What is steam tables?
It is a set of tables specifically containing the values relating to steam conditions. Steam tables does
not only contain pressures and temperatures but other properties as well such specific enthalpy,
specific volume, specific internal energy, and entropy. the steam tables book by Keenan, Keyes,
Hill, and Moore. has two charts at the back cover namely the Temperature-Entropy chart and the
very large Mollier chart.
How useful is steam tables for mechanical engineers?
The steam tables are a very useful tool for mechanical engineers. Its usefulness is like how useful a
map is to travelers. Steam tables are used by those who work with steam. Mechanical engineering
deals with power plants and most power plants are driven by steam.
This is one of the two charts found in the steam tables book by Keenan, Keyes, Hill, and
Moore. It is called the TS chart. T is for temperature while s is for entropy. This chart is
dedicated only to water/steam substance. The temperature is the vertical axis (y) while
the entropy is the horizontal axis (x) if this was in cartesian coordinate system. By
looking closely, the T-s chart has this distinctive bell curve on it.
The bell curve illustrated (blue and red lines) is called the saturation curve. This curve is
a locus composted of the different saturation points of water substance. This is means
when a given point of water substance falls on this curve, it is in saturated state. If it
falls on the blue curve, it is specifically in saturated liquid state. If it falls on the red
curve, it is specifically in saturated vapor state. The point where the blue and red curve
meets is called the critical point.
The area inside the bell curve are in wet steam states. Wet steam (or wet vapor) means
it is a mixture of steam and water. Other books call it simply as mixture. The region
where wet steam are found is called mixture region. The area beyond the red curve are
in superheated steam state. The region where these superheated steam points are
found is called superheated region. The region adjacent left to the blue curve is called
the subcooled liquid region. All points inside this region are in subcooled liquid state.
c
This is how the constant pressure curve (A-B-C-D) looks in a Ts chart. It looks
more like a staircase. For example, we have water at 20 oC at 101.325 MPa. This
is a subcooled liquid hence located at point A. The imaginary path A-B-C-D is a
constant pressure curve which is equal to the given 101.325 MPa. Adding heat
to the water causes its temperature to rise until it reaches saturation point
(boiling point) which is at 100oC at point B. At this point, it is still saturated
liquid. It does not turn directly to vapor unless further heat is added. As
heating progresses, it undergoes phase change from saturated liquid (point B)
to saturated vapor (point C) at constant temperature. Any point between B
and C is what we call wet steam or simple mixture. At point C (saturated
steam), further heating this causes its temperature to rise again beyond the
boiling point until it becomes a superheated steam (point D). The curve A-B-C-
D holds also for condensation which is the opposite of boiling or evaporation.
Using T-S chart. We can the enthalpy, entropy, quality, moisture content, degrees
superheat, pressure, temperature and specific volume.
The green lines are the quality curves while the orange lines are the enthalpy curves.
The broken purple lines are the specific volume curves. Notice that it changes direction
when it hits the saturated vapor curve. The sky blue lines are the pressure curve.
For superheated steam or vapor, quality is meaningless because saturated steam and
superheated steam does not contain any moisture on it hence it will always be 100%
quality. In order to distinguish how hot a superheated steam is, the term degrees of
superheat is used. The higher the value of degrees of superheat means it is hotter.
Similarly, for subcooled liquids, the quality is 0% since it is all liquid. The term degrees
subcooled is used instead.
Here are the formulas:
Degrees superheat=(actual temperature of superheated steam)-(saturation
temperature at the given pressure)
Degrees subcooled=(saturation temperature at the given pressure)-(actual temperature
of subcooled liquid)
In the TS chart, degrees superheat is represented by constant superheat lines.
Example #1: What is the state of the water substance if it has a temperature of
250 °C and an entropy of 6.5 kJ/kg-K?
Step 1: Locate the temperature for 250°C and entropy line for
6.5 kJ/kg-K as shown by orange and light green lines
respectively.
Step 2: By visual observation, the orange and light green lines
intersect in superheated region. Therefore, the water
substance is in superheated steam state.
Example #2:
What is the state of the water substance having a temperature of 120°C and
entropy of 5.4 kJ/kg-K?
Example #3: What is the quality (if wet steam) or degrees superheat (if
superheated steam), temperature, specific volume, & entropy of water if it has
a pressure of 3.0 MPa and enthalpy of 2,500 kJ/kg? What is the state of the
water substance?
The water substance is in a wet steam state.
What is the quality (if wet steam) or degrees superheat (if superheated
steam), temperature, specific volume, & entropy of water if it has a
pressure of 3.0 MPa and enthalpy of 2,500 kJ/kg are approximately:
Quality = 83.5%
Temperature = 231°C
m3
Volume x 3
10
kg = 60
60
m3
Volume = 10
m3 = 0.6 kg
kg
Entropy = 5.550 kJ/kg-K
Example #4: What is the quality (if wet steam) or degrees superheat (if
superheated steam), enthalpy, & entropy of the water if it has a pressure of 0.2
MPa and a temperature of 190°C? What is the state of the water substance?
The water substance is in a superheated steam state.
The quality (if wet steam) or degrees superheat (if superheated steam),
enthalpy, & entropy of the water if it has a pressure of 0.2 MPa and a
temperature of 195°C are approximately;
Degrees superheat = (actual temperature of superheat steam) -
(saturation temperature at the given pressure)
= 190°C - 120°C
= 70°C
Enthalpy = 2850 kJ/kg
Entropy = 7.45 kJ/Kg-K
