5 RUNNING LOAD 2
A close-up of the nozzle shows how the condensate flows through the orifice into the Venturi sector. In the running condition, the condensate flowing though the orifice is very close to the steam phase. This means the temperature of the condensate is nearly the same as the steam. As the condensate is very hot it contains large quantities of energy. This energy attempts to dissipate, but as it is under pressure from the steam and throttled in the orifice, it is unable to do so. As soon as it exits the orifice the energy contained in the condensate can now discharge. This energy discharge is in the form of ‘flash steam’. The amount of ‘flash steam’ generated is proportional to the pressure differential across the orifice. At a 1 bar differential pressure approximately four percent of the condensate converts to ‘flash steam’, at 10 bar the percentage increases to sixteen percent.