reduced temperatures and pressure for optimum steam energy transfer.

The cooling water is injected through special spray nozzle into the steam flow. The amount is adjusted by a control valve upstream of the desuperheater. The type and number of nozzles are dictated by the operating data. The internals of the pipe installed downstream of the equipment prevent temperature shocks at the external pipe.