[modeleng] Re: The power of steam

Harry,  Back during WWII, I worked at an ice plant when out of school for 
the summer.  I don't think you would have fitted into a 50 or 100 pound 
chunk, but there would have been plenty room in the 300 pound cans where the 
ice was made.

Jesse in Troy, TN USA

At 04:52 PM 7/20/07 +0100, you wrote: What sort of pressure do these steam 
pipes work at?

Roger, Underground steam transmission is common in moderate sized US cities 
which have steam generating abilities.   We have a central generating plant 
fueled by burning the city's garbage which produces steam, hot water, and 
chilled water and is piped to some 50 buildings in the town center area. The 
pressure in the NY line which burst (installed 1922) was reported to be 
200psi.

How do they use hot steam to cool apartments?

I don't know exactly except that cooling is only a matter of compressing and 
expanding a recirculating gas . . . . and steam cam power the compressors. 
I remember as a child making regular stops at the "ice house" where we 
bought blocks of ice for household use.  The ice was made by filling 
concrete chilling pits with water and the cooling system was ammonia vapor 
compressed by huge electrically powered reciprocating compressors.  It was 
at the same time a fascinating and frightening place for a child, espcially 
after once of the icemen asked my dad if he wanted the Lad put into a 50lb 
or 100lb block?  :-)


Regards, Harry Wade Nashville  Tennessee

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