Properties of Steam

Properties of Steam
PROPERTIES OF STEAM

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 Properties of Steam

1.0 Steam

Vapour form of water is called STEAM.

 Water in solid phase: We call it as ICE

 Water in liquid phase: We call it as WATER
 Water in gaseous phase: We call it as STEAM

1.1 Application of steam

 Food processing industry.

 Cooking: hotels, restaurants etc.
 Used as a working fluid in steam engines and steam turbines.
 Used in industries for process heating.
 Petrochemical industry.
 Washing / drying / sterilizing in hospitals.
 Health clinic / gym.

1.2 Formation of steam experiment at constant pressure

The action of heat in the formation of steam from water is illustrated in the Fig.1.2 shown
below. As the steam is continuously generated, its pressure gradually increases and is
supplied from the boilers to the engines or turbines at constant pressure. To know the values
of the various properties of steam at a particular pressure, a steam generation experiment is
conducted by heating water from 0oC at a given constant pressure. Since the steam is
generated at constant pressure, the amount of heat energy supplied to convert the water into
steam will be equal to its enthalpy.

Consider 1 kg of water at 0oC taken in a cylinder fitted

with a freely moving frictionless piston as shown in Fig.
1.1. A chosen weight is placed over the piston so that the
total weight of the piston and the chosen weight exert the
required constant pressure “P” on the water. This
condition of water at 0oC is represented by the point “A”
on the Temperature-Enthalpy graph as shown in Fig.1.3.
Fig. 1.1

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 Properties of Steam

A B C D

Fig. 1.2 (A) Fig. 1.2 (B) Fig. 1.2 (C) Fig. 1.2 (D) Fig. 1.2 (E)
Fig. 1.2: Formation of Steam
When this water is heated at constant pressure, its temperature rises till the boiling point is
reached. When the boiling point of water is reached there will be a slight increase in the
volume of water as shown in Fig. 1.2 (B). The temperature at which the water boils depends
on the pressure acting on it. This temperature is called as saturation temperature and denoted
as “Ts”. The heating of water from 0°C to its saturation temperature is indicated by inclined
line AB in the temperature-enthalpy graph with point B depicting the saturation temperature.
Saturation temperature: It is defined as the temperature at which the water begins to boil at
the stated pressure “P”. The boiling temperature of the water increases with the increase in
pressure at which the water is heated.

Temperature

Tsup D

Degree of Superheat

B C
Ts

A Enthalpy
hf hfg
Sensible Latent Heat
Amount of
Heat
Superheat

Fig.1.3: Temperature-Enthalpy Diagram

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 Properties of Steam

Sensible heat / Enthalpy of water (hf):

It is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water from 00 C to the
saturation temperature Tsat °C at a given constant pressure “P”.. The sensible heat is also
called as the heat of the liquid or the enthalpy of the liquid.
hf = m x Cp x Tsat kJ/kg

Where, m = mass of water in kg.

Cp = specific heat of water

= 4.187 kJ/kg0K

Further addition of heat, initiates the evaporation of water while the temperature remains
constant at the saturation temperature Tsat because at the saturation temperature water is
saturated with heat and any further heat addition will only change the phase from the liquid to
the gaseous phase. This evaporation continues at the same saturation temperature Tsat until the
whole of the water is completely converted into dry steam as shown in Fig. 1.2(D). This
constant pressure and constant temperature heat addition process is represented by the
horizontal line BC on the temperature- enthalpy graph.

Latent heat of evaporation or enthalpy of evaporation: (hfg)

It is the amount of heat required to evaporate 1 kg of water at the saturation temperature Tsat
into 1 kg of dry steam at the same saturation temperature at given constant pressure “P”.

On heating the steam further at the same constant pressure, its temperature increases beyond
the saturation temperature Tsat. The temperature of the steam above the saturation temperature
at a given pressure is called superheated temperature Tsup . During this process of heating,

the dry steam will be heated from its dry state, and this process of heating is called
superheating. The steam when superheated is ca1led superheated steam. This superheating is
depicted in Fig. 1.2(E) and is represented by the inclined line CD on the temperature-
enthalpy graph.

Amount of superheat or enthalpy of superheat:

It is the amount of heat required to increase the temperature of dry steam from its saturation
temperature to any desired higher temperature at the given constant pressure “P”. The
difference between the superheated temperature and the saturation temperature is defined as

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 Properties of Steam

degree of superheat.

AOS = m x Csup (Tsup - Tsat) kJ/kg

Where
Csup = Specific heat of superheated steam

= 2.25 kJ/kg0K

Tsup = Superheated Temperature.

1.3 Advantages of Superheated Steam

1. At a given pressure, the superheated steam possess more heat energy compared to dry
saturated steam or wet steam at the same pressure, hence its capacity to do the work will
be higher.

2. When superheating is done by the exhausting combustion gases in a boiler, there will be a
saving of the energy of combustion which improves the thermal efficiency of the boiler.

