Steam Uses

Steam is used for many things in piping design.  In the oil and gas industry, steam is used to heat production tanks, keep flow lines from freezing and to increase oil production in formations that are very viscious.  In other industries, it can be used to sterilize & clean equipment, sterilize equipment, and in reboilers which maintain tight tolerances on their temperatures.  Because of this, it is important to ensure that the line has been sized properly to reduce pressure drop and to also ensure that right steam quality, pressure and temperature is being delivered where it is supposed to.  Sizing a line too small will cause the water vapor and liquid to travel too fast which will reduce overall pressure in the line.  If the line is too large, the fluid and vapor will travel slower and heat loss will occur.  Equally important to sizing a line, sizing a valve for use in steam service.