Calculators

A set of calculators to help steam practitioners and designers solve problems associated with steam and condensate engineering. Typical calculations include valve sizing for saturated steam and sub-saturated water, pipe sizing for saturated steam and condensate, start-up and running losses from tanks and steam pipes, and some other useful aids such as a flash steam calculator, how to convert Kv to orifice diameter, and others.

Set your preferences for these calculators and the steam tables.

Valves

The calculator allows valve flow coefficients to be determined for various flowrates and pressure drops. It can also calculate the flowrate for a given flow coefficient and pressure drop, or the pressure drop for a given flowrate and flow coefficient. Suitable for saturated steam and sub-saturated water.

Pipes

Undersized pipes create large pressure drops and high velocities, whilst oversized pipes are unnecessary and costly. This calculator allows steam and condensate pipes to be sized correctly. Steam pipes can be sized on pressure drop and velocity, and up to three steam trap discharge lines and associated common lines can be sized. Discharge lines from mechanical and electrical condensate pumps can also be sized.

Tanks & Vats

Find the heat losses from rectangular and cylindrical tanks for the start-up and running conditions. The calculator determines the heating requirment to satisfy the larger of the two heat loads, and then informs of the diameter and length of steam coil required to satisfy the conditions. The maximum steam condensing rate is then calculated to allow the steam control valve and coil steam trap to be sized correctly.

Flash Steam

Find the amount of flash steam formed from condensate in downstream pipework due to the pressure drop across a throttling device like a steam trap. The calculator can also be used to size a flash vessel based on the same parameters.

Orifice

Knowing the required flow coefficient for a specified flowrate, this calculator determines the size of orifice to suit. The reciprocal calculation is also possible whereby, knowing the orifice diameter, the coresponding flow coefficent can be determined.

Steam Flow & Heat Rate

This calculates the flowrate of saturated steam required to satisfy a heating load, such as a heat exchanger or an air heater battery operating at a specified pressure. The reciprocal calculation is also possible whereby, knowing the steam flowrate to a heat exchanger or air heater battery, the coresponding heat load can be ascertained.

Water Mixing

This calculator considers the mixed temperature of two water streams. Knowing the hot and cold water temperatures, and the required mixture temperature and its flowrate, the percentage flow and actual flow of each stream is determined.