3. While expanding in a steam turbine it reduces and in some cases prevents the
condensation, thus giving better economy.

1.4 Disadvantages of Superheated Steam

1. The high superheated temperature poses problems in the lubrication.

2. Higher depreciation and initial cost.

In the steam generation experiment the steam that is being generated exists in three different
states namely
1. Wet steam
2. Dry saturated steam
3. Superheated steam.

Wet Steam:

When the water is heated beyond the saturation state at constant pressure it starts evaporating.
This evaporation process depicted in Fig. 1.2(C) is not instantaneous and during the process
water exists in the form of wet steam until it completely gets converted into dry steam.
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 Properties of Steam

A wet steam is defined as a two-phase mixture of entrained water molecules and steam co
existing in thermal equilibrium at the saturation temperature corresponding to a given
constant pressure.

1.5 Dryness Fraction of Steam

The quality of the wet steam is specified by a parameter called dryness fraction which
indicates the amount of dry steam present in the given quantity of wet steam and is denoted
as “x”.

The dryness fraction of a steam is defined as the ratio of mass of the actual dry steam present
in a known quantity of wet steam to the total mass of the wet steam.
Let mg = Mass of dry steam present in the sample quantity of wet steam
mf = Mass of suspended water molecules in the sample quantity of wet steam

Mass of Dry Steam present in Wet Steam

Dryness fraction, x 
Total Mass of Wet Steam

mg
x
m f  mg

The dryness fraction of wet steam is always less than 1.

The dryness fraction of dry steam is equal to 1.

Dry Saturated Steam:

Steam which is in contact with water from which it has been formed will be in thermal
equilibrium with the water (i.e., the heat passing from steam into the water is balanced by the
equal quantity of heat passing from the water into the steam) is said to be a saturated steam.
A saturated steam at the saturation temperature corresponding to a given pressure and
having no water molecules entrained in it is defined as dry saturated steam or simply dry
steam. Since the dry saturated steam does not contain any water molecules in it, its dryness
fraction will be unity.

Superheated Steam:

When the dry saturated steam is heated further at the given constant pressure, its temperature
rises beyond its saturation temperature. The steam in this state is said to be superheated steam
A superheated steam is defined as the steam which is heated beyond its dry saturated state to

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 Properties of Steam

temperatures higher than its saturated temperature at the given pressure.

Enthalpy of Dry Saturated Steam:

The enthalpy of dry saturated steam is defined as the total amount of heat supplied at a given
constant pressure to convert I kg of water into I kg of dry saturated steam at its saturation
temperature. It is denoted as hg and will be equal to sum of the sensible heat hf and the latent
heat of evaporation hfg. '

hg = hf + hfg kJ/kg

Enthalpy of Wet Steam:

Since wet steam contains water molecules entrained in it, it will have absorbed only a fraction
of the latent heat of evaporation proportional to the mass of the dry steam contained in the
wet steam. Therefore, the enthalpy of wet steam is defined as the total amount of heat
supplied at a constant pressure to convert I kg of water at O°C into I kg of wet steam of
specified dryness fraction. It is denoted as h and will be equal to sum of the sensible heat and
the product of the dryness fraction and the latent heat of evaporation.

h = hf + x hfg kJ/kg

Enthalpy of Superheated Steam:

To superheat the steam, the heat is supplied at a constant pressure to the dry saturated steam
to increase its temperature beyond its saturation temperature. Therefore, the enthalpy of
superheated steam is defined as the total amount of heat supplied at a given constant
pressure to convert I kg of water at 0°C into I kg of superheated steam at the stated
superheated temperature. It is denoted as hsup and will be equal to sum of the enthalpy of dry
saturated steam and the amount of superheat. If Tsup is the superheated temperature, Tsat is
the saturated temperature and Csup is the specific heat of superheated steam, then the amount
of superheat will be equal to Cps (Tsup - Tsat).

hsup = hg + Csup (Tsup - Tsat) kJ/kg

1.6 Enthalpy equations

a) Enthalpy of Dry saturated Steam:

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 Properties of Steam

hg = hf +hfg kJ/kg
b) Enthalpy of Wet Steam:
h = hf + x .hfg kJ/kg
c) Enthalpy of Superheated Steam:
hsup = hf + hfg + Csup (Tsup - Tsat) kJ/kg
d) Degree of superheat (DOS):
0
DOS = (Tsup - Tsat) C
e) Amount of superheat (AOS):
AOS = Csup (Tsup - Tsat) kJ/kg
1.7 Critical Temperature & Pressure
At a particular pressure water is directly converted into dry steam without going through the
phase of evaporation. i.e, hfg = 0. This point is called critical point and pressure and

temperature at that point are called Critical pressure and Critical temperature.

Pc = 221.2 bar

Tc = 374.150C

Critical pressure:
It is the pressure at which the water is directly converted into dry steam without undergoing
the state of evaporation.

Critical temperature:
It is the corresponding temperature at the critical point.

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