STEAM

Steam as medium to Generate

Power ---Why?
Steam is used in the following Industries:
Power generation
Sugar
Paper
Fertilizer
Refineries
Petrochemicals
Chemicals
Food
Synthetic fibres
Textiles

Characteristics of Steam

Highest Specific Heat and latent Heat

Highest heat transfer coefficient
Easy to control and distribute
Cheap and Inert
Non Toxic, odorless

Steam
The Heat required to change temperature a substance is called as
Sensible Heat mentioned as hf with unit of Kcal/Kg
If 1 kg of water at 25 degC ie: containing the heat value of 25
Kcals is heated by adding another 75 Kcals, the water is brought
to its boiling point of 100degC.
To Change the water to steam an additional 540 Kcals would be
required and this heat required to change the water from liquid
state to gaseous state is Called as Latent Heat without any
change in temperature.
When the steam condenses back to water, it gives up the enthalpy
of evaporation which it had acquired for change in phase from
water to steam. The enthalpy of evaporation is measured in
Kcal/Kg and the symbol ishfg
The temperature at which water boils is known as Boiling Point or
Saturation Temperature.

Heat of steam Calculation

The total heat of the fully saturated steam is =
hf+hg
If the steam has some wetness then dryness will be
mentioned as F , now the total heat will be as
=hf+Fxhfg
Let us say boiler is at 8 kg/cm2 and steam saturation
temperature is 170 degC, then the total heat of dry
saturated steam is
hf+hg =171.35+489.46 =660.81 Kcal/Kg( values
from steam tables)
If dryness fraction is 96% ( wetness is 4%) then
=171.35+0.96x489.46 = 641.23 Kcal/Kg.

Hf (A-B) Liquid Enthalpy: hfg (B-C) Latent heat of evaporation

addition at Constant temperature and (C-D) as superheat
addition after it attains dry saturated steam condition.
Critical Point meeting point of
saturated Liquid and Saturated
D
vapor lines.
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r A
e

Liquid
region
Saturate
d Liquid
lineB

Enthalpy

Two phase
region- Wet
steam

Superheat
region
C
Saturated vapor
line

Critical Point
The Point at which the saturated liquid line and
saturated vapour line meets..known as CRITICAL POINT.
As the pressure rises the latent heat of evaporation
also decreases and at point it is zero , from water
changes directly to saturated steam .
The critical point occurs @374.15 DegC & 221.2 bar(a)
for steam. Above this pressure the steam is termed as
Supercritical and no well defined boiling point applies.
Above the critical point, only Gas exist, the gaseous
state is the most diffusive state in which the molecules
have an almost unrestricted motion, and the volume
increases without limit as the pressure is decreased.

Steam Distribution
As condensate has very small volume than steam ,
condensation generates pressure drop.
Steam traps are to be part of steam distribution
system, for example a 100mm well lagged pipe of 30
meters length carrying steam at 7 kg/cm pressure
can condense nearly 10 kg of water in one hour if the
condensate not removed through the traps/ drains.
Pipe shall have fall gradient of 12.5 mm in 3 m length
in the direction of flow.
Steam traps, steam separators, drain pots @every 30
to 50 m of pipe length) , automatic vents, thermal
expansion loops etc are necessary for perfect steam
distribution system.

 Proper sizing of steam pipelines will help to

reduce the pressure drop.
The velocities of steam
Wet or Exhaust steam : 20 to 30 m/sec
Saturated Steam : 30 to 40 m/sec
Superheated steam
: 50 to 70 m/sec

Pressure drop in steam pipes

Hf = 4fLu2/2gD where
Hf = head loss due to friction in m, f is friction factor
dimensionless, L is length in m, u is flow velocity in
m/sec, g is gravitational constant (9.81 m/s2) and D is
the pipe diameter in m.

Steam Traps (ST)

Purpose of ST is to obtain fast heating of the
product or equipment by keeping steam lines free
of condensate, air and non condensable gases. It
is a device like valve discharges only condensate
and air from the line without discharging the
steam.
Functions are
To discharge condensate as soon as formed.
Not to allow steam to escape.
To be capable of discharging air and other non
condensable gases.

Steam traps of three basic types as per ISO6704:1982.

Thermostatic ( Operated by changes in fluid
temperature)
Mechanical ( Operated by changes in fluid density)