Steam Energy Cost Calculator

How the steam energy cost calculator works

Heat added to the stated steam mass is mass × (steam enthalpy − feedwater enthalpy). Dividing kJ by 3,600 gives kWh. Steam enthalpy must be at least feedwater enthalpy for this declared heat-addition model. Both values must come from reviewed states and use the same enthalpy reference.

Fuel input is heat added divided by the output/input boiler efficiency. The supplied fuel rate must use the matching gross/net heating-value basis. Fuel charge rounds to cents before the fixed period cost is added. Fixed cost remains when modeled heat is zero; the tool does not infer a rate from a fuel name.

No steam table or property database is embedded. Blowdown, auxiliaries, distribution losses, operating state selection, boiler or steam-line sizing and pressure-system safety are outside this scenario unless a loss is already included consistently in the stated efficiency boundary.

Worked example

A steam mass of 1,000 kg with enthalpy 2,800 versus feedwater 400 kJ/kg needs 2,400,000 kJ, or approximately 666.667 kWh heat added. At 80% efficiency, fuel input is approximately 833.333 kWh. At 0.10 per input kWh, fuel cost rounds to 83.33; adding 20 fixed cost gives 103.33. With zero fixed cost, total is 83.33.

Sources and assumptions

The source material explains the underlying calculation or pricing structure. Entered prices, costs, schedules and scenario choices are your assumptions; this tool does not obtain supplier quotes or predict actual results.

• U.S. DOE: steam-system energy and condensate context