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Steam Consumption Calculator

Work out steam consumption instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Steam Consumption Calculator

Steam gives up its latent heat when it condenses, so consumption is the process load divided by latent heat, uplifted for heat transfer losses. Every pound of steam returns a pound of condensate, and one boiler horsepower is defined as 34.5 lb/h of steam from and at 212 °F.

Formulas

Steam demand

lb/h = load BTU/h / (latent heat x efficiency)

Boiler horsepower

BHP = lb/h / 34.5

Worked example

With the default values below, Steam Consumption Calculator returns Steam consumption of 668. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Process heat loadminimum 1 BTU/h
500,000 BTU/h
Latent heat of steamminimum 100 BTU/lb
880 BTU/lb
Heat transfer efficiencyaccepts 20–100 %
85 %

Results

Steam consumption
668 lb/h
Steam in kilograms
303.2 kg/h
Condensate returned
80.1 gal/h
Equivalent boiler horsepower
19.38 BHP

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Steam demand
  3. 3Boiler horsepower
  4. 4Steam consumption= 668 lb/h
  5. 5Steam in kilograms= 303.2 kg/h
  6. 6Condensate returned= 80.1 gal/h
  7. 7Equivalent boiler horsepower= 19.38 BHP

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Steam Consumption figure worked out?

lb/h = load BTU/h / (latent heat x efficiency). Steam gives up its latent heat when it condenses, so consumption is the process load divided by latent heat, uplifted for heat transfer losses.

Why does latent heat fall as pressure rises?

At higher pressure more of the total enthalpy is sensible heat in the liquid, so less latent heat is available per pound and steam consumption for a given duty rises.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 3 inputs: Process heat load, Latent heat of steam, Heat transfer efficiency. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic worked example — replace them with your own site or project figures.

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