The Steam Team: My Unique Experience Modeling Steam Systems

While much of the building industry has moved away from steam as a form of heating, there is still a need for engineering firms with this unique skill set, particularly in the National Capital Region. 10 months into my time at Summer, I was given the complex task of designing two separate steam stations that reduced steam pressure to a manageable level, fit for building use.

In came Caepipe, a powerful and advanced stress analysis tool. Once past the learning curve, I was able to model my steam station designs. The software produced instant results, including displacements (shown above) and expansion stresses (shown below), for the entire system, allowing me the ability to analyze how the system will behave, prior to any construction taking place.

Caepipe, as a modeling software, gives me the distinct ability to carefully tweak my designs, which helps provide clients with a steam station they can be confident will hold up over time. Caepipe is one of many unique tools at our disposal here at Summer; a tool that I believe sets us apart from other firms willing to tackle the challenges that come with designing steam systems.