The Story of Steam

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Language: English

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Posted by: rocketboom on Jul 30, 2009

Rocketboom NYC Correspondent Ella Morton visits the ConEd Steam Plant to find out more about the New York City Steam System.

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Rarely ever do I think about vapor as water.
When I see the wet steam
I'm more inclined to think of Half Life.
But, have you often wondered where
the mist you see escaping from city streets comes from?
Rocketboom's Ella Morton
visits the New York City steam plant
to investigate this boiling hot mystery.
Thank you Molly.
Steam on the streets is a common site in New York.
But, where does it come from?
This plant is one of the sources of
those notoriously steamy manholes.
Let's take a quick look at how it all works.
The 14th st. plant produces both steam and electricity.
In a process called
cogeneration.
The action starts by burning natural gas
which spins a turbine to create electricity.
The 1000 degree Fahrenheit heat
byproduct of that process
goes into a heat recovery steam generator.
That boils water
to create steam for the city.
Interestingly enough
the 14th st. plant
has its own special water treatment facility.
Because regular tap water
contains minerals that build up in the steam pipes.
Once steam leaves the plant
it travels through up to 105 miles of underground pipes.
Which get progressively smaller as they reach their destination.
Which, in New York City
includes some of the largest and most famous buildings
in the world.
So, now we return to the question:
Why the steamy manholes?
Is the steam escaping?
And, if so, is the city in peril?
I asked Dennis Holmes
operations manager at the 14th st. plant.
Clear something up.
Is it a bad sign to see steam
coming out of a manhole in New York?
It's not horrible, let's put it that way.
That steam may not be our product, necessarily.
If there is a water leak in the area
and if that water hits our pipe
it's going to get hot
and then it's going to flash off a little bit
and that will be some of the vapor you see.
However, if it looks like it's coming out with a little more force
anytime anybody sees any steam we encourage them to call us.
And so ends the journey of steam.
From plant to pipes
to the potentially perilous pouring
out of New York City manholes.
I'm Ella Morton
and you've been getting steamy
with Rocketboom.

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