Soil-Steaming and Steam-Boiler Blog

Area steaming up to 40cm steaming depth with vacuum-steaming systems

In contrast to drainage systems which have pipes installed at 60 cm depth at a high material and labor cost, mobile sucking systems only require installations of sucking pipes on the surface.

Via a central sucking line which consists of galvanized quick coupling pipes and rubber steaming hoses are connected in regular spacing of 1,50m. The ends of the hoses are poked into the soil to the desired steaming depth with a special tool.

The steaming area is covered with a special steaming sheet and weighted all around as with sheet steaming. The steam is injected underneath the sheet through an injector and protection tunnel. While with short areas up to 30 m length steam is frontally injected, with longer areas steam is induced in the middle of the beet using a T-connection branching out to both sides. As soon as the sheet is inflated to approximately 1m by the steam pressure, the suction turbine is switched on. First, the air in the soil is removed via the suction hoses. A vacuum is formed and the steam is pulled downward.

During the final phase, when the required steaming depth has been reached, the ventilator runs non-stop and surplus steam is blown out. To ensure that this surplus steam is not lost, it is fed back under the sheet.

As with all other steaming systems, a post-steaming period of approximately 20–30 minutes is required. Steaming time is approximately 1 hour per 10 cm steaming depth. The steam requirement is approximately 7–8 kg/m².

The most important requirement, as with all steaming systems, is that the soil is well loosened before steaming, to ensure optimal penetration.