Swagelok Energy Advisors, Inc.

31500 Aurora Road

Solon, Ohio USA 44139
888-615-3559

Steam System Questionnaire

for
Swagelok Energy Engineering Services
The Steam System Engineering Division of Swagelok Energy Advisors, Inc. (SEA) is excited about the
opportunity to work with your plant personnel regarding its steam system. Before SEA’s field steam
engineer arrives at your plant, we would appreciate if you would take a few moments of your time to
complete the following questionnaire. Your answers will assist our field service engineer in meeting your
specific needs and requirements.

Please complete the questionnaire to the best of your knowledge. We will review the questionnaire with you
at your convenience (either on-site at your plant or through a conference call). If you are not able to answer
a question, please leave it blank and move to the next question.

Note: When you have completed the survey, please use Word’s “Save As” function, not “Save,” to
preserve your comments on the survey before returning it to us.

1. Objectives or Goals
What are the three main objectives or goals that you would like us to accomplish while we are at your
facility? Your objectives and goals should include any issues with the steam system’s reliability,
production, safety, emission reduction, or other energy-related items. Please list the objectives and
goals in the order of their importance:

Objective/Goal 1:

Objective/Goal 2:

Objective/Goal 3:

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 2. List three positive things about your current steam or condensate system.

a.

b.

c.

3. List three negative things about your current steam or condensate system.

a.

b.

c.

4. What is your plant's yearly (budgeted or actual) fuel cost for the last three years?

a. Year 1: $

b. Year 2: $

c. Year 3: $

5. What fuels are your plant's boilers consuming (in percentages)?

a. Natural gas: %

b. Fuel oil: %

c. Coal: %

d. Methane: %

e. Black liquor: %

f. Bark or wood: %

g. Process liquids: %

h. Others: %

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 6. What steam pressure(s) are being used at the plant?

a.

b.

c.

d.

7. What processes require the highest steam pressure(s)?

a.

b.

8. What are the maximum and minimum steam flow rates in your processes?

a. Maximum:

b. Minimum:

9. Are there different production areas?

Yes No If yes, how many production areas are there?

10. What percentage of the steam is used for the following tasks?

a. Production:

b. Heating:

c. Deaerator:

d. Other:

11. Does steam get directly injected into the process?

Yes No

12. How many days per week or year does your plant production operate?

a. Days per week:

b. Days per year:

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 13. How would you rate your current steam quality?
Please answer using the rating scale to the
Very Good Good Fair Low Very Low
right, then briefly explain your rating in the
box below.

14. Are the steam distribution prints up to date?

Yes No

15. What percentage of the steam lines are insulated?

100–90% 89–80% 79–70% 69–60% 59% or lower
Choose one of the following:

16. Is there a program for steam safety valves?

Yes No

17. What types of heat transfer are used in the plant operation?
Shell and tube Plate and frame
Steam coils Plate coils
Tracing Other
18. How would you rate the reliability of the end users?
Very Good Poor Very
Please answer using the rating scale to the right, then Good Unreliable
briefly explain your rating in the box below.

19. Are the condensate piping prints up to date?

Yes No

20. What percentage of the condensate lines are insulated?

100–90% 89–80% 79–70% 69–60% 59% or lower
Choose one of the following:

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 21. Does the plant have a formal training program on steam for all plant personnel?

Yes No
22. What testing equipment is available to plant personnel for troubleshooting or testing the
steam system components?
Ultrasound Trained on visual inspection
Infrared or temperature Other
23. How many different steam trap manufacturers does your plant use?
One
Two
Three
More than three
24. What are the operational designs of steam traps that your plant uses?
Inverted bucket
Thermostatic
Float & thermostatic
Other
Thermodynamic
25. Does the plant test the steam traps?
If yes, how often? Every year
Yes No Every three months Every two years
Every six months Only if there is a problem
26. Is the steam or condensate system experiencing water hammer?

Yes No

27. Is there pressure in the condensate lines?

Yes No

28. What types of condensate receivers or flash tanks are present in your plant?
Vented
Pressured
Both types
29. Is there steam (flash or other steam) being vented to the atmosphere?

Yes No

30. What is the total daily makeup water in the boiler plant that is used?

a.

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 31. List three of the largest condensate losses in the steam system.

a.

b.

c.

32. Does the plant have SOPs for startup and shutdown of the steam system?

Yes No

33. Does the plant have standards for installation of steam components?

Yes No

34. Does the plant have steam flow metering installed?

Yes No

35. How would you describe your current steam system management program?
Choose one of the following. If you have a Proactive Somewhat Reactive/ Reactive No
program, please use the space below to Proactive Proactive Program
explain your answer.

36. Are there any additional comments that you would like to share with our Steam Team Staff?
If so, please include them in the space provided below.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. It is the first step in ensuring a successful
steam engineering project.

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