Utility Piping | Steam Piping - Basic Of Steam

What Is Steam

In  a simple word Steam is the gas formed when water passes from the liquid to the gaseous state.

The process of formation of steam can be explained as,

In liquid water, H2O molecules are constantly being joined together and separated. As the water molecules are heated, however, the bonds connecting the molecules start breaking more rapidly than they can form. Eventually, when enough heat is supplied, some molecules will break free. These 'free' molecules form the transparent gas we know as steam, or more specifically dry steam.

So there are main two form of the steam: Dry steam and wet steam 

Steam is Called Dry steam when all its water molecules remain in the gaseous state. It's a transparent gas.

And is called as Wet Steam When Is Contain water particles in it. 

Because there are various form of the steam so according to the phase of steam use is different.

Commonly Steam used For or Principal Application Of Steam

Power generation eg.

Steam Turbine

Steam for heating in two way: Direct Heating and Indirect Heating

 eg. Various Types of heat Exchangers

Steam as Motive Fluid 

eg. Steam Ejector

Steam also used for cleaning purpose

eg. Soot Blower to clean boiler piping

Steam For Moisturization 

Steam Can Also used for Humidification

There Are Various Phase Of Steam:

1. Dry Saturated Steam 

Generally  used for heat transfer because when it change phase from vapour to liquid it release large amount of energy 

2. Wet Steam

3. Superheated Steam 

Superheated steam is created by further heating wet or saturated steam beyond the saturated steam point. This yields steam that has a higher temperature and lower density than saturated steam at the same pressure. Superheated steam is mainly used in propulsion/drive applications such as turbines, and is not typically used for heat transfer applications.

4. Flash Steam

Flash steam is a name given to the steam formed from hot condensate when the pressure is reduced.

High temperature condensate contains high energy that cannot remain in liquid form at a lower pressure because there is more energy than that required to achieve Saturated water at the lower pressure. The result is that some of the excess energy causes a % of the condensate to Flash.

The greater the pressure difference, the larger the amount of flash steam generated at discharge.

Vacuum Steam

Vacuum steam is the general term used for saturated steam at temperatures below 100°C.

Use of vacuum steam requires careful temperature and pressure reading. To determine steam temperature, referring to a steam table such as the one above is recommended.