ASME Research and Technology Committee on Water and Steam in Thermal Systems'

Subcommittee on the Properties of Steam

a committee of  ASME's Center for Research and Technology Development

Purpose and Activities

The Properties of Steam Committee, which has a history extending back to 1921, exists to advance and disseminate knowledge of the thermodynamic and physical properties of water, steam, and aqueous solutions. Standardized and reliable knowledge of these properties is vital in the design and operation of thermal power cycles, and is also important in many other industrial and research applications.

The Properties of Steam Subcommittee also serves as the U.S. National Committee to the International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam (IAPWS). The Subcommittee is responsible for implementing IAPWS property formulations in the United States.

In 1997, IAPWS adopted a new formulation for water's thermodynamic properties "for industrial use" (intended specifically for the steam power industry). This replaces the 1967 IFC formulation that has formed the basis for previous editions of the ASME Steam Tables.

The Subcommittee has prepared computer software implementing the new industrial formulation. This software, with accompanying documentation, is now available from ASME. The professional version of the software contains full source code and executable programs and is priced as follows for individual purchase: $120 for ASME members, $150 for non-members. Site licensing is available; contact InfoCentral for more details. For purchasers of Version 1.0.1 of this software, a free upgrade to Version 1.1 is available. A student version containing only the executable programs has been discontinued.

The companion book to this software (and successor to the familiar ASME Steam Tables) is the ASME International Steam Tables for Industrial Use, published in early 2000.  A description of the book and ordering information are here. Errata were issued in May, June, and August 2002 and in September 2006. These Errata apply only to the first and second printings of the book. The third corrected printing (March 2006) incorporates all but the last of these corrections.

A compact steam tables booklet has been produced, titled ASME Steam Tables: Compact Edition. At 32 pages, it is suitable for students and others who desire something smaller and less costly than the full-sized book. It is available from ASME Press in single copies and in bulk.

In 1995, IAPWS adopted a new formulation for water's thermodynamic properties "for general and scientific use." The U.S. implementation of that formulation (the NIST/ASME Steam Properties Database) is distributed by the Standard Reference Data office of NIST. A limited set of property calculations based on this formulation is also available from NIST on the Web at http://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/fluid and a printed report with steam tables from this formulation is also available.

The Subcommittee cosponsored (jointly with IAPWS and the Electrochemical Society) a Symposium on "Interfacial Electrochemistry and Chemistry in High Temperature Media" at the Electrochemical Society
meeting, October 7-12, 2007, in Washington, DC. Click here for more information.

We gratefully acknowledge the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), which provides financial support for some of the Subcommittee's activities.

Meetings

The Subcommittee meets twice a year. Spring meetings are usually held at NIST headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Fall meetings are usually held in conjunction with the International Water Conference. Following are the currently scheduled meetings:

• Fall 2008 - Week of October 27, 2008 - International Water Conference, San Antonio, TX.
• April 29-30, 2009 - NIST, Gaithersburg, MD
  

Contact the Subcommittee Chair for more information about meeting locations, times, etc. Minutes from recent meetings are available here.