Steam heater coils are used in drying ovens, air handling units and hot air generators. This tool calculates steam consumption (condensate load) and thermal power from the air flow rate to be heated and temperature increase.
Formula
ṁsteam = 60 · cp · ρ · Q · (T₂ − T₁) / hfg ρ = 353.05 / (T₁ + 273.15)
Q: air flow rate (m³/min, at inlet condition), cp = 1.004 kJ/(kg· K), ρ: density of air at inlet temperature (1 atm), hfg: latent heat of steam.
Example
A heater coil that heats 200 m³/min of air from 10 °C to 60 °C consumes approximately 356 kg/h of steam with 4 bar(g) steam; the thermal power is 209 kW.
The fan flow rate is usually given as m³/h; you can choose m³/h, L/s or cfm from the unit selector. To evaluate your steam system as a whole, you can take a look at our steam boiler guide and get a free quote for your project.