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EQUATIONS FOR SOME THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF SATURATED STEAM

5%
“Dave O. Co%
Dwayne A. Chesnut
Energy Consulting Associates, Inc.
Denver, Colorado
.

INTRODUCTION

The thermodynamic properties of saturated steam are needed for heat-

10SS calculations and quality calculations in wellbores and flowlines,

and for predicting oil recovery in steam drive and steam soak projects.

Most computer programs for calculations Involvlng steam rely upon inter-
.
polation between tabulated values to determine the required properties as

a function of saturation temperature or ’pressure.

, It is sometimes useful to calculate steam properties from equations

which can be programmed as mathematical subroutines. If a general purpose

interpolation program is not available, the programming effort may be

reduced. In applications such as automated ~ata acquisition and pro-

.
cess”lng’ systems with a minicomputer, the savings in core memory-may be

significant.

We have recently developed, or discovered in the literature, the

correlations given below for the thermodynamic properties of steam needed

in applying” simplified methods for predicting oil recovery for steam

dr’ ve or steam soak operations. 3

These correlations can be used with
.
mal y desk or pocket model calculators and are easily programmable for a

computer. The calculated values are within 1% of published values through=

out the indicated temperature range for each correlation. All symbols ‘

used and numerical values of all constants”are given in the \ndex of

variables at the end of the article.

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THE CORRELATIONS:

Saturation pressure as a function of temperature is g!ven by Keenan and

Keyesl as

= P=/loF(t)
P (1)

where

F(t) “
alt
~lt
[.1
1 +a2t -1- (a3t)3

+ b2t
+ (a4t)4
1 (2)

This is accurate in the range 32< T~705.47° F.

4
By making a curve fit to AHv/AZv as given by Reid and Sherwood , and

utilizing the Clapeyron equation, we also developed a simpler formula

for saturation pressure as a function of temperature: ..

(3)

where

. G(R) = (R - 1)
[3 ‘ c,] (4)

Thisequgtion . .. is. accurate in the range 160x~* ~OO°F.

The saturation temperature as a function of pressure “is given by

T= 100 p0”25+ H(P) (5)

where H(P) = da + 4 log10 P + d3 (log10P)2 (6)

The function H(P) was a curve fit to the errors observed i,n the equation

T= 100 P*”25 given by Kuong2. This equation is accurate for

30 ~P <3208.2 psia. \ .

The enthalpy of the saturated liquid was determined by curve fitting

of a p6wer law formula4 hfc - hf = aj(x)tn. The resultiiig equation is

hf =hfc+elt 0.59841 (x) (7)

where x.= (T/100)-2 (8)

4
and l(x) = 1 + %x + (e3x)2 + (64x)3 + (esx) (9)
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. .
, This is accurate in the range 2SO~T<6SOo F.

“For 32~T< 250° F, a straight line may be utilized as

hf = 1.0028 (T - 32) (10)

4
For the latent heat of vaporization, a “power law f’ormula was used,

and we” curve fit the errors for a better approximation. “The enthalpy

of vaporization is
0.36655
hfg =J(T) t (11)

where,

“ J(T) =fl(l+faT- (fsT)2) (12)

over a range of temperature of 120 ~ T < 6400 F.

The specific vclume of the liquid, which is the reciprocal of

the liquid density, is given by Keenan and Keyesl as

Vf ‘= go K(t) (13)

where ...: .“

+ qt + (g3t)4]/[1.+(h3t). “? +~t] (14:

K(t) = [1 - (9A1’3

for 40< T # 6800 F.

The specific volume of vaporization, vfg, is difficult to get as

a function of one variable alone, so the Clapeyron equation is used

,
for this value.

and
hfg dP . igRhfg
—
Vfg = —
T / z PL(T) (16)

where

L (T) = 1 + ilT + (i2T)2 “ (17)

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At a given temperature, Eqs. (11) and (12) are used to calculate h

fg ‘
and Eqs. (1) and (2) or (3) and (4) are used to obtain P, for use in

Eq. (16) to calculate vfg. If pressure is given, T is calculated from

Eqs. (5) and (6).

