Steam Velocity

The mass flow is the same. At the lesser pressure, the steam is less dense, so its velocity increases accordingly, though not usually by very much.

steam traps should be installed at inpingement areas. Condensation forms at these areas.

Pressure drop occurs along the pipe line including pipe bends. some times water hammering also occurs in the condensate return due to imbalance in the velocity. Designer while designing a plant always considers these losses by including diversity factor or factor of safety.

While Sizing a flowmeter for steam (say a vortex flowmeter) the general formula we use is flow=area*velocity. but as there is a pressure drop across the line, velocity changes & this may affect the sizing of the flowmeter. So how one should relate this change in the velocity to the flowmeter sizing?

Thanks & Regards

Amey D

This is part of piping design. You need to balance the line friction pressure drop against the local volume expansion due to pressure drop and take into account liquid drop-out. It will all come into equilibrium on a continuous flow as the expanded gas will have a higher friction pressure drop if it travels faster.