Steam Basics

Steam Basics - Overview

What is Steam?
Why is Steam Used?
How Do We Create Steam?
How Do We Identify Steam
Properties?

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SolutionsSTEAMAIRHOTW
ATER

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David M. Armstrong

This Is Not Steam!

Steam is a
vapor form of
water, and is
colorless,
tasteless, and
odorless

What is Steam Used For?

Steam is Used to Transfer
Heat Energy From One
Location to Another

InteligentSystem
SolutionsSTEAMAIRHOTW
ATER

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David M. Armstrong

Why Use
Steam
We have already
developed the
equipment and
expertise to design
and install steam
systems for many
different
applications

We have a lot of
knowledge
concerning
steam

Steam is an
efficient heat
transfer
medium

Steam is
easily
controlled

How We Create Steam

Steam is created by adding Heat
Energy to water.
Heat Energy is expressed in Btus.
1 Btu is the amount of Heat Energy
required to raise the temperature of 1
pound of water by 1F.

How We Create Steam

The Heat Energy required to create
steam has two forms:
Sensible Heat

Latent Heat

Heat Energy Sensible Heat

Sensible Heat is the amount of Heat
Energy required to raise the
temperature of water from 32F to the
boiling point (saturated liquid) at a
given pressure
Sensible Heat raises the temperature of
the water and can be sensed with a
thermometer

Heat Energy Sensible

Heat
O PSIG
212 F.
1 lb. Water

HEAT

1 Lb. of Saturated Water at

Atmospheric Pressure Contains
180 Btus of Sensible Heat

Adding Heat Energy Sensible Heat

250 F.

15 PSIG

HEAT

1 Lb. of Saturated Water at

15 PSIG Contains
218 Btus of Sensible Heat

Heat Energy Sensible Heat

308 F.

60 PSIG

1 Lb. of Saturated Water at

60 PSIG Contains
277 Btus of Sensible Heat
HEAT

Heat Energy Latent Heat

Latent Heat is the amount of Heat
Energy required to transform water
at the boiling point (saturated liquid)
to steam
Adding Latent Heat does not raise the
temperature saturated liquid and
steam have the same temperature for a
given pressure

Adding Heat Energy

Latent Heat
O PSIG
212 F.
1 lb. Steam

HEAT

1 Lb. of Steam at Atmospheric

Pressure Contains
970 Btus of Latent Heat

Adding Heat Energy Latent Heat

250 F.

15 PSIG

HEAT

1 Lb. of Steam at 15 PSIG

Contains 945 Btus of
Latent Heat

Adding Heat Energy Latent Heat

308 F.

60 PSIG

1 Lb. of Steam at 60 PSIG

Contains 904 Btus of
Latent Heat
HEAT

What is the Effect of

Pressure?
Increased Pressure:
Decreases the amount of Latent Heat
Increases the amount of Sensible Heat

What is the Effect of

Pressure?
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0

0 psig
15 pig
50 psig

Latent
Heat
BTU/lb

Sensible
Heat
BTU/lb

What Is The Effect Of

Pressure?
Increased Pressure:
Decreases the Specific Volume

What Is The Effect Of

Pressure?
Increased Pressure:
Increases the Steam Temperature

Specific Volume

Latent Heat

Sensible Heat

Steam Temperature

Steam Pressure

The Pressure / Temperature / Volume

Relationship

Identifying Steam
Properties

Steam Tables

Steam tables allow us to

identify all of the important
properties of steam, given
either the steam temperature or
the steam pressure

Example: Steam at 250oF is at 15 psig, with 945 Btus/lb of Latent Heat

Steam at 5 psig is at 228oF, with 196 Btus/lb of Sensible Heat

Now That Weve Made

Steam

What Do We Do With It

Since Steam is used to Transfer

Heat Energy From One Location
to Another . . .

It only makes sense that we take

the heat energy back out and
use it to do work.

Removing Latent Heat

1 lb. of Steam at 212F, with a TOTAL HEAT content
of 1150 Btu/lb. 970 Btus of LATENT HEAT
= 1 lb. of boiling water (Saturated Liquid) at 212F
with a heat content of 180 BTUs/lb.
1200
1000
Btu's

970

1150

800
600
400

180 212
200 32
0

212

Atmospheric Pressure

Remember:

The Latent Heat added at the boiler is what we

have available to do work in our equipment
BUT . . .
When we remove Latent Heat we create
Condensate

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SolutionsSTEAMAIRHOTW
ATER

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David M. Armstrong

28

Latent Heat can be removed

intentionally, in a piece of heat
exchange equipment, or
unintentionally, from radiation
heat loss in piping

What does this Unintentional Heat Loss

Mean to your Steam System?
Condensate

Steam

Vapor
50.3 psig
297.97F

100 psig
337.9F

PRV
Trap
Trap

Trap
Vent

Trap

Trap
Trap

It Means:
The Steam System is Constantly Being
Filled With Water (Condensate)

It Means:
Your Steam System is Subject to Corrosion
( CO2 + H2O = H2CO3 )

Subcooled Condensate + CO2

Forms Carbonic Acid

It Means:
Your Steam System is Subject
to Water Hammer

It Means:
Your Heat Exchange
Equipment is Less Efficient

It Means:
Your System Must Be Properly Piped

It Means:
Your Equipment Must Be Properly Trapped