Steam System Basics

This online engineering PDH describes steam systems using four basic parts: generation, distribution, end use, and recovery.

 

There are three principal forms of energy used in industrial processes: electricity, direct-fired heat, and steam. Electricity is used in many different ways, including mechanical drive, heating, and electrochemical reactions. Direct-fired energy directly transfers the heat of fuel combustion to a process. Steam provides process heating, pressure control, mechanical drive, and component separation, and is a source of water for many process reactions.

 

Steam has many performance advantages that make it an indispensable means of delivering energy. These advantages include low toxicity, ease of transportability, high efficiency, high heat capacity, and low cost with respect  to the other alternatives. Steam holds a significant amount of energy on a unit mass basis (between 1,000 and 1,250 British thermal units per pound [Btu/lb]) that can be extracted as mechanical work through a turbine or as heat for process use. Since most of the heat content of steam is stored as latent heat, large quantities of heat can be transferred efficiently at a constant temperature, which is a useful attribute in many process heating applications.

 

This 4 PDH online course is applicable to mechanical engineers, design professionals, construction managers and technical managers who are involved with steam system design, installation and operation.