Precision Steam is Keeping it Green

Curation of steam technologies. Credit: Air & Hydronic Specialties

 

“Precision Steam is Keeping it Green”, Written by AHS, Sept. 30, 2025

QUESTION: What do you think of when you hear the term “steam”?

 

Nowadays, I’m sure you imagine steaming clothes to get wrinkles out, steaming milk for coffee, or some other novelty device. Maybe you even imagine hulking steam powered locomotives, and the massive handmade steam pumps of the early Industrial Revolution.

The conventional idea of steam today is either an ancient, primitive, behemoth device, or in some small modern convenience; steam is seen as no longer particularly useful for our modern world.

Well, let me shed some light on its role in an increasingly sustainable, efficient, and performance-demanding industrial environment.

 

History of Steam

 

Steam turbines were invented in the late 19th century, combining the ancient technology of the aeolipile with Henry Regnault’s lifetime analysis of steam’s incredible and unique expansion qualities to produce a highly efficient bladed wheel system that is nowadays used to turn thermal energy into electricity.

It’s a fact that “nearly all coal-fired power plants use steam turbines.” In actuality, around 80% of the energy infrastructure in the United States relies on steam turbines to run, which includes nuclear, coal, geothermal, biomass, and some natural gas.

No matter what category of modern power plant a system may be, it usually relies on steam technology to provide those many megawatts of power required by a city grid.

In other words, steam systems are used for most electricity.

So, why steam?

 

 

For those who may not be aware of steam’s mechanical and thermodynamic properties, here is a brief rundown:

– When water is heated past 212° F, it boils and becomes steam, which expands to ~1,600 times the original volume of saturated water; the force of this expansion can create tremendous pressures.

– It takes 970 BTU/lb of saturated water to turn it into steam, an extraordinary amount in comparison to the 180 BTU/lb to heat water from frozen to boiling.

– This 970 BTU/lb is released as steam condenses at this constant temperature.

All this, and steam is the only fluid with these specific properties and is, of course, cheap and readily available everywhere.

 

 

Refrigerants have similar properties, as far as having very useful thermodynamic tendencies. However, refrigerant is more expensive and, in many cases, is toxic and flammable; its use cases are more limited to refrigeration and heat pumps for these and many other reasons.

Compared to hot water systems, steam system pipes can move more heat in much smaller pipes, and faster. And, the steam itself is lightweight.

Steam is also safer than many other alternatives, being non-toxic and inflammable.

Additionally, no pumps are required to move steam through a process, saving on costly pump install and maintenance.

 

Modern Steam

 

For those above reasons, the applications of steam stretch into a huge number of behind-the-scenes industrial applications.

Steam kettles and jackets are used in all kinds of food processing, from canned goods to snack foods to ice cream manufacturing.

The cardboard industry utilizes steam for corrugation; the medical industry requires the high temperatures and pressures of steam to run autoclaves to disinfect equipment and to heat their highly precise systems.

It’s been the equipment of choice for district heating and process systems for more than two centuries.

So, why steam now?

Now more than ever, these systems achieve high levels of precision, control, safety, and efficiency. Modern closed loop boiler systems can achieve efficiencies of 95% using condensing economizers, which is astronomically high for any energy system.

As the world pushes to greener, more sustainable, safer, and more efficient systems, precision steam technology has its place at the forefront of new systems.

Modern water treatment technology, valves, steam traps/regulators, and stainless steel implementations have made steam even more capable and reliablethan it used to be.

It’s different now.

For those who are looking to get ahead and stay ahead in any industry, making the move to steam-

-or revamping your current system to its full modern potential-

is a genuine step to a brighter, stronger future.

 

We at Air & Hydronic Specialties are proud to represent Watson McDaniel Company and their steam products made right here in the U. S. of A.

Never hesitate to contact us with inquiries about steam systems.

 

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day!

Written by Air & Hydronic Specialties, September 30th, 2025