Steam has various applications in the pharma industry, mainly used for heat-related purposes. Some processes require raw steam to be acceptable, while others require the highest purity steam levels, commonly known as Pure or Clean Steam. Because the application is critical and raw or plant steam can affect the process or product, pure steam is the best possible alternative.
Pure Steam has a high purity level and is designed for critical application in the pharma industry. Its main objective is to provide high temperature, while at the same time preventing contamination with microorganisms & foreign bodies when using steam for critical applications.
What is Pure Steam?
Pure Steam is generated from water with a standard equal to drinking water, USP specified, or Water For Injection - WFI. Since the feed water is free from contamination, foreign particles or other impurities, the steam obtained is also free from additives, contamination, microorganisms, and foreign particles.
This contrasts with plant steam, which is generated from tap or raw water. Since water is not treated for contamination and other impurities, the steam obtained from this water also contains impurities.
Due to the purity levels of pure steam, they are used in critical applications where the steam comes in direct contact with the pharma product or critical items. Examples of some processes where clean steam is used includes the following.
· Sterilization - steam sterilization of items to kill microorganisms and prevent contamination.
· Cleaning - cleaning of various items used in the pharma industry.
· Production requirements - clean steam produces high temperatures for production processes , such as product mixing.
The generation of pure steam requires dedicated equipment, other than the pant boiler. This is due to the difference in the type of feed water.
Pure Steam Generator
A pure steam generator is equipment used to produce clean steam. The feed water is heated until it converts its phase from water to gaseous, i.e., steam, like the usual boiler. This steam then flows through the relevant port, pipe, or discharge for usage in appropriate applications.
During steam generation, removing non-condensable gases and entrained droplets from the steam is necessary because it will degrade the steam, reduce its effectiveness and cause contamination in the application process. Removing of such elements is often achieved by the mechanical design at different location.
Components of Pure Steam Generator
There are several components in a pure steam generator that have their definite function, and they include the following:
Feeding System
The feeding system consists of multiple sub-components. It is used to facilitate the water entering the pure steam generator with the desired flow characteristics. It consists of
· Appropriate piping for connecting the water infeed to the steam generator
· Pump for feeding the water with the required volume of water. Since the feed water from the plant does not have the required flow characteristics, flow must increase to suit the steam generator’s requirements.
· A filter system to purify the infeed water according to the specification of the steam generator. Some manufacturing applications use purified water for infeed, so in that case, filters are not required
Evaporator and Steam generation
It is the main component and is responsible for converting water into steam. It consists of a shell & heat exchanger. A heat source provides the desired temperature. Depending upon the design, the heat source could be plant steam or electricity.
In plant steam design, steam from the boiler heats the heat exchanger. On the other hand, in electricity-based design, heaters are used to increase the temperature.
With the effect of high temperature, the water is converted into steam. Since the feed water is purified, the generated steam is free from...
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