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Contents:
1. Saturated Steam Tables
2. Two Formats: Pressure Based and
Temperature Based
3. Different Units: Gauge Pressure and Absolute
Pressure
4. Superheated Steam Tables
Example of Saturated Steam Table
How to Read a Steam Table
Just as a map (or GPS navigation system) is
necessary when driving in a new area or a flight
timetable is indispensable when taking the plane,
steam tables are essential to steam-users in
industry. This article will introduce steam tables,
pointing out the different types and offering an
overview of the different elements found within
them.
Saturated Steam Tables
A saturated steam table is an indispensable tool for any engineer working with steam. It is typically used to
determine saturated steam temperature from steam pressure or vice versa, pressure from saturated
steam temperature. In addition to pressure and temperature, these tables usually include other related
values such as specific enthalpy (h) and specific volume (v).
The data found in a saturated steam table always refers to steam at a particular saturation point, also
known as the boiling point. This is the point where water (liquid) and steam (gas) can coexist at the same
temperature and pressure. Because H
2
O can be either liquid or gas at its saturation point, two sets of data
are required: data for saturated water (liquid), which is typically marked with an "f" in subscript, and data
for saturated steam (gas), which is typically marked using a "g" in subscript.
Steam Theory
1. Basics of Steam
What is Steam?
Principal Applications for Steam
Types of Steam
Flash Steam
What is Vacuum Steam?
How to Read a Steam Table
2. Steam Heating
3. Partial Pressure
4. Steam Trap
5. Air Trap
6. Other Valves
7. Condensate Recovery
8. Water Hammer
9. Piping
10. Energy Efficiency
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Legend:
P = Pressure of the steam/water
T = Saturation point of steam/water (boiling point)
v
f
= Specific volume of saturated water (liquid).
v
g
= Specific volume of saturated steam (gas).
h
f
= Specific enthalpy of saturated water (energy required to heat water from 0C (32F) to the boiling
point)
h
fg
= Latent heat of evaporation (energy required to transform saturated water into dry saturated steam)
h
g
= Specific enthalpy of saturated steam (total energy required to generate steam from water at 0C
(32F)).
*
Source: 1999 JSME Steam Tables
Heating processes using steam generally use the latent heat of evaporation (H
fg
) to heat the product. As
seen in the table, this latent heat of evaporation is greatest at lower pressures. As saturated steam
pressure rises, the latent heat of evaporation gradually decreases until it reaches 0 at supercritical
pressure, i.e. 22.06 mPa (3200 psi).
Looking for TLV's online steam tables?
Access them here:
Saturated Steam Table by Pressure
Saturated Steam Table by Temperature
Superheated Steam Table
Two Formats: Pressure Based and Temperature Based
Since saturated steam pressure and saturated steam temperature are directly related to one another,
saturated steam tables are generally available in two different formats: based on pressure and based on
temperature. Both types contain the same data that is simply sorted differently.
Pressure Based Saturated Steam Table
PRES S .
(GA UGE)
TEMP. S PECIFIC VOL UME S PECIFIC ENTHA L PY
k P aG C
m
3
/ k g
k J / k g
P T
V
f
V
g
H
f
H
f g
H
g
0 99.97 0.0010434 1.673 419.0 2257 2676
20 105.10 0.0010475 1.414 440.6 2243 2684
50 111.61 0.0010529 1.150 468.2 2225 2694
100 120.42 0.0010607 0.8803 505.6 2201 2707
Temperature Based Saturated Steam Table
TEMP.
PRES S .
(GA UGE)
S PECIFIC VOL UME S PECIFIC ENTHA L PY
C k P aG
m
3
/ k g
k J / k g
T P
V
f
V
g
H
f
H
f g
H
g
100 0.093 0.0010435 1.672 419.1 2256 2676
110 42.051 0.0010516 1.209 461.4 2230 2691
120 97.340 0.0010603 0.8913 503.8 2202 2706
Tip
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130 168.93 0.0010697 0.6681 546.4 2174 2720
140 260.18 0.0010798 0.5085 589.2 2144 2733
150 374.78 0.0010905 0.39250 632.3 2114 2746
Different Units: Gauge Pressure and Absolute Pressure
Saturated steam tables can also use two different types of pressure: absolute pressure and gauge
pressure.
Absolute pressure is zero-referenced against a perfect vacuum.
Gauge pressure is zero-referenced against atmospheric pressure (101.3 kPa, or 14.7 psi).
Saturated Steam Table using Absolute Pressure
PRES S
(A BS . )
TEMP. S PECIFIC VOL UME S PECIFIC ENTHA L PY
k P a C
m
3
/ k g
k J / k g
P T
V
f
V
g
H
f
H
f g
H
g
0 -- -- -- -- -- --
20 0.2 0.0010103 7.648 251.4 2358 2609
50 0.5 0.0010299 3.240 340.5 2305 2645
100 1.0 0.0010432 1.694 417.4 2258 2675
Saturated Steam Table using Gauge Pressure
PRES S .
(GA UGE)
TEMP. S PECIFIC VOL UME S PECIFIC ENTHA L PY
k P aG C
m
3
/ k g
k J / k g
P T
V
f
V
g
H
f
H
f g
H
g
0 99.97 0.0010434 1.673 419.0 2257 2676
20 105.10 0.0010475 1.414 440.6 2243 2684
50 111.61 0.0010529 1.150 468.2 2225 2694
100 120.42 0.0010607 0.8803 505.6 2201 2707
Gauge pressure was created because it is often easier to reference measured pressure against the
pressure we normally experience.
Steam tables based on gauge pressure indicate atmospheric pressure as 0, while steam tables based on
absolute pressure indicate it as 101.3 kPa (14.7 psi). Also, to distinguish gauge pressure from absolute
pressure, a "g" is typically added to the end of the pressure unit, for example kPaG or psig.
Converting Gauge Units to Absolute Units
For SI Units
Steam Pressure [kPa abs] = Steam Pressure [kPaG] + 101.3 kPa
For Imperial Units
Steam Pressure [psi abs] = Steam Pressure [psiG] + 14.7 kPa
Important note: Problems can easily occur when absolute pressure is mistaken for gauge pressure (or
vice versa), so it is always extremely important to pay close attention to the pressure units used in the
table.
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Heating with Steam What is Vacuum Steam?
*
Atmospheric pressure is 101.3 kPa (14.7 psi)
Example of Superheated Steam Table
The above superheated steam tables contains data about Specific Volume (v
g
), Specific Enthalpy (h
g
) and
Specific Heat (s
g
) at typical values of pressure and temperature.
Summary Table
Gauge pressure:
Zero-referenced against Atmospheric Pressure
*
Zero pressure = Atmospheric Pressure
Absolute pressure:
Zero-referenced against Absolute Pressure
Zero pressure = Perfect Vacuum
Superheated Steam Tables
Values related to superheated steam cannot be obtained through a regular saturated steam table, but
rather require the use of a Superheated Steam Table. This is because the temperature of superheated
steam, unlike saturated steam, can vary considerably for a same pressure.
In fact, the number of possible temperature-pressure combinations is so great that it would be virtuablly
impossible to gather them all in a single table. As a result, a large number of superheated steam tables use
representative pressure-temperature values to form a summary table.
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