What Is a Steam Valve?

Steam valves release pressure.

A steam valve is simply a valve used to regulate the flow of steam. Steam valves usually look like pipes or holes with flaps covering the opening. When too much steam builds inside a machine, the flap opens and releases some.

Tea Kettles

You probably have a steam valve in your kitchen, in the form of a tea kettle. The opening from which you pour your tea functions as a steam valve. When you heat your water, some of it evaporates and expands. This causes pressure to build inside the kettle. The pressure needs to be released via the valve.

Safety Valves

You can find a few steam valves on the engine of a locomotive. Steam locomotives run on the pressure created when water evaporates and expands into steam. Sometimes, the engines get too hot and too much steam is created, forcing the machinery of the train to run too fast. When this happens, the safety steam valve releases a bit of steam to regulate the pressure for safety.

Pressure Valves

Steam engines also have pressure valves. The pressure valves release steam from a boiler, where the steam is first created by heating water, into another chamber where the steam is converted into energy.

References

• Free Dictionary: Steam Valve
• Michigan Technological University: Principles of Energy Conversion (PDF)