Rütgers Chemicals, located in Castrop Rauxel, Germany is Europe’s leading manufacturer of coal tar
derived chemical feedstocks. The Castrop Rauxel site utilises steam for the manufacturing process,
which accounts for the plant’s largest energy expenditure. The numerous distillation tanks, distributed
throughout the facility, are the primary steam processes and have been operating since the
inauguration of the site. They use conventional mechanical traps to remove condensate after steam
energy has been used in the distillation process.

During the spring, Benedikt Wilhelm the Director or Infrastructure Services and Energy Supply,
commissioned EBE Engineering to begin a project to evaluate the use of venturi orifice steam traps on
a distillation tank. Initially sceptical, due to the venturi orifice traps lack of mechanical components, his
scepticism was soon overcome as the results from the evaluation, in even a short period of operation,
were seen to be astounding.

Thomas Reisenauer, Cost Improvement Manager, who collated the results of the trial, was both
impressed and a little mystified by the performance of the traps.
He stated: “We have seen a reduction in steam consumption of over 20% for the distillation cycle.
Initially we found this hard to believe as the steamtrap has no moving components to stop steam
leaking”.

The operation of the steamtrap is based upon the physical properties of both steam and condensate,
with the higher density of the condensate acting as a plug to stop steam leaking from the steam main
into the atmosphere.

“Payback for the traps we installed on the distillation tank was less than two months and we saw
significant improvements in the control of the process” continued Mr Reisenauer. “In addition as the
traps are performance warranted for ten years we expect to see the savings maintained permanently”,
he concluded.

Rütgers has asked EBE Engineering to convert the remaining on site distillation tanks to the venturi
orifice steamtrap technology. The company now hopes to further improve on energy savings and its
carbon footprint.