This equation is accurate in the range of 80 <T <630”F.

EXAMPL&: Suppose that T = 6000 F.

The calculated and actual values are given below.

PROPERTY CALCULATED VALUE REAL VALUE % ERROR

T 598.951 600 -0.18

598.992 -0.17

P 1543.441 1543.2 0.02

1543.922 0.05

617.09 617.1 -.002

‘f

hfg 550.61 550.6 ● 002

.
Vf .02363 .02364 ~ -.06
..

Vfg .24396’ .24384 .05

.243892 “ .02

1 based on first correlation for pressure

2 based on second correlation for pressure
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INDEX (IF VARIABLES

PHYSICAL VARIABLES:
.

iif the saturated liquid enthalpy (Btu/lbin)

hfc the saturated liquid enthalpy at the critical point

(906.0 BTU/ibm)

hfg the enthalpy of vaporization (Btu/ibm)

P the saturation pressure [psia)

P= the critical pressure (3208.2 psia)

T the saturation temperature (°F)

T= the critical temperature (705.47°F)

t the pseudo-temperature (°F)

t TC-T

R the reduced absolute temperature (OR/oR)

R (T + 460.)/looo

Vf the saturated liquid specifi~ vol~me (ft3/ibm)

“the specific volume of vaporization (ft3/ibm)

Vfg

. .
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FUNCTIONS AND CONSTANTS

F(t) a function used to calculate saturation pressure at a

given temperature
. .
al = 2.87I21 x 10-3

6.87511 x 10-3

a= = 7.27541 X 10-4

1.16919x 10-3

-8.58023 x 10-4

7.66360X 10-3

G(R) “ a function used to calculate saturation pressure at a

given temperature

cl = 9.6279x 102

&= -l.476ox 10’

C3 = l.5492x 10’

Q+= 7.5898
.
H(P) a function used to calculate $.aturation temperature at a
given pressure

dl = -3’:1246-X :10 =

“42= 5.7188x 10’

. da = -1.7601 x 10’

I (x) a function used to calculate saturated liquid enthalpy

at a given temperature

x= (T/loo) -2

-1.77866 X 10’

-2.0634x 10-2

ea = 8.3067X 10-2.

-1.4452x 10-1

es = 1.5943 x 10-1

. .
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“

J (T) a function used to calculate enthalpy of vaporization

at a given temperature

9.5101OX 101
,.
. .,
fg = 3.31622x 10-4

fa = 6.4384x 10-4

K(t) a function used to calculate saturated liquid specific

volume at a given temperature

90 = 5.1219 X 10-2

91 = 5.3195X 10-4

92” -2.0908 X 10-4

3.8648x 10-4

1.3441 x 10-3

&= -2.1924x 10-3

L (T) a function used to calculate specific volume of vaporization

given temperature, pressure, and entl.alpy of vaporization

5.24118x 10-’

-7.5445 x 10-4 .~. .

-4
8.5807 x1O., . , “-, . .

.,
 1. Keenan, J.H.~ and Keyes, F.G., Thermodynamic Properties of Steam:
John Wiley.& Sons, .Inc., New York,. 1955.

2. Kuong, J.F., ‘tEstimate Saturated Steam Temperature When Pressure

Is KnownIi, Nomograph Handbook (Reprinted from Hydrocarbon Processing):
Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, 1971, p. 55.
.
3. Myhill, N.A., and Stegemeier, G.L., ‘%tearn Drive Correlation
and Predictlonlt, Paper Number SPE 5572, 50th Annual Fall Meeting
of the SPE of AIME, Dallas, Texas~ 1975.

4. Reid, R.C and Sherwood, T.K., The Properties of Gases and Liquids:
McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1966.

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