What is the steam rate expressed in pounds of steam per gallon of fuel oil?

What is the steam rate expressed in pounds of steam per gallon of fuel oil?

• A. 100 lb/gal
• B. 114 lb/gal
• C. 120 lb/gal
• D. 130 lb/gal

Answer: (B)

Steam rate is the amount of steam a boiler can produce from one gallon of fuel oil. It comes from comparing the energy in the fuel to the energy required to make a pound of steam at the boiler’s operating conditions. A gallon of fuel oil holds about 135,000 Btu of energy. Producing one pound of steam at typical boiler pressures uses roughly 1,180 Btu. Dividing 135,000 by 1,180 gives about 114 pounds of steam per gallon of fuel oil. That’s why 114 lb/gal is used as the standard reference. Real boilers can vary with fuel quality and pressure, but this is the commonly accepted figure.

Steam rate is the amount of steam a boiler can produce from one gallon of fuel oil. It comes from comparing the energy in the fuel to the energy required to make a pound of steam at the boiler’s operating conditions. A gallon of fuel oil holds about 135,000 Btu of energy. Producing one pound of steam at typical boiler pressures uses roughly 1,180 Btu. Dividing 135,000 by 1,180 gives about 114 pounds of steam per gallon of fuel oil. That’s why 114 lb/gal is used as the standard reference. Real boilers can vary with fuel quality and pressure, but this is the commonly accepted figure.