Specification
1. What is Y-Strainer?
Y-Strainer provides protection for pumps, meters, valves, and other equipment which is designed to filter foreign objects from the piping system. "Y" Type Strainers got its name due to its shape and normally it's being used for coarse filtration.
Y-Strainer is suitable for use on water, air, gas, petroleum, steam, and other fluids and it enhances the filtration within the piping system and extends the useful life of valves; protects expensive pumps, meters, and other equipment.
Y-shaped strainer performs better inflow characteristics as compared to T-shaped strainer, mainly because the fluid flows through the filter with less change of direction.
2. Why Y-Strainer?
Threaded End SS316 Y-Strainers
In general, Y strainers play a critical role when clean fluids are required. Clean fluids will maximize the reliability and lifespan of any mechanical system. If any solid particle enters the stream, it will disrupt and even cause damage to the entire system. Apart from protecting the performance of solenoid valves, they also help safeguard other types of mechanical equipment, including:
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Pumps
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Turbines
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Spray nozzles
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Heat exchangers
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Condensers
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Steam traps
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Meters
A Y-strainer can ensure these components, which are some of the most valuable and expensive parts of the pipeline, are protected from pipe scale, rust, sediment, or any other kind of unnecessary debris. Y-strainers are available in numerous design and connection types to accommodate industry or application requirements.
3. What are the Y-Strainer materials and industry usage?
Y-Strainers are highly cost-effective for straining solutions in many applications. The strainer screen is manually cleaned by shutting down the line and removing the strainer cap if the amount of material to be removed from the flow is relatively small.
Y-Strainers are commonly used in a wide variety of liquid straining applications to protect equipment from damage or clogged by unwanted sand, gravel, or other debris.
Y-Strainers are mainly used for protecting downstream process system components in industries applications listed below.
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Chemical processing
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Petroleum
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Power generation
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Marine
Carbon Steel Material
Y-Strainers with carbon steel material are mainly applicable / used by the oil and petrochemical industry as it has excellent resistance to mechanical or thermal shock which are important considerations in the event of a fire. Carbon steel Y-Strainers are also used for high-pressure applications due to their great strength built.
Stainless Steel Material
Y-Strainers with stainless steel material are preferred by the chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries due to their high corrosion resistance and where freedom from contamination is required.
Sufficiently heavy wall thickness and blow-off flow for stainless steel Y-Strainer's material used for critical applications must be adequately designed as it's not designed to handle high stress.
For Example, in improperly trapped steam lines, condensate can accumulate in low points and become a slug of water flowing at very high velocity down the line, the slight change of direction caused by a Y-Strainer can result in a tremendous shock, which will cause damage to the strainer.
While Y-strainers are not the flashiest part of the processing system they are still an essential component. In our current era, where we use tools to analyze and record in minute detail variables including downtime, it is key to ensure you keep those expensive downstream components working to their fullest potential by ensuring you are consistently removing the debris and particulates which reduce their efficiency or cause premature failure.
ANSI 150# Cast Steel Flange End Y-Strainers
ANSI 150# SS316 Flange End Y-Strainers
4. Type of Connections
Y-Strainers are available with a wide variety of end connections including threaded (BSPP / NPT), JIS10K, and ANSI 150# standard.
5. Sizing Your Mesh Filter for a Y strainer
Y-Strainer wouldn't be able to function efficiently without the properly sized mesh filter. It’s important to understand the basics of screen sizing and mesh in order to find the Y-Strainer that fits your purpose and requirement.
Micron and mesh size is the two-term used to describe the size of the opening in a Y-Strainer, though these are two different measurements they are describing the same thing.
What is a Micron?
A micron is a unit of length used for measuring tiny particles. In context, a micrometer is one-thousandth of a millimeter or approximately one 25-thousandths of an inch.
What is Mesh Size?
A strainer's mesh size indicates the number of openings there are in the mesh across one linear inch. Screens are labeled by this size, for example, a 14-mesh screen is equal to 14 openings across one inch. Therefore, a 150-mesh screen means there are 150 openings per inch. The ratings range from size 3 mesh screens with 6,730 microns to size 400 mesh screens with 37 microns.
Micron-to-Mesh Conversion Chart
The chart below is a handy resource to help you convert from mesh to micron (or vice-versa).
Determining Your Proper Filter Size
The size, scope, and environment of the project should be taken into consideration when selecting the right filter size for the application.
Some of the important factors to gauge as per below:
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The type of pipe system you're using.
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The kind of material that makes up the system.
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The size of the debris or particles you want to capture.
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The system's pressure and temperature levels.
6. The application of Y-Strainer
A Y-strainer is an important component in an environment that requires continuous protection from debris and contamination.
Refer to few most common applications for Y-Strainer listed below:
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Steam Applications: Y-Strainers are favorable choice hardware for most steam system applications, as their shape is made to suit these environments.
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Liquid Applications: Liquid applications tend to be easily infiltrated by sand and gravel, this is where Y strainers can be used to help keep those particles out to ensure the liquid system stays clean especially when they work in tandem with other water-handling applications, these strainers can protect important and expensive equipment from being damaged, corrosion or clogs as a result from contamination.
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Natural Gas and Air Application: Natural gas and air applications usually have a low operating pressure, therefore proper sizing to reduce a pressure drop from inlet to outlet is significant.
HOW TO INSTALL A Y-STRAINER
STEP 1
Y-Strainers must be positioned in the pipeline ahead of the equipment that requires protection. For example, If the equipment requiring protection is a pump, the Y-Strainer should be placed on the suction side of the pump.
STEP 2
For ease during maintenance, the Y-Strainer should be positioned where the drain plug can be easily removed. Additionally, ensure that the installation of the drain or blow-off is located at the lowest position.
STEP 3
Ensure there is sufficient space at the wye side of the Strainer for screen removal purposes. Kindly refer to the certified engineering drawing for more detail to determine the screen clearance requirements.
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STEP 4
Support the existing pipeline system with pipe supports near the inlet and outlet connections, before placing the Y-Strainer into position.
STEP 5
Position the Y-Strainer into the pipeline system, ensuring that the direction flow arrow on the body of the Y-Strainer is pointing in the correct direction of the pipeline flow. For large or heavy Y-Strainers, it's best to use appropriate material handling equipment.
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