Measurement of Steam Quality:

The state of a pure substance gets fixed if two independent properties are
given. Thus the pure substance is said to have two degrees of freedom.

Figure shows the values of pressure and temperature would fix up the
state. But when the substance is in the saturation state or two phase region
the measured values of pressure and temperature could apply equally well to
saturated liquid point f and saturated vapor point g. or two mixtures of any
quality points x1, x2 or x3 of the two properties, P and T only one is
independent; the other is a dependent property. If the pressure is given the
saturation temperature gets automatically fixed for the substance. In order
to fix up the state of the mixture one more property such as specific volume,
enthalpy or composition of mixture or internal energy is required to be
known. Since it is relatively difficult measure the specific volume of the
mixture devices such as calorimeters are used for determining the quality or
the enthalpy of the mixture.
In the measurement of quality, the object is always to bring the state
of the substance from the two phase region to the single phase region or
superheated region where, the pressure and temperature are independent
and measured to fix the state, either by adiabatic throttling or e3lectric
heating.
There are three types of calorimeter are common in use namely
1) Separating Calorimeter
2) Throttling Calorimeter
3) Combined separating and throttling calorimeter.
Separating Calorimeter: the steam whose dryness fraction is to be
determined is very wet then separating calorimeter gives the quality of the
steam. A known quantity of steam is passed through a separating

calorimeter as shown. The steam is made to change direction suddenly, the

water being denser than the dry steam is separated out. The quantity of
water, which is separated out, is measured at the separator. The dry steam
coming out of the separator is sent through a condenser where it is
condensed separately.
The dryness fraction of the steam is calculated by weighing the mass of the
water and mass of dry steam after condensation separately.

Throttling Calorimeter: sample of wet steam of mass m at pressure p1 is

taken from the steam main through a perforated sampling tube as shown in
the figure. Then it is throttled by the partially opened valve to a pressure p2
measured by a mercury manometer and temperature T2 so that after
throttling the steam is in the superheated region. The process is shown on Ts and H-s diagram.
The steady flow energy equation gives the enthalpy after throttling as
equal to enthalpy before throttling. It is a irreversible process hence joined
by a dotted line. Thus the initial state of the steam is p1 , t1 and its dryness
fraction is x1 and the final state of the superheated steam is p2 x2

Now h1 =h2
hf1+x1 hfg1 = h2
x1 =( h2 hf1 ) / hfg1
With P2 and T2 being known, h2 can be found out from the superheated
steam table. The values of hf, hfg are taken from saturated steam table.,
thus quality of the wet steam x1 can be calculated.

Combined separating and throttling calorimeter:

When the steam is very wet and the pressure after throttling is not low
enough to take the steam to the superheated region then a combined
separating and throttling calorimeter is used for the measurement of quality.
Steam from the main is first passed through a separator as shown in the
figure, where some part of the moisture separates due to sudden change in

direction and falls by gravity and partially dry vapor is then throttled and
taken to the superheated region.

As shown in the figure process 1-2 represents moisture separation from the
wet sample of steam at constant pressure P1 and process 2-3 represents
throttling to pressure P2 withP2 and T3 being measured, h3 can be found out
from the superheated steam table.
h3= h2 = hf1 + x2 hfg1
Therefore x2, the quality of the steam after partial moisture separation can
be evaluated. If m kg of steam is taken through the sampling tube in y
seconds, m1 kg is separated and m2 kg is throttled and then condensed to
water and collected, we have
m=m1+m2.
The mass of dry vapor will be at state2 is x2m2.
Therefore the quality of the sample of the steam at state1 which ids x1 is
given by
x1= x2m2 / (m1 + m2)